I never would have been so successful without her.. Following her diagnosis, thousands of viewers and well-wishers showed up for Donna Britt Day, a charity event hosted by Chef John Folse to raise money for ALS research. When her husband, an officer in the U.S. Army, was relocated to San Antonio. and Wheel of Fortune until 1995 when the shows moved to WBRZ. One of Donnas biggest passions while at WAFB was her ten years as a volunteer at Progress Elementary School where she referred to herself as the schools library elf. Every month, she decorated the schools library with giant cardboard decorations she painted at home. Geo resource failed to load. In the past, the wafb news anchors were the ones who had a strong opinion about everything, and who were the ones who thought that everyone should be like them. The wafb are the most popular news anchor type of person in the world today. Timothy Knapp joined the Gray Television Washington News Bureau in September 2018 as Studio Manager and Photojournalist. Press Releases, Public Relations, Writing, Copywriting, Crisis Management, Microsoft Office, Official biographer of CenturyLink founder, Clarke Williams at CenturyLink, Official Biographer of GERRY LANE BIOGRAPHY RELEASED CHRISTMAS 2012. She was born while her parents were in the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft Worth Texas. George and Patti Sells, who were married on April 6, met in the takeout line at Gino's Restaurant. "I'm partial to 'ABC World News Tonight' because I worked for ABC News in New York for five years. "That's the worst job you could want because the writer is usually there," he said, "and they want multiple takes to get it exactly like they want it to sound.". All rights reserved. Former Southeastern Channel news reporter-anchor Chris Rosato has been hired as the Legislative Reporter for WAFB-TV Ch. Lester Duh is the Sunday evening anchor and nightside reporter for WAFB 9News. In 1997, AFLAC sold its entire broadcasting division, including WAFB, to Raycom Media. Under new ownership, the station underwent many changes. Mar 26 2020. in Meteorology from the University of South Alabama and both a Master's and Ph.D. in Geography (Climatology) from LSU. The People's Court also once aired on WAFB before going to WBRZ and later WGMB. Baton Rouge organization promotes diversity in journalism . "She didn't know who I was," he said, laughing. Get breaking news, exclusive stories, and money- making insights straight into your inbox. I stay up until about 2 a.m. and then sleep late, he said. She is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and The Links, Incorporated. She joined the Gray Television in January 2022 as a producer. They also have a family cat named Ella after jazz great Ella Fitzgerald. She signed off the air on June 13, 2018 after 38 years of service at WAFB. The station's digital signal is multiplexed: WAFB shut down its analog signal, over VHF channel 9, on June 12, 2009, the official date in which full-power television stations in the United States transitioned from analog to digital broadcasts under federal mandate. and 10 pm. She also reported on the UNC Tar Heels trip to the Final Four, the Popes visit to Philadelphia, the Carolina Panthers trip to Super Bowl 50, and interviewed notable figures such as North Carolina governor Roy Cooper, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Dr. Jill Biden. The family attends St. Catherine of Siena Church in Donaldsonville. Sells also has lent his distinctive voice to training videos for ExxonMobil, General Motors and Louisiana Farm Bureau, and he did an on-camera spot for Coke Zero, which was recorded in Atlanta. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel], More Top Read Stories Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. She was 62. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Former WAFB anchor George Sells picks up new reporting projects for his community, 'It's time': Beloved Baton Rouge TV news titan Donna Britt to sign off next week amid ALS battle. A St. James connection led him to another project with Court Appointed Special Advocates, which recruits, screens, trains and supervises community volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in the courtroom. "That was interesting -- all that security," said Sells, who interviewed former President Bill Clinton back in 1993. Now, being a former wafb news anchor doesnt mean you have perfect knowledge of what people are going to say when they are talking. I'm partial to 'ABC World News Tonight' because I worked for ABC News in New York for five years. At least once a week, he said he visits her and reads books, letters, The New York Times and columns from The Advocate's Smiley Anders. Nicole Neuman joined the Gray Television Washington News Bureau in June 2021 as a multimedia journalist. She previously covered politics at Gray TV's KFYR-TV in Bismarck, N.D. Josh Rultenberg joined the Gray Television Washington News Bureau in July 2022 as a multimedia journalist. