A source who wishes to remain anonymous tells me:
Kristina Cruise found out this morning she will not be anchoring the 12N and 5P at WVIR anymore. Sharon Gregory will be taking her place on these shows and Laura French will be back next week to anchor the 6 and 11.
This was all, of course, done in the absolute worst fashion. Kristina’s distraught, Sharon’s stuck in the middle…and the fact that most of the newsroom knew this would happen months ago doesn’t make things any easier. To make matters worse, rumor has it they’re only telling her now because she shot a story for The Hook on friday about going head-to-head with Duffy.
But, wait, it gets even more scandalous. From a second source:
The Hook article is supposed to run on Thursday. WVIR managers found out about it and threw a fit. The writing on the wall is that Kristina will eventually be demoted to a reporter…. [M]anagement told her to leave the building today because she is suspended and not allowed back until they decide what to do about the whole mess.
Beth Duffy will be anchoring a pair of daily broadcasts over at the competition beginning on the 16th, though it’ll be the noon and 5pm broadcasts, oddly, and not the 6pm. When she left NBC-29, one of the chief reasons that she cited was a desire to stop working the crazy hours required for her to swing the morning shift. Gray wanted her because they knew she’d be a draw, siphoning off viewers from NBC-29 looking for a familiar face. But it seems odd that they’d put her up on the broadcasts while most people are at work, rather than at what I assume is the more widely-viewed 6pm.
All of this presumably leaves The Hook with a front-page article about a match-up between the two perky young white female anchors, a match-up that may well never happen.
9:25pm Update: I’d been wondering why Sharon Gregory would leave WZVN, in a large market in Florida (64th largest market) to move to a little station in Charlottesville (182nd). Turns out it was her DUI arrest that did it.
The situation sounds like it truly sucks and while I’m positive employees will be getting a tongue-lashing about the news leaking out, it is the management’s fault for mishandling the situation. You don’t treat people, especially long-term employees, like that. In my dealings with Kristina she’s been nothing but dedicated to that station.
Isn’t the Gregory woman the same anchor that nbc29’s parent company and tv station in fla get rid of for drunk driving within the last year?
She’s pretty bad.
Uh.
Whoa.
I’ve updated the story to reflect that minor revelation.
I don’t think this sort of thing used to happen when David Cupp ran the show (did it?). I’ve been wondering what’s up with the musical anchor chairs over the past year or so. Based only on what I’ve read (and I don’t think it requires any great stretch of the imagination to arrive at this conclusion), it seems to me if there’s any problem’s with the station it’s the management.
Sharon Gregory rocks! She is the best newsperson in Charlottesville. I thought it was just an aberation that she was filling in at NBC 29, she is head and shoulders above the rest. As far as the DUI goes, those without sin, cast the first stone…..
Good grief! It wasn’t necessary or very nice to put the information about the DUI on this blog. Nobody needs to know about her DUI problem. It’s the kind of thing a nosy busybody with too much time on his hands would do. Find some real news about C-ville why don’t you?
It is necessary when you read the fine detail of the arrest. She is a public figure and those who choose to be in the limelight run that risk. Take Dave Rogers their weather guy, he spent 6 months in jail for DUI in Ohio after he ran over someone, fled the scene, and refused a breath test. That goes to his character and is an active choice by him as it was for them to hire him. His last job was in NYC as a weather guy. #1 market to one of the last markets.
Okay, so if the management at CBS19 is thinking, they’ve already called Kristina Cruise and offered her a job. Maybe co-anchor with Beth Duffy?
I don’t think it was at all necessary to mention Sharon Gregory’s DUI. She’s not a public figure in the limelight, she just reads the news. When did cvillenews.com become a tabloid rag? Waldo, I think you’re as much a public figure as the news girl – you’re in the paper, on tv, serve on committees, and of course you’re all over the interweb. How would you like to be reported on like this?
Kevin,
Don’t you have some free speech to erase?
You likely have the timeline off here. It was mentioned to me in e-mail, but I decided not to write about it. But then it was posted as a comment, so I went ahead and acknowledged it because, face it, once that genie’s out of the bottle, there’s no putting it back in.
