More news coming out of the train wreck that is WTVJ. It now appears that you can add NBC6’s weekend sports show ‘Sunday Sports Final’ (sponsored by Lexus) to the list of cancelled newscasts. Again, this is all “most likely due to the economy.” The story that was first broke by the Miami Hearld’s Barry Jackson, quotes WTVJ general manager Ardyth Diercks in saying that the show is on an indefinite hiatus because of alleged “staffing issues” in result of this week’s layoff of executive producer Jeff Tavss. There’s no word on when, or if the show will be returning. Interestingly enough, there was no sports anchor on-air this weekend during the 6 and 11PM shows (excluding Sunday). As a substitute, they had weekend anchor Amara Sohn reading sports of the prompter at the news desk.
Moving on to a little bit of rumor control. We received a few tips saying that NBC6 meteorologist John Gerard was also laid off last week. We have been able to confirm that he is just on vacation, and returns this Monday.
Finally, SFLTV.com has also been able to confirm that weekday morning traffic reporter Roxanne Vargas has been promoted to a general assignment reporter position. From what we’re told, Roxanne will still be reporting the morning traffic. She will then be sent out into the field to record bits that can be used as “look alike live-shots” for the 6 am 11PM newscast.
I thought being a reporter was worse than an anchor. I didn’t think you got promoted to being a reporter, I thought that was the entry for most broadcast personality people.
Roxanne as a reporter??? Oh My God! I am definitely not getting ym news from NBC anymore. She has zero news experience.
Roxanne? Reporter? No way
Wow, NBC6 must be desperate to put someone with no real news experience out there in the field. It was one thing to put her on fluff stories, but she is NOT a hard-hitting news reporter. I’m with the second commenter, I will not be getting my news from NBC anymore if that’s how little regard they have for their product.
Roxanne, clearly, cannot string a sentence together without fumbling over her words. Sure, she’s cute and bubbly – traits that can temporarily mask her inexperience, and lack of clear thought. A good move for her, would be to take elocution and enunciation courses.
There’s no point in “making sense of it all.” Decisions from up above are done without any consideration for the ones who matter: the viewers.
roxy = brainless bimbo&clueless moron
can’t walk & chew gum simotaniously
It’s weird hearing Ralph Renick of all people saying that about young potential up and coming personalities. Since he took so many chances on them back in the day. 😛
Remember, Bob Mayer was once in that category. He hired Jim Brosemer away from 10, also. But while we’re at it, can someone send Willard Shepard away, finally? A dud from the word go.
This is Roxanne’s first TV job…as we all painfully know by her performance on the air.
(just a side note…one reason why WTVJ is headed under…because they hire and promote people like Roxanne with NO past on-air experience!!!!!! It really does make a difference, just turn the channel to see)
And now she will be hitting the streets to cover real news…well kind of? It won’t take long before her true colors of inexperience shine! That’s of course after she takes every story and turns it around to be about her. Hey look at me…I’m Roxy and I think everyone who is watching the news cares about me, not the real story!!!!!!
With her on the beat…I know I won’t watch. But, I really feel the most pain for the poor photographer who has to sprinkle magic dust on every story she tries to turn just to make it good enough to air.
You TV people wonder why us TV watchers can’t take local news seriously anymore. You layoff solid people that can actually tell stories and report the news and then give Roxanne more responsibility???????????
Uhhh, guys, Tammy Delgado is an Executive Producer at TVJ> I know, I know… hard to believe> SO you guys can’t really be that surprised by the decisions being made by management? Roxanne? She’s Copernicus compared to Tammy! Belal, my man, don’t worry> your so-called “nut with a gut” will be leaving soon.
Roxanne needs to do what ever news reporter does before they work in a major market: she needs to work in a small market first. She is getting paid around 30 thousand bucks to do what she does. She should quite and get a job in a small market before she falls flat on her face.
Guys!!!!……..How many times have I said “WTVJ hires Black & Latin only”….Every person that you guys are complaining about is either “Black or Latin”…..Maybe move WTVJ to Overtown…. I hear the rent is cheap there! They don’t have one single white female field reporter (haven’t in years). Other then “Part-Time Pam”….there are no white females there.
Mitch, my friend, remember they just moved from Overtown, right?
Wow, things have changed since I was there. There were both Latin (Bravo, Azcuy) and white females (Daniels, Wallace, Helfman dbefore she was an anchor, just to name a few).
Anna Azcuy was terrible, she even made Jackie look like a seasoned pro (that says alot). I heard stories about her when she was Married to Kid Curry. Thank God, she had her looks or she would have been working as a cashier somewhere. Gerry Helfman was quite good and very bright. Her family was very wealthy and really didn’t need the job. I grew up watching Ike Seamans and Fred Francis(back in the 60s-70s), two first class pros .
Gerri Helfman retired at like the age of 40 in 2000. Actually, she didnt want to make the commute from Miami to Miramar.
Her father was subject to a bit of a mystery, he was found murdered in his Coral Gables home in the early 1980s.
I might be dating myself but , I liked Prescott Robinson, Jack Belt, Jim Dyer,Gordon Stevens, Del Frank. and of course Bob Mayer. They were all seasoned pros !
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