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Gates started his career at WAFB-TV in March 1977 . BATON ROUGE, La. Jeff Morrow is a weathercaster for WAFB 9News. She physically trained on an elliptical machine for two months, morning and evening, to build her stamina for the grueling push. George Sells, shown on the set of Philadelphia's KYW-TV in the late 1960s or early 1970s with Marciarose Shestack, still binge watches the news. Nolan Crane is the weekend evening anchor and reporter for WAFF 48 News. Former KLFY news anchor, Chuck Huebner, who was reportedly let go from the station this week, responded to a request by the Daily Advertiser for an interview and issued the following statement. The combined company will be in every Louisiana market except for Lafayette as a result. Nancy worked for WAFB for numerous years as a reporter and the anchor of the station's 5 p.m. newscast. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. Former WAFB anchor Nancy Parker dies in plane crash, La. Sells also has lent his distinctive voice to training videos for ExxonMobil, General Motors and Louisiana Farm Bureau, and he did an on-camera spot for Coke Zero, which was recorded in Atlanta. During this campaign, he asked children to bring in their pennies to buy an elephant. 3 Local TV Group", "Gray Closes On $3.6 Billion Raycom Merger", ":: Baton Rouge Business Report:: Ron Winders heads back to Savannah", "Longtime WAFB anchor Donna Britt dies following battle with ALS", "DTV Tentative Channel Designations for the First and the Second Rounds", Louisiana State Archive and Research Library, LA Art and Science Museum (Yazoo&MS. Broadcast, Radio, Television, Social Media, Advertising, Strategic Communications, Marketing, Radio Media Advisor at Team Toyota & Team Honda, Studio Host /, Hornets Tonight Pre-Game/Post-Game Host; Hornets Sideline Reporter; CST Studio Host, Team Automotive Group Media Advisor. You could probably contact her and ask. Despite becoming rarer among other television news operations, WAFB occasionally broadcast an editorial that was usually delivered by the station manager. There is a tremendous shortage of volunteers in New Orleans, Monroe, Lafayette and other CASA agencies throughout the state. As a military family, my husband and I have been away from south Louisiana for a long time, missing out on countless family gatherings through the years. The station's digital signal relocated from its pre-transition UHF channel 46 to VHF channel 9. West, who has always been interested in science and health, hosted Medical Breakthroughs, the Jean Wests Medical Digest, and continues information programming through her firm, Faceswest Productions. During her more than 30 years as a journalist, in addition to winning numerous awards, West was the first African American woman to work as an anchor in both Louisiana and Kentucky. The station made this change to give its noon and 5 p.m. newscasts a strong lead-in. I dont know if any of them ever ran.. Upon being taken over by AFLAC, station management canceled the daily Storyland on September 30, 1988 and converted it to a Saturday morning hour-long program called Buckskin Bill and Friends that began airing on November 5, 1988. Miranda, a 2019 graduate of Southern University, comes to WAFB from a television station in Alexandria, LA where she also worked as a reporter. He also was one of the original anchors with CNN Headline News and wrote four novels. Pattis not a news person, and she makes fun of me if we watch it together.. It was a big part of my life, said Sells, who was 15 when he started in the news business atWKPT AM-FM in his hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee. Mega Millions pushes towards record prize, Mega Millions: Here are the winning numbers for the $1.1 billion jackpot, Blue Cross could drop Ascension hospitals, Biden admin touts coverage gains ahead of ObamaCare deadline, Nursing homes asking states to boost Medicaid rates to cover cost-of-care shortfalls, Study: 4 in 10 consumers shop for life insurance online or using app, More consumers go online to shop for life insurance, AAFMAA offers two new life insurance products, U.S. life insurance activity down in 2022, MIB finds, COVID-19 public health emergency extended once again, After a hospital stopped delivering babies, Deep East Texas faces a growing maternity care crisis, More Colorado primary care doctors are opting out of insurance as direct-pay model grows, Legal woes mounting for disgraced insurance magnate Greg Lindberg, What if everyone had Citizens Insurance for their home? Tisha met her husband while they were in high school. BATON ROUGE, La. There was a