I’m in no way as much a public figure as somebody who anchors two newscasts daily on the region’s most popular TV station, but let’s allow that for argument’s sake. If I were arrested for a DUI while serving in a highly public job, moved to a new city to escape my reputation and got another public job and somebody mentioned my history on a local website? I can’t imagine I’d have the right to be particularly upset, what with the time I broke a pretty serious law and had to leave town as a result. I don’t suspect for a minute that if I were arrested for driving drunk that it might escape mention in the press. So, here’s a little trick that I employ to prevent that: I don’t drive drunk. Or, in fact, break any laws. It’s been pretty effective.
Jack,
Since you brought up the topic let me say that I did clean the “Monument to Good Intentions and Bad Design” this morning. Well, the engravings of the Thurgood Marshall quote and the First Amendment anyway. I leave the rest of the board alone so there’s plenty of space left. I want the two engravings to be legible and they can’t be read if they have graffitti all over them. The First Amendment engraving was covered with gross profanity about oral sex along with the name of one of Charlottesville’s gangs. I try to clean the engravings every day but I don’t do it on Saturday and Sunday. Anybody care to do it on those two days? I’ll provide the toilet bowl brush.
Cleaning it can be very satisfying. Last Friday a boy of about 8 or so was busy scribbling all over the First Amendment. I went to the other side and cleaned off the Marshall quote. When I was done he followed me and started to scribble on that. His mother stopped him and told him that I had cleaned it so that people could read it. She then had him read it aloud and then talked to him about what it meant. I was very happy to have helped.
Kevin Cox
I’m glad to see that you’ve come around to see the merits of erasure, Kevin. Six years ago you felt otherwise:
Changing one’s mind in response to the new facts is an admirable trait. Bravo.
I think the anchor drama sort of obscures the fact that none of the local television networks are putting out a quality product at present. It could be Walter Cronkite behind the desk, but if he’s delivering lame content, I’m not going to watch.
Where is the love for Kristina Cruise? NBC 29 will be in deep shit
Kristina is getting thrown under the bus here. ncb29’s management totally dropped the ball here and are screwing her. They have had a hidden agenda for months now and are taking this out on her. Kristina would be able to find a job in 5 minutes with the other stations if she wanted. And when nbc29’s management sees her competing against her they’re going to be sorry for the way they treated her. Kristina Cruise DID NOTHING WRONG. It is the management of nbc29 that screwed up here. She’s one of the premier news anchors in town and it is a travesty how she’s being treated.
“So, here’s a little trick that I employ to prevent that: I don’t drive drunk. Or, in fact, break any laws. It’s been pretty effective.”
Do you have any tricks to share with those of us who aren’t infallible?
Who said anything about infallibility? A remarkably large majority of people seem to be able to go through their entire life without once being arrested for DUI. It’s no great feat.
What kind of circus is that place? The way that email is written, it sounds like Cruise was suspended because management didn’t know about The Hook article, which didn’t mesh with their plans to switch anchors. Wouldn’t most managers be thrilled to see one of their team members profiled by a newspaper? What a mess.
Agreed. The news here reminds me of what you’d see on a college newscast. Sometimes I think it’d be better to watch the Fox affiliate in DC, which is pretty bad, but not as amateur as the news here.
Kristina’s a rare anchor on the news scene–with a presence on camera that no one else matches on 29 or the other channels. It’s not about her looks, either, but the way that she connects with the camera that is what television is about. The way they’ve treated her tells a lot about how they view themselves: not as a news gathering operation but a fast-news service offering the same boring menu of headlines about UVA and the city council every night.
Avery you have got to be kidding…she is the least polished and “connected” of the whole bunch and that is saying a lot. I admire the fact that she has made the transition from weather to news but this is the price that you pay when you decide to be on camera in the news business, even as small market as it is. And if she cooperated in a story with the Hook she should have let management know so they weren’t surprised.
Kristina Cruise has always been a true professional, as a reporter, weather person and now anchor. She goes above and beyond, not only reporting the news, but truly connecting with the community. Her involvement in Charlottesville goes way beyond her Noon and 5 appearances on TV as she works very hard with several non-profit agencies, donating what little spare time she has to improve our community. If she does leave, she will be greatly missed.
