Media Frenzy

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

Petite leaving WPMI

Leon Petite, who has covered Baldwin County for WPMI-TV for the past several years, has decided to leave his nearly 20-year journalism career for a job outside the news business.

Petite spent his entire journalism career in the Mobile market, starting out with WKRG and working there for a decade. He also served as the Baldwin County reporter for WKRG. Almost 10 years ago he made the switch to WPMI and has handled Baldwin ever since.

Petite said he is leaving the field to take advantage of some of the area’s growth opportunities and he will be working in industrial sales.

Petite is a Mobile native and a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife have four children. He said it is not yet clear who might take his place covering Baldwin for WPMI.

WKRG fights crime

The spate of local crime seems to have moved WKRG to action. The CBS affiliate announced recently the formation of a Crime Solutions Task Force that will handle crime-related news stories, and also offer solutions in the reporting.

The CSTF will be led by evening anchors Mel Showers and Rose Ann Haven. The CSTF kicks off in May, which is also a “sweeps” month when stations have ratings monitored. The CSTF will also host town hall-style meetings about juvenile violence, among other subjects. And viewers can suggest stories for the task force by e-mailing Robin Delaney, community affairs director for the station at rdelaney@wkrg.com

Murrow for WALA

FOX 10 was awarded a regional Edward R. Murrow Award April 24 for a story about a mixed martial arts expert.

Sports Reporter/Anchor Rob Lehockey won the award for a piece he produced on mixed martial arts expert James Orso, who is trying to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Lehockey’s story focused on Orso’s devotion as a single father, as well.

Lehockey’s story won in Region 9 of the Radio-Television News Directors Association contest. The region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The win qualifies Lehockey to compete for a national Murrow Award.

“Rob is a very talented journalist, an excellent videographer and a great story-teller” said FOX10 News Director Bob Cashen in a press release. “It is a privilege to be recognized by such a distinguished professional organization.”

Daker leaving P-R

Press-Register reporter Susan Daker is heading for bigger pastures, having landed a job as a reporter for Dow Jones Newswires in Houston. Daker started at the P-R in 2004 after her graduation from Northwestern University, and has covered the nighttime police beat and also the daytime police beat/enterprise reporter slot.

Daker is a native of Chicago. We wish her luck.

Lipford Emmy nominated

Mobile’s own Mr. Fix It has had his show nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award.

Danny Lipford’s nationally syndicated show, “Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford,” picked up a nomination in the 35th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. It’s the first such nomination for Lipford’s show.

“Today’s Homeowner” is in its 10th season and was nominated in the category of Special Class Writing for the show’s writer, Scott Gardner. Gardner is also the show’s director. Other nominees are “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and “The View.”

“I couldn’t be more excited about this nomination,” Lipford said in a press release. “And I can’t say enough about the quality of Scott’s writing which has contributed to the long-term success of the show. To be nominated against that level of competition – it just shows that if you keep at it long enough, you’ll eventually get recognized for your work.”

Gardner has been the director and writer of “Today’s Homeowner” since 1998. The Daytime Emmy awards show will air June 20 at 8 p.m. on ABC.

“Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford” airs on over 200 stations nationwide.

Mullins to TK

Mary Mullins, a co-founder of Mobile’s Bellwether Group public affairs and consulting firm, has been announced as director of communications for ThyssenKrupp Stainless USA, LLC.

Mullins has worked for 24 years in the public affairs field, and for the past seven with the Bellwether Group. Kinnon Phillips, who serves as cuisine editor for this publication, is also a co-found of the group, which specializes in energy and the environment.

Front-page rumor?

More than a few people around town told me they were taken aback by the Press-Register running a front-page story about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the Sunday, May 4 edition. The story, which ran through the entire center of the front page and featured a sidebar, purported to get to the bottom of rumors that “Brangelina” have purchased a home on the ESho.

Mostly what it did was just reprint those rumors with little to confirm or dispel them. It seemed like a good light feature for the Style section, but hardly something for the front page. The next Monday morning, Sean Sullivan could be heard discussing the story on 106.5 The Pirate. Callers to the station blasted the story as a journalistic low for the P-R.

Maybe it was just a slow news week.

Rob Holbert is Lagniappe managing editor. Contact him at rholbert@lagniappemobile.com.

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