This was posted Wednesdsay, July 26, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Acclaimed actor BD  Wong is joining Atlanta-based HLN for a new medical docuseries called “Something’s Killing Me.”

Wong, best known for his role on “Law & Order: SVU,” hosts this new show examining puzzling diseases and symptoms that result in near-death struggles. According to the press release, “Each episode chronicles a race against time to discover what or who is killing the patient. Doctors, scientists, and, in some cases, federal investigators act as medical sleuths to solve the mystery in which life literally hangs in the balance.”

“I was attracted to this fascinating series on HLN because it’s unlike anything else on television,” Wong said. “It combines captivating life or death mysteries with a high standard of journalistic integrity. I’m really excited to be part of this new series…the stories are mind blowing!”

Wong, 56, had a recurring role on Fox’s “Gotham” and received an Emmy nomination for a guest role on USA’s acclaimed series “Mr. Robot.” He is now shooting a sequel to “Jurassic World” with Chris Platt. 

“Something’s Killing Me” debuts Sunday, August 13 at 9 p.m. after “The Hunt With John Walsh.”

***

Cheryl Preheim, a morning anchor for 11Alive, has made her mark quickly in town after just six months.

Readers of AccessAtlanta, in a survey, selected her as favorite anchor over veteran journalists who have been in town far longer, including runner-up Fred Blankenship, morning anchor for Channel 2 Action News, and Fox 5 evening anchor Russ Spencer, who came in third.

“It was nice and no one was more surprised than me,” she texted. “Maybe people just were being welcoming to the new lady in town!”

She came from Denver, where she spent a bulk of her career. I did a profile on her a couple months back you can read here.

***

LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 14: Comedian/actor Gabriel Iglesias performs his stand-up comedy routine as part of the Aces of Comedy series at The Mirage Hotel & Casino on April 14, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Comic Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias stopped by Atlanta’s Sublime Doughnuts as part of his Fuse show “Fluffy’s Food Adventures.”

The episode will air Tuesday, August 1 at 10 p.m.

Here’s an exclusive clip.

***

David “Big Swole” Rose was eliminated from “Food Network Star” 11 days ago, finishing in sixth place. Given his performance overall, that was a bit of a surprise since he was consistently engaging and a decent cook to boot. From week one, he had a solid shot at the top three based on the other players in the mix.

Unfortunately, his point of view never quite congealed in a distinctive way despite his sell point as the “biker chef.” In the July 16 episode, he ended up facing off against judge Bobby Flay in a “Beat Bobby Flay” style contest. His shrimp and grits didn’t measure up to those of Flay and he went home.

But Rose, in an interview, expressed not a morsel of regret. “I thought I’d go a lot further,” he said. “Sometimes, we were given curve balls and I thought I adopted pretty well. I definitely had a shot at winning it all. The cards didn’t fall in my direction. I still can’t ask for anything more.”

He felt he learned so much about making presentations, both taped, live and on social media. He said he developed a great “bro-mance” with Flay as well.

If he ever gets his own 30-minute show, he would incorporate riding his motorcycle around the country and finding cool mom and pop places to talk to chefs about their food, places that are not rated in Zagat’s.

He hopes to appear again on Food Network in some capacity. As a caterer, he plans to do bigger and better events and secure more sponsorships and brand ambassadorship opportunities.

The current favorite to win is Jason Smith from Kentucky, who spouts pithy one liners and oozes Southern charm. Atlanta’s Rusty Hamlin, who is executive chef at Atkins Park and is Zac Brown‘s go-to chef as well, is still in the running and doing a decent job. Amy Pottinger, the stay-at-home mom, has over-achieved and while she has improved steadily, is unlikely to take the crown. Matthew Grunwald, who is just 24, competed on the show multiple times and his experience helped improve his on-camera performances but can he win? That’s a big question mark against Jason and Rusty.

TV PREVIEW

“Food Network Star,” 9 p.m. Sundays, Food Network

Shiba Russell returns to mornings. Vinnie Politan leaves mornings for the 11 p.m. newscast. And Cheryl Preheim moves to evenings. CREDIT: Publicity photos

This was posted on Friday, July 28, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

11Alive is making a trio of anchor shifts.

Starting Monday on the NBC affiliate WXIA-TV, Shiba Russell is back anchoring mornings from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., a place where she started a little over a year ago and left for evenings six months ago. Russell originally had filled retiring Brenda Wood’s evening anchor slot. Russell will now be the solo anchor in mornings though she’ll have plenty of support from meteorologist Chesley McNeil and traffic guy Chris “Crash” Clark.

Morning host Cheryl Preheim, who arrived in Atlanta from Denver earlier this year, swaps places with Russell, moving to evenings at 5 and 6 p.m. She recently was named favorite anchor in a poll by our AccessAtlanta site despite her relative newness to the market.

And legal expert Vinnie Politan, who joined 11Alive’s morning show in in 2014 from Atlanta’s HLN, is moving to a solo 11 p.m. newscast starting August 21.

In the meantime, Jeff Hullinger will stay on as co-anchor at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. working with Preheim along with the 10 p.m. WATL-TV newscast. Melissa Long will continue to anchor the WATL-TV 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts.

Sharon Lawson is joining “Good Day Atlanta.” CREDIT: Facebook public profile photo

This was posted Tuesday, August 8, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Fox has hired Sharon Lawson as a  replacement for Constance Jones on “Good Day Atlanta,” plucking from the pool in Miami yet again.

Lawson came from the NBC affiliate in Miami WTVJ-TV. She starts at Fox 5 in September.

Jones last year came from the ABC affiliate WPLG-TV in Miami but left recently without explanation after less than a year at Fox 5 and moved back to South Florida.

Based on her Twitter feed, Jones is not currently employed by any broadcaster.

Lawson joined WTJV in 2003 as a general assignment reporter and most recently did weekend anchoring. Previously, she worked in Sarasota, Fla. and Minneapolis. She graduated from the University of Central Florida.

She will co-anchor with Katie Beasley at 4:30 am and with Buck Lanford at 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., according to a press release.

FTVLive broke the story and bragged about it here.

