Castaldi set to run new Channel 5 news

Steve Bornfeld

Thursday, Dec. 18, 1997 | 10:53 a.m.

When KVVU Channel 5 launches its news department and 10 p.m. newscast next spring, longtime Channel 3 anchor Gwen Castaldi will be running the show.

In April, after her contract with KVBC Channel 3 expires, Castaldi will leave the airwaves and go behind the scenes to become Channel 5's news director. A non-compete clause -- a standard practice in television -- in her Channel 3 contract prohibits her from appearing on a competing station for a year. It doesn't faze her.

"I am extremely excited about this," Castaldi said. "I had wanted to get off the air for some time and go behind the scenes. I want to mentor some good, young reporters and pass on what I know, get hands-on with the news."

Castaldi, 45, will get to build a news operation from scratch, as the local Fox affiliate finally enters the local news fray. A half-hour, 10 p.m. newscast is slated to launch in June, although no anchor has been announced. And the newscast will have competition beyond network prime-time programming. In April, a new, local cable station launched by KLAS Channel 8 and the Las Vegas SUN will also program news at 10 p.m.

Castaldi will remain at Channel 3 for the duration of her contract, which expires March 31. She will join Channel 5 in April. Salvatore "Rusty" Durante, Channel 5's vice president and general manager, said Castaldi is a key acquisition.

"She is not only an award-winning journalist with extensive experience, she brings with her exceptional enthusiasm, a reputation for fairness, thoroughness and news ethics," Durante said. "We feel she is perfect to help launch an aggressive and dynamic news product."

Castaldi is a 24-year news veteran. Although she has been with Channel 3 since 1980, she has a varied resume in Las Vegas media, including stints with several local radio stations, KSHO-TV (now KTNV Channel 13), Channel 8 and the Review-Journal. Castaldi also worked briefly for WBBM-TV in Chicago before joining Channel 3 in 1980. She currently anchors the 4 and 6 p.m. newscasts.

"It will be hard to leave Channel 3," Castaldi said. "They saw me through an enormous growth period. They developed and I developed, and they allowed me to do some of my best work there. ... I'm grateful Channel 3's management understands and accepts my decision."

Under Castaldi's supervision, the Fox newscast, Durante said, will be "innovative, but straightforward and easy to watch." There will be a single anchor -- probably not plucked from the local ranks -- with no weather or sportscasters. "It (sports and weather) will be done in capsule form with voice-overs or in graphic form when it comes to weather," Durante said. "All the information anybody will ever need will be there."

The news department will have a staff of about 20, including five reporters, who have not yet been recruited. The newscast will include contributions from Fox News and CNN.

Even though Castaldi will leave the airwaves after fulfilling her Channel 3 contract, she will probably resurface on Channel 5 after the non-compete clause expires. "I'll probably want to do some things on the air," she said. "I'm a reporter first."