Eye on the Anchors

Speaking in the same conference room as the ABC7 team had, Wolf and Stilwell are friendly and frank, and in spite of their jokes about their age difference-the widest among the local anchor teams-seem comfortable with and respectful of each other.

On public appearances:

Both Wolf and Stilwell have made their marks with various organizations, from the children's hospital and A-Team challenge academic quiz to Special Equestrians, although Stilwell's appearances have been rarer since her twins were born less than a year ago.

"When you say 'I'm going to work with you,' it's a huge commitment," she says, and organizations sometimes have the mistaken impression that association with an anchor guarantees them television coverage.

Although ethics guidelines tend to discourage journalists from advocating for organizations because of the risks-losing their objectivity, conflicts of interest or the appearance of impropriety-Wolf has little patience for those "pointy heads at think tanks," defending community service as an essential part of being a member of the company and the community. That's especially true in a relatively small community such as Southwest Florida, adds Stilwell. "Doing events and getting out in the community is a win-win."

On the LMA:

From a cost standpoint, both WBBH and WZVN benefit. "We run two stations on less than two full staffs," Wolf points out, and Waterman Broadcasting has been able to invest in high-end, high-cost technology.

It also seems to heighten competition between news teams. Wolf admits that when he started, he tried to keep his stories from the other station, and Stilwell says she had to turn over stories to NBC2 when she was on ABC7 staff. But the benefits of collaborating were obvious during hurricane coverage, Wolf adds. "We were unstoppable," he says. "We tromped WINK."

On ratings and job security:

Good ratings don't guarantee an anchor's job, says Wolf. "It's not a given you're the reason people are watching." They might be watching for the weatherman or the "hot blonde," he adds with a grin. More important are the results of focus groups, he says. "We're tested regularly. You'd better do well in focus groups or your tenure will be short."

On reporting:

As with other anchors, Wolf and Stilwell do little "day-of" reporting, focusing more on larger projects and helping reporters, who usually don't have the anchors' longevity or their local knowledge.

Wolf intends to do more reporting, he says. "I've decided I want to get on the street more. I've spent eight or nine years being a talking hair-do."