Broadcast: South Africa’s public broadcaster (SABC) announced that Nomsa Chabeli will be the new SABC CEO starting in March 2024. Chabeli previously worked for MTN, MultiChoice, SABC, Brand South Africa, Edcon, and the South African government's GCIS. She is pursuing her master’s degree in digital business at the Wits Business School.
"Faced with the challenges of a rapidly evolving digital landscape, together we will embrace innovation, foster meaningful connections and ensure that our content continues to inspire, inform and resonate with diverse audiences in this dynamic landscape," Chabeli said in a statement.
NBC News appointed Brian Cheung as their business and data correspondent, where prior he reported in the business and technology unit. Before joining the platform in September 2022, Cheung interned at CNBC and worked for Yahoo! Finance as a reporter and anchor for four years.
“In 2024, we look forward to more of his crucial reporting on whether the economy is working for most Americans, as Wall Street, inflation and family budgets will surely be front and center for voters as we enter a presidential election year,” said NBC News’ senior VP of editorial, Catherine Kim.
On January 8th, Marquise Francis will join NBC News as a Stay Tuned correspondent based in New York; he will report across Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and all NBC News platforms, and write for NBC News Digital. Previously, he worked as a social content producer, a national reporter/producer, a senior national reporter/producer, and a national correspondent for Yahoo News; additionally, he has worked at MSNBC.
As the new moderator of NBC’s Sunday show Meet The Press, Kristen Welker introduces a new segment titled “Meet The Moment.” It features conversations with influentials outside Washington’s political circles, such as Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix, actor Selma Blair, author and The Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta, and Iranian activist Masih Alinejad.
“One of my biggest goals, and challenges, as the moderator of Meet the Press is to facilitate exactly these kinds of conversations, and that starts with incorporating more voices into our coverage. That means including elected officials and candidates from across our political spectrum. Including the voices of voters, as well as cultural leaders, academics, scientists, entertainers, and more — people who can lend new perspectives to the issues that impact our politics and in many cases grind them to a halt,” said Welker.
NBC Sports announced that Ahmed Fareed will serve as interim host of Football Night in America (FNIA) on NBC and Peacock for the remainder of the 2023 NFL season. As an experienced host and reporter at NBC Sports, Fareed hosted FNIA on a fill-in basis, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita, Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff, and covered NBC Sports’ college football games at Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among others.
NBC Station renewed the true-crime newsmagazine Dateline for its eighth season in syndication. The series will also air on station groups such as Tegna, Fox Television Stations, Gray Television, Cox Media Group, Scripps, Nexstar Media Group, Hearst TV, Sinclair, Sunbeam TV, Graham Media Group, Weigel Broadcasting, Block Communications, and Hubbard Broadcasting.
“Dateline in syndication is a sustained and proven ratings success, consistently placing among the top-rated programs in daytime with remarkable continued growth, making it a perfect station offering for the new realities of our business,” said Sean O’Boyle, executive vice president of syndication sales, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios. “Dateline’s compelling storytelling and high-quality, recognizable brand, continues to appeal to local news viewers and is the perfect program to attract top-tier advertisers.”
Former Cleveland WEWS-TV anchor DaLaun Dillard joins KRIV Houston (Fox 26) to co-anchor Houston’s Morning Show with Melissa Wilson. Before that, Dillard worked as an anchor at Hearst TV’s KETV Omaha, and as a reporter and anchor at WMBD in Peoria, owned by Nexstar Media Group.
“DaLaun is committed to reporting on a community's challenges and triumphs. He's personable, engaging and a great fit for Houston's Morning Show,” said Aaron Fernandez-Wische, KRIV’s VP of content and distribution. “We're excited for Houstonians to welcome DaLaun as part of their busy morning routines.”
Pablo Guzmán, WCBS New York senior correspondent and former leader of a Puerto Rican activist group died of cardiac arrest last month at the age of 73. Shifting from his activist and prison life, Guzmán worked for The Village Voice, WNYW, and WNBC, and reported at WCBS for 17 years.
“Avuncular, witty and erudite, he was at home interviewing children and mobsters, sanitation men and diplomats,” said the Times.
CBS News and Stations named Tracy Wholf as senior producer of climate and promoted Chris Spinder to climate producer. Before this, Wholf was a coordinating producer at ABC News, and she produced news and documentaries for PBS, Nat Geo, and ESPN. Spinder joined the CBS network in 2011, producing climate and environmental segments for CBS Mornings, the CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell, and CBS Saturday Morning.