Kristina has done an admirable job. Have you noticed the kids that WVIR is hiring nowadays? Everytime they report something, it has the “sensational” air to it. I have been watching the competition for awhile now just because they are at least trying to be consistent. I will say that Sharon Gregory is not a good match for that station. Nothing against her, she just doesn’t connect.
I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t have cable and I don’t have an antenna. The amazing thing is that I knew who Kristina Cruise was before I even saw her on the news. She is not just a news anchor but a local personality. I bet if you asked the average C’villian to name a couple of local news anchors, I’m sure the only names that would come up would be Kristina Cruise and Beth Duffy. Everyone else pales in comparison. NBC 29 is insane to risk losing her.
Since hearing about Ms. Cruise the past few years, I have tuned in on-line. I have always been impressed by what I have seen and have felt that she is just a few steps away from a position with CNN or a major market. I know that if Ms. Cruise leaves NBC 29, I won’t be logging on to watch NBC 29 anymore because, frankly, what will be left won’t be worth the effort.
“Good grief! It wasn’t necessary or very nice to put the information about the DUI on this blog. Nobody needs to know about her DUI problem. It’s the kind of thing a nosy busybody with too much time on his hands would do. Find some real news about C-ville why don’t you?”
that might have had a slight tinge of yellow journalism in it, but still, it was printed in a newspaper, thus, it’s news. the fact that she now lives in c’ville make it c’ville news. so there you go.
This is ridiculous. Kristina is that rare combination of absolute professionalism paired with a personal warmth that makes you feel less like you’re watching the news and more like you’re having a conversation with a close friend; much like Jim Vance at WRC in D.C. or even, dare I be so presumptuous, a Walter Cronkite.
I have no personal attachment to any network, and Kristina was the only reason I watched channel 29. Ms. Gregory may be a fantastic anchor, but I’ll never know – if the allegations about how 29’s management handled this situation turn out to be true, I’ll be watching one of the Ix stations from now on.
Somebody needs their head examined if Kristina Cruise isn’t midway to signing a contract with CBS-19 by now.
I’m not sure what the fuss is all about.
Ms. Duffy is clearly head over shoulders above anyone local that currently is on television. This is not meant to be offensive to anyone at 29 or at the new stations. Ms. Duffy loves Charlottesville and Charlottesville loves Ms. Duffy.
Kristina Cruise uses a pseudonym.
The fuss it about the way that 29’s management handled the situation. Removing Kristina shows poor judgement, in my opinion, but the classless way it allegedly took place is the reason I’m so angry.
If they have no loyalty to their employees, why should I show any loyalty as a viewer?
“What kind of circus is that place? The way that email is written, it sounds like Cruise was suspended because management didn’t know about The Hook article, which didn’t mesh with their plans to switch anchors. Wouldn’t most managers be thrilled to see one of their team members profiled by a newspaper?”
maybe the interview was a last-ditch effort to keep the anchor chair, or a spiteful jab at management for bumping her out of the spotlight? meh. i’ll take off the tinfoil hat now.
That drives me crazy!
It seems that there is one “sensational” station in each market. Growing up, ABC was the “tabloid” station for local news (NYC market) and I always associated NBC with having the more fair news broadcast. I’ve changed my mind. The NBC affiliates here (and in Boston, for that matter) are getting trashy.
I worked at MS-NBC for a while and can tell you that this is common in both TV and radio.
Kristina Cruise is the best thing that’s happened to that station. Management is so cruel to treat her this way. She has given everything to 29 and isn’t even the first to know she’ll be getting bumped. I bet WCAV scoops her up quick. Imagine a Duffy-Cruise desk. The two local heavyweights at one station!
Psst. Her real name is Kristina Denta.
Psst. 98 percent of everyone in TV changes their name somewhat. First off, for security purposes it makes sense to change their real name. I wouldn’t want my daughter using our last name if she was in the public eye every day. Tom Cruise’s real last name: Maypother. Point is…so what? What does that have to do at all with the situation her management put her in? Exactly…NOTHING!!!
Woah, I agree. Kristina should be in the Frank Ix building speaking with Roger Burchett right now! She needs a better job, and CBS 19 News needs more reporters. It looks like no one is there. How many people have left these so far this month?
