Budget cutbacks have also come once again to another television outlet.
This time, Gannett NBC affiliate WKYC/3 announced that they would be parting ways with weekend meterologist A.J. Colby and newscaster Jeff Maynor. The Plain Dealer’s Mark Dawidziak elaborates more on Colby’s dismissal.
Maynor joined the NBC affiliate in the early 90s after lengthy stays as anchor/reporters for both WJW-turned-WJKW/8 (early to late 1970s) and for WEWS/5 (late 1970s to mid 1980s). For most of his stay at WKYC, Jeff had been primarily anchoring the weekend newscasts, most recently the late-evening weekend news.
Colby and Maynor’s last days on-air will be on Sunday, May 29.
Darned shame to see Jeff go. I’ve been a fan of his since his days co-anchoring with Jim Hale on City Camera News on what was then called Television ei8ht.
I got on the Channel 3 bandwagon just recently especially with the morning show. I always liked AJ because he is genuine- he is the same no matter what station he is on. I think maybe their is so much pomp with the local news these days that it is time to stop watching Cleveland news altogether. I don’t care if you are “first to report the story” and I don’t care if you have the best “schmooper duper freakin’ radar” in the world. Channel 3-you had me! But I guess you must “move in another direction” (whatever the hell that means). I’m sure Jeff Maynor has been around Cleveland news longer than you are old. How dare you treat these people like crap? I WILL NEVER WATCH CHANNEL 3 NEWS, OR ANY OTHER CLEVELAND STATION FOR NEWS AGAIN!
OK Channel 8- How soon till you let Andre go? AJ and Andre are the best weather people in Cleveland…
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Jeff Maynor announced at the end of last night’s 11:00 pm newscast that that was his last newscast for Channel 3.
I stopped watching your 7:00 pm news when you hired the most annoying woman in northeast Ohio, Robin the screamer, and now you are dumping AJ and Jeff Maynor becauuse you are going in a new direction? Well, me too. I’m going in a new directiontoo, AWAY from WKYC. Back to, after many many years, to Leon Bibb and Lee Jordan. Why is it you are never interested in what the viewers want, just what you want. Another 23 year old bimbo that looks like she should be street walking instead ofg on a news program? Good luck AJ and Jeff. Channel 3,, you really SUCK!!
couldn’t agree with you more, John. I can’t watch the 7:00 p.m. news -robin is just too loud & overbearing-better watch out Romana!-don’t know what station to go to now-hope AJ gets a job in Cleveland.
I guess AJ and Jeff’s salaries were needed for Robin Swoboda??
What else is new in the world of television? It seems like in the Cleveland market, anyone over the age of 40 is doomed…and we’re being flooded with young 20 something females! (eye-candy) And the remaining over 40’s are in and out of the plastic surgeons office, tyring everything possible to remain employable.
I wouldn’t worry about Jeff Maynor, I’m sure one his political contacts will offer him a gravy PIO position somewhere, and he’ll even wind up making more money than he did at Channel 3.
A.J. on the other hand…I’ll miss his candor, and wit. He is a champion to all of us regular people out there, that his knowledge, and hard work made him an employable talent! He made you feel like one of your buddies; providing you the weather forecast, whereas your other on camera meteorologists (except Bruce) wouldn’t give you the time of day, or hang in the same circles MOST of us walk in!
Good luck A.J., and maybe you could start your own operation, with the Cleveland radio stations,and undercut the TV stations, who pay for the forecasts by the remaining on camera persons.
This whole thing is a sickening testament to world of professional broadcasting, whereas it’s not your journalistic integrity, but how you LOOK, that gives you your credibility….and in the whole business in general, it’s ALL about the money! Isn’t there enough to go around?
How vain we all have become!
I gotta take issue with your comment that if you’re over 40, you’re doomed in Cleveland.
Romona Robinson
Robin Swoboda
Leon Bibb
Lee Jordan
Bill Martin
Wilma Smith
Lou Maglio
David Wittman
Denise Dufala
All of them are weeknight evening anchors of their respecive stations, are long engrained in the cleveland market, and all have waved 40 goodbye a long time ago.
And others like:
Danita Harris
Stacy Bell
Sharon Reed
are either approaching, or just a tick over 40.
In Cleveland TV, you’re just getting started at 40.
It seems that WKYC is taking a beat down on this one!!! Now if only WKNR would fire Aaron Goldhammer?!
That will happen only with an ownership change.
Barring any severe economic downturn, or the total irrelevance of the AM dial outside of WTAM, Good Karma is going to hold onto WKNR for another decade or more. The FCC would have to threaten WKNR with license forfeiture before Goldhammer gets fired.
I almost forgot about WKNR, I generally assumed that the Cleveland market has no all-sports radio station whatsoever (and if you think about it, that is a fair assessment).
**Disclosure: my statements are those independent of OMW and the Primary Editorial Voice ™ .**
This is a really, really bad move by Channel 3. Jeff Maynor is a great broadcaster and A.J. Colby is pretty good also. If they wanted to make cuts they should have gotten rid of that snob Chris Tye. He is so arrogant and he talks down to the viewer.
Tye is younger, cheaper, and probably is being groomed as either Romona’s heir apparent or co-anchor.
I am away for a couple days come home and discover one of my favorite broadcasters is gone. I really liked Jeff Maynor felt like he was family. I will greatly miss him and will have to watch another weekend news report as the only reason I watched channel 3 on the weekend was because of Jeff. As to AJ leaving I feel badly for him so young and been bounced around a lot but will not miss him. Robin doing the 7:00 news WHAT WERE YOU THINKING
I, too, am very sorry to see such a fine weather forcaster such as A.J. Colby leave the airways.. I don’t understand why you have to be a stereotype to be on TV. We have enjoyed AJ’s forthright approach to the weather and his dry sense of humor. I hope that the other stations in Cleveland see in him what we the viewers see and give him the opportunity to stay in the Cleveland area.
WKYC is losing Maynor & Colby and my family–a professor,a policeman, a high school teacher, and a nurse. We think Jeff is one of the BEST news reporters in Cleveland and we’ll miss AJ and his weather reporting.We agree with KT that they were dumped for Robin. We wish Jeff and AJ good luck in finding new positions and we will drop WKYC for another station that has true news and not “ludicrous beauties”.
I really am sad to see Jeff leave. I wish him all the best! Senior members do the best as far as we are concerned. It seems we will all need to work til nearly 70 but the over 60 group gets dumped for the younger. It is quite frustrating! Please reconsider doing this all the time!
I am tired seeing the senior citizens getting sent out to pasture too soon! stop this and let them continue to work! they do and will know when to stop working. For many it is staying connected to the world and feeling of use! Jeff did a GREAT job! Shame on WKYC! And – do not like what happened to Monica and Eric at 7:00 either! You are not thinking clearly, it seems to me!