Sometimes the way a newscast starts can impact how well a station retains viewers for the news. In that vein, WNBC/Ch. 4 has moved its quick headline teases to before its fifteen-second open on its evening newscasts. A long studio shot takes the place of top story video right at the end of the open.

One Albany, N.Y., reporter is moving up in markets and in pecking order. Capital News 9's Erin O'Hearn, named "best up-and-comer" by the Times-Union, is leaving the Time Warner cable op this month for ABC's WTVD/Ch. 11 in Durham, N.C., the T-U reports. The Cornell grad was also a producer for MTV News.

Raoul Martinez has been promoted from weekend to weekday anchor in Orlando. He'll start co-anchoring WESH/Ch. 2's 5:30 p.m. newscast Aug. 16, the Sentinel reports. That makes Martinez, a Cuban immigrant, the first Hispanic ever to anchor a weeknight newscast on a major affiliate in the market, the Sentinel reports. The station is trying to institute a B-team on its evening newscasts, station GM Bill Bauman tells the paper. Shannon Hori, who had been a third evening anchor, left for Dallas recently.

A Long Island native, DuBois replaced Mary Civiello as co-anchor on "Today in New York" shortly after his arrival at the station. Pomeranz, with Ch. 2 for four years, will remain there in some capacity, according to the Daily News. Another Ch. 2 fourth-year, Todd McDermott, is currently solidified on the weekend desk and has been backing up Ernie Anastos at 11 p.m. Both DuBois and Pomeranz came to New York from Chicago's Fox station.

Third-place Ch. 2, under the influence of former Ch. 4-ers Dennis Swanson and Dianne Doctor, has raided much talent from its rivals over the past two years, including Ch. 4's Tony Aiello, Lynda Lopez, Dr. David Marks, Katie McGee, and Audrey Puente; WABC/Ch. 7's Roz Abrams and Cheryl Fiandaca; WNYW/Ch. 5's Mario Bosquez and Dave Price; and John Bolaris and Christine Sloan from NBC's WCAU in Philadelphia. DuBois starts Sept. 8.

Roberts-hired senior executive producer Susan Truitt resigned last week, and Randal Stanley will fill the ND slot, at least for the time being, the Times says. Stanley was news director to Ch. 9 general manager Darryll Green at Gannett's Buffalo station before moving on to Cleveland. Green, hired a year ago, is a trained accountant who moved into the Gannett fold in radio before being named the company's Manager of the Year at WGRZ. He also draws the ire of some insiders who say he's not ready for his current role and has no news judgment.

Roberts' departure comes as Ch. 9 prepares to welcome popular anchor Tracey Neale, formerly of Fox's WTTG/Ch. 5. Her mikemate is uncertain: rumors say station veteran Gordon Peterson is being pushed into a reduced role at Ch. 9 and the Times says Peterson doesn't appear in the upcoming Neale promotional spots.

And two more rumored tidbits that are now reported in the Times: McLean, Va.-based Gannett has cut resources at the station (and won't reinstate a 4 p.m. newscast to compete with leader WRC/Ch. 4, which followed Ch. 9 into the period) and continues micromanaging the affiliate from its headquarters across the Potomac.

"Hard news or soft, Tom consistently brought passion to his work, and an amazing ability to cut through layers of complexity and jargon and spin to get to the very essence of the story. His writing was sharp and clear and left other reporters wishing they could tell truths so plainly," said Ch. 61 news director Paul Lewis as part of the narration for a five-minute tribute on Wednesday's newscast.

Though he covered a variety of stories, some of Misczuk's favorite work was investigative in nature, and he apparently liked to do it the old-fashioned way. "Tom was a bit of a throwback - he never quite got how to work his computer. He preferred to dig by knocking on doors and scanning documents. He lived the journalist's creed - to give voice to the voiceless and hold the powerful accountable," said Lewis. Among the stories he covered were a paternity scandal involving the New Haven police chief, poverty in Haiti, war-torn Bosnia, and the terrorist attacks. The phrase "that's a Misczuk story" was common in news meetings, according to Lewis. Further details of his death were not reported by the station, though he was said to have been on a family trip in Rhode Island when he passed away. Misczuk, an Emmy winner for investigative reporting, had also reported for WVNY in Burlington, Vt., WTZA in Kingston, N.Y., and News 12 Connecticut in Norwalk, Conn. He leaves behind a wife and three children.

The car had broken through police barriers before hitting Baderinwa, who was interviewing people who had their basements flooded by heavy rain, according to today's Daily News. Baderinwa, who came to Ch. 7 from Baltimore last year and serves as 5 p.m. co-anchor and 11 p.m. reporter, was reportedly awake and undergoing tests overnight.

Two photographers received minor injuries and were treated and released from the hospital, according to the station. In contrast to reports in the morning papers and on its own website, Ch. 7 twice reported this morning that the car was still being sought, before apparently correcting its copy for the 7 a.m. newscast.