Dan Salamone

Dan Salamone, a former news director from Cleveland, has been named executive producer of “Good Day Chicago” on Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.

Starting August 17, he’ll oversee the perennially low-rated newscast, which airs from 4:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. The show’s current anchors are Corey McPherrin, Darlene Hill, Jon Kelley and Melody Mendez.

“Growing the ratings in this time period is a big challenge and very important to the company,” Salamone told friends on Facebook. “I'm ready to dig in and help the entire team produce newscasts that will have the Windy City talking!”

Good Day Chicago

“Good Day Chicago” has had a revolving door of executive producers in recent years. Jennifer Vander Sanden, who held the job until last May, recently joined Noreen Heron & Associates, the Chicago-based public relations firm, as vice president.

Salamone surprised Cleveland media when he stepped down last January after nine years as news director at CBS affiliate WOIO-TV and MyNetworkTV affiliate WUAB-TV. His departure shortly followed the retirement of Bill Applegate after 13 years as general manager of the two Raycom Media stations.

Reputed to be an innovative news manager, Salamone attracted national attention in 2012 when he used puppets on the air to re-enact testimony from the corruption trial of a county commissioner after cameras had been barred from the courtroom.

A native of Hudson, Massachusetts and a graduate of Emerson College in Boston, Salamone previously doubled as station manager and news director at KOIN-TV, the CBS affiliate in Portland, Oregon, and KRQE, the CBS affiliate in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also was news director at ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV in Detroit and NBC affiliate WJAR-TV in Providence, Rhode Island.

His move here reunites Salamone with Fox 32 news director Tom Doerr, who worked with him as a consultant at the station in Albuquerque.

Jill Manuel, assistant news director at Fox 32, competed against Salamone as news director of ABC affiliate WEWS-TV in Cleveland.