July 23rd, 2010 
joel 
Selena Wiles
WORKING…
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.
Confirming reports that I received last week, Nexstar-Erie is advertising for a new anchor for 6 & 11 to replace the departing Selena Sunshine Wiles, given the nickname “Sunshine” when appearing on Tri-Cities television in Tennessee and Virginia. According to sources, Wiles is heading back to her home state of West Virginia.
P&T has requested comment from WJET and Ms. Wiles.
Meanwhile, the duopoly has added three new faces to the JET airwaves. Earlier in the year, Meteorologist Jason Berry took over weekend weather duties when Amelia Segal made the big market jump from Erie to Buffalo and News 4. Jason comes to Erie from Bowling Green, KY (home of the Corvette) having learned about forecasting lake effect snow from his Ball State University professor and former Erie weatherman Dave Call.
Jason Berry
Alese Underwood
Ken Brown
More recently, general assignment reporters Alese Underwood and Ken Brown joined the roster. Underwood is a Pittsburgh native and May graduate of Chatham University. JET is her first pro gig, having intern at many major Pittsburgh market stations. Brown hails from Cleveland and attended Kent State University, having announcing duties at all major sports venues in C-Town.
Sounds like Steelers/Browns games will continue to be lively in the WJET newsroom.
We’ll have more on the departure of Selena Wiles as it comes available.
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She hasnn’t been here that long has she? Reasons for departure?
Erie broadcasting…a revolving door.
On a related note, does anyone know what happened to Chris Cerenelli? Haven’t seen him in a while and his bio is no longer on yourerie.com. Whenever a reporter disappears, I never notice right away unless I happen to be watching if they make mention of the departure. (Or unless it gets mentioned on one of these boards.)
Looks like Chris Cerenelli went to Dayton and WKEF/WRGT, another ABC/FOX duopoly, although he is not listed on their website.
Thanks, Joel!
Again more departures from WJET what’s going on? WHY CAN’T YOU KEEP PEOPLE. Just get use to seeing Selena and now she’s leaving. I’m going to have switch news stations which I don’t want too, but your turn over is outrageous.
Erie is a small market. If you expect talent to stay here, live in Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Why should we hold WJET accountable for losing talent? A lot of great reporters have made the jump in the last few years, and it’s everyone’s goal to keep moving up markets.
There’s also been some departures from WSEE… Stephanie Schelkhun went to WSAZ in Charleston, WV and K.C. Kantz went to WTAJ in Altoona. I don’t think they’ll fill either position. Lisa Weismann moved to the morning show and Jay Puskar will probably take all weekend sportscasts. Last weekend Gary and Mike split the weekends.
I lied about the not filling either position… they’ll fill one of the anchor jobs. Looks like the sports department will just have three people.
http://www.wsee.tv/jobs/
Erie is indeed a small market. Many faces come into our tv market right out of college and move on once they have some experience. This happens EVERY YEAR at this time, why do we have this same discussion every July?
Youneedtoknow says: “This happens EVERY YEAR at this time, why do we have this same discussion every July?”
The answer? Because we are bored with nothing better to do!
I’ll put on my old-timers hat and say, “We didn’t have too many discussions about people leaving when Hyle and Vance were on the news desk!”
I don’t think that in Hyle, Ned and Vance’ day there were as many youngster trying to break into the business. Colleges pump out thousands of wanna-be’s today who have no clue how hard it is to break into the biz and think they can jump right to network level. They end up at stations like ICU/SEE/JET, in a small market, trying to earn the stripes. So after a year or two they move on for bigger markets and more money. When SJL took over ICU years ago they laid it out this way…”we’re the 142nd market, don’t expect to stay here for ever. Come in learn you skills and move on.” That’s what Erie is, a learning market. Such is life in dreary Erie the mistake on the lake. Erie really doesn’t offer much anyomre, especially to young people trying to make a name in the media.
I mostly agree with PR, but there’s another factor at play here that wasn’t the case 20 or 30 years ago: the salaries.
They are so low that a new reporter at 24/66 or 12/35 who wanted to stay in Erie simply couldn’t afford to.
The stations could pay salaries commensurate with what the reporter would make as a bartender or working at Best Buy, but for economic reasons opt to pay salaries so low the reporter will leave once the contract is up for a larger market, to be replaced by another short-term hire.
This is the case both in Erie and just about every other small-market. It’s another reason the revolving door effect is so noticeable.
There are exceptions to this rule like Paul Wagner, who predates the cuts — but sadly, he would never be hired today at the salary he makes.
There was, in fact, a time when a person could (if they chose to) stay in Erie and make a decent living in broadcast news. Deregulation came about, corporate ownership rolled into Erie and now cheaper and younger is the mantra with no regard for building an audience of viewers. Unfortnately, the same holds true for local news content…We’ve become nothing more than a local version of… “Inside Edition”!
erie tv is like the pirates and indians in mlb,start here and go on to bigger and better things (markets).it’s all about the $$$$
Can’t blame the low quality of Erie journalism on turnover. Look at the Erie Times-News, which should be the leader in quality journalism with its long-timers like Kevin Cuneo, Pat Howard, John Guerriero, Kevin Flowers, Ed Pallatella, Tim Hahn, Pat Cuneo, Liz Allen, Ed Mead, whoever writes its lame editorials now, et al. Despite their long tenure,their journalistic output is mediocre at best, unacceptable at worst, with a few rare exceptions. However, the photojournalism is often first rate, competitive in any market.
One thing has always puzzled me about the Erie Times News, who comprises the Editorial Board? Whenever a politician stops at the newspaper it always reads this way, “Arlen Specter stopped by for an interview with the Times News Editorial Board.” No mention (ever) of who comprises this board – like it would be a serious breach of National Security to review the members, if there really are any other than just Ed Mead?
I recall a time a few years ago when someone asked (I believe Rick Sayers? on a local Radio show, WJET?) who comprised the Board, and the Publisher gave a roundabout, long-winded answer without disclosing the names of those on the Board. Always curious…..
You can’t have been looking too hard, Sylvester. The list of board members is printed at the bottom of today’s editorial page — just like it is every day.
I stand corrected. Thank you Max.
Any truth to the rumor that Kevin MacDowell has left for Detroit? My father said that he heard B.D. Steinhagen mention it on the radio.
I would say that is one whopper of a rumor. He just doesn’t seem to have Detroit “major market” talent.
Word over on the Topix Board is that Kevin is leaving for Detroit. Maybe his wife got a job up there and he is following. Or, it could be that the Lilly’s are trying to save some more $$$. If so, another long timer is gone. The exodus continues, and the ICU ship continues to sink.
i wonder if the station in Detroit will allow him to sit with his arms crossed while on air.
Who knows, maybe the theoy Jack Tirak had about small market stations being served by large market stations could come true if Erie keeps losing talent.
You may need to check your “sources.”
Her given name is Selena Sunshine Wiles. She has always been Sunshine to those who have known her all of her life and to those of us who have been lucky enough to have her in their day to day lives. Being called Sunshine has absolutely nothing to do with her time spent in TN and has everything to do with who she is. Putting someone’s name in quotes is a bit disrespectful, so checking your facts is always a good thing.
Someone…,
Thank you for the clarification and no disrespect intended.
Just to let you know, neither Ms. Wiles nor anyone else at WJET/WFXP responded to our request for comment on her leaving Erie; we did try to get “first source” content on this story.
We wish her well in her new endeavors.
P&T