Posted by chicagomedia.org on June 10, 2008 at 08:16:51:
WGN poised to offer top news job to sidelined anchorman Suppelsa
As Mark Suppelsa remains in local television limbo for one more week, WGN-Channel 9 is getting ready to hire him as a top news anchor.
By late next week, according to insiders at the Tribune Co.-owned station, Suppelsa should receive the formal offer he's been waiting for since March 10 when he resigned from Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.
Suppelsa, 45, most likely would replace Steve Sanders as anchor of the 9 p.m. weekday newscast alongside Allison Payne. Sanders and Payne have anchored the hourlong newscast together since 1993.
Sanders, 59, a respected 26-year veteran of Channel 9 whose contract expires later this year, is expected to be offered another high-profile role, sources said.
It's not clear who'll be tapped to anchor the station's new 5 or 5:30 p.m. weekday newscast, set to be launched this summer.
Suppelsa's future has been a hot topic of speculation in media circles ever since he declined to renew with Channel 32. Under his last contract, Fox retained the right to match other offers within 90 days of its expiration. The waiting period ends June 17.
In the interim, Suppelsa took on radio work as newsman for Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart's popular morning show, airing on Bonneville International hot adult-contemporary WTMX-FM (101.9). He's expected to continue at the Mix after returning to TV.
Reached Monday, Suppelsa would not confirm anything about Channel 9's interest.
"I'm really enjoying doing the news on the Mix, and now look forward to what next week might bring," he said.
"Although I've enjoyed having much of the spring off with the family, the bug to jump back is never far away -- especially as I've watched Illinois become the epicenter of this very exciting political season."
Channel 32 still has not named a replacement for Suppelsa, who spent five years as an anchor there (where he succeeded the legendary Walter Jacobson) and 10 years before that at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5.
David Novarro, who anchors the Fox station's 10 p.m. news, also has been filling in at 9 p.m. alongside Robin Robinson since Suppelsa left.
Among adults between 25 and 54, Channel 32's ratings in May fell 12 percent since last year.
(Feder)