WSLS 10 announces anchor promotion; John Carlin joins AccessPR

Today, WSLS Vice President and General Manager Warren Fiihr announces John Carlin’s plan to retire from broadcast television to join AccessPR, a division of Access Advertising+Design, as senior vice president.

Longtime anchor/reporter Jay Warren will join Karen McNew as the WSLS featured anchor team.

“John Carlin’s legacy is unparalleled as a well-respected, beloved member of the WSLS team for more than 20 years,” said Fiihr. “As he steps down from the anchor desk, we feel fortunate to have Jay Warren ready to assume his duties. Jay has been working closely with John and Karen for more than a decade now, and he’s uniquely qualified to continue delivering the news that Southwest Virginians trust.”

Warren began covering news at WSLS in 1998. Specializing in political coverage, he holds a Walter Cronkite Award for Individual Achievement and an Award for Outstanding Effort by an Individual Reporter from the Virginia Associated Press for his "Road to 2002" and "No Choice" series.

“I’m looking forward to the future at WSLS,” said Warren. “I’m excited to continue delivering On Your Side news… making a difference in the lives of my friends, family and the whole Southwest Virginia audience.”

“I couldn’t be happier to have Jay take the reins at WSLS,” said Carlin. “I’ve enjoyed a wonderful career in television news and I’m very pleased to trust our viewers to such a capable journalist.”

Carlin retires from his position as co-anchor and managing editor of WSLS-TV after an award-winning career. In 2007, John co-anchored the national Peabody award-winning WSLS 10 coverage of the April 16th shootings at Virginia Tech, which also was honored with an EMMY Award, Virginia Associated Press First Place award, and Edward R. Murrow award. Over the past two decades, his work has won three EMMYs, eight Virginia Associated Press First Place awards, Media General’s D. Tennant Bryant Award and the National Journalism Award from the Leukemia Society of America for excellence in news coverage.

Carlin will join AccessPR on Dec. 1 and will take over the leadership role as Terri Jones, APR, principal of the firm, moves to a part-time position in early 2009. The planned move will allow Jones, winner of the 2007 PRNews Agency Executive of the Year, to honor family commitments.

“We are thrilled that a journalist of John’s talent has chosen our firm as he transitions from broadcast news to public relations”, said Todd Marcum, president, Access Advertising+Design. “John’s knowledge of media relations, ability to work on tight deadlines and exceptional communication skills will translate very well into our public relations efforts.”

In addition to being widely known in the region as an avid runner and cyclist, Carlin serves on the boards of the YMCA and St. Francis Service Dog Foundation. As an adjunct faculty member, he has taught broadcast journalism courses at Virginia Tech for 11 years. In 1998, he received the national Michael Schoenbrun Award from the Leukemia Society of America for his exceptional years of service to that organization.

John Carlin’s last day in the WSLS anchor chair will be November 28, 2008. During November, WSLS will take a look back at John’s career. Jay Warren’s first day in his new role will be December 1, 2008.

About Media General
Media General is a leading provider of local news, information and entertainment over multiple media platforms. The company serves markets primarily in the Southeastern United States. Media General publishes 25 daily newspapers, including The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal; and community newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina; plus approximately 275 weekly newspapers and other targeted publications. The company owns and operates 20 network-affiliated television stations that reach approximately 30 percent of the television households in the Southeast and nearly 9 percent of those in the United States. The company’s interactive media operations include Web sites and portals that are associated with each of its newspapers and television stations as well as with many specialty publications, and two growing interactive advertising services companies, Blockdot, Inc. and DealTaker.com.

About Access Advertising+Design, AccessPR
Access Advertising+Design, founded in 1996, and AccessPR have served more than 400 clients in 12 states, Canada, and abroad. The firm has won more than 400 American Advertising Awards, public relations award, and citations, as well as international awards for exhibit design and CASE awards for work with higher education, and has been recognized in PRINT Magazine’s Regional Design Issue. In early 2009, the company will move into a newly renovated 17,000 sq. ft. historic building at 701 Patterson, Roanoke. Learn more about Access at www.visitaccess.com.

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