Sharon Reed spoke with V-103’s Ryan Cameron. SOURCE: V-103

This was posted on Thursday, August 10, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

CBS46 evening anchor Sharon Reed, speaking to Ryan Cameron on V-103 last week, set aside long-standing rumors that she had a baby with LeBron James.

Reed, who came to CBS46 two years ago and has a daughter, used to work in Cleveland and that’s where the rumors first emanated.

“There’s no baby with LeBron,” she told Cameron. “I wish him the best.”

She said if she fights too hard against rumors, it makes her look guilty. “There are going to be people listening who still think Sharon has a baby with LeBron James. It’s a sexy thing for them to think. It’s a way for them to put me down.”

Reed mused that she had never talked about the rumor publicly and added, “People love to dance around that. I respect you asked me the question, ‘Do you have a baby with LeBron?’ You’re the first person who just did that.”

They also had this jokey exchange:

Cameron: “You get linked to a lot of people though.”

Reed: “There’s more? Keep it coming! Okay! Is there anybody else you want to ask me about, Ryan? ”

Cameron, who was recently divorced, said: “I’ve been linked to you!”

Reed: “Is that why I’m here?”

Cameron [laughing]: “We haven’t even had lunch! You know, someone came to me and said, ‘Yah, I was at the mall. I heard this lady saying, ‘Yah, you know, Ryan and Sharon.’ ”

Reed [joking]: “Is that why I was late this morning. Right? Kept me up late, huh?”

She also told Cameron she is not a shrinking violet, especially at her workplace, but wants to be nurtured by a man.

“Professionally, I want everything you’ve got and more,” Reed said. “I want everything my male counterpart has and then some. I want to be everything. I want to make the most money. I want the most success. I want it all. Very alpha.”

Personally? “That’s just not the case, “she added. “I’m very domestic. I want a man to lead. I want to be a partner, a life partner, but I want my man to lead. We go out to dinner, I want him to order my food.”

Watch the video here. 

This was posted on Wednesday, August 16, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Veteran weather guy Paul Ossmann has replaced Jim Kosek as the chief meteorologist of CBS46.

Kosek was let go in June.

For 60-year-old Ossmann, it’s been a long road back from the lowest point in his life in 2011 when he filed for bankruptcy protection, gave up his $900,000 Alpharetta home to foreclosure, saw his marriage crumble and lost his chief meteorologist job at 11Alive after 13 years.

Read my 2011 story about Ossmann from that arduous time period here.

Any one of those situations would make for a bad year, but the cascade of terrible news tested his resolve. “My faith got me through this,” he said in an interview today.

He said this humbling period girded him to just move forward, fix his finances and get into real estate to pay the bills. When CBS46 in early 2012 offered him some freelance meteorology work, he said yes, just to keep his fingers in that arena.

From there, he gradually gained credence there, first as a weekend/fill-in, then helping out with traffic, which led to a full-time morning meteorologist job paired with Jennifer Valdez. With Kosek’s recent departure, general manager Mark Pimental decided to give his most experienced weather person the top job. The announcement was made internally this week.

“When my life came crashing down,” Ossmann said, “all you have is  yourself and your work ethic and reputation… There are certain checks and balances that happen in life. I had a big one in 2011… I just made it clear to myself that opportunities are available. Just be ready for them. Don’t ask questions. Don’t ask why. Be prepared.”

Ossmann never lobbied for the chief meteorology position. He did whatever the bosses asked him to do and stayed humble.  “I knew I had more in the tank,” he said. “I’m glad that things worked out the way they did.”

He has now been making weather forecasts in this market for nearly 30 years: 10 at WAGA-TV, 13 at 11alive and now nearly six at CBS46. He is hoping he could make it to 10 at CBS46 and have the rare distinction of lasting a decade or more at three different stations here.

“I remember starting at WAGA in 1988 and looking at the old timers,” Ossmann said. “That’s me now! I know that I’m the Ken Cook, the Guy Sharpe, the Johnny Beckman. It’s the circle of life. Atlanta has been a good TV market to allow people like [Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist] Glenn Burns and [Fox 5 chief meteorologist] David Chandley and [11Alive chief meteorologist] Chris Holcomb to have long careers.”

He has lost 35 pounds the past year on a low-carb diet and occasional fasting. And he remarried two years ago. “I’m really happy,” he said. “My kids are in their 20s. I don’t think I’m getting older but they remind me I am.”

Paul Crawley, a former reporter at 11Alive who spend many years working with Ossmann, dubbed this promotion a “wonderful comeback story. I’ve always respected and liked the guy. Even with a lot going on in his life, he never wore it on his sleeve. He did his job and never complained or made excuses. I admire the guy for weathering this with such an optimistic and friendly outlook.”

Fred Kalil, the sports announcer who worked with Ossmann at 11Alive and is now reunited in evenings with him at CBS46, is still grateful that Ossmann drove him to work years ago when Kalil had a brain tumor and couldn’t drive. The current evening anchors Ben Swann and Sharon Reed look at the two of them funny when they mess around with each other. “We have our own little code,” he said. “I call him ‘Big Swole’ because he’s the world shot-put champion for his age, baby! You work nights, it’s great to have a good buddy to hang with. We go and terrorize the grocery store between shows.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjKKj-zhT1M&w=640&h=390]

This was posted on Thursday, August 17, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc..com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

For decades, in-town Atlantans would pick up free copies of “Creative Loafing” at the local pizza place or bookstore or bar to keep up with local culture and news, as well as peruse the advertising for what’s going on in concerts, plays and other events.

But the Internet and the smartphone made that activity less necessary. Today, “Creative Loafing” announced it was ending its weekly print edition, going monthly instead and focusing its energies on its digital platform.

“We’ve been seeing this through interactions with our audience and advertisers and how we consume information,” said publisher Sharry Smith said in an interview today. “It was a very logical conclusion to make. We’re in a whole new era.”

The first monthly edition is out today in about 1,000 locations, mostly in town. They’ve added a glossy cover but it’s still tabloid. “We not only will focus on digital expansion,” Smith said,j “we want to make the print product more of a trophy piece that people want to have and have staying power. We won’t stray from our brand and content we’ve always covered. The print publication will be beefier and more of a sit-back experience.”

