Larry Delia, who saw the New Orleans ABC through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, is leaving the building. The general manager of Tribune“s WGNO-TV and sister station WNOL-TV in New Orleans is transferring to WPMT-TV in the Susquehanna Valley area of Pennsylvania. He“ll be replacing John Riggle, who retires Sept. 1.
Riggle issued a self-deprecating exit statement:
“After 20 years with WPMT, I“m thrilled to be leaving on such a high note. Our May ratings book was the best ever--we were first in primetime and our late news was first in all key demos. Were expanding our morning news aggressively, gaining market share, making progress online and I figure, at this point, I can only screw it up.”
Delia became vice president and general manager of WGNO and WNOL in 2002. On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina left New Orleans in tatters and inundated WGNO“s facilities. The station“s crew ended up broadcasting from two trailers outside of the Louisiana Superdome with gear secured off of eBay.
Before his New Orleans gig, Delia ran WVNY-TV in Burlington, Vt., for four years. From 1988 to 1998, he worked at WTIC-TV in Hartford, Conn.
“I“ll miss the talented people at WGNO/WNOL, but this is a great opportunity and I am looking forward to it,” Delia. “OK, occasionally New Orleans hosts a Super Bowl, and the food, music and nightlife are great, but let“s face it, the heat and humidity down here are unbelievable“it“s got to be better up north.”
John Cruse, currently the general sales manager for WGNO and WNOL, has been named interim general manager of both stations.
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