Playing Catch Up
FTVLive FIRST told you that WJXT (Jacksonville) longtime Sports Anchor Sam Kouvaris' run at the Graham station was apparently coming to an end.
FTVLive FIRST reported the story on March 30th and followed it up again on April 4th.
Staffers inside the station have been left in the dark as to what is happening, but a number of them think that Kouvaris is done.
The local paper here in Jacksonville has finally gotten around to the story almost two weeks after FTVLive FIRST broke the news.
The Florida Times Union writes that Kouvaris hasn’t been on the air since March 27, acknowledged that his status with the television station is in limbo, but that he hoped something could be resolved by end of business day on Friday.
“I still really enjoy my work and I’m hoping to continue doing that,” said Kouvaris. “I sent them a proposal [Thursday] that I hope they respond to.”
WJXT General manager Bob Ellis was noncommittal about Kouvaris’ future with the station.
“I don’t talk about negotiations publicly,” Ellis said. “Sam is the most talented television sportscaster in this market. We want him to be part of this market for years to come.”
WJXT has undergone multiple changes in recent years. Longtime news anchor Tom Wills was replaced by Kent Justice for the 10 p.m. newscast, with Wills moving to the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts. The station did away with its sports segment in the 6:25 p.m. slot and moved it to 6:50 p.m.