# Everything Else > Arts & Entertainment >  Amanda Taylor

## drumsncode

I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing News9's newest reporter/anchor.  Her hiring seems particularly interesting, because I don't see that anyone else on the staff has left (at least yet).  

It's also interesting that she was allowed to anchor very quickly after her hiring.  That's not done very often, unless News9 has bigger plans for her than just reporting.  I suspect they do, and with the coveted November sweeps coming up, we only have four weeks to watch it all unfold.  

FOX has already geared up with their staff, now we get to watch the battle for the ratings.

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## drumsncode

Part of me is stunned, part of me is not surprised.  Word on the street has it that Amanda will be doing the 5pm!  It's an acknowledgement of the superb quality and dominance of Jessica Schambach in that timeslot.  

They'll also unveil a new set design, yet another attempt at creating buzz during sweeps.  It will be interesting to see the results, but unless they make drastic changes, it's going to take a lot to dethrone one of the finest anchors in the nation.

News9 has lost a lot of bragging rights over the past year.  It appears they are truly ticked off. ;-)

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## soonerliberal

> News9 has lost a lot of bragging rights over the past year.  It appears they are truly ticked off. ;-)


NEWS9 has been behind at 5pm for a few years now.  You can blame it on the Oprah effect, like in most major cities.  Other than that, they are pretty solid the rest of the day: a very strong second place, behind KFOR during the daytime newscasts and first at 10.

It does excite me that they are investing in a new set.  It's been over 10 years since they have had anything really different.  Let's just hope they don't go the cheap KFOR route and having a bunch of duratrans screens that are blue with white dots.

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## drumsncode

I wish I had the answer to the ratings equation.  

Which is more powerful, the attractiveness of the set, the presence of the female anchor, or the TV show preceding the newscast?  NEWS9 is hoping that Oprah doesn't matter so much.

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## mranderson

I saw her one time, so, I really need to see her more to be sure, however, I have seen better.

Give me Amy McRee any day. :Tiphat:

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## soonerliberal

> Give me Amy McRee any day.


Couldn't agree with you more!!! Amy McRee = Me being  :Smile:

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## NE Oasis

Nothing personal against Ms Tatylor, but I wish NEWS9 would slow down a bit on the new hires. I feel an obligation to support a locally owned station, but it's darn hard when you need a "cheat sheet" to keep up with who's who. I would like to see a bigger role for Amy Lester before any more new faces are added.

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## drumsncode

> Nothing personal against Ms Tatylor, but I wish NEWS9 would slow down a bit on the new hires. I feel an obligation to support a locally owned station, but it's darn hard when you need a "cheat sheet" to keep up with who's who. I would like to see a bigger role for Amy Lester before any more new faces are added.


I bet they're done for a while, unless they lose someone.  Amy Lester did some weekend morning anchoring, seems like months ago.  I guess she just didn't have the "It" factor, or they'd have given her the job that Melissa Maynarich got.

Speaking of a bigger role, look at the difference in what Britten Follett gets to do at FOX, as opposed to what she did at NEWS9.  She has anchored quite a bit, even in the coveted Andrew Speno chair.

NEWS9 is very selective about who they put in the anchor chair, that's what fascinates me about the hiring of Amanda.  Can she bring it?  We shall see.  And what happens if she "brings it" too good?

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## Intrepid

Did anyone see the new weather girl on NEWS9?  Her name is Carrie Rose and she's fresh out of the University of Oklahoma.

Unfortunately, I did not get to see her actual broadcast (trying to catch it on News Now 53 as I type this), but I did see her 'tease' report.

I haven't seen a "weather girl" on Ch. 9 since the 70s with Lola Hall!   :Smile:

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## Intrepid

> Did anyone see the new weather girl on NEWS9?  Her name is Carrie Rose and she's fresh out of the University of Oklahoma.
> 
> Unfortunately, I did not get to see her actual broadcast (trying to catch it on News Now 53 as I type this), but I did see her 'tease' report.
> 
> I haven't seen a "weather girl" on Ch. 9 since the 70s with Lola Hall!


Update...I just caught her report.  She did very well.  Not much camera time, but she did a great job speaking.

Also, here's her bio:  NewsOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman and NEWS 9

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## Keith

> Did anyone see the new weather girl on NEWS9? Her name is Carrie Rose and she's fresh out of the University of Oklahoma.
> 
> Unfortunately, I did not get to see her actual broadcast (trying to catch it on News Now 53 as I type this), but I did see her 'tease' report.
> 
> I haven't seen a "weather girl" on Ch. 9 since the 70s with Lola Hall!


I got a chance to see her do the weather this evening, and she did a good job. I wondered where she came from. It's amazing that they allowed her to do the weather in Gary's place this evening. 

Lola Hall.....boy do I remember her. Ernie Schultz and Lola made a great team. Does anybody know what happened to Lola?

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## BricktownGuy

I couldn't find a bio for *Amanda Taylor. *

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## Intrepid

> I couldn't find a bio for *Amanda Taylor. *



I couldn't either.  I don't think I've seen her yet.  

Then again, Ch. 9 is bringing in so many newbies I can't keep track.

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## drumsncode

I caught part of Amanda's new role, "Consumer Watch" I think they called it.  She will be the equivalent of KFOR's "In Your Corner", and KOCO's "Five on Your Side".

So now I guess we have all three stations kicking butt and taking names for us, which I think is a good thing.

