Hormann s pleased with his decisions

With his two-year contract about to expire, Bill Hormann weighed his career options.

This was kind of a crossroad for me, he said. I m 43. You see where you are, and you see where you want to be. I needed to make a smart decision.

He decided to stay put. The weekend news anchor/reporter for WTVG-TV, Channel 13, recently signed a three-year contract.

We appreciate what he brings to the table and that s not always the case, WTVG news director Brian Trauring said. We are very fortunate to have him. He is a top-flight journalist.

Hormann spent two years at WTVG s archrival, WTOL-TV, Channel 11. On Jan. 16, 2001, he replaced Jeff Heitz as co-anchor of the station s top-rated 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. He lasted 23 months in the position, as WTOL decided not to renew the optional third year of his five-year contract.

Bill Hormann: WTVG weekend news anchor.

After more than a year away from the TV news business, Hormann resurfaced at WTVG in 2004.

Even now, he says, at least once a week someone will approach him and mention his departure from WTOL. He appreciates all of the pats on the back he has received from viewers.

It s something that happens in the business, to people much more talented than me, he said. It hurt at the time because it was the first time it happened to me.

At WTVG, Hormann said he has lucked out into a great situation.

He makes no secret that he would like to see WTVG overtake WTOL as the most-watched newscast in the market.

I want to beat them, he said. In the ratings, they re No. 1. But in my heart, we re No. 1. We do a better job.

Hormann said he and his wife, Peverley, feel at home in Toledo, and that, more than any other factor, influenced his decision to stay at WTVG. He worked for stations in the nation s capital before moving to Toledo.

We love it here, he said. It s our speed.

FINAL EXAM: WUPW-TV, Channel 36, will devote a half-hour to the final installment of its Skating with Tami series during which reporter Tami Tremblay has learned how to figure skate at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. (Interestingly, the finale of the sweeps-driven series, inspired by the network s Skating with Celebrities, will air the day after the February ratings period ends.)

News anchors Laura Emerson and Karl Rungren will host the show, which will include packages by Joe Rychnovsky and Allison Brown before Tremblay does a live 2 -minute routine.

There s plenty of material to make this half-hour work, WUPW news director Steve France said.

Here s hoping this serves as a precedent for more half-hour specials on the Fox affiliate preferably on meatier topics.

TOLEDO PIPELINE: ABC-owned WTVG is losing another newsroom employee to WPVI-TV, its sister station in Philadelphia. Matt Simansky, producer of the 11 p.m. newscast, will stay in Toledo through March 24. He is the fifth WTVG newsroom employee to make the big jump in market size from No. 70 to No. 4 since 2002.