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Sam Champion Exits Good Morning America For The Weather Channel!

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

While we previously reported several of the anchors of ABC’s Good Morning America contracts were up for renewal, and several were in negotiations, one of them, weatherman Sam Champion has decided to bolt ABC and head to the Weather Channel!

Champion will relocate from New York City to Atlanta for the new gig which gives him the opportunity to be Managing Editor of the Weather Channel, plus launch his own new morning show and more!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Champion is leaving ABC News, where he has been for 25 years, for a robust new role at The Weather Channel, which is a division of the NBCUniversal News Group. He’ll anchor a new flagship morning program, set to launch early next year. And he’ll assume managing editor responsibilities a the channel, which has increasingly sought to become a destination during times other than periodical weather disasters.”

Ginger Zee will now replace Champion in the weather role on GMA!  40th Annual Daytime Emmy viewers will recall this past June, Sam was one of the co-hosts of the awards program on HLN, which honors the best in daytime programing!

ABC News President, Ben Sherwood in a company-wide email related:  “Sam is leaving to become the “on-air face” of the network, which Champion himself characterized as a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Sherwood went on to say: “Over the years at GMA, Sam has broadcast more than 1,800 weather forecasts. He has traveled to almost every major weather event in the U.S. As many of you know, Sam’s ‘Go’ bag is always ready and his stellar reporting during Superstorm Sandy contributed to ABC’s Peabody Award for coverage of that historic storm!”

Weather Channel President David Clark stated on the acquisition of Champion: “Sam is already one of the top names in morning television, as well as one of the country’s most respected and trusted weather reporters. He will add a great deal to our network and be a great addition to our already proven and stellar team of talented weather professionals. With his commitment to understanding, predicting and explaining the power of weather in our lives, Sam perfectly embodies The Weather Channel’s brand philosophy, ‘It’s Amazing Out There.’”

So, what do you think of Sam Champion departing Good Morning America for Weather Channel?  Will you miss him on GMA?  Weigh-in!

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Sad…love Sam. I hope Josh does not leave too. These seem to be tight friends

Glad I’ll get to see him again since I no longer watch ABC except GH…

No, I won’t miss him.

my boyfriend looks like sam champion, but my boyfriend is 39 years old, and im 26. sam is one fine hot man. lol. when i go out for dinner with my man, people look at my boyfriend, and say you look like sam champion. i say yes he does, and he is my man. i tell them look at him, but dont touch him. lol.

I really love the good morning america family..Sam you will be deeply :(:(:missed. Good Luck!!

He will be missed.

Awww Love Sam he’ll be missed dearly but great news on his new Adventures we’ll always watch the Weather Channel when getting up ready to go to work …. He’ll fit find in there group so we will be watch n SAM huggggs from all of us here in Tampa Bay FL ………..God Bless u Always he made such great Friends over at GMA !!!!!!!

I thought Sam was away with his significant other?

Well I enjoyed him on GMA!!!

I’ll miss the many years of seeing him in the gym locker room after GMA!

I am sure they will just replace him with another laughing hyena that will talk when everybody else is talking. Sam has looked embarrased lately at some of the behavior on that show. I wish him well.

tomorrow 12/4/2013 will be a sad day because it’s sam’s last day on gma – he is such a big part of gma & he will definitely be missed!

this is such a well deserved opportunity for sam – i know he will exceed the weather channels expectations……….

I missed viewing the news for awhile and when I did the first person I missed was Sam.
Every morning I looked for Sam but no Sam. Today I decided to google him and found
Out he had left! I will definitely miss him as he was my favorite. I wish him must success
In his new career. Good-bye Sam and may God forever bless you.

News

Robin Strasser Meets Kristen Alderson’s Baby Kiera in a One Life to Live Reunion

For years, Robin Strasser (ex-Dorian) and Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) have been the best of friends and the best of co-stars. On One Life to Live, Kristen was only six-years-old when she began her journey as Todd and Blair’s daughter and met the iconic Strasser.

Now in 2024, Kristen is a new mom to her baby girl, Kiera. Strasser, who lives in New York, along with her best friend, John, traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just a few days ago to visit the Alderson family and spend the day with Kiera.

Taking to her Instagram a very happy Kristen shared, “Look at who came to visit today! Robin & her bestie John! Robin and I got all misty eyed when she met Kiera today!”

Photo: JPI

In a very touching part of her post, Alderson expressed, “Robin is such a special person in my life, it means so much to me that we’re as close as we are. She’s just the best❤️ A great day of laughs & a great brunch spread😍”

Robin added, “I’ve been smiling since I met her. I’m a big softie for babies, but what a doll Kiera is!” The Daytime Emmy-winning star, also shared, “I’m so grateful for my ongoing friendship with Kris and Kathy. Amazing women and loyal friends!”

What do you think about Kristen and Robin’s enduring friendship and recalling their time on One Life to Live? Comment below.

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General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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Peter Reckell returns for a second visit with Michael Fairman following the wrap-up of his recent run as Bo Brady on Days of our Lives.Leave A Comment

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