Tag Archives: Kala Rama

Sukanya Krishnan Fired at WPIX

Viewers hoping to bask in the final week with Sukanya Krishnan on the PIX Morning News are in for a rude awakening.

The longtime anchor, who emotionally told the audience earlier this month that she’s exiting Channel 11, was fired after Thursday’s broadcast.

Sources tell TunedIn, her exit is connected to Betty Nguyen, an accomplished former CNN, MSNBC and CBS anchor, as the replacement for Krishnan. We’re told that news director Amy Waldman forced talent to promote the new hire on their social media pages. Krishnan, though, balked, saying in effect, “I’m still here,”

That’s when the ugliness ensued for the 16-year PIX star.

Waldman, sources say, felt it was insubordination and led directly to her calling Krishnan’s agent about the termination.

But the embattled manager went one step further. In quite the Trumpian move, we’re told she ordered staff, in particular morning co-anchor Scott Stanford, to never mention Krishnan’s name on the air or face their own firing. As late as Tuesday, a PIX spokesperson confirmed she was staying through Friday, May 26, the last day of the sweeps period.

Kala Rama takes Krishnan’s spot at the anchor desk on a temporary basis.

However, Stanford’s future at PIX is still uncertain. Insiders say time is running out for him to decide between a sports return in the evening or leaving the station.

Krishnan joined PIX in 2001 and the became a mainstay of their morning newscast for 13 years.

Insider: Krishnan Apprehensive About Future at WPIX

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Time heals all wounds. Unless, of course, you’re referring to WPIX. With ratings still in the tank, nerves are rattled that an overhaul is on the horizon. But for now, morning executive producer Chuck Carter is exiting this week.

He and news director Amy Waldman didn’t forge the best relationship. Ironically, while many staffers are upset with the station direction under Waldman, sources tell Tuned In that Carter is no fan favorite either among the East 42nd faithful.

“I can’t tell you how many people have left under Amy’s watch,” a source says.

Insiders say another big name could join that list as veteran morning anchor Sukanya Krishnan is apprehensive about her future at Channel 11. Her contract is expected to expire within weeks, and a move could free up large sums of cash for Tribune. Krishnan is part of PIX since 2001, and was named anchor of the Morning Show in 2004.

Many people speculate that upstart 5 a.m. anchor Kala Rama could be waiting in the wings to replace Krishnan.

The Morning Show did lose its longtime meteorologist Linda Church, who left in January, despite begging her to stay on through the February sweeps period. She declined. We’re told Church had become increasingly fed up with management.

For those who remain looking up in the ratings at the other newscasts, they continue to scratch their collective heads wondering how Waldman is still in charge.

One source calling her “clueless” and others say she should have been fired a long time ago.

Big Changes at WPIX; Chambers to Weekends, Stanford Back to News

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It’s time to play musical “anchor” chairs. WPIX is making major moves to its weekday morning show and weekend news programming starting Monday.

First off, Kori Chambers has been demoted to weekend nighttime anchor. The rumbles about his dismissal due to lack of chemistry with Sukanya Krishnan have been almost immediate since his arrival in 2013.

Its another news turn for longtime sports anchor Scott Stanford (left), who replaces Chambers. Stanford, whose teaming with Tamsen Fadal didn’t spark enough interest, has been an occasional fill-in opposite Krishnan, since the failed experiment.

Krishnan is the one constant in the ever-changing PIX morning landscape. In fact, by last count, that’s at least four partners she’s worked with on the sunrise newscast since joining the station in 2000.

With Chambers (right) flying solo on the weekend, that means Kala Rama and Craig Treadway are being shuffled too. The team just started in January, and are now headed to a revamped 5 a.m. PIX Morning News lead-in.

Rama, whose husband is WPIX morning reporter Anthony DiLorenzo, joined PIX this year from Channel 7, but Treadway is another PIX lifer, headed back to his morning roots.

Andy Adler takes the weeknight sports duties.

“It’s just another shift of chairs on the Titanic,” says a PIX insider. “The next move is obviously a change in management.”

Of course, Channel 11 has their own spin room in place.

Tuned In obtained the email News Director Amy Waldman sent to staff Wednesday.

“To maximize the talents of our news team, we are making some exciting changes in the news department.”

Waldman wrote that Chambers will handle political coverage during the weeknight newscasts. He’ll also work on special consumer reports.

Despite Waldman saying she’s excited about plans for the upcoming book, ratings have been regularly tanking across all dayparts.

Additionally, Dan Mannarino writes on his Facebook page that he’s switching from morning drive to night side reporting.

WPIX New Weekend Anchor Hired Away from Channel 7