WTAE shakes up anchor desk (Anchor booted for being conservative??? Alert)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | 6-6-06 (oh my!) | Timothy McNulty

[buzzyboop]

WTAE-TV has shuffled its weekday news anchor lineup, ending a 13-year relationship with anchor Scott Baker, promoting Wendy Bell and moving sports director Andrew Stockey to the morning news desk.

The changes to the Channel 4 Action News team will become effective Monday, but it appears Baker has already left the station.

Baker had no comment yesterday, and news director Bob Longo said he could not comment on personnel matters, saying only that Baker is "no longer going to be an anchor with the station." Baker's bio has already been removed from the station's Web site.

[buzzyboop]

On Saturday and Sunday, Baker is set to teach a two-day seminar in Arlington, Va., for the Leadership Institute's Broadcast Journalism School. The school describes itself as "a one-stop, full-service seminar for conservatives who want a career in journalism."

Something stinks here.

[theDentist]

Be aware, stations often drop people following polls of the viewing public, when they age, if something in their personal life is discovered, etc. And sometimes because a station manager or owner decides it's time to change. Politics may be at play here... and maybe not.

[Flightdeck]

If he slanted his news, then fine. I want them to do their job and report the news, not tell me what to think.

[HamiltonJay]

I don't know what happened at WTAE, but he's been there for 13 years, I'd hardly say he was fired because he's a conservative..........

Something obviously happened at WTAE, but I think folks are inventing conspiracies with this one.

[isom35]

maybe Wendy is hot?

[weegee]

Media Schadenfreude and Media Shenanigans PING

Baker, who gives seminars on careers in journalism, drew criticism in May 2005 when he wrote an online blog entry titled "I'm the Guy Who Taught Jeff Gannon Everything He Knows About Journalism." Gannon was a conservative online reporter who covered the White House under a pseudonym and resigned after liberal bloggers exhumed embarrassing information about him.

Baker said his online column was intended to be humorous.

Also noticed this comment: "She connects with the viewers as a solid storyteller, she's energetic, she's believable..."

[Petronski]

Baker's a professional, whereas Wendy Bell is ditzy.

[Petronski]

WTAE's graphics and sound effects give me a headache. I don't know how epileptics could ever watch that channel.

[Kirkwood]

Start inviting liberals to lecture at conservative think tanks and maybe we can get them all fired.

[faq]

[martin_fierro]

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[Wolfie]

Whoa. I hope the trophy wife is ok with this.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Ouch...thats not nice! Wasn't she a Miss America/USA/SomeSuchTitle?

[SoothingDave]

WTAE's graphics and sound effects give me a headache. I don't know how epileptics could ever watch that channel.

Whenever the weatherman is done giving his meterological explanation and about to give you the actual forecast for tomorrow, they have this type of chime sound. Reminds me of ringing the bells at consecration.

SD

[beyond the sea]

Wendy has great, thick (enhanced) lips and thick dark hair..... what else do we need?

[beyond the sea]

Wendy has great, thick (enhanced) lips and thick dark hair..... what else do we need?

[beyond the sea]

Wendy has great, thick (enhanced) lips and thick dark hair..... what else do we need? ----

OH ..... NEWS????

[beyond the sea]

Scott Baker is A PRO!

[Ciexyz]

I always thought Scott Baker did a fine job. But what do I know, I'm only a viewer.

[beyond the sea]

Of all the newscasters around, he seemed like the very most pleasant, but what do I know?

(same).

;-)