Come Monday at noon, 19 Action News will no longer be “19 Action News.” The in-your-face, sensational news station has fast tracked a brand overhaul and will now embrace a more traditional (and way more boosterish) approach.
The new banner: “Cleveland 19 News.”
“You can feel this sense of pride growing in Cleveland over the last few years, and we’re trying to make sure we have a brand that reflects that,” news director Fred D’Ambrosi told the PD’s Mark Dawidziak. “It is our goal to champion all of these great things about Cleveland. That’s not necessarily to say we’re going to become cheerleaders … with the new format, it will be more about them and less about us.”
Viewers can expect a change in the tone of news coverage, plus new graphics, fonts and a few new faces.
The biggest acquisition on the personnel front, announced last week, was WMJI’s Mark Nolan, formerly of WKYC. There, he worked with current Channel 19 anchor Romona Robinson. Nolan and Robinson will co-anchor the daily 4 and 6 p.m. broadcasts.
Cleveland 19 News has also picked up Colleen Seitz, of Channel 5, to run the digital news operations.
And anchor / salsa dancer Danielle Serino has confirmed that her last day at Channel 19 will be Thursday.
“As you may have noticed, there have been a number of changes at WOIO. There will be MANY more coming over the next few weeks,” Serino wrote. “We recently changed management and they are moving away from the 19 Action News format that you have come to know. They are going to a more traditional style of news, and they do not feel my style of journalism is consistent with the new format. As we all know, I am far from traditional.
“I’m am truly OK with that,” Serino continued. “What I am sorry for, is I will no longer be able to share my work with you.”
Serino is a New York Native, a Northwestern University alum and was voted Cleveland’s “sexiest local celebrity” in Cleveland Magazine’s 2011 Best of Cleveland awards.
This article appears in Aug 19-25, 2015.
These joints are breaking out of boxes the large pom-poms once required by Mike White for top media suits to retain and boost the special perks that are handed out for such elite insider status.
I will miss her
ATTENTION CLEVELAND 19 NEWS: If you REALLY want to improve your newscasts and stand head and shoulders above the others, stop consuming precious time at the beginning with weather and sports teasers. The weather forecast and sports news during their regular segments is adequate. Also, assuming that most viewers of your local newscast at 6:00 PM will continue on to the 6:30 PM national/international network news program, don’t waste more time being redundant with those news items during your segment, and include more local news of the day. Last point: Stop using the term “black box” when referring to flight data and cockpit voice recorders. They aren’t black. They’re painted a bright dayglo color for easy recognition during a post-crash search. I know “black box” sounds more intriguing and dramatic, but it’s inaccurate and a questionable reflection of your intellectual quality.
Lakeerieseagulls
Sorry man, but I have no idea what you said or mean. English is only my first language.
they need to get rid of that narcissist weatherman as well Jeff
maybe they will bring Bruce back to do the weather
Was Bruce ever on 19? Don’t think so. I thought just on 3… and also on TWC, years ago…as Bruce Edwards.
All the changes won’t mean jack if Roseanne Roseannadanna (AKA Lydia Esparra) is still around on the weekends. And how come she’s so teeny-tiny when you see her on the street doing a report but she’s normal sized behind the anchor desk? Does she sit on a soapbox…or what? Worst of all, she sounds like a drunken chick with a mouthful of bar peanuts.
And yeah, Jeff Tanchak needs to go…he’s a doofus on the roofus…shouting out the forecasts.
Chuckles the Clown
@Chuckles: Yes, Bruce was 19/43’s chief meteorologist prior to the launch of “Action News” in 2002. He was scooted to the morning show – along with Jack Marshall – as Bill Applegate purged the entire talent roster outside of Denise Dufala and Ed Gallick. Eventually, he wound up at WKYC doing fill-in/relief work.
Tancheck is also leaving, although apparently not right away. BUT his contract isn’t being renewed, and 19/43 is openly looking for his replacement.
I am so sick of changes at this station. It was much better when they had Sharon Reed, an intelligent, articulate, and professional news woman. John Laufman (sp) is by far their most accurate weatherman, and a clever wordsmith. And now, no Danielle? What are they thinking? And why no traffic reports in the afternoon? They aren’t just about driving in traffic, they’re about having more information about our city. Back in the days of Rick Abel doing the traffic, it made all viewers feel more connected to the city.
We do not need more cheerleading. We need honest, objective reporting that keeps government workers on their toes!
This new 19 News format is lame at best. My question is who’s idea was it to use the Michigan State colors of Yellow and Blue instead of the Red and White which represents Ohio State, our best team. I saw the new format and it stinks. I’ve been watching Cleveland news broadcasts for over 35 years and I’ve seen many changes in our local stations. This new format just does not get the job done it’s very amateurish at best compared to the other news channels. 19 Action News used to be up beat and took you everywhere to cover the latest stories and they did a superb job. 19 Action News had more on the street reporting than anyone and you always got the real breaking stories first. I put on the new 19 News format and immediately I see a creepy blue and yellow logo on everything , the banners, and even the reporters microphones, every logs says Michigan State on it, and I’m betting the people in Michigan are laughing their butts off. Someone here at 19 News likes Blue and Yellow and I’d say that’s a traitor , they need to re- the logo so it says ” Ohio” in the colors. Our State Bird is RED he’s a Cardinal, and he isnt Blue and Yellow…. I think whats yellow is the stripe that runs down the General managers back. They really dropped the ball with this new format, and I think Danielle Serino was one of the nicer segments to the newscast. Also who did the graphics for the weather among other things? Looks to me like a 1st grader drew the cloud pictures and all the items on the new Weather 5 days forecast. I for one am switching the channel because I cannot tolerate the feeble efforts of the General Management who are trying to introduce a more ” traditional” program. This new newscast will actually put you to sleep, it makes you yawn , and get sleepy just listening to the hum drum news reports. I think there were about 10 total stories which were spoken of over and over. Anyhow, 19 News needs a wake up call, and they need to revert back to what was Clevelands fastest and finest reporting, they truely were “Everywhere” and the slogan was a good one. I believe viewer are going to change channels now and ratings for 19 news will go down the drain along with the Management….
