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Hosts leaving Channel 8's 'Daytime'

By CHASE SQUIRES
Published December 22, 2005

Both longtime hosts of WFLA-Ch. 8's weekday-morning program Daytime are leaving the station just as the show prepares for syndication, general manager Eric Land confirmed Wednesday.

Brian Fasulo has hosted Daytime since it launched in August 2001, coming from Fox Sports Net, and Debra Schrills joined about three years ago after a stint on the WFLA news weather team.

Land said the station and hosts were unable to come to a contract agreement. The contract expires at the end of the year.

Fasulo said he and Schrills will air their last show Friday.

"To have been welcomed into so many homes, every morning, to have been apart of so many lives, these past four years as co-host of Daytime have been an incredible experience, both professionally and personally," Fasulo said in a news release. "Debra and I were embraced by this community."

Fasulo later said he was unsure what his next step would be, but he said he plans to stay active in the area.

"I love this place," he said.

New hosts have not been selected, but Daytime is expected to begin syndicating itself to some of the 26 Media General stations in 12 states, with allowances for stations to insert their own segments in place of Tampa Bay ones.

Daytime has sparked discussion among industry observers because WFLA sells guest spots to local companies, allowing them to control part of the broadcast. Land on Wednesday stressed that Daytime is not affiliated with the station's news department. Broadcasts close with the printed message "Preceding Daytime segment(s) is/were paid for by," followed by the sponsors.

Wednesday's broadcast included a note that a circus spotlighted on the show was an advertiser and featured a saleswoman from Dillard's pitching last-minute holiday gifts. The segment was labeled as "sponsored by Dillard's."

[Last modified December 22, 2005, 00:58:15]