KDBC Channel 4 (cable Channel 3) is down to one sports reporter,
Jessica Moran. She moved to the Monday-through-Friday schedule when
John Engleman left the station last month. That meant that the weekend
sports position was open, and since Channel 4 is in financial trouble
(just like most any other media outlet in the country is), they haven't
hired someone for that position.
That means that if you tune in to Channel 4 for their weekend editions, the sports packages you will see will be produced outside of El Paso. They will not include any local sports news, and instead focus on big national sports stories.
You may remember that Channel 4 recently canceled their morning and afternoon news shows. They're down to a bare-bones staff, and many of their reporters are only part-time employees.
This is such a tragedy. The only thing left is for the entire operation to fold and for the company to sell of it's set and equipment piece by piece.
I sure hope Nichole is pounding the pavement to land a new gig before she get the short haircut. A woman of that class, charm and beauty deserves more than to be treated like the last piece of meat thrown to the dogs.
Posted by: Gray | May 15, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Nichole will bounce back one way or the other. She has a bright future. Jessica will have no trouble finding work. She is a real talent and has a great attitude. Robert Bettes better be making a resume tape. He has burned too many bridges in El Paso to work again in this market if KDBC gives him the axe. He can certainly get another gig, but that guy needs a fresh start.
Posted by: hatchet man | May 15, 2009 at 03:41 PM
I think KFOX should hire Nichole to take over for that Barrio girl that got canned. It would give her a chance to get back to her roots as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners investigative reporter. I'm sure she could get to the bottom of all this nonsense going on today.
Posted by: Tater | May 15, 2009 at 04:13 PM
Why can't Jessica work weekends also? I know I've been busting my hump 24/7 just to make ends meet ever since my wife got laid off from Kentucky Fried.
Posted by: Smails | May 15, 2009 at 04:24 PM
Christina Rodda will save the station....My sarcasm is showing again. Why did they put her on to fill in for Nichole? Christina Rodda's spouse works at KDBC in the sales department. They are making it a family affair.
Posted by: razorback09 | May 15, 2009 at 05:05 PM
If Nichole gets the short haircut next, I'm going to boycott KDBC or something. With Amber on her way out the door, she's the only true hottie left who hasn't dyed their hair or surgically enhanced their appearance. And what legs! Did you see her at the Danicing with the El Paso Stars thing a few years back? Yowza!
Posted by: Blood | May 15, 2009 at 05:21 PM
KDBC Stinks Now lou Ramano is Gone too
Posted by: Pam Miller | May 15, 2009 at 08:20 PM
El Paso tv stations need an injection of creativity.
Don't any of these stations have a promotions department?
Posted by: El Paso Citizen | May 16, 2009 at 08:00 AM
'Smails'
Why can't she work weekends too? My guess is she's an hourly worker and they, like most media now, refuse to pay any overtime. I'd bet she's working plenty of overtime hours now as it is and not reporting it.
If the TV stations and EP Times are anything like the paper I work at, I'd be willing to bet that you have a bunch of workers not posting any hours over 40/week even though they're working 45-50 on a regular basis. We're all feeling lucky to just have a job right now.
BTW, I don't work for the EP Times. Just sayin'.
Posted by: WyoDan | May 16, 2009 at 11:15 AM
No one should be expected to work 7 days a week. You don't. It's not her fault the station is in the garbage and she shouldn't pay for that.
Posted by: flim | May 16, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Here again is a reference to the fact Amber Sullins is leaving. Has anyone seen it anywhere else or announced on Channel 7? If so when is she suppose to leave and where is she going? I sure hope she doesn't go. She is the best weather person in El Paso.
Posted by: Westsider | May 16, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Westsider - I haven't seen it outside of this blog and I watch Amber religiously. I wonder if that was just a rumor started by some jackball on this site trying to stir up a little controversy. I'm assuming that if she really were leaving, they'd be promoting some sort of grand send-off not quite as large as Gary Warner's, but still quite large nonetheless.
Posted by: Tommy | May 16, 2009 at 11:34 AM
WyoDan - thanks for clearing that up. I assumed that all on-air talent were salaried positions.
Posted by: Smails | May 16, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I agree with the commenter about the lack of promotions in this town. Whatever happened to doing remotes and grand openings and all those sorts of things to drum up interest in the community? I don't mean like sending Nichole to some jello wrestling event but rather something like an event that everyone in the city knows about.
Posted by: Tater | May 16, 2009 at 11:37 AM
Um, no Tommy. Gary Warner was a legend in this town who was on the air for more than two decades. Amber, while very pleasant on the eyes, is hardly a local institution.
Now if she were the one to cover the jello wrestling, I might have to change my mind. :o)
Posted by: Blood | May 16, 2009 at 11:45 AM
three decades
Posted by: flim | May 16, 2009 at 12:21 PM
I stand corrected. Three decades, then.
Posted by: Blood | May 16, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Amber Sullins will have last day at ABC-7 on May 22...check their website.
Posted by: Fleur | May 16, 2009 at 06:18 PM
Fleur is correct. Amber will be leaving KVIA this Friday.
Link to announcement: http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?s=10364853
--
As for KDBC...maybe it still could be saved. They could still generate revenue with Niels-...oh.
They're pretty much a lost cause now. Sad.
Posted by: EPMediaGeek | May 16, 2009 at 10:01 PM
Local television lacks solid creative promotion.
No station has had that since the 90's when John Sheridan was at KDBC TV. Believe it or not KDBC was #1 when Sheridan was the promotions director. Just go back and look at the ratings. Now I believe KDBC is #5.
I still remember the creative commercials. Sheridan had the general manager conducting the symphony orchestra, Steve Savard riding a real bull, partnering with La Fe Clinic in the lighting of scenic drive with luminarias during Christmas.
Back then KDBC really got involved with the community. Sheridan knew what he was doing. He had a savvy on how to promote the community and the station personalities.
Sheridan left El Paso in the mid 90's and went on to Kansas, St Louis and beyond.
John Sheridan, a tv station in El Paso needs you. Come back!
Posted by: El Paso Citizen | May 18, 2009 at 07:06 AM
When is Ch. 4 going to go HD? KTSM looks really good in HD.
Posted by: nwzwatcher | May 19, 2009 at 10:25 AM
that's a good question....
Posted by: Paul | May 19, 2009 at 03:25 PM
KDBC going HD? Odds are that KDBC news is going off the air. I think doing HD news is way down the priority list for these folks.
Posted by: 4:3 for life | May 19, 2009 at 05:26 PM
No more video with wrinkles in it! Aside from the programming, why would you advertise on KDBC. They might be cheap but the quality of the overall news is really bad. You can really see the difference in quality on an HDTV. Are they really going to do away with news?
Posted by: indaknow | May 19, 2009 at 07:04 PM
It is a shame. A few years ago they were really going somewhere.
Posted by: Paul | May 20, 2009 at 10:27 AM