Steve Aveson checks in

Former Channel 12 anchor Steve Aveson, whose time at the station recently came to an end, got in touch late last week. He say he hopes to "remain actively involved in Rhode Island and in Providence."

Aveson, who joined WPRI-WNAC in 2002 -- and with whom I worked on the station's Newsmakers' show since late 2005 -- says Channel 12 "told me for financial reasons they were unable to renew my contract."

The anchor has only kind words for his former employer, citing "great colleagues, who, together helped to create a new era for Eyewitness News." As he noted, Channel 12 has won a number of Associated Press Station of the Year awards in recent years.

Aveson was also involved in the community, through such efforts as the Manton Avenue Project, the United Way, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and others.

Channel 12 news director Joe Abouzeid declined to comment on why Aveson's tenure at the station came to an end.

Asked about the difficult current environment for media companies, Abouzeid says, "We are, like many of our competitors, adapting to today's media environment by positioning our resources where we feel they'll be best used," with a particular focus on the station's Web site.