Getting Out of Traffic
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Longtime WTHR (Indianapolis) Traffic Reporter Mimi Pearce has left the station after almost 2 decades.
Neither Pearce nor WTHR, which is owned by Tegna disclosed whether she was fired or resigned, because you know, the communications business.
Pearce signed off on Wednesday thanking viewers and colleagues.
“Channel 13 has made changes to its traffic operation [and] as a result, today was my last day,” she posted on social media.
WTHR said it will no longer have a dedicated person covering traffic. “The traditional traffic reporter will not exist in this new model,” WTHR General Manager and President Michael Brouder said. “The role will be shared among weather, a social reporter and, if warranted, an anchor. [It] all depends on the story of traffic on the particular day.”
Brouder said the coverage shift is part of bigger changes to update the way the station delivers news “across all of our distribution platforms.” “WTHR recognizes that the way people get their news and traffic has changed enormously,” Brouder said. “[So] WTHR is pivoting to remain relevant in that space.” One of the first steps in the transformation was seen Wednesday, Brouder said, as WTHR unveiled a new graphics package during its morning newscast. “This spirit of innovation will be reflected in how we tell our stories and the way these stories are presented,” he said.
It’s just another of the olds that Tegna has pushed out the door.
