Tuesday, June 15, 1999
No replacement yet for Luken at Channel 5
BY JOHN KIESEWETTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Although WLWT executives knew Charlie Luken was contemplating leaving the anchor desk for months, Channel 5 had no successor ready when he left the payroll Monday.
“We've got a great team who will be filling in until we name a permanent replacement,” said Rick Rogala, Channel 5 president and general manager.
Mr. Luken, 47, the former mayor who joined Channel 5 news in 1993, said his resignation was announced Monday because of personal finance issues and his contract. His two-year Channel 5 deal, which extended into next year, was terminated in a settlement signed Monday.
Mr. Luken left Congress to become a Channel 5 reporter in January 1993, two weeks before the resignation of anchor Jerry Springer, another former mayor. He was named main news co-anchor with Norma Rashid in 1994. Their newscast had been third in household ratings since then.
“This has been coming for a while. It's just better for everybody,” Mr. Luken said. “I'm grateful to the peo ple who watched our news, and to the people I've worked with at Channel 5.”
Ms. Rashid is not affected by the change.
“We have a contract with Norma, and Norma is going to continue here,” Mr. Rogala said.
Ms. Rashid said she'll miss Mr. Luken, who anchored his final newscast Thursday from Crosley Square, before the station moved into a new Mount Auburn studio.
“He's an excellent politician and broadcaster, and anything he puts his mind to he'll do well,” she said.
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