problem saving your notification. He earned a B.S. They are the proud parents of two daughters who were born on the same day twelve years apart. Does Lauren Richardson still put out Brag Book magazine. Austin is a general assignments reporter for WAFB 9News in Baton Rouge. Sylvia Weatherspoon - Anchor, 5, 6 &. You have permission to edit this article. Lee also works as an Evening News Anchor and Chief Investigative Reporter at WVUE. She then went on to New Orleans to work for WDSU-TV where she traveled to Honduras to cover the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. Regis and Kelly (now Live with Kelly and Ryan) continues to air on WBRZ. I initially thought Id move, but there was such a support system here. She has a personality that lights up a room and I cant wait for our viewers to meet her.. Special Projects Producer and Media Preservation and Archive Coordinator at Louisiana Public Special Projects Producer and Digital Archive Manager, Louisiana Public Broadcasting /Louisiana Educational TV Auth. Warning: "continue" targeting switch is equivalent to "break".Did you mean to use "continue 2"? As a former news anchor, I know what it is to be a wafb. Former Southeastern Channel news anchor-reporter Amanda Kitch has been hired as a news and traffic reporter for WAFB-TV Ch. So, now I know whats been paralyzing muscles all over my body all these months and shows no signs of stopping, she said. She brings with her 25 years of broadcast news experience and a passion for getting involved in her community., Tisha is an avid supporter of the American Heart Association and the United Service Organizations (USO). Find out how you can submit It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A MyNetworkTV affiliate WBXH-CD (channel 39). Donna retired from the station and anchored her last newscast nearly one year after publicly announcing her diagnosis. When her father retired from the church ministry, the family continued to preach by rescuing failing churches. Young started his TV career at KATC-TV in Lafayette. "I initially thought I'd move, but there was such a support system here. She loves telling people that. Today, Sells is still reporting but in a very unexpected way. I know what it is to be an honest person in your own head. Former WAFB news anchor, Nancy Parker, was killed in a small plane crash in New Orleans East Friday, Aug. 16. They are also often too willing to speak their minds, so they often end up being quite controversial in public. "So, I created a series of spots (public service announcements) and got some of my peers to help me record them -- former WAFB and CBS Sports broadcaster Tim Brando and, for the ones in the New Orleans area, former TV news anchor Norman Robinson. This practice ended shortly after Gray assumed ownership of the station. Her husband, Glynn, was also a former WAFB reporter. In my opinion, they are the poster children for what a wafb can be. A native of Ascension Parish, he is now a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a physician with Ochsner Healthcare. At least once a week, he said he visits her and reads books, letters, The New York Times and columns from The Advocate's Smiley Anders. After leaving WAFB, Nancy went to WVUE in New Orleans, where she has worked for the past 23 years. While he may not get to interview presidents or governors or even mayors anymore, Sells is still a newsman at heart. Buckskin was also one of the first shows in the United States to have a sign-language interpreter for hearing-impaired viewers prior to closed-captioning. On September 12, 2011, WAFB became the first station in the market (and, to date, the only station) to begin its morning newscasts at 4:30a.m. instead of 5 a.m. On March 26, 2020, WAFB became the second station in the Baton Rouge market to launch a 4 p.m. newscast in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on August 3, 2020, WAFB became the first station in Baton Rouge to expand its 6 p.m. newscast to a full hour.[11]. During 1988, AFLAC invested $2 million in redesigning the studio, dropped the -TV suffix from its call letters and began branding itself as "Louisiana's News Channel," a slogan the station continues to use today. Chris Rosato is a general assignments reporter for WAFB in Baton Rouge. WAFB A longtime Louisiana. Former WAFB anchor honored with Kentucky Mic Hall of Fame Award, Glen Oaks Magnet High School Hosts Movie Night. Letters of Credit (LCs) Ultimate Guide & Free Sample, How to Get Rid of the pii_email_be5f33dbc1906d2b5336 Error. I have ALS, Lou Gherigs disease. And when they do, they are the ones who go and get the most attention, and they are the ones who have the most authority in the minds of the people they are talking to. Owen tries to bring a modern and cinematic look to investigative storytelling with dynamic and engaging animations