Media Frenzy

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

Fortune and misfortune in local media market

McCormick leaves WPMI

After less than a year-and-a-half at the helm of WPMI’s news department, Mike McCormick has left the NBC affiliate for a position at a station in Jacksonville, Fla.

McCormick, who joined WPMI in June of 2007, told new station manager Shea Grandquest last week that he would be leaving for WTEV/WAWS. That is a “sister station” to WPMI, as they are both owned by Newport Television.

Grandquest said the decision came as a surprise, but said the move was good for McCormick.

“Mike is a fantastic ND, one of the best in the country. Our sister station had an opportunity for him in Jacksonville, which puts Mike closer to his daughter. I am very excited for Mike,” Grandquest said.

No replacement has yet been named for McCormick, although insiders say they may be looking in-house.

McCormick joins a situation in Jacksonville that is a bit unsettled. Both the news director and assistant news director were fired recently. McCormick worked in the Jacksonville market for seven years prior to working as a news director in Cleveland, then coming to WPMI.

Steel City Magnolia

It didn’t take WKRG morning anchor Jennifer Abney long to land a gig in a much larger market. Abney, who along with co-anchor Bill Riales, recently found out she wasn’t in the CBS affiliate’s plans any longer, has nabbed a position as a morning anchor at WPXI in Pittsburgh.

The move will take Abney from Mobile, the nation’s 60th largest market, to the 23rd largest, which in TV land is generally a very good thing.

She was supposed to finish up her last week on WKRG Oct. 10, but management apparently told her to pack it up after her show Oct. 3. New morning anchor Devin Walsh has joined the station as a replacement for Abney and Riales.

We wish Abney the best in her new job.

More changes in ‘Goula

As I reported here recently, The Mississippi Press, which serves the Pascagoula area, has a new editor. Now it also has a new publisher, and it’s the same guy. Former Mobile Press-Register sports writer Gareth Clary now wears both hats at the ever-decreasing-circulation paper.

The paper, which in the ‘90s, had a Sunday circulation of about 25,000 and published six days a week, is now reportedly half that circulation and appears to be in the process of becoming more of an extension of the bigger Mobile newspaper.

Recently it was announced that a “partnership” will exist between the two papers, whereby The Mississippi Press will be produced four days a week – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday – and a Mississippi edition of the Press-Register will be delivered every day of the week.

The partnership seems to continue the paper’s death spiral that started in the ‘90s when Wanda Jacobs was named publisher. According to employees familiar with the situation, Jacobs was recently removed as publisher and has been brought to work in the Mobile Press-Register building where she will reportedly be involved in outside sales.

WEAR DUI

Pensacola’s veteran news anchor Bob Solarski was arrested Oct. 1 and charged with DUI and other misdemeanors for allegedly smashing his SUV into two other vehicles near University Mall.

Solarski, 46, was reported to have a blood-alcohol level of .296 and .30 in two separate breath tests. He was also charged with driving with an open container, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, criminal mischief and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.

The last charge came after Solarski reportedly refused to get out of his vehicle after being asked several times by officers. He was eventually dragged from the SUV, fell to the pavement and was cuffed.

He was released from the Escambia County Jail the following morning on a $5,000 bond.

Sealls honored

WKRG Meteorologist Alan Sealls has been honored by the American Meteorological Society for his series “The Truth About Global Warming.”

Sealls won The Award for Excellence in Science Reporting by a Broadcast Meteorologist. The award is given for a report or series that makes scientific material more palatable for the general public. He was presented the award at the annual AMS conference.

Jené on Discovery

Speaking of WKRG weather folks, meteorologist Jené Young will be featured in a TV series airing on the Discovery Channel beginning Oct. 19. The show, “Storm Chasers,” features meteorologists who chase tornadoes. Young knows some University of Oklahoma doctoral students involved in twister chasing, and has tagged along with them. We hear she’ll be in episodes 2 and 7.

Pirate’s new digs

If you’re ever interested in seeing radio being “made” live, you now can at WAVH-FM “The Pirate.” The station has moved into a new office space in the Executive Center building at 900 Western America Circle, right at I-65 and Airport Boulevard, that features a large glass window in the lobby where such luminaries as Sean Sullivan, Wayne Gardner and Charlie Ocean can be seen working their trade behind the mic.

It kind of has that “Today” show feel, but with far fewer people wanting to have Al Roker kiss their babies. Still, it’s pretty neat to see.

Bilingually speaking

Given the massive growth in the Mobile area’s Hispanic community it seems the time is right for someone to launch a bilingual newspaper, and that’s exactly what the publisher of HOLA Gulf Coast aims to do.

Publisher Shelia White says she hopes the publication will be appealing to both Spanish and non-Spanish speakers alike.

She says the first issue will hit streets Nov. 7 and White says they are planning 5,000 copies to be delivered around the area. Here’s wishing them Buena suerte.

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

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