WGCL Hires Former KVUE News Director

By Kevin Eck 

Frank Volpicella has been named news director at Meredith’s Atlanta CBS affiliate WGCL.

A Meredith spokesperson confirmed the news with TVSpy.

Volpicella took the TEGNA buyout in April after 15 years at its Austin ABC affiliate KVUE.

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He started his career at WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida and has worked at KWTV in Oklahoma City, WTSP in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. and WSB in Atlanta. His first news director job was at WTVQ in Lexington, Ky. He’s also worked at WAFF in Huntsville, Ala.

Rodney Ho, media writer for the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports former news director Larry Perret, along with senior ep Leesa Dillon were let go.

Perret lasted 20 months. That isn’t a lengthy tenure but on par with his two predecessors Lane Michaelson (15 months, April, 2013- July, 2014) and Eric Ludgood (22 months, March, 2011-January 2013). Before them were Steve Schwaid (two years, 10 months, May, 2008-March, 2011) and Rick Erbach (three years, four months, January 2005-May 2008).

In a memo sent to employees today, GM Mark Pimental wrote, in passive tense: “The decision has been made that to continue moving forward, a change is needed in newsroom management.”

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