Syracuse TV

Updated 12/6 with WSYR press release — SYRACUSE — Nearly seven months after Jim Tortora vacated the News Director’s office at NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV), there’s now word of a new leader for the ABC affiliate’s news department.  Reliable sources tell CNYTVNews.com that the new boss will be Rob Cartwright, who comes to Syracuse after three

SYRACUSE — Our congratulations to Brian Erb, who recently marked his 40th anniversary as a news photographer with TV-3.  We’re careful not to say he’s worked at “WSTM-TV” for the past 40 years — not just because WSTM, WTVH and WSTQ now collectively call themselves “CNYCentral” — but because WSTM-TV wasn’t known by those call

DALLAS — From our “Where Are They Now” file, congratulations to former NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) reporter Ray Villeda, who recently landed a top-5 market job as a reporter with NBC affiliate KXAS-TV in Dallas, Texas.  For the past two years since leaving Syracuse, Villeda was reporting and anchoring at CBS affiliate WFSB in Hartford, CT.

HAMDEN, CT — Two well-known local journalists who used to work at Syracuse CBS affiliate WTVH are featured in a new documentary about the television news business. The documentary was produced by two Quinnipiac University journalism professors. Shooting started in 2009, and the finished product just recently hit the web.

WASHINGTON, DC — For months, broadcast engineers across the country have been counting down to November 9.  That’s the date federal authorities have set for the first-ever national-level test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).  If the system works as expected, you’ll notice the test interrupting normal programming on nearly every radio and TV station in

SYRACUSE and UTICA — Plenty of news to share this weekend from local PBS affiliate WCNY-TV. The station is set to debut three brand new locally-produced series tomorrow.  Construction is now underway for the station’s future home in Syracuse.  And observant CNYTVNews.com readers say the new digital repeater in Utica appears to be up and

ALBANY — Former NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) reporter Jennifer Lewke, who left the Syracuse ABC affiliate earlier this year, is back on television.  Our thanks to an observant CNYTVNews.com reader, who spotted a report from Lewke yesterday on CBS 6 (WGRB) in Albany.

SYRACUSE — If she’s lucky, NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) reporter Racquel Asa won’t have to do any more live shots in mounds of lake effect snow.  TVSpy.com says Asa is one of three new hires at ABC affiliate WFTV in Orlando, Florida.  She’s expected to report for duty in the Sunshine State “early next month.”

SYRACUSE — “You’d never know it by looking at the picture,” says WSYR-TV Assistant News Director Roger Mirabito, but a scary-looking scene involving the ABC affiliate’s satellite truck late last week — was all caused by a simple mechanical problem that cost less than ten bucks to fix.

SYRACUSE — A friendly wager between two local broadcasters resulted in some public humilation for NewsChannel 9 (WSYR-TV) reporter Keith Kobland. Kobland, who also provides morning news updates for Classic Hits Sunny 102 (WZUN), lost a bet against Sunny morning show co-host Melissa Midgley.