I like morning show. Put Kristina on in the mornings already!!! I am sure channel 19 is thinking of that. Maybe, they will put her in sales to take Beth Duffy’s spot. :-)
Cvilleposter,
Your “comments” are mean spirited. You obviously have something personal against Kristina Cruise. Why else would you want to attempt to disclose her personal information. I don’t know if you have noticed but most of what people have posted has been supportive. If not supportive, then at least impersonal. This blog seems to be about sharing opinions and opening discussions not about wreaking havoc on people’s privacy. I think what you have attempted to do is inappropriate.
I’m not sure that it’s so bad to disclose somebody’s real name.
We all have a basic right to privacy, both from the government and from one another. That means that we should expect that personally-identifying information that have no legitimate public purpose should be kept private whenever possible, though that’s a movable bar depending on one’s position in society — that is, depending the likelihood that the information could make the individual a target for harassment or worse. Posting the home telephone number or address of a local TV personality, for instance, would likely be over the line in a moral sense. No good can come of that. But to provide their real name? If there’s any particular harm in that (or if somebody should have a reasonable expectation of being able to get away with being both well-known and pseudonymous) I can’t see it.
Umm, just curious, but did anyone else notice that the post now attributed to “anonymous” was previously attributed to “Kristina Cruise”.
http://www.cvillenews.com/2007/04/09/cruise-drama-nbc29/#comment-18410
Wha’ happened?
I didn’t mean to be mean spirited. I like Kristina Cruise. I like her TV name, too. Cruise is pretty sounding. She is a real good TV personality. She has pretty hair.
Yeah, I changed the name. Given that the person is clearly not, in fact, Kristina Cruise (what with speaking about her in the third person), I assume that the individual didn’t understand the “Name” field when adding a comment, or thought they were being cute by using her name. But since that’s both inaccurate and confusing, I changed the name to “Anonymous.” The only time I do that is when somebody enters a name that’s both wrong and clearly confusing, which is nearly always when somebody claims to be a famous figure.
Thanks for the compliment. Especially about my hair.
Makes sense.
I withdraw my “wha happened.”
KC: You’re welcome! Don’t let them get you down!
Anonymous, if you post under Kristina Cruise’s name one more time, I’m banning you. I have your e-mail address and your IP address, so I know who you are and I know where you are. So knock it off.
It was only thirteen days ago that I opened the site to comments by unregistered users and I will shut down unregistered comments again if more than just a few minutes of my life are spent dealing with dopes like you. If you piss in the pool then everybody will have to get out.
45 comments? Impressive – I don’t recall that many comments about a single blog entry since Allen’s goons put that guy in a headlock at the Omni. Man, people around here take their local TV pretty darn seriously, don’t they?
local news is what it is in a town like this. the content is going to basically be the same no matter what so i watch who i connect with the most. ive never really felt that connection with most anchors at nbc – 29, so i wake up at 600 every morning to whitney and bo and brantly on abc who seem like actual real people. most seem to think ms. cruise had this connection like ms. duffy so maybe the new guys will scoop her up and run with it. maybe this will end up being good for her.
I wonder if Sharon Gregory is out getting a drink to celebrate!!!!!! Maybe she’ll drive around a little later. Oh, but wait, Waterman only has two staitons, so where is she going to go now?
I thought the idea was the local TV news had gotten better since competition arrived. Remember the infamous May city election a few years ago when NBC29 did not even cover it the night before? But I don’t watch much TV… I’m just a blabbermouth! Seriously, when it was just the DP and NBC29 and WINA (and the Observer), we missed a lot of stories. Then came the weekly tabs, then the web, then the Frank Ix Bldg. stations… well it’s somewhat better now.
Nobody has posted on the Linda Seaman post. I think Kristina Cruise should run for City Council. At least there would be a candidate people are interested in talking about.
It sounds like NBC29 is being malicious and underhanded in their dealing with Kristina Cruise. She is a wonderful person, a respected news figure, and gives a lot of her time to many Charlottesville non-profit organizations. I hope that NBC realizes their error or that some other station will snap her up soon.
