Local TV, radio & newspaper people - changes and information

[JohnH_in_OKC]

Here's a new thread where anyone can post changes at local TV, radio stations and newspapers. I am always wondering where station & newspaper personnel have gone and where and when news reporters and radio on-air dj's and media people arrive. This thread should be a place where I can satiate my curiosity and hopefully yours too.

Also, if you are a media person, feel free to post your background, your reason for coming or leaving your station & please post any pertinent changes in your life or your colleagues. Remember you can post using a pseudonym instead of your real name if you'd prefer anonymity.

[JohnH_in_OKC]

Since no one has yet contributed content to this thread, here's a couple of things to discuss.

I noticed that about two weeks ago, Channel 4 added at least 3 new reporters and I didn't see anyone who had concurrently lost their job. I wonder what prompted Channel 4's increase in their news staff? More revenue? A threat to their ratings from the competition?

Secondly, I like all the sports directors at Channels 4, 5, 9 and 25. I think they're all doing a great job. But if there is a change in the future, I suggest seeing if Spencer Tillman would like to return to Oklahoma. He's one of the most erudite sports announcers in the country & was on our 1985 OU national championship team and also won a Super Bowl ring. From Wikipedia: "He was co-captain with Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott as part of the 49ers roster at Super Bowl XXIV when they defeated the AFC champion Denver Broncos." I would imagine he is firmly entrenched with his family in Houston, but it is just a thought. I'll bet he still has relatives here in Oklahoma that he visits from time to time.

[ljbab728]

Since no one has yet contributed content to this thread, here's a couple of things to discuss.

I noticed that about two weeks ago, Channel 4 added at least 3 new reporters and I didn't see anyone who had concurrently lost their job. I wonder what prompted Channel 4's increase in their news staff? More revenue? A threat to their ratings from the competition?

Secondly, I like all the sports directors at Channels 4, 5, 9 and 25. I think they're all doing a great job. But if there is a change in the future, I suggest seeing if Spencer Tillman would like to return to Oklahoma. He's one of the most erudite sports announcers in the country & was on our 1985 OU national championship team and also won a Super Bowl ring. From Wikipedia: "He was co-captain with Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott as part of the 49ers roster at Super Bowl XXIV when they defeated the AFC champion Denver Broncos." I would imagine he is firmly entrenched with his family in Houston, but it is just a thought. I'll bet he still has relatives here in Oklahoma that he visits from time to time.

I don't pay much attention to the other channels, but channel 4 seems to do this about once a year.

[SoonerDave]

I would suspect that contractual obligations prevent most such media types from disclosing too much detail about their comings and goings....

[SoonerQueen]

I have kinda wondered what has happened to Sheldra Bringham on KFOR? She has been missing for a few weeks.

[Brett]

I can finally watch KFOR at 4:00am. Lacey Lett's "BANG! , ZOOM! & POW!" expressions really got on my nerves. Sorry to see Kristen Shanahan go. Noticed that her wedding ring was MIA before she exited. Curious how much longer Linda Cavanaugh has left after hearing that Griffin Communications cut loose Scott Thompson in Tulsa.

[OKCRT]

I can finally watch KFOR at 4:00am. Lacey Lett's "BANG! , ZOOM! & POW!" expressions really got on my nerves. Sorry to see Kristen Shanahan go. Noticed that her wedding ring was MIA before she exited. Curious how much longer Linda Cavanaugh has left after hearing that Griffin Communications cut loose Scott Thompson in Tulsa.

Linda is an OKC icon. She will most likely be there as long as she wants to be.

[Urbanized]

Haha I love the fun Lacey brings to the early broadcasts. I've known her about a decade and she really is WYSIWYG; she's not acting. So many news people are really wooden. There of course has to be gravitas for serious stories and later in the day, but in the early morning I'm good with the levity.

[Bunty]

Linda is an OKC icon. She will most likely be there as long as she wants to be.

She probably remembers when channel 4 went color.

[bchris02]

This is kind of old news but KJ 103 has a new program director for the first time since 1989.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1...oklahoma-city/

I think Wild 104.9 today sounds much better than KJ-103. I don't find myself listening to KJ hardly at all anymore. I alternate between 92.9 The Edge and Wild 104.9.

[Joe Kimball]

That's absolutely crazy. I listened to KJ on the bus coming home from school from '89 until I quit riding sometime in high school, and at home besides. All along it was the same guy at the helm! I'll never forget in my innocence how, when they did a stunt for an unplugged weekend (meaning the acoustic rendition things that was such a fad back then), they announced that at such time on Friday, they would "pull the plug", leading many to believe they would change formats. Then followed that looped performance of "Man Who Sold the World" for forever, it seemed...a good stunt indeed!

[bchris02]

That's absolutely crazy. I listened to KJ on the bus coming home from school from '89 until I quit riding sometime in high school, and at home besides. All along it was the same guy at the helm! I'll never forget in my innocence how, when they did a stunt for an unplugged weekend (meaning the acoustic rendition things that was such a fad back then), they announced that at such time on Friday, they would "pull the plug", leading many to believe they would change formats. Then followed that looped performance of "Man Who Sold the World" for forever, it seemed...a good stunt indeed!

