BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON - InterMedia Cable has eliminated six jobs from news and programming, including that of news director Wes Wright, as the company restructures its local programming.
Mr. Wright, who has been with the Northern Kentucky cable company for four years, said he was informed Tuesdaythat he no longer had a job.
Also sent packing were local programming director Denis Burke, an eight-year veteran; news reporter Cris Kendall; associate producer Aimee Blake; and two other employees who worked in playback and editing.
"A 15-year tradition of having a nightly (15-minute) news program on local cable has come to an end, and that's unfortunate," said Mr. Wright, a local TV news veteran who indicated he might look at employment outside television.
Mike Withiam, InterMedia general manager, said the company thinks the changes now being made "will produce more hours of original programming from the concept we will use. This will be a different style of program . . . more issue- and discussion- oriented."
Dick Von Hoene, who hosts the Northern Kentucky Magazine show, will take on additional responsibilities under the new programming format, Mr. Withiam said.
"We will continue with Northern Kentucky Magazine," Mr. Withiam said. "We will also have three new half-hour programs and a new one-hour program."
InterMedia is offering a new sports show with more analysis, while continuing its emphasis on local high school sports.
A new half-hour program dealing with educational issues has already debuted, and Mr. Withiam said the cable company intends to offer a half-hour program dealing with entertainment, travel and restaurants in Northern Kentucky.
The new one-hour program, to be called Frankfort: Northern Kentucky Perspective, will deal with issues of state government as they affect Northern Kentucky. Members of the Northern Kentucky Legislative Caucus will take part in the show.
InterMedia and Frontiervision are negotiating a swap that would make InterMedia the only cable provider in Northern Kentucky. InterMedia already serves about 70,000 people in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties. Frontiervision serves some customers in rural Boone County.
The swap would have Frontiervision give up its Boone customers, and InterMedia would give the other company its subscribers in Danville.