To those bringing up the other anchor’s DUI, that is gossipy and irrelevant to this blog.
What in the world was NBC 29 thinking? Kristina Cruise has been there for nearly four years and has done just about every job over there and has worked just about every shift. She has probably received numerous opportunities to go elsewhere in those 4 years, but she has chosen to make Charlottesville and 29 her home. How can Harold Wright and Neal Bennett be so ruthless and disloyal to just push her aside in favor of a sensational talking head like Sharon Gregory? Kristina, if you are reading this, I hope you are sending out tapes or, at the very least, speaking with someone at the Newsplex!
Sharon Gregory’s not the best anchor I’ve seen on 29, but she deserves a second chance, even a third chance, to get her life on track. Charlottesville has always seemed to me to be the sort of accepting place where this could happen. Just because someone is in the public eye should not eliminate them automatically from forgiveness, re-acceptance, and unconditional positive regard. She has fallen, so let us pick her up and show her a bit of compassion.
This site and this discussion is obviously a private campaign by Ms. Cruise to get her job back and to lobby for a job at WCAV. She is not that respected at the station and she is not the “best thing that happened to that station.” If she was we wouldn’t be having this conversation, management there is smarter than that and do not react to these personal attempts to save a job. Spend less time blogging and just walk in to the office and plead your case. Pleading it publically will just get you in trouble.
I came here to see what all the fuss was about. So the biggest thing you all can think of talking about is a bad anchor with good hair who lost her job because there was someone with more experience and better delivery to take her place? There are people dying every day from war, poverty, sickness … pick a real topic.
Uh. No. This site existed long before she was an anchor here and may well exist long afterwards. About the discussion, I can’t say.
Sorry, just about this topic and not the site in general. Just seems like a lot of this writing looks like reference letters for a job interview. My opinion only but appreciate your clarification.
Oh, yeah, I agree about that. It reminds me very much of when The Hook / C-Ville split took place. The friends of the personalities in each took turns posting passionate, shallow defenses about who was the awesomest and who was the evilest. It was a big waste of time.
I have nothing personal against Sharon Gregory. This has nothing to do with Sharon Gregory being given a second chance. It has everything to do with a tenured, loyal employee being pushed aside so that a relative newcomer with a little extra age and experience can be given top billing. It would make more sense if Kristina’s newscasts were losing to the 12 and 5pm news on Channel 19, but that’s not the case. 29 is number 1 in every time slot and from what I understand they are even doing pretty well against the other Grey station in the valley. Why wreck a good thing?
And for the record, I am not lobbying for Kristina to get a job at the newsplex. I would simply like to see the young lady get a good job working for people who actually respect her, regardless of where that job might be.
Geez this is a small town. Back and forth we go. The point in all of this is not debating who is the better news anchor. I have my opinion, but that is not relevant. The point is that someone who is great for this community and great for her station is getting screwed over unfairly. NBC29 management I’m sure is reading this and they have to realize how much they dropped the ball on this and how terribly they have treated Kristina. I’m relatively new to C’Ville and Kristina Cruise’s name was one of the first names I routinely heard around town. You’d have to live in a mooselodge somewhere not to have heard her name in this town. I do think she could get a new job if she wanted. But that’s later. We don’t even know what is going on at NBC29 officially yet. NBC29 Management: You screwed up. You treated someone SO unfairly that it will come back to you somehow, someway. Life ALWAYS balances itself out. Kristina: Hang in there. Your supporters are coming out of the woodwork for you.
As to NBC 29’s personnel decision: who knows? It’s very easy to sit back from afar and assert that someone is being treated unfairly. However, is it really reasonable to believe that the full story is being laid out in these comments? Absent first-hand information, it’s all just hearsay.
As to the salacious details of NBC 29 anchors’ alleged past missteps: who cares? It certainly has no impact on their ability to deliver the news or a weather forecast.
Just because you have the right to say something, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.
60 comments..
I didn’t really get it when I heard numerous people say C-Ville was a big gossip town.
The light bulb is starting to turn on though.
As to the salacious details of NBC 29 anchors’ alleged past missteps: who cares?