Somebody cut back Nicholas Farentino’s meds: Michigan State fans are “laughing their butts off” that he thinks ” the Michigan State colors of Yellow and Blue .” And he’s going to be hard pressed with a station to turn to if his criteria for a station is the color of their logo; no one is using red in Cleveland.
Am I the only one who likes Jeff Tanchek? I will miss him if leaves -he is accurate and doesn’t try to scare you during severe storms. I will also miss Danielle Serino. I also don’t necessarily want my newscasters to be Cleveland boosters 24/7. I just want them to tell me what’s going on in the city and in the suburbs, objectively and accurately. That’s all.
i’m thought i had it on the wrong channel this week for the Noon reports, they changed all the anchors out. … where did they go???
I’ve lived in San Diego, Orlando, Philadelphia and outside of New York city. No other city has such a “revolving door” of TV reporters as Cleveland.
Where is Danielle going? She added something special to the news.
And I believe Jeff is doing a great job with the weather. So just leave him alone.
He’s much better than other weather forecasters I’ve seen.
Why does everything have to change……
OK..I gave the ‘new format’ a chance. TWICE this week I fell asleep during the 5-6pm broadcast it was so boring. I get the feeling every member of the ‘team’ is walking on eggshells, afraid of being the next casualty. All the happiness & back n forth chatter’s gone. Now it’s as bland as pablum. S’okay…I’ll be able to use the extra half hour I save by switching to Ch. 3 for something better – like cleaning the cat litter box.
Some stupid crap remains, like Denise D giving Jeff ” I’m AWESOME!’ Tanchak his first [mandatory] screen blurb by standing just inside HIS weather domain & asking him to arrange for good weather Labor Day weekend. (Gag me w/a fork!) Yo, management!! Most viewers are NOT as enchanted w/dear Jeff as you & he clearly are. Viewers like me wonder WHO picked him as ‘Cleveland’s Most Accurate’? Tanchak couldn’t predict dawn if the NWS didn’t post it daily. I won $50 betting against his recent prediction of 8 straight days of sun & 0 precipitation. [It rained 4 days straight.]
You wanted ‘traditional’…you got BORING. Plain tan & khaki. YUK.
it will be a mistake to let Jeff Tanchak go. He is very good at what he does. Very precise!!!!
I no longer watch the news, just the weather and if he goes I won’t watch that either….you’ve ruined a good thing.
jo
I have been a loyal channel 19 viewer for at least 15 years, these new changes are atrocious, I will be changing the channel. l loved Harry boomer, Catherine bosley, Danielle serino, beth mcloed and the rest of the regular crew. This new crowd seems very unprofessional,and why can’t Q McCray sit up straight? I agree with Jo you’ve ruined a good thing, and lost another loyal viewer. Tjay
Cant’ believe all my friends are gone. So if I don’t like it, I can watch channel. My early mornings will not be the same now. Once again the higher-ups screwed up. Gail
That sucks to hear about Danielle leaving. Also, if Jeff Tanchak goes I WILL NO LONGER watch Channel 19 anymore or whatever you guys are calling the damn show now. Jeff is amazing at what he does and has a great sense of humor as well! You dumb ass people that are forcing people to leave Channel 19 will regret it sooner or later. Watch your ratings drop drastically!
“…lived in San Diego, Orlando, Philadelphia and outside of New York city. No other city has such a ‘revolving door’ of TV reporters as Cleveland.|”
Wake up…those cities are the major leagues…Cleveland, like it or not, and despite the size of its viewership (2-3 million or a bit more) is merely Double-A…MAYBE Triple-A at best.
Second or third tier. It is what it is. We are what we are.
This TV market is strictly a minor-league one, so they come and go like the MLB players do…they move up from Rookie League or Single-A…places like Little Rock (Greg Dee) Green Bay (somebody else…some chick) or Grand Rapids…which is where Jeffy came from.
They do NOT come here from Chicago or any of the aforementioned cities…unless they’re being demoted and getting desperate, after being fired in the bigger markets. Those cities are where they moveTO…FROM Cleveland.
I know this might bum a few C-town boosters out, but it’s just the way things are. Just like Cleveland is a small-market baseball town…and in the bottom third in attendance and money spent…it’s a small-market news town.
Chicago, NY, Philly, San Diego? They have anywhere from two to ten times the number of eyeballs available…it’s simple demographics. They are the big dogs on the block. We are the Dawg on the porch. So that’s why the “revolving door”…sad but true.
Chuckles the Clown
I stopped watching 19 news over two years ago, the station started being more like a tabloid paper and not actual news reporting, when I would connect with the reporters next thing you know poof there gone and replaced with a new face, even with the overhaul of this station I probably won’t return. I just don’t think they will get it right.
I stopped watching when they gave Danielle the axe, and I just started back since they fired the jackass that changed everything. It’s still not the same. I like seeing Danielle back on the tube on WKYC, but it’s not the same.