Channel
Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
November 8, 2005
Station sources say that NBC10 reporter Cindy Hamill was informed by station management last week that her contract will not be renewed. She is scheduled to work at NBC10 until the end of the year. Hamill, 40, has been with NBC10 since 1999. According to station insiders, many at the station are disappointed that the well-regarded Hamill is being let go.
Observers also noticed that although Hamill was told her days were numbered, she was assigned the top story on the 6 p.m. news most of the week. When reached by phone, Hamill had no comment. A station spokesperson said the station doesn’t comment on personnel matters.
Also, according to station insiders, NBC10’s next hire may be a “Sharon Reed lookalike.” The former NBC10 news anchor made national headlines last year when she posed naked for a sweeps story for her Cleveland, Ohio station.
Melissa Sander, the weather anchor for UPN 57’s “Wake Up News” was released from the program. Sander debuted in Philadelphia as a reporter for Fox29’s “Good Day Philadelphia.” No replacement has been named yet for the UPN morning show, which features Sean Murphy on traffic and Kim Adams on news.
Don’t be surprised if former WIP 610-AM host Steve Martorano ends up on the new “Free-FM” on WYSP 94.1-FM. The new operations manager for WYSP is Tom Bigby, who hired Martorano when he was in charge of WIP. Martorano has been a free agent since his contract wasn’t renewed by WIP a few months ago.
Starting Christmas music at Thanksgiving is for wimps! WSNI 104.5-FM switched to the holiday format last weekend. For the last two years, WSNI and WBEB 101.1-FM played holiday music for most of November and December.