After nearly 14 and a half years, I am no longer employed at WSMV. WSM-TV was the first station in Nashville to begin broadcasting in color in 1965. Ferrier, now a reporter for Fox 17, issued a statement Monday saying he fabricated nothing and that the error at issue was a simple mistake. WSMV-TV broadcasts 53 hours of locally produced newscasts each week (with nine hours each weekday and four hours each on Saturdays and Sundays); in regards to the number of hours devoted to news programming, it is the highest local newscast output among all broadcast television stations in the Nashville market. Robin Roberts (sports anchor and reporter from 1986 to 1988), John Tesh (news anchor from 1975 to 1976), . I am looking forward to a new venture in my work life, and to return to journalism after this professional commercial break.. We are unapologetic in our dedication to informing the public and unafraid to call out those who are more focused on profits than peoples safety. Former WSMV News Channel 4 Newscasters File Age-Discrimination Lawsuit. She moved on to stations in Nashville(WSMV TV), WAVE in Louisville, Ky and KHOU in Houston, TX. The subchannel's spectrum would be used for purposes other than over-the-air broadcasting once the subchannel went dark. Kalodimos, who was an anchor at Channel 4 for three decades, is suing Meredith Corp. officials . She helped the station navigate through the untimely death of WSMVs former co- anchor, Dan Miller, in 2009, was a tireless advocate for journalistic integrity, and was fearless in upholding the high news standards and traditions of WSMV. A group of former on-camera personalities filed a lawsuit alleging age discrimination against Meredith, WSMV's corporate owner. The station took its call letters from its parent's slogan, "We Shield Millions. var Quotation=new Array() // do not change this! Sworn statement: Former commissioner was driving when officer suspected she'd been drinking. The plaintiff's lawyer, Brian Winfrey,pointed outthat Channel 4 didn't fire Ferrier untiltwo weeks after the story aired and a week after Ferrier complained to human resources about a hostile work environment toward him and other older on-air personalities. | Daphnesstaying to pursue her true calling. Quotation[10] = "'The statement from New York-based NBC was in response to a report on the FTVLive' - Bloomberg"; The station's digital signal remained on its pre-transition VHF channel 10. Due to the character's popularity, Snowbird serves as a year-round mascot for the station, with a six-foot (1.8m)-tall costumed version making appearances at community events and station promotions. Snowbird was one of the last connections to the 1980s and 1990s Channel 4 "Dream Team" that dominated local news ratings. In January 2020, WSMV signed on a fifth subchannel to carry the country music and lifestyle multicast network Circle, a joint venture of Gray Television and Opry Entertainment Group, becoming the network's flagship station with its purchase by Gray. The case continues to make its way through the court system. In the original lawsuit Ferrier, Johnson and Van Camp filed, their lawyers questioned the timing of Ferrier's firing. Communication is always a subject for sensitivity and we understand her concerns," LaSpina said. Former WSMV Investigative Reporter Nancy Amons talks about her participation in "Dancing with the Nashville Stars" Published: Feb. 7, 2023 at 2:43 PM CST Today in Nashville. With Wednesday's end of the February . The Tennessean reports that Steven Good, who performed as the station's Snowbird mascot for 20 years before being fired last year . WSMV Channel 4 is facing another age-discrimination lawsuit. Traffic Anchor/Reporter. Walt Buteau, former reporter at WSIL, is now at WPRI 12, in Providence, RI. Quotation [13] = " '(FTVLive) is a Mad Blogger'- Piers Morgan" Quotation [16] = " 'FTVLive.com a website I go too often for the latest news about the TV business (you should, too!)' "That being said, we respect his decision to move on and we wish him the best of luck in whatever his future may hold.". For most of the last two decades, WSMV has been a solid runner-up to WTVF in the Nashville ratings. Middle Tennessee Weather Cameras. Shes staying right here. WSMV-DT2 has cleared all of Escape's programming since the switch occurred. Dennis Ferrier, Jennifer Johnson and Nancy Van Camp; Image Courtesy of The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com. WISH-TV Channel 8 is losing two morning news personalities. "I've loved working here, so it's tough to leave," Johnson said. Well miss seeing you. In the November 2017 sweeps, WKRN passed WSMV as runner-up in the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts, and tied WSMV for second place in the 10 p.m. Reporters Dennis Ferrier and Jennifer Johnson and meteorologist Nancy Van Camp also left or were fired. Nearly 200 people commented on the Facebook page, with manymentioning the controversial 2018 departure of longtime anchor Demetria Kalodimos, who filed an age and gender discrimination suit against Channel 4 nearly a year later. It also resulted in Gray owning a station in Circle's home market, which in turn became the network's flagship station. [42] WSMV had a historical monopoly in providing NBC programming for that area from its September 1950 inception until March 27, 2001, when WKNT (channel 40, now WNKY) was forced to drop its Fox network affiliation due to that station's violation of the terms in their affiliation agreement. Forrest Sanders, a multimedia journalist at WSMV, Meredith's NBC affiliate in Nashville, earned the National Press Photographers Association's Video Journalist of the Year award this past weekend. Well, so far the president of Meridith Local Media Group, Paul Karpowicz, denied the claims that any employees were mistreated or that age was a reason for any of the plaintiffs leaving the station. Meridith Local Media Group owns Channel 4 News, and issued the following statement regarding the matter: While we do not discuss personnel matters publicly out of respect for the individuals, it is unfortunate that they have decided to suggest that their age or gender was a factor in their respective departures, or that they were mistreated in any way. H/T The Tennessean. WSMV Reporter2006 - 2008 WSMV TV TV News ReporterAug 2006 - Sep 2008. Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or on Twitter @bradschmitt. So where are the three former employees now? In the wake of a DUI cover up in the Portland police department, a meme was created showing the department burning, as well as the town's chamber of commerce. Daphne Deloren, well liked meteorologist at WSMV Channel 4, announced she is leaving the station near the end of December. My contract That lawsuit was settled and Channel 4 apologized for the way Kalodimos was treated when she and the station parted ways. Heggen, now in his eighth year on Channel 4, is one of the most popular local TV personalities, known for appearances of his dog, Dagny, on Friday broadcasts of WSMV's morning show. She spent 32 years at Meredith's NBC affiliate. This problem was solved by the station running a private microwave relay transmission from fellow NBC affiliate and now sister station WAVE-TV in Louisville, Kentucky. March 1, 2019. She is leaving the station, not to go to another station, or another city. The story at issue is about a man found shot to death in a car in a downtown parking lot June 29. newscast.[25]. News 2 Student . It seems that all of the beautiful anchors on our list are not just pretty faces hired by news producers to help drive up their ratings. According to the suit, Good is seeking $250,000 and a jury trial. Quotation [14] = " 'FTVLive's Scott Jones one of the Most Important Media Reporters in America'- Mediaite" This particular variation was first seen in 1994 and would be used until May 2020, when the golden 4 would be retired. // ====================================== Munson died in 2011. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTNX-LD (channel 15). A very sad story is playing out and it involves former WSMV (Nashville) Anchor Aaron Solomon. At sometime from 1957 until the 1980s, CATV and cable systems in northern Alabama, including Knology (now Wide Open West) and TelePrompTer (later Group W Cable, now Comcast Xfinity), carried all of Nashville's Big Three stations, only to be dropped from those systems in the 1980s amid the gradual increase of the launches of new national cable channels. "Where are they now?". To that end, we are re-emphasizing Merediths commitment to the #SeeHer initiative and Paradigm for Parity programs. Quotation[4] = "'FTVLive a TV news website that is often on the money' - LA Times"; Holly Thompson, who works as a morning anchor for WSMV, also has a sizable fortune. Niki was born and raised in New Jersey and . The reverse was true in the 1980s, as WSMV earned awards for hard-hitting investigative stories, while WTVF took a more cautious approach. Well-known WSMV-TV staff along with current and former WSMV-TV employees were and still are crucial to the company's success, as without these hard working men and women WSMV-TV would never be what it is today. ", Kalodimos also said it was "quite sad" that her split with the station came"with a letter left on a desk, no conversation, no face to face meeting, no thanks.". Investigative Team. how many super bowls did dan marino win. The Tennessean barely took notice recently when WTVF-Channel 5 anchor Chris Clark divorced his wife of 30-something years, passing the news off as a gossip item in "Brad About You.". (News file photo) By Sharon Cantillon. [3] In 1974, NL&AI reorganized itself as a holding company, NLT Corporation, with the WSM stations (by then including a new WSM-FM at 95.5) as a major subsidiary. Larry Munson, WSM-TV's sports director from 1956 to 1967 and later known as the play-by-play announcer for radio broadcasts of Georgia Bulldogs football (and, for a time, the NFL's Atlanta Falcons), created and hosted a long-running hunting and fishing show called The Rod & Gun Club. Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or on Twitter @bradschmitt. In 1978, Marin was hired by the NBC owned and operated station, WMAQ-TV, in Chicago, where she worked for almost two decades.On May 1, 1997, she resigned her position as 6 and 10 p.m. news anchor in protest of the station's decision to give Jerry Springer a commentary, Zachariah Daniel Miller III (September 30, 1941 April 8, 2009), commonly known as Dan Miller, was an American television personality who grew up in Augusta, Georgia. Heather Haley is the Chief Meteorologist for WVLT News . "When problems are happening right under your own nose, if you will, you cant ignore those. Meteorologist Eyewitness News WBRE/WYOU/PAHOMEPAGE.COM . The Tennessean reports no details were revealed about the settlement between WSMV-TV and former anchor Jennifer Johnson, ex-meteorologist Nancy Van Camp and . On March 5, 1973, the Vanderbilt Television News Archive recorded off the air of WSM-TV a special broadcast of Today aimed toward veterans of the Vietnam War returning home to the U.S.[26] Two months later, on May 1, another broadcast of Today was recorded concerning the Watergate scandal. There, he also served as radio play-by-play announcer for the Arkansas Razorbacks for 28 years until his death in 2006. Children's Programming. This caused the tower to collapse, which took the lives of several people. 19 Danielle Kernkamp (Bakersfield, CA) via instagram.com. Thank you for allowing me into your homes and hearts for decades. Snowbird reports are shown on the station primarily in the winter, but the branding is also used for unexpected school closings caused by other natural and man-made events, not necessarily limited to snow and ice. It was Nashville's first television station and the second in Tennessee, behind fellow NBC affiliate WMCT (now sister station WMC-TV, then also on channel 4) in Memphis. Three former veteran newscasters at WSMV-TV News Channel 4 have filed an age-discrimination lawsuit in federal district court in Nashville. var Q = Quotation.length; Jennifer Johnson co-anchors the 4:00 p.m. news with Demetria Kalodimos and 6:30 p.m. news with Tom Randles. // ============================================== Jennifer started her television . When she's not behind the anchor desk, you'll find her working on I-Team reports, speaking to community groups or writing blogs about her life, work, family and anything else that pops into her head. 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