I used to listen to KJ all the time (or other Top 40 stations when I've lived other places). I started listening a lot less around 2014 or so, when I started not caring as much for the direction mainstream pop music was headed, especially the stuff by the likes of Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift.

Wild 104.9 plays a lot more hip-hop with some Top 40 mixed in. Since the format tweak back to current music in 2015 (they were playing mostly older songs from the early 2000s with some newer stuff mixed in from about 2010-early 2015), I've liked the station pretty well. I always liked it as far back as when it was Wild 97.9 in the early 2000s. That was my station when I was in high school. Most people my age don't listen to current mainstream music much at all anymore.

[SoonerQueen]

Back in the day I used to listen to the oldies on WKY or KOMA. When I grew up I listened to all the local talk shows on KTOK. I listen to a lot of sports talk on WWLS. I have changed my local news talk preference to KOKC. I am just not into the syndicated shows, and KOKC offers local shows.

[JohnH_in_OKC]

I still listen to KJ103 and I'm in my late 60's. (I have always enjoyed listening to pop music.) But I primarily listen to NPR and PRI on KGOU & KOSU. When I was in grade school in the late 50's, KOMA (AM 1520) and WKY (AM 930) both made the switch to Top 40. Most radios did not have an FM option, and there was only one or two FM stations in OKC. But KOMA and WKY were two of the best programmed and had some of the top talented DJs in the country.

I still remember much of WKY's DJ lineup. Danny Williams (Channel 4's 3-D Danny) started about 5 or 6 in the morning until about 9. Then Don Wallace (who hosted Wallace Wildlife Show) followed until noon Ronnie Kaye (who hosted The Scene dance show on Channel 4) hosted in the afternoon, and Freddie Hendrickson hosted overnight. (Back then WKY radio and Channel 4 (WKY-TV) and The Daily Oklahoman were all owned by OPUBCO - the Gaylord family's Oklahoma Publishing Company.)

KOMA had DJs like Dale Wehba who later moved to Don Wallace's morning spot on WKY. Charlie Tuna started at KOMA when he was a teenager & became a national-international DJ (I listened to him daily on AFN Europe in the early 70's and in Los Angeles in the late 70's). KOMA also had a British DJ whom I think became famous in the U.K. and whom I think worked for Radio Luxembourg while I was living in Europe.

[SoonerDave]

Hmmm....different question.....I thought Lacey Swope, the lovely weather anchor on KWTV's morning show, was supposed to leave for Ch 6 in Tulsa - but she's still here and nothing's been said of her leaving since...anyone know if that plan changed? Anyone know if they plan to stick with the two-meteorologist format on that early show if/when she leaves? I think Jed Castles is one of the more underrated mets in local TV, and a genuinely nice guy to boot....

[SoonerQueen]

Hmmm....different question.....I thought Lacey Swope, the lovely weather anchor on KWTV's morning show, was supposed to leave for Ch 6 in Tulsa - but she's still here and nothing's been said of her leaving since...anyone know if that plan changed? Anyone know if they plan to stick with the two-meteorologist format on that early show if/when she leaves? I think Jed Castles is one of the more underrated mets in local TV, and a genuinely nice guy to boot....

I think Lacey mentioned leaving in September. So we have a few months left with her.

[Joe Kimball]

An article from the 3rd on 6's website mentions their newest meteorologist, Mrs. Swopes, being at a fishing event if some kind. Plus yesterday she posted on Instagram their loaded truck.

[Joe Kimball]

An article from the 3rd on 6's website mentions their newest meteorologist, Mrs. Swopes, being at a fishing event if some kind. Plus yesterday she posted on Instagram their loaded truck.

[SoonerQueen]

An article from the 3rd on 6's website mentions their newest meteorologist, Mrs. Swopes, being at a fishing event if some kind. Plus yesterday she posted on Instagram their loaded truck.

Maybe I heard it wrong. Sorry she is leaving so soon. I know she is looking forward to being closer to her family.

[Brett]

Even though I hate that Lacey Swope is leaving to go to Newson6, I was excited to see that Jennifer Pierce is back reporting for News9.

[SoonerDave]

Even though I hate that Lacey Swope is leaving to go to Newson6, I was excited to see that Jennifer Pierce is back reporting for News9.

I saw that, too - she's going to be a crime reporter. I also think I saw a blurb about a new meteorologist joining up at KWTV, and I'm assuming that's Lacey's replacement.

[Brett]

I saw that, too - she's going to be a crime reporter. I also think I saw a blurb about a new meteorologist joining up at KWTV, and I'm assuming that's Lacey's replacement.

While presenting her last KWTV segment, Chris Gilmore mentioned that Adrianna Iwasinski has left to work for a television station in Orlando, Fl. The taped segment was about the Oklahoma National Memorial inspiration for the owner of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando to create a public memorial about the massacre.

[boscorama]

Johnny Dark had a daily gig at WKY, if I'm not mistaken. And Terry McGrew.

[SoonerQueen]

http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/kwtv-okl...-boston/191469
Justin Dougherty is leaving KWTV.

[SoonerQueen]

I have kinda wondered what has happened to Sheldra Bringham on KFOR? She has been missing for a few weeks.

I called KFOR today and they told me Sheldra is no longer employed at their station.