President of content development/integration for CBS News, Stations, and Media Ventures, Adrienne Roark, said, “One of our strategic priorities previously discussed was to elevate our reporting on Climate across the group. Tracy and Chris will work closely to develop, collaborate and coordinate coverage on this very important topic. We've already started this work, with the network and stations teams meeting to share notes and ideas. Together, Tracy and Chris will supercharge this collaboration and lead us in creating a powerful and unified team.”
Telemundo Chicago (WSNS) sports anchor/reporter Héctor Lozano has covered sports at WMAQ and Chicago White Sox games in Spanish on NBC Sports Chicago.
“One of the things I’ve always liked about Hector is his versatility,” said Kevin Cross, president and GM of WMAQ-WSNS and NBC Sports Chicago. “I mean, here’s the person who does your nightly updates in your news, who you can have go and do play-by-play for three hours for a White Sox broadcast. That’s what makes him special.”
WPIX New York anchor Kaity Tong shared her stage one lung cancer diagnosis. She joined PIX11 News in 1992, currently anchoring the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. weekend news on the station. She previously worked at stations such as KPIX San Francisco, KCRA Sacramento, and WABC New York. She had surgery to remove the tumor and may be back on in mid-January.
“I want to thank all of you for letting me share this news,” she stated. “If my journey helps even one person who fits this profile to get tested, leading to early detection, I will be grateful.”
Also, NewsNation Now anchor Nichole Berlie announced her breast cancer diagnosis on the 3 p.m. afternoon news. She plans to cut her hair ahead of the scheduled treatment.
“I know so many people understand this journey. I have gone through every single emotion. And if I’m scared, I absolutely am, but I’m choosing to stay positive. I’m going to keep a smile, and I absolutely have faith. I do welcome your support and I welcome your prayers if you are so inclined,” Berle said.
In January, Madeleine Rivera will start her new role as a Washington-based correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). FOX 35 Orlando’s (WOFL-TV) Connor Hansen will replace her previous reporter position at FOX News Edge.
In partnership with Ideal Systems and ID8 Media, the United Arab Emirates state-owned Abu Dhabi Media launched a new studio with flexible video walls, upgrading its broadcast capabilities and visual identity. The studio features an interview and anchor desk area, 1,100 square feet of fine-pitch LED screens, three primary video walls, a seven-sided LED display, a movable LED screen in the middle of the seven screens, and more advanced cameras and graphic systems.
The BBC named Steve Lai as the Chief Presenter in Singapore on BBC News. He will anchor Newsday and Asia Business Report. Before joining BBC, he was a co-host at CNA, anchoring election coverage in Asian regions, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Myanmar; he also reported for TV, radio, and digital and social platforms like podcasts and documentaries.
"I couldn't be happier to be joining BBC News in Singapore as events in Asia continue to rise in significance on the world stage. The BBC's global reach and credibility is unmatched and I’m excited to start working with the team to provide viewers with impartial and insightful understanding of the biggest news stories shaping the region and beyond," said Lai.
Nina Parker and Kevin Fredericks - Friday Night Vibes / TBS
Cable: TBS’s movie program Friday Night Vibes will return monthly on January 5th, hosted by Nina Parker and Kevin Fredericks. It was originally launched in 2021 to celebrate hit movies with diverse voices in front of and behind the camera. According to the cable, the first episode will feature special guests discussing the films Black Panther and King Richard.
“One of the best parts about the movie-watching experience is to get with your friends to talk about your favorite actors, the best lines, the biggest action scenes and more,” said Turner Networks president Jason Sarlanis. “With Friday Night Vibes, we’re creating that experience with the brilliant and hilarious Nina Parker and Kevin Fredericks whose wealth of pop culture and film knowledge, mixed with their amazing charisma and humor, will create a fun and lively watch-along experience for film fans every month.”
As the 2024 election year kicks off, CNN announced it will host back-to-back live CNN Republican Presidential Town Halls with former Ambassador Nikki Haley on January 4th. Anchor Erin Burnett will moderate at 10 p.m. EST from Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. The cable has long hosted Town Halls and political events, where Republican presidential candidates will answer questions from moderators and state voters.
The network also announced it will host two Republican presidential primary debates in early 2024. One will occur on January 10th at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and another on January 21st at St. Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire.
Bryant Gumbel - Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel / HBO
Streaming: Last month, HBO aired the final episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel after 29 years. Debuting in 1995, the show offers a wealth of sports news content. Despite some controversy, it has won 32 Sports Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards. Possible reasons for the show's end were the expiration of Gumbel's contract and possible attempts by Warner Bros. Discovery to cut costs.
