Crump special on Ch. 3 looks at school integration

Few people know that the historic Brown vs. Board of Education case, which in 1954 outlawed racially “separate-but-equal” schools, had roots in the Carolinas. 

What the Supreme Court heard was a case brought in Topeka, Kansas, but it included four other similar suits from around the country, including one brought in Clarendon County, S.C.

Steve Crump

In a 30-minute special at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, “Brown at 60: Reading, Writing and Bridging the Racial Gap,” WBTV reporter Steve Crump examines the harvest of six decades of school integration in the Carolinas.

He tells the story of how black parents brought a suit against Clarendon County because their children were required to walk miles to a school, while white children had access to school buses. 

Among those interviewed with first-hand memories of those days is J.A. Delaine Jr., whose father was active in the suit and suffered personal loss as a result.

Also interviewed is Dorothy Counts, who was the first black student at Charlotte’s Harding High School and was spat upon and jeered while walking into the building the first time. Counts says the racial divide, much reduced, still need attention nowadays. “We have to learn to trust each other,” she says.

Crump also looks at how many schools remain semi-segregated by economic and social forces today, including those in Clarendon County.


Others offering perspective in the wide-ranging special, produced by Jennifer Torsiello, include Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools superintendent Heath Morrison, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, whose district includes Clarenton County, and Tom Hanchett, historian at the Levine Museum of the New South.

New general manager named at WCNC

Gannett Broadcasting has announced the appointment of a veteran news executive, Deborah Collura, as president and general manager of WCNC (Channel 36).

Deborah Collura

WCNC has been without a full-time general manager since the December retirement of Tim Morrissey, who left the station when Gannett purchased it. 

Collura comes to Charlotte from Houston, where she served as news director of the NBC affiliate as well as vice president of news for Post-Newsweek stations.

"For the past six months, I have been looking for a person with the experience, track record of performance and professional curiosity to lead WCNC through what may prove to be the most exciting time of its history," Peter Diaz, executive vice president of Gannett Broadcasting, said in a statement Monday. 

At Post-Newsweek, Collura was responsible for developing talent and strategic planning.

Collura has also worked in news department roles at stations in St. Louis, Miami, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Detroit and Rockford, Ill. 

Collura, an Illinois native, graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism from Northern Illinois University. She is expected to start at WCNC in early June, Diaz said.

WCNC news director leaving for NBC job

Corrie Harding, news director of WCNC (Channel 36) for four years, will be leaving the station at the end of the month to take a job with NBC News in New York.

In his new position, Harding will work as director of news partnerships with NBC, responsible for developing plans for the growth of news content on broadcast and digital platforms. 

Corrie Harding

Harding, 49, said Friday that his departure had nothing to do with the recent ownership change at WCNC, which has been taken over by Gannett from its former owner, Belo.

"It was just a great opportunity," Harding said. "It was something I had to seriously investigate, and it ended up working out."

Harding came to WCNC, an NBC affiliate, in November 2009. Previously he was news director at the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh.

Harding's departure comes after the station's news department won regional Emmy awards in five categories last weekend.

Under Harding's leadership, the station expanded its morning newscast and 4 p.m. broadcast by 30 minutes each. He also led the staff during last year's Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

No successor has been named. His is the second major position at the station to go vacant. General manager Tim Morrissey retired at the time of the Gannett purchase.

JCSU educator new anchor at Fox46Carolinas

WJZY (Channel 46) announced Tuesday that Cheryl Butler-Brayboy will be the station's new anchor when it launches its own 10 p.m. newscast in January.

Cheryl Brayboy 

Brayboy, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in English and cultural studies, has worked for stations in Allentown, Pa.; Columbus, Ga.; and Washington. She has also worked at Johnson C. Smith University as an assistant professor of literature and languages.

She was host of the "Queen City Blocks," a show about Charlotte neighborhoods and hotspots, on WTVI (Channel 42) in 2009.

