Oregon Media Insiders

KVAL Shift in sails, Deana Riece gone, Jodi Unruh gone, is Bob Wernick next to go?

Got a note today that KVAL has a new ND: Jennifer Kuglin, out of NW Cable News. All I know about her is what I can google. Googlin' Kuglin (oh come on, would YOU have resisted?), we get this, from Medialine:

[Kuglin] has been named ND for this Fisher-owned CBS affiliate. She's been working as an EP for Northwest Cable News in Seattle, but before that was ND at KECI-TV in Missoula, MT, where she began as a technical director and worked her way up, eventually becoming ND. At KVAL, she replaces DEANA REECE who left the station last October to become ND for WICS/WICD in Springfield/Champaign, IL.

And that's what I know.

In what may seem a minor point to some, about a week and a half back on my own personal blog (The Zehnkatzen Times), I (meekly and respectably) pointed out how the KVAL on-screen graphics for their lead stories had a minor yet quite arresting error to them.

The graphics, which were presumably supposed to read out "First at 6" or "First at 11" were typeset to read "First @ at 6" and "First @ at 11"-with both the "commercial-at" symbol as well as the actual word "at".

I'm surprised I haven't heard more from down-valley about all the stuff going on at KVAL. A correspondent tells me that four on-air folks have left the building of late: Reporter Carla Castano; weather reporter Sophie Soong (which we have noted as she's now up here); weather reporter Seth Wayne (last day was Friday); and reporter Andy Peterson:

The big news is that long time news director Deana Reece announced that she is leaving. Her last day will be the 25th. Rumors are flying around the news department that anchor David Walker will be hired as her replacement.

Do keep me informed, KVALers.

I also hear that KVAL debuts new graphics today.

Down in Skinnerville, things are getting wacky.

First up, I hear that KEZI decided yesterday not to renew morning anchor Kerri Stewart. Stewart will stay until a new anchor can be hired (but who knows when that will be).

Why is this a little wacky? KEZI is rumored to be considering expanding its morning show, though GM Mark Hatfield told employees Tuesday that wasn't so. Nevertheless, folks are prepping for sweeps, and the timing seems off.

And speaking of morning anchors, a lot of you have wondered about the whereabouts of former KEZI morning guy Al Peterson. He's now morning anchor at KVAL, replacing Seth Wayne. Wayne's off to Tucson.

UPDATE: Closed thread. Jeez, you guys.