Fired KHJ-TV Anchor Gordon Looks Ahead

In the tradition of her father, an old-time vaudevillian who used to put ads in the trades saying he was “at liberty” whenever he was out of work, longtime KHJ-TV Channel 9 news anchor Wendy Gordon today planned to let the world know of her situation much the same way:

“After seven years anchoring the Channel 9 News at 9 o’clock . . . I am finally free for dinner,” she was going to announce in full page ads in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter.

In a telephone interview from her home Wednesday, Gordon blamed the ending of her career at Channel 9 on the recent purchase of KHJ-TV by the Walt Disney Co.

“Disney came in Friday, Dec. 2 and I got my notice on Monday, Dec. 5,” she said.

Not so, said KHJ news director Stephanie Brady. She said it was a coincidence that Gordon’s contract ended about the time Disney came in and the change in ownership had nothing to do with the non-renewal of the contract.

“I don’t know why she’s putting that interpretation on it,” Brady said. “It was time to make a change, and we foresee there may be some changes in our news needs. I really can’t be more specific at this time.”

Reporter and backup anchor Linda Edwards was named to replace Gordon as co-anchor with Tom Lawrence for the time being. KHJ said she would be filling in temporarily, but there were indications Edwards would be permanent--at least in television terms. Asked whether she would be the permanent replacement, a spokeswoman said: “She may be.”

Gordon, whose contract expires Sunday, said Brady called her at home Wednesday morning telling her she didn’t need to show up again. “I was (going to be) off anyway Wednesday night but I had planned to finish out the week, so last night (Tuesday) was my last night,” Gordon said.

She said her dismissal had come as “sort of a surprise, particularly after we got a notice that we had done very well on our November Nielsen ratings.”

The station came in second among the four local independent TV stations, Brady said.

Gordon is not one of those anchors who come from somewhere else. She grew up in Pasadena, graduating from San Marino High School and then, in 1972, from UCLA. While studying broadcasting in graduate school, she worked as a production assistant, then did reporting for stations in Peoria, Ill., and Portland, Ore., before coming back to Los Angeles as a reporter for KHJ in April, 1981.

“That December, I started anchoring,” she said.

“Of course you feel sad,” Gordon said of leaving the station. “We had a good seven-year run. I will miss a lot of people here. Now I have to sit down and reassess what I want to do. I’m going to go to New Mexico for the holidays with my boyfriend and,” she said, a touch of laughter coming into her voice, “it will give me a chance to spend more time with my three-legged dog, Carter.”

(Her 14-year-old Australian shepherd was attacked by a bear 10 years ago in Oregon.)

Gordon said she intends to stay in Los Angeles. “It’s my home. I have no plans to move. I’m optimistic I can get work here.

“It’s a tough business,” she reflected, and particularly tough, she added, on women.

“Marcia Brandwynne and I have been good friends for a long time,” she said of the former KCBS and KTTV anchor who has had her TV ups and downs. Brandwynne is now executive vice president at Carol Burnett’s production company.

Gordon said they had a long talk about her situation on Tuesday, “and she gave me some good advice. She said, ‘Forget about it. You’ve had a good seven-year run, longer than most people in this town.’

“She told me to ‘get on with your life and go ahead,’ and that’s what I’m going to do.”