Another Departure From Channel 12

WKRC-TV (Channel 12) has lost another key manager as employees wait for Clear Channel to sell its TV division.

Local 12 Director of Engineering Hank Hundemer, a 13-year veteran, leaves Jan. 25 to join Randy Michaels' TV operation. He will be vice president for engineering for "The Other Company," a division of Tribune Media, he says.

Michaels, the radio wiz who ran Jacor Communications (WLW-AM/WEBN) and Clear Channel's radio division, last month was named CEO of Tribune Company's broadcasting and internet business unit after former business parter Sam Zell acquired the Chicago-based media giant.

Michaels also heads the new broadcast management company which provides shared services for the 23 Tribune TV stations and the TV stations owned by Fort Wright-based Local TV LLC.

Michaels was the founding CEO of Local TV last year, when it purchased nine TV stations from the New York Times. Robert Lawrence, Randy's long-time friend and former Jacor executive, was promoted to Local TV president and CEO from COO when Michaels left the company for Tribune last month.

In the past six months, Channel 12 has lost GM Chris Sehring, acting GM Dotsy Klei and two anchors, Dayna Eubanks and Paul Adler. Clear Channel announced in April it was selling its 51 TV stations for $1.2 billion last April to Providence Equity Partners of Rhode Island. The transaction has not been completed.

Hundemer says his decision to leave has nothing to do with the Local 12 ownership situation. He seized an opportunity to work with Michaels, whom he called "an industry visionary." The move "doesn't have anything to do with what's going on here," he says.