Joe Cole returning to Fox - KXRM will launch independent newscast Oct. 2
KXRM/Channel 21 is bringing back former news anchor Joe Cole as its news director and future co-anchor.
“He’s done a great job for us in anchoring the newscast,” said Steve Dant, KXRM’s general manager. “He knows the community. He’s done it all: He’s been a producer, he’s been a reporter, he’s been a weather guy.”
Cole will be in charge of hiring a news staff and launching an independent newscast for the Fox affiliate beginning Oct. 2. KKTV/Channel 11 has produced KXRM’s 9 p.m. news since it began in 2001.
Cole left KXRM and KKTV in September, 2005, to become the community relations director for Falcon School District 49. His co-anchor, Stephanie Pytlinski, has anchored the newscast solo since then. Cole won't return to the anchor desk until KXRM's own news launches in October.
“I always wanted to be in news management,” Cole said of returning to KXRM. “It’s just an exciting opportunity. When the door opens and on the other side is a dream job, you’ve got to jump through that door.”
Dant said KXRM would be hiring about 18 people to round out its news staff, along with building a studio and newsroom and buying vehicles, cameras and other equipment. At first, the station’s 9 p.m. news will still be its only newscast, but the program may be expanded to an hour, Dant said.
In March, Raycom announced it was selling KXRM and sister station KXTU/Channel 57, along with several other stations, to Barrington Broadcasting. The sale should close later this summer.
posted by AndyW @ 6/20/2006 01:58:00 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
So the moral of the story is that you can get paid more working in the education field than working for a local television station. :(
One more thing: Tell them to buy HD cameras. I wanna see Stephanie in Hi-Def. ;)
But not Terry Gerber-baby! :)
Isn't the moral of the story really that working at a TV station is so cool that Joe is giving up a good paying 9-to-5 job to go back?
OR, the school district $$ may be better, but with all the acrimony lately with school boards vs superintendents, Joe might have wanted out of that scene.
I used to cover schools -- the boards and the superintendents never get along. It's bizarre how short the average super's tenure is. Why are school superintendents so much more contentious than, say, city managers, or PUD directors? It's all public money.
Don't expect Fox to go HD. It really is too expensive for this market at this time. KUSA spent millions making the switch. It's like helicopters and private Doppler radars -- something big city stations buy so they can have bragging rights. In market 93, we have sat trucks and Level II Doppler data. The prices for HD will come down, eventually.
It seems that KXRM in spite of an ownership change wants to start a newscast after all.
News partnerships do help a station get the cume first before they start a newscast of their own
Maybe I'm just being picky, but let's not mistake unrefined for unprofessional.
That is very true....money talks...same thing in the radio business.
KXRM HAS to produce a local newscast if it wants to remain a FOX affiliate...that's the mandate from FOX. Since their arrangement with KKTV is ending, they must produce a local newscast of their own in order to keep their FOX affiliation.
I want to respond to several comments.
"The bigger city vs smaller city tv station is really quite true...I watch the phoenix fox 10 and abc 15 when i am in phoenix and it is a far cry from anything we have here in the springs...BIG DIFFERENCE...The level of professionalism is so great in phoenix, very close to watching a national newscast. The locals here are like they are all in training at the ppcc broadcasting school."
Well duh, Phoenix is a bigger market, and so is Denver. Some might say CS is better than Grand Junction.
"KXRM HAS to produce a local newscast if it wants to remain a FOX affiliate...that's the mandate from FOX. Since their arrangement with KKTV is ending, they must produce a local newscast of their own in order to keep their FOX affiliation."
KXRM has to have some kind of local news show after their prime time. They could have tired to partner with KDVR-TV if they were in dire srates. KFQX-TV in Grand Juncation simcasts KDVR's newscasts and is operated by longtime CBS affilate in the market KREX-TV. However for KXRM it seems that they have built enough cume for them to start their own newscast. This is going to be good since this will be truly a fourth TV news outlet in the Colorado Springs market.
"The locals don't impress me all"
It isn't their job to impress you. In many way's, especially on the production side, this is a starter market. For talent this is usually a 2nd stop, and more and more their first job. They are here to learn and develop their journalistic skills and on air style and then move on to something bigger and better.
"13's john carrol being the worst. i have heard alot of people say they won't even watch 13 because of him."
Well it seems that he got along with the Hoth's very well. More so than the female co-anchors that have changed over time as long as Carrol was in the chair. He might be the first to go once the new owners come in, and unlike Harry and Patti I don't think NPG is contenet on being in 3rd like KRDO has been since the 90's
KRDO did so much better in the 80's, and their 10PM newscast was the topdog in that time, with KKTV in Second and KOAA during its building years in 3rd.
Rumor is 11 is bringing in East Coast talent with roots in Colorado. CU Boulder et al.
There is A LOT to be said for talent that want's to be there vs. just the second stop on the road to someplace else. Ya get these folks, integrate them into the community so that they become part of the family. Joe is that sort of guy. Hopefully he surrounds himself with a new CS Family !!
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