WOOD Radio Morning News

[Radiodaze]

I have not heard Tony Allen in the newsroom for several weeks. Did he get reassigned or leave?

[jesusjenny]

Well, with the 5 people left that actually work in that building shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Just ask one of them.

[Feature/writer]

The reliable James Gemmell is a solid and natural choice to assume that role, but the move may be spreading the news-shop thin? Recently I heard a voice from the WOOD newsroom of the past - David Wheaton - reporting a news story.....

[48125er]

The reliable James Gemmell is a solid and natural choice to assume that role, but the move may be spreading the news-shop thin? Recently I heard a voice from the WOOD newsroom of the past - David Wheaton - reporting a news story.....

Hasn't James been retired for several years now, I know Dave Jaconette retired early for health reasons.

[Feature/writer]

Jaconette once worked in the Cumulus station group in Grand Rapids - primarily WJRW-AM 1340 during its news/talk days. Prior to that he was at WKZO-AM Kalamazoo.
Gemmell , a former WJRW news director, has worked at a number of news shops in the region. He's also a writer for the View Newspaper Group, which includes the Hastings Banner.

[Transmitter]

When I worked with him, Gemmell always said he prefers doing afternoons like he did at WJRW for years. So Im guessing he's just doing mornings until Wheaton or someone else takes over on morning drive. Maybe Emma Olson who has been doing the afternoons for years. Like Gemmell, Wheaton worked in several major markets around the country so both have the experience to do a good job. I know Gemmell reported on some of the national TV crime shows for years. Tony Allen always sounded good on WOOD. I don't know why he would leave WOOD unless it's the pay (which is probably low in today's radio world.) He doesnt have as much experience as Wheaton/Gemmell but was good. WOOD was doing great in the ratings so I doubt they fired Tony.

[Feature/writer]

David Wheaton was at the WOOD Radio early morning anchor desk on Tues. Sept. 23.
Anchoring the mid-day newscasts was newcomer Jack Crumley (sp?)....

[statmanmi]

Agreed that David Wheaton was the morning news anchor today (Tues. 9/23). James Gemmell was yesterday, the three prior weeks, and perhaps even before Labor Day.

I had taken Fri. Aug. 29 off work as a vacation day, so didn't tune into WOOD Radio that morning. Perhaps that was Tony's last workday? And maybe he's on a (medical?) leave of some sort?

Jack Crumley is the Regional News Director for iHeart, based out of Cincinnati. I recall Steve Kelly once referring to Jack, regarding when a hastily-arranged live coverage day for national availability from the iHeart studios came together when a campaign rally was occurring at Van Andel Arena. Steve gave credit to Jack for having the idea and gameplan for bringing it about.

For a few years now, WOOD Radio has seemed to use mostly Cincinnati-based iHeart personalities for the news spots midday weekdays when the regulars are off. By observation, the order of priority seems to be someone local during the morning show, secondly someone local during afternoon drivetime, with midday with out-of-town iHeart (reading a mix of local and national stories--occasionally with mispronunciations of roads, towns, etc.--which isn't that big of a deal).

It goes without saying that iHeart has really belt-tightened for years, with staff thinned everywhere. When Trophyhead (RIP) was concluding his employment in the GR newsroom early last decade, he was doing the newscasts daily for a Minneapolis station as well as local, I recall him telling me.

Welcome Autumn! ~~ Statmanmi