Exactly, but we know the real reason.. people love to rip on famous people. Just the way it is. As soon as you’re a public figure, negative stuff will be said about you, regardless of how factual, entertaining, or accurate it is. When you give them ammunition with a DUI .. well .. the results speak for themselves, sad as they are.
This august discussion is, to quote a Robert Palmer song, simply irresistible. (How can it be permissible She compromise my principle, yeah yeah That kind of
love is mythical She’s anything but typical She’s a craze you’d endorse She’s …… simply irresistible)
Kristina Cruise is a hard-working journalist who has attracted a decent following as a friendly and informative news anchor. When she first arrived in Charlottesville from East Tennessee, she sought out my wife, Sarah McConnell, for advice on how to do a good job in news in this town. I’ve never heard a disparaging comment about her professionalism. And I have no knock against NBC 29’s management because they are one of the most committed to covering politics and government of any station in Virginia, which is a good thing.
I agree completely with Randolph Byrd, who posts under his real name and says what he thinks. As for Beth Duffy, it’s good to see her smiling face back on the air and 10-feet-tall as drivers enter the city from the east. Welcome back. You’re a pro.
Here’s the thing: We understand that Charlottesville is a small market. Salaries for television reporters and anchors are low and many people want to move on in their careers. There’s nothing wrong with that – people are entitled to want to improve their lives and be able to support their families. But, that means that we’ll often get young people working here, just starting out in their careers. They do their jobs, stay and while and move on, without really getting involved in the community.
Sometimes, though, these folks grow fond of Charlottesville, want to stay here and become part of the fabric of the community. People like Dave Cupp and Robert Van Winkle come to mind in recent history. So, when Charlottesvillians see Eric Pritchett running (and running very well, by the way) in the Charlottesville Ten-Miler and Kristina Cruise being a good sport participating in the Free Union 4th of July parade, we like that. And we feel protective of these people, who we see every night on our televisions, because they see our community as more than a short stop in a career path. They like Charlottesville and want to be a part of it. We like them back and don’t want to see them humiliated and disrespected in a public way.
I’ve got to give a shout-out, too, to posting under one’s real name, particularly now that Bob’s acknowledged its value, so I can do so without being seen as particularly preachy. There are some people who, for professional reasons, need to adopt a pseudonym. I understand that. But it really is a bummer to see people anonymously lobbing insults at a real person who I’m quite certain is really reading this thread.
As someone who lived in Charlottesville when it had exactly one television station, I find it both heartening and disappointing that broadcast journalism in my hometown is now big enough to support full-scale, big-city shenanigans and a full-scale gossip mill. :)
It’s a shame about her replacement’s past problems with drinking and driving, but as others have said, if you’re going to be under a microscope, it’s best to keep your act cleaned up.
A well-respected traffic reporter here in Atlanta named Keith Kalland was once convicted of DUI. He managed to maintain his job and his reputation only because he was the very best, and because he showed proper contrition and didn’t attempt to downplay the incident.
Suspending an anchor and putting her out of the building over an upcoming newspaper story? There must be more to this.
i for one have noticed nbc 29 news become more “fox 5″ish in their stories as of late…overly dramatic newsreading, weird camera angles, all that jazz. i just hope to god they don’t start in with the uber-lame news teases about the common household items that could be giving me cancer that i have to tune in at 11 to find out about. leave that b.s. to fox 5, please.
i heart bob gibson. :-)
Why does Sharon DUI remind me of Charlie’s Angels?
ok, Kristina does not deserve this much attention. She is not a good news anchor, reporter, or weather person. Anyone who has been out in the “nightlife” of C’ville knows that the only weather that Kristina understands is when cute young guys rain down drinks on her and after the rain her skirt always seems to get “blown away” and land on some strangers floor, which she finds the next morning! (I speak from personal knowledge) Steve, Laura and Sharon are heads and shoulders above Kristina. I say “BRAVO” to NBC29 – thanks for increasing the IQ level at the news desk!!
CommonSenseinCville—Seems like your the one looking for attention..
“I speak from personal knowledge”…am I supposed to be impressed?
