February 18, 2008
Ben Swann confirmed that he will co-anchor the 6 p.m news with Mari Alvarez on KTSM Channel 9 starting mid-March. Swann will remain at KVIA Channel 7 until the end of February.
Media Watch™ readers will remember that Swann left KFOX Channel 14 in August of 2007. [link]
Swann had a non-compete clause that kept him off the air for six months, which came up this February. In a move that is sure to shake up newsrooms across El Paso, Swann will land Nick Miller's 6 p.m. spot. Miller will remain as the 10 p.m. anchor.
NPT contacted KVIA's News Director Eric Huseby for a quote on Swann's move and Huseby said "it doesn't surprise me."
By the way, Huseby's last day is at the end of this month.
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Meanwhile, over at KTSM, there has been a flurry of newsroom activity; the station has had four general managers and four news directors in the last four years.
The current news director, Kim Bridger, was hired with the tough task of pulling KTSM out of bankruptcy and putting them back in the ratings game. They are out of bankruptcy and the November book ratings increased, according to KTSM General Manager Rob Dean.
In terms of bankruptcy, rumors have been circulating that pay cuts were proposed earlier this year. Insider discussion has it that pay cuts of up to 50 percent were proposed to four on-air talents, who were expected to maintain the same workload.
Dean was quick to let Media Watch™ know that he "will not comment on personnel issues." That, obviously, includes any comment about the pay cuts.