Brian Patrick Going Out On Top

I wonder if there's much second-guessing at Ch. 9 about the “Good Morning Cincinnati” anchor team? Ch. 9 will likely win the July ratings "sweeps" – not the most important sweeps month by far, but, hey, it is a ratings' victory in the very competitive morning news race – with Brian Patrick co-hosting with Kathrine Nero.

Yet despite having a No. 1 morning team for the first time in years, they're not going to keep it. They're sticking with Plan A, hiring two anchor/reporters to replace David Rose on the morning and 5:30 p.m. news. Patrick, who was fired in December after 16 years, agreed to come back to Ch. 9 April-June while the station auditioned a permanent replacement for Rose.

"We agreed from the start that he would help us during an interim period and he has done that in fine fashion," says Bob Morford, news director. "We hope to have a new permanent replacement for the morning chosen by mid-August."

Patrick, 51, says he hasn’t looked at the ratings, though he’s been told they're pretty good.

"It would have been nice to be asked to stay (morning co-anchor). It's disappointing to end it, but it was meant to be," says Patrick, who anchored mornings on WCKY-AM (1530) before joining Ch. 9 in 1990.

By "meant to be," Patrick means he already has another morning job lined up. On Sept. 4, he debuts as the first local program host on the Catholic Sacred Heart Radio, WNOP-AM (740). His new "Son Rise" show 6-8 a.m. weekdays will mix religious talk with news, traffic and weather. Billboard will be going up in a few weeks.

"I think this is what I’ve been training for my entire 32-year career," says Patrick, who operates the Good News Network publicizing Christians' good deeds under his real name, Paul Smith. "This (radio) ministry is probably the most important thing in my career. I believe the media has the power to reach people with a good message. It's a unique opportunity."

And while we’re talking about Ch. 9: I keep hearing rumblings that staffing changes are coming after the July book, possibly with sports reporter Lisa Cornwell or other areas. (Isn't Channel 9 is the only station with three full-time on-air sports anchors/reporters?) Morford side-stepped the question by saying, "There's no benefit to our station in telegraphing to our competition what our plans are for any segment or segments of our newsroom."

If you ran Ch. 9, would keep Brian Patrick on the morning show? Or do you want a more outgoing personality, ala David Rose?
Are you enough of a Patrick fan to listen to his new radio show on WNOP-AM?