A hiring boom in the hampton roads

While Nexstar's Pink Slip Express is traveling the countryside whacking people, there is one market that has seen a number of new hires.

The Virginia Pilot writes, you can welcome Steven Graves, Ali Weatherton, Jaclyn Lee (pictured), Kara Dixon, Marielena Balouris, Laura Caso and Merris Badcock to Hampton Roads, America’s 42nd-largest TV market.

Say hello also to Kim Cung, Rachel Cardin, April Loveland, Anthony Sabella, Adam Winkler, Brian Hill and Crystal Harper.

Who are these folks?

They are the 14 new faces in the newsrooms of WAVY, WVEC and WTKR, a considerable influx of men and women in the past year or so. Some do news. Others do weather and sports.

Other changes have taken place in local TV news where, according to a source who wishes to remain anonymous, starting salaries for reporters range from $40,000 to $60,000. (The Denver Post reported that starting salaries for TV general-assignment reporters in its market were around $45,000. A Houston Chronicle report said that a television reporter earned an average of $38,800 a year as of 2011.)

The recent developments: Niko Clemmons, a production assistant at WVEC since 2010, was elevated to reporter. Mitch Brown moved from photography to sports at WTKR.

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