Your’e a mean-spirited person. As for Kristina, maybe she broke an in-house rule, but still sounds like she’s getting jerked around. Cville is a small town and NBC29’s not the only game in town anymore, this kind of treatment will piss a lot of people off…not a very good business move…Hang in there Kristina and shake the dirt from sandals.
I just found an article about Ms. Cruise on the Hook and one of the questions asked was, “[What is your] Biggest 21st-century creep out?” She replied, “The way computers can be used to invade our privacy.” This article and blog is case in point. I don’t think that this site is used as an attempt for Ms. Cruise to rally her supporters; anyone in the public eye has supporters and protesters. It sounds to me as if there is an internal leak of information. Perhaps this is a malicious attempt of one of NBC29’s employees to eradicate Kristina Cruise from her job altogether. In this age of internet and blogs, it is so unfortunate to see how this rapid transmission of information by anonymous sources can ruin someones career instantly, and then of course there are those who think they are funny and feel the need to add in fictitious gossip just for the hell of it.
I make my home in a land far from the noble hills of C-ville & I stumbled upon this website by wind of chance while surfing the World Wide Web for a reliable recipe for paella, but any story with this much buzz must bely a dark tragedy indeed. I have scouted TV news broadcasts in many markets of varying sizes throughout this country, and I can confidently assert from this breadth of experience that Ms. Cruise has the charm, professionalism and grace to make it as far as she wants to in the TV journalism business or any other. The small minded gossip queens of your otherwise beautiful abode would be quite foolish to balk on so much promise and potential. If such is the case we could use someone like her in Cincinnati! NBC29 needs to get over itself. For a simple country boy like myself this is a disturbing glimpse inside the seedy underbelly of televised journalism. I am seriously considering trading my excessively large television set in for a festive umbrella and an excessive amount of lawn furniture.
Oh, and CommonSenseinCville, not that someone as culturally enlightened and “nightlife” hip as yourself would need anyone else to advise them on their self-conscientiousness, but you sound like Chris Farley’s amiably despondent bus driver in Billy Madison. Do you know from experience, man? Well, maybe not you personally… but a guy you know… him & her got it on! Wooo-eee! I think I saw some sack lunches left unsupervised if you can pull yourself out of your leopard-skin-print silk sheets and dismiss last night’s conquest in time for lunch.
The Hook just posted their article laying out the behind the scenes drama, using this blog as primary source material.
http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2007/04/12/NEWS-cruise-D.rtf.aspx
Waldo, you are good man, community pillar, and know many things, but don’t you think it’s semi-comical that the weekly papers quote you all the time on all manner of topic!?
Absolutely, Stuart. Frankly, I feel sheepish just writing about it here, to say nothing of reading my own name in print. I talked to Lisa Provence about this because the two sources of the Gregory/Cruise situation came through me. So Lisa had to know that she could trust me (and my sources) in order to move forward with the story. I try to remind reporters that they really don’t need to quote me, if they feel like they need to do so in order to acknowledge my contribution in providing background information or pointing them in the right direction. I’m happy to be useful to local media, but certainly no credit is required. My name probably shows up in no more than half of the stories that reporters talk to me about and, frankly, I think we’d all be better off if that percentage went down. :)
BTW, I have known pillars of the community. Some pillars of the community are friends of mine. And I, sir, am no pillar of the community. :)
I have no real opinion on the Beth Duffy v. Kristina Cruise issue; I don’t think I ever saw Beth Duffy at WVIR, because that would have meant watching TV in the morning. Which ain’t happenin’.
My big concern with the “competition” in TV news in Charlottesville is that it has been a race to the bottom in the last 6 months. Sharon Gregory’s broadcasts are nothing more than the police blotter, sensationalized. I don’t know if that is Sharon’s fault — it may reflect an editorial decision made at a higher paygrade. But it’s really gotten bad. What is particularly obnoxious is that most of it is reported so breathlessly. “This just in…breaking news tonight…live from our Charlottesville newsroom…a parent’s worst nightmare…plaque causes cavities.”
Just once I’d like to see the breathlessness saved for something that is actually urgently important.
Lloyd –
Turn the channel.
How about a petition to get Cruise back on as anchor????
Kristina, Think you got a raw deal. Wrote to you once at you know where about your attire. You were kind enough to respond to my email. Thanks.