Dawn Timmeney goes full-time at Fox 29; CBS3 gains a new face
Fox 29 is making some changes to its schedule, while CBS3 adds New Jersey reporter Cleve Burton.
MORNINGS ARE LOOKING a little different at Fox 29.
Dawn Timmeney, the former NBC10 anchor who was axed in December, is now full time on Fox, where she used to work part time. She'll be hanging with Mike Jerrick, Sheinelle Jones and Kacie McDonnell on "Good Day Philadelphia" more regularly now.
Anchor (and former Sexy Single) Thomas Drayton, who usually takes the evening anchor chair, is moving to morning for the foreseeable future. Drayton will now be on 4:30 to 6 a.m. Relative newbie Iain Page will take over the nighttime in Drayton's absence.
Why the switch? A Fox rep says the station is just trying something new, noting that "Good Day's" Jones occupied the early morning chair during May sweeps.
Page, who went to cover the new Pope in Rome shortly after he arrived at the station, is moving up the ranks quickly.
But that's not all . . .
Over at CBS3, Cleve Bryan is joining the "Eyewitness News" roster as a New Jersey reporter. Bryan has deep Jersey roots. Hailing from Turnersville, he's a graduate of Washington Township High School and spent five summers training lifeguards in Ocean City.
Shore folk might remember Bryan from his time at WMGM-TV in Atlantic City, where he began his career in 2005 as a photographer/reporter. He returned to the station from 2007 until 2009 as a reporter and backup morning news anchor.
Bryan, who was recently an anchor at WVEC-TV in Norfolk, Va., and wife, Nicole, have a newborn son, Joshua. Bryan starts in Philly on July 1.
In other CBS News, I reported yesterday that investigative reporter Ben Simmoneau left the station last week but had no word on where he's going next. Turns out, Simmoneau will be only two hours to the north. He will be the new co-anchor of "Good Day Wakeup," holding down the 4:30 to 7 a.m. shift on Fox affiliate WNYW in New York.
Giffords goes Golden
Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was spotted at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City this weekend. A rep told me that Giffords and husband, retired astronaut Mark E. Kelly, are buds with Golden Nugget owner Tilman Fertitta. They also caught Ke$ha and Pitbull's set at the Golden Nugget's Grand.
In 2011, Giffords survived a gunshot wound to the head after an attack at her campaign stop near Tucson that left 19 injured and six dead, including the granddaughter of Phillies executive Dallas Green.
Bridezilla's return
Associated Press sportswriter Rob Maaddi and wife, personal stylist Remy (nee Matta), are returning to WEtv to follow up on their "Bridezillas" star turn, in the spin-off "Marriage Boot Camp." The Maadis will put their marriage to the test, along with other "Bridezillas" faves, in the series, premiering Friday at 9 p.m. (and in reruns forever more).
Unlike many of the couples, the Maadis are relative newlyweds, having tied the knot May 19, 2012. But they didn't live together before marriage and had a hard time coexisting. "Divorce wasn't an option, and we thought we owed it to ourselves to try it out," Rob told me. "There are too many people who live in strained relationships. We wanted to take this opportunity to improve our relationship."
Remy considered herself lucky to have counseling only five months after she got hitched. "We're going to fix it now before it gets any worse," she said.
"There were some hopeless cases there," Rob said, referring to the other couples.
All the better for us viewers.
PHL to OK
Philly-born and raised Kass Everett wants to give back to his adopted home of Oklahoma after a tornado devastated parts of the state. The senior defensive back at Oklahoma University reached out to his alma mater, Roman Catholic, to hold a drive collecting nonperishable foods, clothes, monetary donations and anything else that could support the people affected by the recent tornado. The drive, organized by Gia Sperry, Roman Catholic's community service moderator and a theology teacher, runs until Friday. Bring donations to the front desk at Roman Catholic (301 N. Broad St.).
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