Previous owner Ben Eason had purchased back “Creative Loafing” earlier this year.

“Honestly, I was surprised they lasted as a weekly as long as they did, following their page counts,” said Patrick Best, who owned rival The Sunday Paper from 2004 until 2011 but also worked at Creative Loafing 1999 to 2004 during its heyday. He said an alternative press is still needed and necessary. “It will be a shock to the system for their readers. I’m curious to see what the monthly print product looks like.”

The final weekly edition came out July 17. Carlton Hargro, editor in chief, wrote this online:

[W]e’ve beefed up our page count, switched to a fancy cover stock and rolled out a brand-spanking-new logo. Once you flip deeper into this edition, you’ll see we’ve extended the redesign vibe through the entire issue. On top of that, this month we’re bringing back some sorely missed editorial elements from back in the day (our Arts Agenda and Soundboard listings, for example) and rolling out some newness as well (such as a revamped News & Culture Briefs).

Comeback kids in Atlanta media: (Top left, clockwise): Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson, Eric Von Haessler, Porsche Foxx, Amanda Davis, Jeff Hullinger, Christopher “Crash” Clark.

This was posted Friday, August 18, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

People love a good comeback, a resurrection, a return to glory. Paul Ossmann earlier this week is a most notable one, having lost his job as chief meteorologist at 11Alive the same year he lost his home and his wife. He started as a free-lance fill-in guy at CBS46 and five years later, is now its chief meteorologist.

But there are plenty of others who were able to regain their footing. Here are ten examples, whose comebacks vary in prominence but all prove that while the media world can be a rough-and-tumble world, second (and sometimes third) chances are given.

Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson

The Kimmer spent 14 years at 640/WGST-AM as a popular, jocular talk show host until the station dropped him abruptly right before Thanksgiving of 2006. (The station in general was losing steam anyway.) At the time, with no great offers, he decided to retire from radio. He moved away from Atlanta in 2007, purchased property in western Massachusetts, played copious amounts of golf and rode his Harley. He spent summers in Palm Beach, Fla., eventually moving down there full time for financial reasons. He even got himself a horse named Jack, the Good Ol’ Boy. Radio? For seven years, it became a receding memory.

Then Atlanta-based Cumulus Media came a callin’ a little more than a year after launching an all-news FM station at 106.7. The owners wanted a talk show personality that could immediately place the station on the map. If anything, the Kimmer had heritage in the market going back to the early 1970s. With his return, the Kimmer decided that he could replicate the formula that worked so well on WGST, even bringing back part of his core WGST talk show team, including the man of 1,000 voices Jim Gossett and Pete “Snake” Davis.

In the end, it worked out. He’s pulling in solid ratings, especially among men 25 to 54. He and mid-morning host Shannon Burke are almost single-handedly keeping that station afloat.

Jeff Hullinger

Jeff Hullinger was a hot-shot sports announcer for WAGA-TV for 18 years from 1984 to 2002, winning a bevy of Emmy Awards, doing Falcons play by play and subbing in for CNN’s “Talk Back Live.” At age 43, he figured he’d have an easy time finding another good gig in Atlanta. It didn’t happen.

He worked briefly in Tampa and Atlanta news/talk station WSB but was unemployed when I wrote a story in 2010 called “Whatever happened to Jeff Hullinger?” Good news soon followed; 11Alive hired him weeks after that story came out.

At the NBC affiliate, he started as a political correspondent in 2010, became an anchor in 2012, did some sports anchoring in 2014, then was named primary male evening anchor for 11Alive in 2016. It’s been a steady and impressive career resurgence.

Amanda Davis

Amanda Davis was charged with a DUI after hitting another vehicle in 2012, which led to her departure from Fox 5 (WAGA-TV) after 26 years in 2013.

Her broadcast career appeared to be over. But then CBS46 added her to their “Just a Minute” roster in 2015. The weekend before her return to the airwaves as a commentator, she was arrested again for a DUI. She decided to take time off and go into rehab. In 2016, she did a remarkably candid three-part series for CBS46 about her alcoholism. Late last year, she landed the morning anchor job at the station.

Eric Von Haessler

When he was let go from the Regular Guys in 2013, the irreverent Libertarian knew knew he no longer wanted to do rock jock morning radio. Instead, he decided to pursue political talk.

He first began hosting a podcast to build up his chops. It worked. News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB program director Pete Spriggs liked what he heard and hired him in 2015 for a weekly weekend show. He waited patiently and earlier this year was rewarded a weekday show at 11 a.m. He brought in Tim Andrews, formerly of the Regular Guys, as part of his team. While he is on only one hour a day on the AM/FM dial, he is well positioned to get more time in the future.

Christopher “Crash” Clark

Christopher “Crash” Clark was a radio traffic guy for many years for stations like Hot 107.9, Q100 and 99X. For the Morning X, he was the over-the-top party guy and would often get himself in trouble. He was fired and suspended multiple times but always managed to get his job back – until late 2005. After an incident where he allowed a couple to get freaky in a bathroom at a bar for 311 tickets, 99X let him go for good.

Following a stint in Boston, he came back to Atlanta and worked at Dave FM, then V-103 with Ryan Cameron, both afternoons and mornings.

But ratings disappointed. He lasted less than a year with Cameron in mornings.

Then 11Alive decided to give him a shot at TV covering traffic, an unexpected mid-career change. He has been their morning traffic man now for more than three years, his goofy chemistry with meteorologist Chesley McNeil undeniable.

Porsche Foxx at V-103 studio announcing her return.
(Rodney Ho / AJC staff)

Porsche Foxx

Porsche Foxx was a popular V-103 afternoon host until December, 2004 when DeKalb County police arrested her and charged her with driving under the influence, possession of marijuana and a suspended license. Six weeks later, V-103 let her go. She entered alcohol rehab. In 2007, V-103 re-hired her as a mid-day host. “It’s been two and a half years, ” she told Frank Ski and Wanda Smith at the time. “I’m a better woman today. I’m more resilient. I make better decisions.” Less than two years later, she was let go again.

Eight years later, Steve Hegwood was building staff at his new Old School 87.7 and decided to give Porsche another shot last year. 

