Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman

Bucks County Courier Times

January 30, 2007

 

NBC10 weekend evening weather anchor Amy Freeze confirmed that she is leaving NBC10 to become the chief meteorologist for the Fox affiliate in Chicago, IL. 

 

Chicago is the third largest television market.  Philadelphia is the fourth largest market.

 

Newsroom insiders say that although NBC10 wanted to keep Freeze, she got a better offer from Chicago.

 

In an email, Freeze wrote, “My friends at NBC10 have literally become my family over the last fours year and I will miss seeing them everyday!  More than four years ago I was given a wonderful opportunity to become a part of the Philadelphia community and I cherished every moment of it!  I have met so many amazing people and have made some great memories.... some of the highlights:  running the Broad street run four years in a row, spending New Year's Eve on Penns Landing, winning two Emmys, covering Hurricane Isabel in 90 mph winds, taking my kids to the shore in the summer, and since 2003 attending more than 200 public appearances including charity events and schools.  Everyone should be as lucky as me to call Philadelphia home for a time!” 

 

Meanwhile, weather anchor Domenica Davis of WBAL-TV in Baltimore was spotted in the newsroom as a possible replacement for Freeze whose last day is Thursday.  Davis did not return a call for comment.  NBC10 would not comment about candidates for the vacancy.

 

Freeze replaced Kathy Orr, who defected to become chief meteorologist at CBS3.

 

The remaining members of the NBC10 Earthwatch team are chief meteorologist Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz, Doug Kammerer, Bill Henley, and Dave Warren.

 

Only two days after launching the 5 p.m. news, Fox29 news director Holly Gauntt was relieved of her duties after two and a half years at the station. Gauntt is the third news director to leave Fox29 since 2000, following Scott Matthews and John Mussoni.

 

Elsewhere, 6ABC news director Carla Carpenter, who began at 6ABC in 1997, is the longest tenured news director.  CBS3 news director Susan Schiller became news director in 2001 and Chris Blackman became the NBC10 news director in 2002. 

 

Test your knowledge of Philadelphia newscasters and more on the “Baby Boomers” page of the new web site, www.theprideofphiladelphia.com.

 

February sweeps begins Thursday.  Some of the sweeps events include “The Super Bowl,” “The Grammys,” and “The Academy Awards.”

 

Laura Nachman is scheduled to discuss the upcoming “Super Bowl” commercials and telecast on “Money Matters Today” with Mary Caraccioli on CN8 Thursday at 6 p.m.