Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Chris Miller Leaving WEWS For DC

OMW hears from a reliable source that WEWS/5 sports director Chris Miller is leaving the Cleveland ABC affiliate at the end of this month.

We hear Miller is leaving the station for a new gig at Comcast SportsNet, a regional sports network in Washington DC.

Like Cleveland-based FOX Sports Net Ohio, Comcast SportsNet is in a very heated battle with a new competitor. In the Washington/Baltimore area, that competitor is the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network - the new network started by the owners of the Baltimore Orioles after the move of the Montreal Expos to Washington as the Nationals.

One other WEWS note - we've been told that former "NewsChannel 5" staffer Lorna Barrett, who OMW readers spotted back on the air recently after two years, is filling in for another WEWS newsie. Tracy Carloss is on maternity leave, and just had a child.

Until Carloss' return, Barrett will anchor the station's weekend newscasts and report two days a week...

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chris will be missed. He was a very good sports anchor. Good luck to him.

Anonymous said...

i personally never thought he was "major" market material..but best of luck to him anyway.

Anonymous said...

I think Chris is a Great sports guy. Very knowledgable. For not being from this area he "got it". Best of Luck to Chris and his family.

Anonymous said...

Odds are now that John Chandler will take over the job that was once held by his uncle Nev.

Those are some big shoes to fill.

TV 5's sports director job has been a revolving door post-Nev:

Bob Stevens, Newey Scruggs, Matt Underwood, Jeff Gravely, Chris Miller, now John Chandler.

Let's see if Mr. Chandler can bring some stability to go with his name recognition.

Anonymous said...

speaking of abc stations WYTV/MY-YTV has been sold to Parkin Broadcasting LLC. First story on the business journal. http://www.business-journal.com/

Anonymous said...

more on WYTV's sale: http://blogs.vindy.com/news/2007/02/06/la-internet-company-buys-wytv-channel-33/

Anonymous said...

I doubt Chandler will get that gig. He is average at best. I would rather watch Robek. I think they go outside the market like they did with Gravely.

Anonymous said...

Miller is leaving because he can't stand the general manager.

Chandler doesnt stand a chance. Butte will hire one of his ONN buddies.

Anonymous said...

2 reasons I think that Chandler has the inside track here, with Robak doing weekends, and some schlub doing field reports:

1. I think that they would play up the angle of John Chandler ascending to the job held by his late great uncle Nev. The family connection would be something that they probably couldn't resist.

Remember, Casey Coleman followed in his dad's (Ken) footsteps, so there is some history of doing things like this.

2. It would be cheaper to promote John to weekdays, Sue Ann Robak to weekends and bring in a no name to do field reports, then it would to bring in a name anchor.

nettie said...

I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE LORNA BARRET BACK ON TV. I MISSED HER STYLE OF REPORTING.

Karen said...

I wish Chris Miller good luck on his new endeavors. I will truly miss watching him. Chris, John and Sue Ann are my favorite sports team, and I know whatever happens they will be successful at what they accomplish. Good luck to all of them.

Karen, Cleveland Heights

Anonymous said...

Chandler can handle it, Robak is not an anchor, she is at very best a fill in field reporter. Hopefully they will bring in a week end anchor and move Chandler up and Robak out.

Anonymous said...

Man we will miss Chris Miller in our house. He is great and really understood Cleveland and the curse.

Anonymous said...

I thought Chris was very good and we will miss him. I DO hope that they promote Sue Ann Robeck. Nothing against Chandler, but I think it is time to look beyond the stereotype that your sports director HAS to be a guy.Besides,she is much better to look at. Sorry Mr. Chandler

Anonymous said...

I'm not even a sports person but Chris Miller made it interesting enough to watch. He will be missed.

Anonymous said...

I never enjoyed watching Chris Miller's sports reports. He always came across too contrived and too smug. I thought he was the least enjoyable local sports reporter to watch.
He kept talking in ESPN style using phrases like c-town or coming up with other phrases either about a city or team that NOBODY would ever say. I got the impression that he was biding his time in Cleveland and trying to move up to ESPN.
The guy was the definition of smug. I just wanted to hear what happened with Cleveland sports; instead, he came across as using his reports as a platform for him to speak in his ESPN style and he came off way too contrived and smug.
I'm glad he's gone because I could never take him seriously.

Anonymous said...

andyI am glad miller is gone and i like john chandler and sue ann robek better. john chandler seems a bit young and sue ann is pretty so each has different strengths.
need to bring in someone else to replace miller.