She triumphantly returned last July on air.

Bristol, CT – October 5, 2016 – Studio X: Elle Duncan on the set of SportsCenter
(Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Elle Duncan

Elle Duncan is a case of taking what she learned in Atlanta and transforming that into a national gig.

Duncan, at age 20 in 2003, started working with the 2 Live Stews before moving to V-103 and Ryan Cameron‘s show a year later. At V-103, she was unable to land a spot that worked for her long term. She worked as mid-day host and as part of Frank Ski and Wanda Smith’s morning show.

After V-103 let her go, she spent a year doing traffic for 11 Alive. While there, she was arrested for a DUI in 2013. The station briefly suspended her but she got her job back. Her heart, though, was in sports, not traffic. Later that year, she left for the New England Sports Network.

Last year, she was hired to be an ESPN SportsCenter anchor.

The 790/The Zone morning show Mayhem in the AM (Chris Dimino, Nick Cellini, Steak Shapiro)

On June 17, 2013, Nick Cellini of sports station 790/The Zone started a silly bit making fun of ALS victim and former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason, a bit that he truncated after he realized it was going south.

But a Saints fan posted an audio clip on a Saints fan bulletin board and it went quickly viral. They were quickly suspended and after more social media backlash, let go completely by the end of the day. All three members of the team expressed their regret and apologies, but the damage was done. (The Zone itself would die soon after as a station.)

Within a few months, Steak Shapiro and Chris Dimino landed jobs at rival station 680/93.7 The Fan.  But Cellini was placed in purgatory for far longer, considered responsible for the bit and talking to me that day, truthfully saying the station was sinking anyway. At one point, he was driving Uber to make ends meet.

In 2015, Fan owner David Dickey finally hired Cellini for the morning show with Dimino and Christopher Rude. (Rude himself was just let go last week, leaving Dimino and Cellini to man the morning show.)

Vinnie Politan is hosting a new 11Alive show “The Late Feed” debuting August 28, 2017. CREDIT: 11 Alive

This was posted on Monday, August 28, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk 

The new 11Alive 11 p.m. program starring Vinnie Politan is set to debut today, August 28, at 11 p.m. According to TV schedules, 11Alive has dubbed it “The Late Feed.”

I have no details yet on what the NBC affiliate show will entail, but it will not be a traditional local news program. General Manager John Deushane did not respond to inquiries about what “The Late Feed” will be like. I suspect they are working out a “soft opening” tonight.

A former prosecutor and attorney, the brash and often excitable Politan worked for several years at HLN as a legal expert before he joined 11Alive three years ago as a morning host. It seems likely the show will utilize Politan’s expertise in legal issues and crime, perhaps along the lines of Nancy Grace‘s former show on HLN.

After leaving his legal career, Politan spent four years as a local reporter in New Jersey, then Orlando. He then spent nearly a decade with the now defunct Court TV out of New York, followed by five years at HLN hosting a variety of justice-related shows out of Atlanta.

The network recently shuffled its anchors. Relative newcomers Shiba Russell and Cheryl Preheim swapped spots with Russell back to mornings and Preheim to evenings while Politan moved out of mornings to his special 11 p.m. show.

11Alive typically finishes third or fourth at 11 p.m. though if NBC has a strong 10 p.m. program, it can sometimes pull  in better ratings. Changing things up at 11 p.m. could draw a new and potentially larger audience.

This was posted on Thursday, August 31, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

CBS46 and Univision Atlanta are starting a new partnership to share news content.

“With the dramatic growth of the Hispanic population in the greater Atlanta area and the quality journalism being produced by Univision, the partnership extends our coverage deeper into this important community that Univision News understands and covers daily,” said CBS46/ Peachtree TV Vice President & General Manager Mark Pimentel in a press release.

In a follow-up email, he said the collaboration will evolve over time. They will do a shared telethon effort for Hurricane Harvey victims. “Both staffs have bilingual reporters and news managers so trading information, while not as easy as if we were in one language, is something we will learn to do,” Pimental wrote.

Reporters for each station will appear on he other. “In essence,” he wrote, “both news departments are strengthened by the partnership.”

“Partnering with CBS46 allows us to offer Atlanta viewers expanded, relevant local news coverage at a time when the unity of our communities is more important than ever,” added Univision Atlanta Vice President & General Manager Eddy Elguezabal. “The collaboration recognizes the truly multicultural nature of our city and the growing impact that Hispanics have on our local culture, economy and politics in Georgia and the U.S. as a whole. This partnership is a testament to Univision Atlanta’s and CBS46’s shared dedication and commitment to serving our communities.”

Univision had a similar news-sharing agreement in Philadelphia with an ABC station that ran from 2013 through 2016.

This was posted on Friday, September 1, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Ross Cavitt, the veteran Channel 2 Action News reporter, is set to become the communications director for Cobb County later this month.

It’s not 100 percent certain because the Cobb County Board of Commissioners has to vote him in on September 12. But Cavitt is not worried and the county sent out a press release confirming the news.

“I”m going to miss my Channel 2 family but I know the people in Cobb and am looking forward to working with them,” he said in an interview today.

He’s covered the county for much of the past decade, lives in East Cobb and already works off Marietta Square. “One thing that attracted me is that I don’t have to cross the Chattahoochee,” he said, only half joking.

Cavitt, 55, has been with WSB-TV for nearly 24 years. Before that, he spent four years at a Cox station in Florida.

His final day with WSB-TV is Friday, September 15. He starts with Cobb the following Monday.

“My youngest daughter is in college,” he said. “My wife [Margaret] has a nice job here. When the job came open, friends started bending my ear about it. The more I looked into it, the more appealing it became. And it made sense. When I see myself now, I say, ‘Who is that old dude on TV?’ I just thought it was maybe time for a change.”

He spoke with several people in similar roles, including former broadcasters such as Donna Lowry, who spent decades at 11Alive, became a spokeswoman for Cobb County Schools, then went to Fulton County recently.

Cavitt said he’s been doing more or less the same job for 32, 33 years. “I tried to be an anchor and I tried weather but I didn’t like those jobs,” he said. “I kept going back in the field. But that’s a tough existence to carry on long distance.”

