WFTS-Ch. 28 anchor is leaving
A familiar face to WFTS-Ch. 28 viewers is leaving the station. ABC Action News announced today that Walt Maci
borski will be leaving the station in early January. Maciborski has served as co-anchor of WFTS’ 5 and 5:30 p.m. evening newscasts and nighttime reporter for the past three years.
“We will miss Walt very much,” Rich Pegram, station vice president and general manager, said in a news release. “Walt is a talented journalist who is ready for bigger opportunities, and I know he will do well.”
According to the release, the anchor responsibilities for the 5–6:30 p.m. newscasts will be shared by current anchors Brendan McLaughlin, Wendy Ryan and Linda Hurtado.
The station also announced that it's expanding its news programming by five hours with the addition of Saturday and Sunday news programs in February. The newscasts will feature local news, sports, weather and community events.
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The Feed is a blog on TV, media and modern life by St. Petersburg Times TV/media critic Eric Deggans. Possibly the most critical guy at the Times, he has served as music, media and TV critic at various times over 10 years.
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And while we're speaking of issues in local television...
What's this I saw about WFLA beginning a TV classics channel on it's digital sub-channel 8.2? Are they moving Weather Plus, discontinuing it, or is this simply a part time situation?
One thing I've noticed is that the only channels really taking advantage of their digital sub-channels until now have been the PBS stations and ION Television (the former Paxson stations). To this point channels 8, 10, and 28 have only added weather services, and FOX-13 hasn't done anything. Is there any word on if that situation may change?
Posted by: Robert | January 05, 2009 at 06:09 AM
It took a long time to say his name flowingly :) I found him to be very professional journalist with a solid appearance on the screen.
Too bad so many stations across the nation have been cutting on-air and technical staff at a rapid rate. Lots of talent out there from top markets.
Good luck to him.
Posted by: RagsTTiger | January 04, 2009 at 08:06 AM
Good Luck, Walt, we barely knew ye'. They say; "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." You did some great work in Tampa Bay. The nightside live-shots were always solid and I'm sure you got a great tape out of ABC Action News. Good luck to your family. My family hopes you'll be hired by a cross-town rival, a tactic WFTS obviously knows quite well. Turn about is fair play, anyone hiring? Don't let that no-compete stop you!
Posted by: Newzaroo | January 03, 2009 at 08:26 PM
WFTS remains a sorry place along with WTSP. Walt is a good anchor. He never really had a chance to show his stuff. Why move a guy and his family and blow him up after 3 years? Bad stations do bad things and that's why they have bad ratings and bad morale.
Posted by: Maestro | January 03, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Here's something you don't see everday:
http://www.white-history.com
Please repost!
Thank you,
Barry
Posted by: Barrry | January 02, 2009 at 07:34 PM
“We will miss Walt very much,” said Rich Pegram, station VP and General Manager. “Walt is a talented journalist who is ready for bigger opportunities, and I know he will do well.”
What a joke; they'll miss him!! They shoved him out the door without a second of consideration or debate in the middle of his contract. No consideration to family, commitment, nothing, just get the hell out. Yeah..they'll miss him...what a crock.
Posted by: bob | January 02, 2009 at 07:29 PM
I thought they had an 11am broadcast, not a noon, since everyone else is on at noon.
Posted by: Tony | January 02, 2009 at 04:38 PM
TJT, they didn't do a nooner today because they can't show any of their regular afternoon or evening programming. The Cotton Bowl's on and then this evening the Sugar Bowl's on. They pay for Judge Judy, may as well show it. Most stations do poorly in ratings at noon anyway.
Where is Walt going?
Posted by: Rob | January 02, 2009 at 03:21 PM
Glad he's going.
Posted by: Walgreens | January 02, 2009 at 02:00 PM
Sorry to see Walt go. Seems we always loose the good anchors in this area, and get stuck with the really bad ones like Gayle Guyardo on 8. I also don't care for the changes to the ABC morning news either. Bring back Wayne Shattuck and loose the traffic report. Deah Riley, Dan Schaeffer and Wayne made a great morning team. So much more professional than the other stations, and now we've lost that.
Posted by: david | January 02, 2009 at 01:13 PM
What's up with Fox 13, tuned to 13 to watch the noon news and Judge Judy was on? Are they no longer doing a noon news broadcast?? As anyone heard of a change??
Posted by: TJT | January 02, 2009 at 12:33 PM