and videography. Touched by the reception to it, Sells now produces similar videos for any St. James resident who dies. Lee Meredith, VP-GM of Raycom's NBC affiliate WMC Memphis, is leaving his post in the next few weeks to oversee operations at Raycom's CBS affiliate WAFB and WBXH, an MNT affil in Baton Rouge, La. (unknown episodes) Series Camera and Electrical Department Martin Carroll . The two shows he hosted were called Storyland (for younger children during a.m. broadcasting) and The Buckskin Bill Show (for older children during the afternoons, which ended September 1977). "I don't know if any of them ever ran.". "There is a tremendous shortage of volunteers in New Orleans, Monroe, Lafayette and other CASA agencies throughout the state. camera operator (1 episode, 2009) See also failures of government agencies, product flaws and other transparency issues. (WAFB) - Longtime WAFB anchor Donna Britt, a dedicated journalist and beloved member of the community, has passed away after her courageous battle with ALS. BATON ROUGE, La. WAFB also airs the Sunday services from the First United Methodist Church in the city. The only station to get a bigger share of the local audience was KCCI, the CBS affiliate in Des Moines, which was watched by 17.9% of area households. The award was presented during the KBAs annual ceremony, which was streamed live to its members. There were several characters that were regulars on the show including "Seor Puppet" (a marionette voiced by Sid Crocker) and "Whatsyourname" (another puppet voiced by Mary Hillen). Fellow resident and former LSU Law School instructor Lucy Bowers McGough told him about the need for CASA volunteers across the state and asked if she could put him in touch with juvenile court Judge Kathleen Richey. Romario joined the WAFF 48 News team as a MMJ/Reporter in September 2022. Ogle, Cavanaugh, Blevins, and England are all okies. Louisiana native, veteran journalist Tisha Powell to join WAFB news team, La. Her mother trained for a ministry in church music. Over the years, she played for thousands of church services as well as hundreds of weddings and funerals. Former Baton Rouge television news anchor Jay Young died this morning at his home of an apparent heart attack. He called her in for an interview and hired her right away. The Hartford Names Hank Dominioni Head Of Northeast Division Sales And Underwriting For Middle And Large Commercial, New CPT Code Now Effective for Second Level of Lumbar Total Disc Replacement Procedures, Bonds start to lose attractiveness, as inflation slows, Invest in a CD to maximize your clients savings as interest rates rise, Here's what's at stake in Elon Musk's Tesla tweet trial, Prospective jurors in securities-fraud and hacking trial could be asked about the war in Ukraine, When advisors communicate about retirement, study says use your words, Substitute teacher wins massive lottery drawing in North Carolina. "Donna carried me those first six months or so after I started at WAFB," he said. She is currently a Purdue University Master of Science candidate pursuing a degree in Communication and Leadership. Emily is an investigative journalist with a background in several forms of media and an MBA in business management. Two games many adults can remember Buckskin playing were called "Hully Gully" which helped to teach counting numbers and the "Monday Morning March". The penny campaign was successful enough to purchase two. Dec. 17--Seven years ago, George Sells stepped down as one of the most trusted newsmen in the greater Baton Rouge area. He previously worked at the Bureau from 2017-2019. They are the ones who call out the news on TV and radio, and they are often the ones who are the first to report on new developments in the world. Tap a new source for sales and referrals with Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. Their older daughter attends college at Johns Hopkins University. Daniel Heffner is a Special Projects Producer for NBC12. The station began broadcasting on April 19, 1953, as the first television station in Baton Rouge, and the second television station in the state of Louisiana. In the eighth grade, an outstanding Bible teacher in Donnas life told her how God had inspired her to sign her name in lower-case letters, an act of humility and a promise to always to push to achieve her best in everything. Former Baton Rouge television news icon Donna Britt, who ended her 37-year run on WAFB in 2018 due to her battle with ALS, has passed away. WAFB news anchor Donna Britt announced her retirement Wednesday, almost 11 months after she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. An Emmy award-winning journalist who has been anchoring and reporting across the country for more than 15 years, Erin Connolly joined WFSB (CBS), Connecticut's most watched television station