He has covered Desert Storm and flew with the National Guard to Honduras. He has also been on the front lines of dozens of hurricanes. “I’m famous for chasing tornadoes and storms and breaking news,” Cavitt said. “Next time something happens, I don’t know how I’m going to react. I’m always the first on the scene. One of my new coworkers said I’ll still drive around with a police scanner blaring in my car – which is probably true.”

County Manager Rob Hosack, in the press release, praised Cavitt as “a great asset to the county. He is an award-winning journalist and will bring a great amount of knowledge and expertise.”

He will replace Sheri Kell, who left to pursue other opportunities.

WSB-TV and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group. 

This was posted on Thursday, September 7, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Houston native and Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones was vacationing in Palm Beach, Fla. when Hurricane Harvey hit his hometown.

“I felt helpless sitting on the beach,” Jones said today from a hotel near Lafayette, La.

Then, Convoy of Care, a partnership effort by WSB-TV, News 95-5 and AM 750, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, KISS 104.1, B98.5 and 97.1 The River, went into action. Within days, the effort collected more than a half million bottles of water from metro Atlantans. WSB then coordinated with Peach Movers to have 10 trucks to deliver the water different places affected by the storm including Port Arthur and Houston.

When Jones returned from vacation, he was happy to help out his home state and join the convoy. Jones left Tuesday and trailed two trucks who ended up in battered Beaumont, Texas two days later.

“We put water on buses and drove to neighbors and apartment complexes and shopping centers,” Jones said. He split time doing interviews and handing out water himself. Demand was so high and thanks to social media, it took just two hours to empty the trucks of thousands of cases of water.

Drivers who helped out with the convoy. CREDIT: Tom Jones

Jones, a reporter with WSB-TV for 15 years with a focus on the south side of metro Atlanta, said he was amazed by the generosity of metro Atlantans. “Water was like gold to the folks in Beaumont,” he said. “I was trying to be a reporter but I’m a person, too. My friends and family in Texas are going through so much. My heart was pumping. I was so proud of this effort to fill this need.”

“I met a guy who had moved to Beaumont from Atlanta to take care of his mother caught up in the storm,” he added. “He got some water. It felt good for him and for me.”

He had a brother whose house was flooded in Houston. His parents, there, though, were lucky: the water got up to their entrance but didn’t enter the home.

Participants who donated services included Atlanta Peach Movers, American Trucking Association’s “Share The Road” , Kennesaw Transportation, Collins Trucking Company, YRC Freight, and Aubrey Silvey Enterprises. Allied Logistics provided pallets donated by Ongweoweh Corp & its logistics company Native Trax Logistics, LLC.  Labor to help load up the water was donated by Bulldog Trucking and the Chattahoochee High School football team and booster club.

Escorts were provided by the Floyd County, Sheriff Tim Burkhalter, Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry, Haralson County Sheriff Eddie Mixon, DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann,  and J. Terry Norris, Executive Director of the Georgia. Floyd and Oconee counties provided six trucks of their own in the “Convoy of Care.”

A view of one of the trucks while Tom Jones trailed them on their way to Beaumont, Texas. CREDIT: Tom Jones

WSB-TV and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group. 

Martin Savidge and Jovita Moore are among the NATAS Silver Circle winners on Friday, September 8, 2017 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead. CREDIT: NATAS

This was posted on Monday, September 11, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Martin Savidge (CNN), Jovita Moore (Channel 2 Action News) and Ken Rodriguez (Fox 5) were among 15 broadcast veterans feted on Friday by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Southeast chapter in Buckhead.

Each received a Silver Circle Award for 25 years of service. (All three have actually served more than a quarter century in the business.)

Moore, who was able to squeeze in the ceremony between her 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts, has been with WSB-TV since 1998 and took over as a primary evening anchor for Monica Pearson five years ago.

“That was a huge step,” she said before the ceremony at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead. “WSB planned it well. It’s been a great transition. Our viewers showed that. Everything went without a hitch.”

She has now been in the business for 27 years. “It doesn’t feel like that much time has passed,” Moore said. “I’m excited. I don’t feel like I’ve done it for that long. I feel like my career is just starting in a way. It’s always great to be recognized by your peers.”

Moore said she was eight years into her career when she came to WSB-TV after stints in Arkansas and Memphis. “At the time, it felt like it was taking forever,” she said. “But everything happened when it was supposed to.”

Down the road, she said the business is changing rapidly but “working where I am and being with the people I’m with, whatever happens, I’m ready for it. It’s continued to be a great ride.”

Jovita Moore shows off her NOTAS Silver Circle award after 27 years in broadcast television. CREDIT: NATAS

Ken Rodriguez has been a staple on Fox 5 for decades. CREDIT: NATAS

Rodriguez, a Fox 5 sports anchor for more than 20 of the past 22 years, has been in the broadcasting business for a total of 33 years.

The early years were a bit of a grind, he said, and he wondered, “Am I cut out for this? Am I going to make it?”

“But for the last 10 years, it’s like the years are flying by. Call it middle age of whatever. I’m content. I’m enjoying it now more than I ever have,” Rodriguez said. “Older and bolder, you might say.”

He came to Fox 5 in 1995, left in 2000 to work with Fox in Los Angeles but quickly came back to Atlanta. Two years on the West Coast, he said, “was all I needed… I didn’t consider myself just a sports guy. People in the news business tend to put you in a box. I viewed myself with a lot more versatility. I thought L.A. was the best place to expand and do that sort of thing. You learn after awhile there are simpler things in life. ” He was thrilled Fox 5 wanted him back in 2002.

Rodriguez is an Atlanta native. He met his wife here in middle school and graduated McEachern High School in Powder Springs and Georgia State University.

Martin Savidge is being honored for his 36-plus years in broadcast TV, including eight years at CNN over two stints. CREDIT: NATAS

Savidge, 59, like Rodriguez, has been with his current employer twice. He worked at CNN as a reporter out of Atlanta from 1996 to 2004, left for NBC News for four years, then worked in various capacities until returning full-time to CNN in 2011.

He has been in broadcast news for 37 years. “It’s really wonderful to reach the halfway point of a career,” he joked.

