Yesterday was Bill Menish’s last day as the WAVE Sunrise co-anchor. He’d been on the air less than six months, and a terse notice went out to WAVE staffers directing anyone getting a question from outside the building to talk to news director Kathy Hostetter. So I called her, and got the basic “It’s a personal matter” response. No comment. But Menish was already removed from the station’s website without notice.
She said they’re looking for his replacement.
So I called Menish, who had posted a Facebook status about how nice it was to sleep in. He said he gave Hostetter a big hug when he left yesterday, and that leaving was his choice, that he wanted to spend more time on his growing auctioneer business. During his time at WAVE, he said, he spent many weekends traveling across the country doing auctions, and that the business was taking off. He mentioned clients including Disney and Universal Studios, and that he’d auctioned a Ferrari and a huge estate.
“The timing is perfect for me,” he said. “It allows me to concentrate on my business and get out of the juggling act.”
He said he’s only signed on with WAVE for a year anyway, and that he was surprised the station had sent out such a terse message.
Hmmm.
WAVE also recently lost promising anchor/reporter Jon Chrisos, who was able to land a position in Maine near his family. And while WAVE has already begun its weekend Sunrise show, its new hires for that position will be in place in September. Scott Adkins, moving over from an Evansville station, will anchor the newscasts, and Lauren Jones, the former WLKY weather guesser, will join him by Sept. 17. WAVE also hired former Lexington reporter Jaimie Weiss.
