More shake-ups in the Channel 4 newsroom: WSMV has replaced the news director who got rid of veteran anchor Demetria Kalodimos.

Denise Eck — Channel 4's news director for less than two years — is out, replaced by Mitch Jacob, who most recently worked at a Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned station in Washington, D.C., Channel 4 general manager Rene LaSpina told the newsroom in a staff meeting Tuesday morning.

LaSpina is new to Channel 4, arriving at the embattled station last month.

In a press release, LaSpina said: “Mitch is an outstanding newsroom leader with nearly 20 years of news management experience."

The statement didn't address why Eck was replaced.

EXCLUSIVE:Demetria Kalodimos — The goodbye she never got to give

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Both LaSpina and new news director Jacob now lead a newsroom hit three times in two and a half years with age discrimination lawsuits, one filed in November by popular former anchor Kalodimos, who worked at the station for 33 years.

Kalidomos filed that suit about 11 months after the station got rid of her by not renewing her contract. Eck, then news director, let Kalodimos know by leaving a letter on the anchor's desk with no face-to-face conversation and no thanks, Kalodimos said.

The former anchor's lawsuit described WSMV as creating a "hostile environment" that favored men and younger on-air personalities.

A spokeswoman for Meredith Corp., which owns Channel 4, issued a statement at the time saying the company strongly disagreed with the allegations.

"We will vigorously defend ourselves against them," spokeswoman Kara Kelly said.

Channel 4's viewership dropped in the months after Kalodimos left the station.

WSMV lost between 10 percent and 20 percent of its news viewers in the 12 months ending May 23, according to ratings obtained by The Tennessean. The channel slipped from the No. 2 ranking it has had for years.

On the other side, Channel 4 last week won 13 regional Emmy awards, more than any other Nashville major-network affiliate.

A Meredith Corp. spokeswoman declined to comment on why Eck was replaced.

Two longtime Channel 4 personalities posted social media messages of support for Eck Wednesday morning, saying the station's personnel issues predated Eck.

In a Facebook post linking to this story, longtime investigative reporter Nancy Amons left a comment saying Amons liked and respected Eck.

"I will miss her," Amons wrote. "The mess existed long before she came."

Rudy Kalis — who spent 40 years on air at Channel 4 before leaving in 2017 — replied to Amons' comment, posting:

"Nancy is right, the problems at Channel 4 started before Denise Eck became the news director."

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Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or on Twitter @bradschmitt.