Savidge is thrilled to still be in a fast-changing business. “My proudest moments is to work at CNN and cover the great stories,” he said.

He had just returned from covering Hurricane Harvey and was going to leave Sunday to do Hurricane Irma. His memories of Katrina still stick with him.

“We went through 10 years without a whole lot,” he said. “At least you feel practiced. Harvey warmed us up.” He said Katrina “taught a lot of communities that you can never leave early enough. Nobody wants that happen again. That’s the greatest positive legacy from Katrina.”

His daughter Blis Savidge works as a digital investigative reporter at 11Alive. He’d love to do a project with his daughter. “It’s more of the generational divide of the mindset, how you come into a story, how you approach it. The styles could be different,” he said.

He splits time anchoring and working in the field. “There’s always a part of me that likes being out in breaking news and that’s been our bread and butter,” he said.

Savidge recalled CNN recruiting on his campus in 1980, the year Ted Turner started it. He turned it down, didn’t know what it was, had no idea what it would become. He had to wait 14 years to get another chance.

Other local notables who received a Silver Circle Award:

• Frank Volpicella, who ran CBS46’s news operations for a year but recently was let go and is now in Jacksonville.
• John Deushane, general manager of WXIA-TV, 11Alive since 2010.
• Jorge Buzo, lead anchor for Telemundo Atlanta.

And John York at Public Broadcasting Atlanta received a Gold Circle Award for 50 years of service.

WSB-TV and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.

This was posted on Friday, September 15, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

The turnstile that is CBS46 continues.

Two months after a new news director came in, WGCL-TV morning host Bobby Kaple has left the station.  On his public Facebook page, he posted this note:

“I want to start this post with a thank you to the wonderful viewers and members of this community who have welcomed me into their homes for the last few years. Yesterday, I decided to step away from my morning and noon anchor duties at CBS 46. Seeing what’s going on in our country everyday from the anchor desk, I know there is more I can do. With that in mind, I am going to take the next few weeks to discuss with my family, friends, and neighbors if my next step is a run for public office. Thank you again and talk soon!”

General manager Mark Pimental sent out a note this afternoon, also noting that “Bobby Kaple is stepping down so he and his family can discuss his potential run for elected office.”

He was originally paired with Gloria Neal, who left in a huff after just 17 months. Neal was replaced late last year with former Fox 5 anchor Amanda Davis.

Kaple co-hosted the 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. morning show and the noon show. His final day was Thursday, September 14.

The Arizona native was previously a sports anchor and news reporter in Los Angeles. Before that, he had worked in San Diego, West Palm Beach, Miami and Des Moines.

In May, his Instagram account was hacked and someone posted racy photos on it. 

Ben Swann and Sharon Reed are adding 9 p.m. newscast duties on Peachtree TV. They will be on air for 3.5 hours a day. CREDIT: CBS46

Posted on Monday, October 2, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

CBS46 is adding a 9 p.m. newscast on sister station Peachtree TV starting October 16 and it will run seven days a week.

Sharon Reed and Ben Swann – regular evening anchors on CBS46’s 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts – will anchor the 9 p.m. as well.

There are no other 9 p.m. newscasts in the market.

“We know Atlanta is an early commuter market due to traffic and the 9 p.m. news will be a great opportunity for viewers to get a complete newscast and get a full night’s rest,” said CBS46 & Peachtree TV Vice President/General Manager Mark Pimentel in a press release.

Chief meteorologist Paul Ossmann, meteorologist Ella Dorsey and sports director Fred Kalil will join the newscast as well.

With the added responsibility, both Swann and Reed will be on the anchor desk for three and a half hours per day, a relatively heavy on-air workload for anchors.

CBS46 airs local news from 4 to 6:30 p.m and Reed works two of those hours, except for the 5:30 to 6 p.m. slot, when Tracye Hutchins spells her. Swann works the 4 p.m. hour and from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Hutchins anchors only the 5 p.m. hour, sharing chair time with Swann for 30 minutes, then Reed for another 30.

On weekdays, the newscast will supplant repeats of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” on Peachtree TV. 

Meredith, which owns CBS46, recently purchased Peachtree TV from Time Warner/Turner as Time Warner tries to complete a merger with AT&T. Over the previous six years, Meredith had been operating the station in a lease agreement.

In recent years, local broadcasters have found adding newscasts is cost efficient and brings in more revenue than buying syndicated programming. Fox 5 now airs 10.5 hours of local news on weekdays, including repeats, more than any other broadcaster in town. NBC affiliate 11Alive features two evening newscasts on its sister WATL-TV station at 7 p.m. for 30 minutes and 10 p.m. for an hour. The 7 p.m. newscast debuted this spring. It also airs a morning show on WATL at 7 a.m. called “The Morning Rush.”

RELATED: Ben Swann resurrects “Pizzagate” story 

RELATED: Sharon Reed said baby is not Lebron’s

Posted on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Stephany Fisher, a CBS46 evening anchor from 2003 to 2015, is now manager of communications at MARTA.

She joined the transit system last month.

“I was ready to get back to work,” Fisher said in a phone interview while she was at her desk at MARTA headquarters at Lindbergh Station. “I had a couple of years off. With my daughter going off to college, I just thought I wanted something to do. I wanted to contribute and use my skills and I thought I’d venture into this world.”

She said she’s got a lot to learn but “so far, so good. They’ve been very welcoming.”

The biggest adjustment, besides normal work hours, is the fact work doesn’t always have to be done immediately. “I’m so deadline oriented,” she said. “You mean I don’t have to do that project until next month? Or the first of the year? I can get more time?”

Fisher, since she left CBS46 (WGCL-TV) two years ago, has done some freelance work for the Washington Post  and the Investigation Discovery Channel. She has also been a guest coordinator for the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. The time off, she said, allowed her more quality time with her teen-age daughter. “I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said.

While at the CBS affiliate, she survived multiple news directors and general managers at CBS46, which has continued to see persistent turnover. She was effectively the face of the station during that time period until  new general manager Mark Pimental overhauled nearly the entire anchor staff in 2015.