She is the wife of Jack Brayboy, a Charlotte producer and former news host on "Fox News Rising" on WCCB (Channel 18). 

WJZY will begin streaming daily rehearsals of its newscasts at 10 p.m. Wednesday on its web site, www.myfoxcarolinas.com. 

Al Gardner gets weekly gig on ESPN 730

Al Gardner

Longtime WBT-AM (1110) morning host Al Gardner will return to local radio as a weekly Monday co-host on WZGV-AM ("ESPN" 730).

Gardner will begin next Monday on "The Bottom Line" show, which airs at 6 p.m., with Lanny Ford. 

Ford said Monday that Gardner, who was host of "Charlotte's Morning News" on WBT for 14 years before leaving at the end of 2011, will discuss local sports and his own two passions -- boxing and golf.

Gardner, 66, said that he looks forward to being part of ESPN 730 because it is a locally owned and focused station. "They're going to grow locally," he said. "That's what I want to be part of."

First question: What does he think of the Panthers' performance Sunday night? "Unprintable," Gardner replied.

ESPN 730 announced in November it will be the flagship station for the Charlotte Knights beginning in April. It also carries Charlotte Checkers and Charlotte 49ers games.

Fly Ty joining WBAV-FM afternoon show

Veteran Charlotte radio personality Fly Ty is returning to CBS Radio as a sidekick to Artie Goins on her "Artie in the Afternoons" show on WBAV-FM ("V" 101.9).

CBS Radio made the announcement at the top of Goins' Monday show. In making the move, the station pairs two well-known Charlotte broadcasters, both of whom grew up in the area.

Goins joined WBAV's sister station WPEG-FM ("Power 98" 97.9) in 1992 and Fly Ty, known as Derrick Jacobs in real life,  joined the old "Breakfast Brothas" show there in 1997.

Fly Ty, who joined WBAV on Monday.

Goins took over the afternoon shift at WBAV in June, replacing the syndicated Skip Murphy show. Her show was No. 1 last month among Charlotte radio stations in WBAV's target demographic, adults 25-54, operations manager Terri Avery said Monday.

Avery said she wanted to team Goins and Jacobs because of their deep roots in the community and to build on the momentum of launching a local show in the time slot this year.

Jacobs graduated from Myers Park High School in 1990 and became a barber with his brother. One of the heads he trimmed belonged to B.J. Murphy, then a  morning personality at Power 98.

He gave Murphy a comedy tape and Murphy, now a broadcaster in Greensboro, got him aboard the "Breakfast Brothas" show.

In 2004, Murphy left "Power 98" for a morning show in Dallas, and took Jacobs along as his sidekick. 

Jacobs returned to Charlotte in 2010 and started working for Radio One-owned stations, WQNC-FM ("Q" 92.7) and WOSF-FM ("Old School" 105.3).

"I could not be more pleased to work with a long-term friend of mine and a veteran in radio, Artie," Jacobs said in a statement Monday.

WSOC to expand 10 p.m. newscast to an hour

Beginning Dec. 2, WSOC (Channel 9) will expand its 10 p.m. newscast on sister station WAXN (Channel 64) to an hour.

Natalie Pasquarella

Natalie Pasquarella will continue as sole anchor with meteorologist Steve Udelson. 

News director Julie Szulczewski said Thursday the expansion was not driven by competition with Fox-owned WJZY (Channel 46), which is planning to launch an hour-long 10 p.m. newscast in January. Construction is under way at WJZY for a new studio and a news staff is being hired. WJZY now carries a 30-minute newscast at 10 p.m. provided by WBTV (Channel 3) and anchored by Molly Grantham.

Szulczewski said station research conducted in the spring of this year indicated there would be an audience and desire for an expanded newscast. Executives have been talking about it since March but were waiting until other projects were finished, like the months-long renovation of the station's newsroom, which is now complete.

There will be no change in format for the show, she said. On weekends, the 10 p.m. newscast will continue with its half-hour length.