Originally posted Tuesday, January 7, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
CBS46 news director Steve Doerr is leaving for a general manager job in New England.
The promotion will take him to Western Mass News, created five years ago as a combined news-gathering operations for the CBS, ABC and Fox affiliates owned by Meredith, which also owns CBS46 (WGCL-TV)
Doerr was the seventh news director at CBS46 in 12 years.
The station went through its fair share of anchor turnover while Doerr was there. Morning anchor Bobby Kaple left to run for office. Morning anchor Amanda Davis died suddenly. Ben Swann, conspiracy theorist, was fired. Sharon Reed's divisive run as evening anchor ended last year. Former MNSBC host Thomas Roberts arrived in 2018 and left in 2019. Meteorologist Paul Ossmann was fired last year over inappropriate actions toward women and he sued, citing "reverse discrimination."
On the bright side, Doerr lasted two and a half years, the longest run since Steve Schwaid five news directors ago.
The station remains largely in fourth place in Atlanta.
Here are the previous six news directors: Frank Volpicella (11 months, July, 2016-June 2017), Larry Perret (20 months, September 2014- May, 2016), Lane Michaelson (15 months, April, 2013- July, 2014), Eric Ludgood (22 months, March, 2011-January 2013), Steve Schwaid (two years, 10 months, May, 2008-March, 2011) and Rick Erbach (three years, four months, January 2005-May 2008).
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