Fisher harbors no ill will toward CBS46 for letting her go. “I loved very much what I did,” she said. “I don’t look back and regret anything. It was their decision to part ways. I respect that they no longer wanted to have a partnership with me.”

She said every day, people recognize her but many think she’s still on the air. “It shows how seldom a lot of people actually watch local news,” she said.

Two Atlantans are coming to CBS46 as new employees: Alicia Roberts (left) from the Braves and Jennifer Whalen from CNN/HLN. CREDIT: Social media profile photos

Posted on Thursday, October 5, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk

With a spate of departures, CBS46 has hired six people to fill open spots:

• Jonathan Carlson becomes Chief Investigative Reporter. Carlson comes from WXYZ-TV in Detroit where he was an investigative reporter.
• Alicia Roberts becomes a Multimedia Journalist (MMJ), which means she will do all her own video work on top of being in front of the camera. Roberts comes from the Atlanta Braves where she was an on-air talent.
• Jasmina Alston will also become a Multimedia Journalist (MMJ).  Alston comes from WBMA-TV in Birmingham, AL where she was also an MMJ.
• Jennifer Whalen will become a Producer/Writer/Multimedia Journalist (MMJ).  Whalen comes from CNN/HLN where she was a producer.
• Phil Landeros becomes a Senior Executive Producer.  Landeros comes from WOFL-TV in Orlando, FL.
• Howard Dorsey takes over as Dayside Executive Producer.  Dorsey has worked at stations in Charlotte, Houston, New York, Raleigh, Philadelphia and Dallas.

Here are some other recent departures from CBS46, which has a new news director Steve Doerr. He replaced Frank Volpicella, now in Jacksonville at WJXT as a managing editor:

• Bobby Kaple, CBS46 morning host, who is considering a run for political office.
• Darcy Bonfils, CBS46 senior executive producer, who has moved to New York to work for NY1 as an executive producer. She came to Atlanta from New York less than three years ago to be executive producer for Sam Champion on his short-lived morning show on The Weather Channel.
• Will Frampton, CBS46 reporter for six years, an Atlanta native who is moving to Boston. 
• Julian Johnson, CBS46 reporter for two years
• James Estes, CBS46 operations manager
• Paul Caron, CBS46 managing editor, now an assistant news director in Huntsville, Ala.

Posted on Monday, October 9, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Former CBS46 morning host Bobby Kaple announced today that he is running for the Sixth District House seat held by Karen Handel.

Kaple, a Milton resident, recently left his job at the CBS affiliate after two years, saying he was considering  a run for office. On his website, he explained why he decided to pull the trigger in broad terms:

Like you, I’ve had it with career politicians which is why I’m committed to making this community a better place for not only my children, but for everyone who lives here. In Congress, I’ll work with members of both parties to get things done.

He doesn’t cite his political affiliation but he’s using the ActBlue Express site to help him raise funds and it’s affiliated with the Democratic Party.

My colleague Greg Bluestein in Political Insider spoke with him if you want to read more.

He didn’t break down any of his policy positions on his website but he noted that he’s married to his wife Rebecca, a University of Georgia grad who works as a reporter covering the Braves, Hawks and ACC on FOX Sports South. And he said his twin sons were born premature and had to spend more than two weeks the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

He told Bluestein that it would have bankrupted him if he didn’t have health insurance. He said he has a desire to fix the health-care system.

Kaple declined to say what his financial strategy would be.

Tom Price’s departure to join the Trump administration as the secretary of health and human services (and recently left over his use of private planes) was the impetus for the pitched battle earlier this year between Handel and Jon Ossoff and was the most expensive House race in history. Ossoff has yet to say if he will run again.

Vinnie Politan in the opening moments of his new show “The Late Feed” on 11Alive.

Posted on Monday, October 9, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk 

11Alive last month launched its long-awaited new 11 p.m. program starring Vinnie Politan and it’s not your usual newscast.

In essence, it’s faster paced and features more outside voices. And the focal point is Politan and his opinionated take on subject matter.

To start the show, Politan – sometimes joined by former HLN colleague Natisha Lance – will usually walk purposefully down an 11Alive hallway to promote what’s coming up. The intro music is pounding and dramatic, even by newscast standards.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggUjy0fZW5A&w=640&h=390]

He’ll usually open the night with a hot topic, whether it’s breaking news like the Georgia Tech shooter or the Vegas tragedy. As a former New Jersey attorney and prosecutor who cut his teeth on TV at Atlanta-based HLN before moving to 11Alive in 2014, Politan will sometimes pontificate about a news story, throwing in his thoughts like a cable channel host. While Lance provides a “Speed Feed” mix of stories with pounding music as a backdrop and Chris Holcomb throws in a bit of weather, those are merely side elements most days.

Politan typically hosts a panel of three different experts he dubs the “Think Tank” related to a topic that night. Given the tight time frames at 11 p.m., the panel only has about five minutes to gab on the show.

“People are getting news in different places, whether it’s social media account or apps,” Politan said in a recent interview. “They’re getting bombarded all day. By 11 p.m., they’ve heard all the stories. We’re trying to create clarity and perspective to those stories. You need a different way to deliver that.”

He said management has given him a lot of leeway to figure this all out. (Politan plans for the time being to host the show Sunday through Thursday since Sunday often brings bigger audiences with football.)

The host knows the challenges of fitting basic news and squeezing a panel in, too. “It’s a change. It’s difficult,” he said. “It’s a balance.” He said the format will not be rigid.

This past Sunday night, for instance, with a late NFL football game pushing back the start of his “Late Feed” by nearly an hour, Politan ditched the panel and played a long-form investigative piece instead by Andy Pierrotti regarding the Veterans Administration. He did spend a couple of minutes talking to anchor and sports specialist Jeff Hullinger about Vice President Mike Pence walking out of an NFL game after players took a knee during the National Anthem.’

He said the show will evolve over time. “That’s a good thing,” Politan said. “One thing we’re not going to be afraid to do is drop things when they don’t work.”

Why did 11Alive decide to shake up the 11 p.m. newscast?

General manager John Deushane noted that for six-plus decades, local news has been the basic bread and butter of news, weather and sports. “Our industry has done ‘Lather, Rinse, Repeat’ versions of that ever since,” he said.

