Update: Valicenti Only Wants The Best For Channel 10

Update: Valicenti Only Wants The Best For Channel 10

Long time Providence news anchor and reporter Gene Valicenti tells GoLocal he only wants the best for Channel 10 and looks forward to contributing to what he calls a “great news staff”. Valicenti, who has been taken off the 11pm news with Patrice Wood says there’s still a lot of work to do for the station’s leading news channel.

“I’ll be anchoring the 5:30pm news and also the 6pm news with Patrice Wood – and working hard to keep Southern New England informed as I have done for many years."

Valicenti says Channel 10 is "his home" and he wants things to stay that way adding “I’ve been with the station for 20-years”.

7pm anchor Dan Jaehnig will take over the 11pm duties with Patrice Wood in the next week or so just in time for the February ratings period.

Station insiders say 7pm Co-Anchor (with Jaehnig) Alison Bologna is being eyed to co-anchor with Valicenti at 5:30pm. Valicenti would not comment on that. Sources tell us that Bologna is on vacation and may have heard the news through a text message.

If Channel 10 were smart, they would continue to draw upon the huge name recognition Valicenti has built in this market in the past two-decades. His story telling is unique and anyone who has ever gone against him on a story knows he’s aggressive and can get a scoop. He may have anchored for a while now but he’s hands-down one of the best street reporters to come here to Providence in a very long time.

Valicenti will also keep doing his local weekly Saturday radio talk show.

While the anchor move is designed to bring in younger viewers---Channel 10 and NBC continue to struggle with prime-time ratings. The glory days of "Must See TV" that have vanished on NBC have taken their toll on NBC stations across the country and despite Channel 10's place in RI TV history---all stations need good lead in's. So will this new line-up of Jaehnig and Patrice Wood really move the ratings meter?

We'll see.