Why Anna Davlantes hauled anchor to Fox Chicago
Photo by Maria Ponce
One way or another, it seems, Anna Davlantes was destined to work for Carol Fowler. On Tuesday, it finally became reality when Chicago’s most eligible — and arguably most glamorous — news anchor officially joined Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.
“It’s a great opportunity and a great challenge for me,” Davlantes said in her first interview after signing the multiyear deal. “I’m real excited about it.”
As first reported here, Davlantes will debut Monday as a contributing anchor and reporter on the station’s 9 p.m. newscast, alongside Robin Robinson and Jeff Goldblatt. As vice president/news director of Channel 32, Fowler was instrumental in talking up Davlantes to her boss, Mike Renda, who arrived last September as vice president and general manager from Fox sister station WTXF-TV in Philadelphia.
This wasn’t the first time Fowler had championed the Chicago native and pride of Lane Tech High School. It was close but no cigar early last year when Fowler was vice president/news director at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 and courted Davlantes for a top anchor role. But negotiations with Joe Ahern, then-president and general manager of the station, abruptly broke off when Channel 2’s budget collapsed and massive layoffs ensued.
So Davlantes hung on as weekend news anchor at WMAQ-Channel 5 before parting company with the NBC-owned station last July. (By that time, Fowler had joined Channel 32.) Once Davlantes became free to accept other offers two weeks ago, talks heated up between Renda and her agent, Steve Mandell. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
At the outset, Davlantes will assume a sub-anchor role perhaps similar to the one Mark Suppelsa once held at the station before he succeeded Walter Jacobson as principal anchor. It also may be similar to the role of Cheryl Burton on ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7’s 10 p.m. newscast, anchored by Ron Magers and Kathy Brock. But insiders believe it’s only a matter of time before Davlantes steps up to a full-fledged anchor position on a dinner hour newscast rumored to be in the works at Channel 32.
“I think my role is going to be defined as we go, to be honest,” Davlantes said. “They’re really going to tap into my anchoring and reporting experience, and make me a really big part of the future and of the show. They’re thrilled, they’re excited, and I am too. It’s a great match.”
It’s a return to the Fox family for Davlantes, who previously worked at the company’s KRIV-TV in Houston before joining Channel 5 here in 2000.
A graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, Davlantes has had her share of scoops over the years. Among the most memorable was the home video she unearthed showing a violent hazing incident among girls at Glenbrook North High School in 2003. It became a worldwide cause celebre and landed Davlantes on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
At Channel 32, she hopes to show off her reporting chops, too. “They will use my skills as someone who has ties to the community, who is an investigative reporter, and who has strong reporting skills as well as strong anchoring skills. For me, that’s the exciting part. It all plays to my core strengths.”
Whether she can help lift Channel 32 from the bottom of the ratings is anybody’s guess. But there’s no doubt Davlantes will bring a heavy dose of star power and attention to the station. “I hope people give Fox another look,” she said. “They have a great team over there already, and I think there are good things to come. I know I’m going to love working there.”
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11 2009
blogs.vocalo.org
Lots of press about FOX with this, but is everyone forgetting that they are the worst in town, 5th place?
The number of daily technical errors and miscues, on the 9pm newcast alone, is alarming.
Jeff Goldblatt is still uncomfortable on camera, and has no idea how the nuance of subtlety could benefit him.
Plus, didn’t they just lay off a bunch of off-camera people? Looks like it was to clear up cash for her.
Interesting move all around.
I disagree. Although they are in 5th place now, they have a good chance to move up because WGN made some bad decisions on their anchor line up.The best anchor they had they took her off the anchor line up. WGN will definitely be hurt by this move.
Star power? Really? Does anyone in local news still have star power? Did I miss the ratings bump she gave Ch.5 or the corresponding dip when she left? Carol Fowler is still rearranging deck chairs, she’s just not standing waist deep in water anymore.
Ahh yes the long awaited Dinner Hour newscast. The only “News” people will want to watch on Fox during the Dinner Hour would be anchored by Kent Brockman. Glad she found work in this economy, the 50 people who were laid-off at WFLD haven’t. Phil C. they have fewer deck chairs then you think and the water is up to her neck.
I do think the WGN anchor musical chairs provides an opportunity on the margins for Fox 32.
It remains to be seen whether Anna Davlantes is enough to capitilize on the opporunity. They have a decent reporting crew. The morning show is the worst in the market. They need more Chicago talent like Anna. People that are recognizable to a Chicago audience. They should steal a couple more reporters aways from the other stations like a Chuck Goudie, Derrick Blakley, Kevin Roy etc., launch an evening newscast anchored by Anna, aand actually do some news promotion in the paper, billboards, CYA/Metra signs like the other stations do.
Well, it’s nice to see that Carol Fowler can actually hire someone. Seems like all she’s been doing at FOX is firing or laying people off! It’s so sad that so many talented reporters, writers, photojournalists, editors and assignment desk assistants have been laid off from FOX since she stepped in the door less than a year ago. I sure hope that Anna wasn’t brought in at their expense. After all, you reap what you sow.
Thought Anna and Bob Sirott were going to anchor together.
Moving from Weekends on NBC 5 to Weeknights on Fox 32 is a step backwards. Probably the only option she had.
There are nights I can’t even watch 32 because the digital signal is crap. That has happened on stormy nights & on clear nights. I read that all the stations reduced their effective radiated power when they went digital to save on electricity. The same thing happens with 5. But the funny thing is I never had a problem with 7, which now has an UHF signal.
Oh, & I’m just 9 miles from the transmitters in Rogers Park!
Wow. I’m about 15 miles out from the transmitter and my digital signal for 32 is just fine.
Will Anna be wearing what she wears inthe picture?
If WFLD hopes to improve their ratings by landing Davlantes, I’d imagine they will have to feature her in their promos. Right now, that seems to be the preserve of the anchors.
Attention Robin —- look out!
@ Mr. Blough,
knock it off! Everyone knows FOX hired her solely based on her reporting ‘talent!’
I, for one, will be happy to see Anna come back, just as I am happy to see Robert back in “print.” Thanks Robert!
Fox? So she’s giving up on the news eh?
Perhaps the next time you attach a photo of Anna D. with your copy, it will be of her wearing a nice suit, rather than an strapless evening gown or a “come hither” tank top, both articles of clothing that she would never wear while reporting the news. Barz, Bill, and Skippy were wearing suits. Does she not deserve the same level of respect?
That picture ought to be on a billboard next to the Kennedy.