He notes that “there are stations in this city that have mastered traditional news very well. In fact, it terms of doing it the way it’s always been done, no one does traditional better than a couple of stations here. Hats off to them.” [He is referencing Fox 5 and Channel 2 Action News, which typically get higher ratings than 11Alive during that time slot.]

Deushane said his station has “the capability to do the same thing. We can go live to 15 different locations if we want to as well and cover yet another house fire or more accidents to show off our technology. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should and it certainly doesn’t mean that’s what people want to see.”

He sees the Late Feed as a quicker, more modern version of a newscast. The show largely has dumped standard reporter packages. “In are in-depth conversations with those either making the news or covering it,” he said. “The viewer has the opportunity to take part in actively via social connection in real time or as a interested onlooker as if they were listening to people talking at the table next to them who are experts in something they care about.”

And he wants to use Politan’s strong personality to his best advantage.

“Vinnie is not a typical vanilla anchor who can’t think beyond what’s written on the prompter,” Deushane said. “In fact, Vinnie doesn’t even use a script. As a former prosecutor and long-form cable news host, he can think on his feet, ask probing questions, and help people understand complex issues. To effectively lead a news program like this, that skill set is paramount.”

Deushane added that “Chris Holcomb’s weather presentation will also be interactive, with Vinnie occasionally being at the map with Chris and asking him questions about meteorological data and why it matters.” (Politan did this last Thursday night as Tropical Storm Nate was approaching the Gulf Coast.)

During a recent episode after the Equifax CEO “retired” following a massive security breach of 143 million people’s personal information, Politan let loose:

“How about being a leader in security?” he said, looking straight in the camera. “So you can protect our information that you’re holding? How about that?”

He showed video of the CEO expressing fraud as an “opportunity.”

“He sees fraud as an opportunity,” Politan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Now fraud is an opportunity for the people who stole our information from you.”

I solicited feedback from my Facebook readers and they were largely skeptical of the changes:

Here’s a sampling:

• Dave C. Gibson Not fond of it. Kinda sucks. They seem to think super-sensationalism for local news is a thing we need more of. I feel really sorry for some folks that work at the station, because they have to endure really bad ideas like this.
• Doris Bowers I happen to like it. Gives you a different perspective on news rather than the same old news reading that takes place on other newscasts. I do think that maybe a better selection of guests. The story of shooting at Georgia Tech was hard to watch BUT it brought the situation to the attention of many who did not know there was an issue with transgender population at GT
• Judi Bry Stevenson It’s different been watching it to see if it gets better.
• Stuart Ginsberg Was a loyal 11 Alive watcher. Switched to CBS46. Way too over the top and not enough information. Too much opinion.
• Norma Lyons He’s over the top 
• Marc Fredo It’s the evolution of news programming. It isn’t enough to tell you the news, they now have to tell you what to think about that news.
• Kelly Macc I like Vinnie….if we’re still watching court tv. Otherwise he’s just too much. Couldn’t watch in the morning and certainly can’t at night.
• James Locklin Not a fan. News is news, not what that show is. Put it on 36 and real news back on 11 at 11. That show is the best way for 11 to be last with a bullet.
• Susan Luke I’ve been watching Eleven Alive News at 11 for many years. Hopefully this new format will be short lived, as it’s not working for me!

“I think people will love it or hate it or ignore it,” said Darryl Cohen, an entertainment attorney who used to appear on Politan’s HLN show “After Dark. “I hope people like it. Vinnie’s great. He’s very talented. In my opinion, it’s a great alternative.”

Alyse Eady shooting “Star.” CREDIT: Fox 5

Posted Wednesday, October 11, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Alyse Eady will appear playing herself on tonight’s episode of Fox’s “Star” where the girl group appears on “Good Day Atlanta.” The show airs at 9 p.m. after “Empire.”

This is natural cross promotional opportunity between the local Fox affiliate and the network drama created by Lee Daniels, who also oversees “Empire.”

Eady, who joined Fox 5 last year from Arkansas as a morning host, is expected to be in a couple of scenes. “Star” is set in Atlanta and its fictional girl group is supposed to make a promotional appearance on “Good Day Atlanta” that does not go smoothly because the trio expected to be co headlining, not playing back up to another singer.

She herself has been on prime-time TV. She was Miss Arkansas in 2010 and came in as first runner up in the Miss America pageant.

TV PREVIEW
“Star,” 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Fox

Posted Thursday, October 19, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog

Gurvir Dhindsa, who departed Fox 5’s “Good Day Atlanta” last year, will be joining CBS46’s morning news team starting Monday but it’s not being framed as a permanent addition.

“Gurvir will start appearing on the CBS46 morning news next Monday on a temporary basis,” wrote general manager Mark Pimental to me. “No decision has been made regarding the [full-time] replacement of Bobby Kaple.  We are happy to add someone of Gurvir’s depth of experience in the Atlanta market to the team.”

She will be paired with Amanda Davis, who joined the team earlier this year and had previously spent 26 years at WAGA-TV from 1987 to 2013.

“I welcome Gurvir,” Davis said in a text. “She’s a consummate professional with a lovely spirit and a good heart.”

Kaple left a few weeks ago and is running for the Sixth District House seat currently held by Karen Handel.

Dhindsa was a host at “Good Day Atlanta” twice.

She first worked at “Good Day” from 1997 to 2000 before moving to D.C. to work at a Fox affiliate there.

Dhindsa returned to Atlanta in 2011, replacing Suchita Vadlamani, who is no longer in the business and is raising a daughter.

She did not immediately state why she left Fox 5 last year. 

In a Facebook messenger note, she merely said, “I left Fox 5 because the time was right for me to leave Fox.”

For her, she said she’s excited to be at CBS46. “I love the energy and momentum of the station and its management and staff. After meeting with the new news director Steve Doerr, we both felt it was the right fit and the right time.”

She added: “I have had the rare and wonderful gift of time with my family since leaving. Now I am ready to get back in the saddle. One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is reconnecting with all those folks who wake up early in Georgia!”

Dhindsa’s “Good Day Atlanta” replacement was Alyse Eady.

CBS46 recently added a new slogan: “Local, Real, Everywhere.”