WHNT: BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

WHNT 19 had been running promos for a big announcement all this past week. We found out Thursday night at 6pm that longtime anchor Amy George will be leaving the desk.

They say goodbye again at 10pm for the first seven minutes of the A-Block. She will be going to work for a Huntsville Hospital Foundation to help premature babies.

George, the mother of two, recently returned from maternity leave. She will continue to keep a blog on WHNT.com.

In her stead, Elise Morgan will co-anchor with Jerry Hayes. Morgan came to WHNT from the NYT station in Dallas/Ft. Worth.

WHNT: Graphics

WHNT 19 (CBS) unveiles a new graphics package in time for the superbowl. Apparently the same graphics that a Mississippi station has been using for at least 3 years. Still, we think, they are the sharpest looking graphics in the Huntsville Market now.

WAAY: New General Manager

WAAY 31 (ABC) has a new GM, Ray Depa, as of Feb 1. Ray was formerly a GM in Tuson, Arizona.

WVTM Morning Anchor Out

Jim Dunnaway, NBC 13 morning co-anchor and former sports director, has left the station. Reportedly, Dunnaway will be dealing with his radio career full-time.

This is one of the first on-air people to leave the station since the Media General buy-out. We have heard there may be more to come.

WVTM Hires News Director

After several months without a news director, WVTM NBC 13 finally has one. Tim Gardner, former news director for KEYE in Austin, Texas, will take the reigns as news director for WVTM on March 1.

Gardner, who is 53, is a native of Fayette and had worked a few years at WVTM in the late 70's and early 80's.

"Tim is a proven leader and fierce competitor," said WVTM General Manager Gene Kirkconnell.

WVTM has been without a news director since just before Media General, the current owners of the station, took over.

Gardner will be managing a news department that has been losing more and more in ratings over the last three years.

WIAT Hires New Sports Director

WIAT CBS 42 has hired long-time radio sports host and former TV sports anchor Herb Winches as their new sports director.

Winches left sports radio station WJOX recently, where he had worked for several years. Winches worked for WBRC 6 in the 70's and 80's, with a brief stint at WVTM 13.

Current sports director Brad Radice is reportedly moving to weekends.

WKRG Reporter Fired Over "Plagiarism"

Glenn Austin, a veteran, award-winning reporter for WKRG News 5 in Mobile, was fired on January 30th over what management called plagiarism.

It all stemmed from a story about Santa Rosa County, Florida officials banning sex offenders from public parks. The story was apparently reported on by the Pensacola News Journal and had been posted to their Web site.

Reportedly, the story was copied verbatim and posted briefly to the WKRG Web site without being properly credited.

Austin maintains his innocence on the matter.

WAFF News Director

One site is reporting that WAFF 48's (NBC) news director will be moving to Memphis to be with her old GM, also formerly of 48.