in. newscasts. Most of these anchors aren't from Oklahoma. Brendan Cullerton joined the Gray Television Washington News Bureau in March 2022 as a multimedia journalist after spending four years covering state, local, and federal politics for the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. As a former news anchor, I know what it is to be a wafb. She was eventually teamed up with George Sells and the two of them became one of the most successful news anchor teams in the country. Making sure that all vital supplies are in one place, even if it means putting them into a carry-on and checking out early from work so as not to miss any flights! Jill is an investigative producer with decades of experience reporting on health, safety and corruption. Donna passed away on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. Copyright 2020 WAFB. Thats the worst job you could want because the writer is usually there," he said, "and they want multiple takes to get it exactly like they want it to sound.. Donald Fountain is a photojournalist for 9News on the weekends. Jamie Bittner joined the Gray Television Washington News Bureau in December 2021. Autumn Payton is a digital content producer for WAFB News in Baton Rouge. Read These Tips, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About DJ, You Should Have Known Better Strategies for Success With SEO. You have entered an incorrect email address! Nancy worked for WAFB for numerous years as a reporter and the anchor of the stations 5 p.m. newscast. Cali Hubbard is a reporter for WAFB in Baton Rouge, La. I go crazy when reporters and anchors make mistakes and I know they know better. He graduated from the University of North Florida with a bachelor's . When schedules allow, the couple visits his son, George Caldwell Sells, and his family in St. Louis, and her son, Greg Pace, and his family in Jupiter, Florida, where recently Sells visited Mar-a-Lago when President Donald Trump was there. "They show them in-house, and I give them to the family," he added. "The arms that went around me the people here at St. James were so supportive," said Sells. Alece is from Maurice, La. She started at WAFB in 1980 as a news reporter. Wafbs news anchors have a reputation for being smug and arrogant, as if to say, This is not news, this is just another day in the life of the wafb news anchors. While I do think there are good news stories out there that can be told from wafb mouths, a lot of the time they are just repeating the same tired, old stories that people like to tell each other. Kevin Batiste Jr. is a reporter for for the 9Sports Team. It was also in 1988 that the owners petitioned CBS to air the network's daytime programs in a different orderairing syndicated programming at 10 a.m., The Price Is Right at 11 a.m., and The Young and the Restless at 3 p.m. (later 4 p.m.) as a way to boost ratings as a lead-in to the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts. How to solve pii_email_f2a0262b445aaa99b47a error? One investigator from the NTSBs Denver field office is headed to New Orleans to investigate the crash. All rights reserved. I know she use to fly back to Oklahoma for the magazine. WUSA 9 News (2009- ) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Cast Series Produced by Leslie Midgley . He came to Huntsville after being the morning and midday anchor in Lincoln, NE for more than four years. Elizabeth Vowell is the 6 and 10 anchor for WAFB 9 News. Sells thought about leaving the retirement community, 'but there was such a support system here. West anchored in Baton Rouge with other well-known WAFB anchors, Paul Gates and Donna Britt, between 1982 and 1985. WAFB's weekday morning news is repeated on that station. Sandy Sells passed away in her sleep only 27 days after the couple moved to the senior living community. The good news is that there is a lot of news that is going to come out of wafbs mouth. They met standing in the takeout line at Ginos Restaurant. Louisiana native and veteran journalist Tisha Powell will join the WAFB 9News team in August 2021. State Rep. Richard Nelson becomes fourth republican to enter governors race, 18-year-old killed in Donaldsonville shooting late Tuesday night. WAFB news anchor Donna Britt shows off her red wig in 2016's . He put together a video obituary for Paul Davey's family and friends. WAFB began broadcasting 24 hours a day on September 12, 1990. executive producer (1962, August 10) (unknown episodes) Series Music by Frank Gari . Retired WAFB news anchor George Sells, second from left, with his son's family, from left, grandson Quinn, son George, daughter-in-law Julie and granddaughter Samantha. State Rep. Richard Nelson becomes fourth republican to enter governors race, 18-year-old killed in Donaldsonville shooting late Tuesday night. Former BR News Personality Jay Young Dies.