I still stand by my rumor that Amanda will anchor at 5pm, and of course, it almost has to start during sweeps.  

And yes, I saw Carrie Rose doing weather at 4pm, and it was a wonderfully refreshing change of pace.

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## venture

Hmm...KWTV bringing a Consumer Watch segment back again...this should be interesting. Hopefully Amanda doesn't end up like the last lady they had do it. Was her name Marlo or something like that?

Needless to say KWTV needs to make a lot of changes to get its swagger back. Personally I think it is time to retire Kelly...everything is too wrapped around his ego right now. Also I think Gary's time is soon going to come...though he is a fixture in OKC weather...and respected around the world for what he has done. However, sometimes you just need to call it quits and regroup.

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## Intrepid

> Also I think Gary's time is soon going to come...though he is a fixture in OKC weather...and respected around the world for what he has done. However, sometimes you just need to call it quits and regroup.



I doubt Gary goes anywhere.  Especially since his new contract recently.  Wasn't it a lifetime type thing, ensuring that he'd be with News 9 forever?  I remember them teasing the big news for days and everyone thought he was going to retire.

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## drumsncode

I saw Amanda's segment last night on one of the many scams going around.  What struck me was that after all the teasing of the story (all day and during the show), it could have been done in one minute as a regular story.  As usual, long on hype, short on content.  Sadly, all the news stations seem to be doing this, but when it comes to hype and self-importance, nobody does it better than NEWS9.

Watch that blended commercial they do with Katie Couric.  When was the last time you watched a newscast and felt like they gave you the things they promise in that commercial?

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## venture

> I doubt Gary goes anywhere.  Especially since his new contract recently.  Wasn't it a lifetime type thing, ensuring that he'd be with News 9 forever?  I remember them teasing the big news for days and everyone thought he was going to retire.


Gary was signed to a non-expiring contract about 4 years ago. It's his call when it is time...but i don't think it is that far off. You can tell his is starting to slip a little bit and just showing his age. Don't get me wrong...I don't want to see him go, i've always been a fan since the first time i saw him on air to the time he came into my meteo class at OU.

However, the day he does retire, that first severe weather outbreak will definitely be awkward without him to turn to.

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## therebel

> I saw her one time, so, I really need to see her more to be sure, however, I have seen better.
> 
> Give me Amy McRee any day.


I'll second that, although someone needs to do something with her eyes and hair.

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## writerranger

> Update...I just caught her report.  She did very well.  Not much camera time, but she did a great job speaking.
> 
> Also, here's her bio:  NewsOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman and NEWS 9


Now you are really dating yourself! I, too, remember when the "weather girl" was the norm. David Grant and Jim Williams broke through that in this market. Wooo...long time ago.

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## mranderson

> I'll second that, although someone needs to do something with her eyes and hair.


That comment I disagree with. Amy is the darling of the airwaves. Her looks are perfect. Amanda needs the help with eyes and hair.

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## drumsncode

Amanda is fill-in anchoring tonight.  She's already done the 5pm and 6pm.  She's really nailed it.  She seems 95% relaxed and her smiles are there.  Gary and Kelly seem positively smitten. :-)  

Amanda reminds me of a "Super-Buckelew" with that big swept brunette hair. 

And while I'm thinking of it, OMG, they hired another reporter!  Didn't catch her name yet.

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## EdwardEll

> I got a chance to see her do the weather this evening, and she did a good job. I wondered where she came from. It's amazing that they allowed her to do the weather in Gary's place this evening. 
> 
> Lola Hall.....boy do I remember her. Ernie Schultz and Lola made a great team. Does anybody know what happened to Lola?


Lola Hall,is beautiful and healthy as ever. Ms. Hall was KWTV weather person and morning news host in the 70's and early 80's, is still here in Central Oklahoma, and was KWTV 9's entertainment reporter, covering movies etc. through the 80's. In the 90's she was Mercy Hospital spokeswoman and administrator, and now is an coordinator of volunteers/administrator of the Oklahoma County Court Appointed Special Advocates, dealing with juvenile matters

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## Intrepid

> Lola Hall,is beautiful and healthy as ever. Ms. Hall was KWTV weather person and morning news host in the 70's and early 80's, is still here in Central Oklahoma, and was KWTV 9's entertainment reporter, covering movies etc. through the 80's. In the 90's she was Mercy Hospital spokeswoman and administrator, and now is an coordinator of volunteers/administrator of the Oklahoma County Court Appointed Special Advocates, dealing with juvenile matters


Thank you for that update.  

I had "googled" Lola's name and found a few instances where it showed her being with something called CASA, but nothing defined what that meant and I admittedly did not investigate further.  Now I now what CASA means. (other than it being Spanish for "house"  LOL)

 :Tiphat:

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## mranderson

> Lola Hall,is beautiful and healthy as ever. Ms. Hall was KWTV weather person and morning news host in the 70's and early 80's, is still here in Central Oklahoma, and was KWTV 9's entertainment reporter, covering movies etc. through the 80's. In the 90's she was Mercy Hospital spokeswoman and administrator, and now is an coordinator of volunteers/administrator of the Oklahoma County Court Appointed Special Advocates, dealing with juvenile matters


Apparantly, Lola Hall goes back farther than you think. She was doing the weather in the 60's. My dad always joked about her being related to my mom because my mom's maiden name is Hall.

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## drumsncode

The rumors were true.  Amanda started the 5pm slot today.  Now we know how they'll go into sweeps.

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