Media Frenzy
|
By
Rob Holbert
Managing Editor |
Bloodbath at WPMI
WPMI-TV abruptly fired its three nighttime anchors March 9 in a move one insider says was ratings related.
Lead anchors Peter Albrecht and Drexel Gilbert were reportedly fired after the station’s 6 p.m. broadcast. Kim McCrea, who co-anchors with Albrecht on the 5 p.m. show, was reportedly terminated after that broadcast.
The firings follow weeks of speculation that general manager Bob Franklin would soon do something drastic to spur ratings and perhaps pare some payroll as Clear Channel looks to shop the station to potential buyers.
By 10 a.m. the following morning, bios and photos for all three anchors had been removed from the station’s Web site.
Both Albrecht and Gilbert have previously worked at WKRG-TV 5, the area’s CBS affiliate. Albrecht has covered news in the Azalea City for more than 16 years. He also served as managing editor for the WPMI news team.
Insiders tell us morning anchor Scott Walker has been tapped to fill in for Albrecht in the coming week. Other substitutions are not known at this point. No one at WPMI was available for comment prior to Lagniappe’s deadline.
Rob Holbert is Lagniappe managing editor. Contact him at rholbert@lagniappemobile.com.
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