Cut me a break will ya?
Musings From Eric: (Twice in one week for this column...who woulda thunk?)
I'm acutally writting this in response to Rob Owen's article today about local snow coverage...or the overabundance thereof.
You know, as a child (which wasn't THAT long ago) I seem to remember that if we had a "snow day" it was announced on the local radio station. (I'm thinking of one in particular, naturally.) It was pretty much a given that if we were expecting a somewhat significant snow "event" the night before, it seemed that one would just get up a little earlier and tune in to find out the situation, right? Right!
(more)Towel day for Cope
Pittsburgh:
Buckhead and Bubba of "B94" WBZW-FM (93.7) are asking Pittsburghers to remember the late Myron Cope today by attending a rally on the steps of the City-County Building, Grant Street, Downtown.
The morning show hosts will join Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl at 12 noon.
Instead of silence, a "moment of cheering" will be held for Cope. All visitors are asked to bring their "Terrible Towels" and wave them in Cope's honor.
The longtime Steelers color analyst and former WTAE radio/TV personality died Wednesday at age 79.
The CBS radio CHR station has also created an audio tribute to Cope. A montage of Cope soundbites spliced together with Chris Daughtry's "Home," it can be heard on B94's website.
No yoi in Mudville: Cope reaction
Pittsburgh: People throughout the region are remembering longtime Steelers broadcaster and WTAE radio/TV personality Myron Cope:. . .
Mike Bires, Beaver County Times:
He was such a brilliant writer that his story on sportscaster Howard Cosell was named one of the top 50 stories in Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary edition, which went to press in 2004.
But Cope's life took a strange twist in 1968 when WTAE-AM radio hired him as a morning sports commentator. Two years later, he broadcast his first Steelers game.
From that point, Cope would become the conduit between the Steelers and their fans.
. . .
Rick Weaver, Indiana Gazette:
In a region that reveres its broadcast institutions, few were more beloved than Cope.
Cope didn't describe the action with the "perfect" voice that corporate media insists its announcers employ. The skills he developed en route to a career in freelance writing helped him shape the memories that we carry of when the Steelers bordered on unstoppable.
Cope didn't disdain his roots. Heck, he flaunted them, what with his use of our region's quirky dialect. And we treated him as what he was, one of our own.
We owe many thanks to Myron Cope. We thank him not only for his service and devotion to the Steelers but, most of all, for being Myron Cope. There will never be another like him. (more)
CMT features Westmoreland 'rednecks'
Pittsburgh: I don't want to be called a redneck on national TV, but two Westmoreland County newlyweds are taking it all in fun.
According to the Post-Gazette, Ron and Kelli Sarsfield of Hunker got married in December at Motordrome Speedway near Smithton ... and celebrated with a demolition derby. Yee-haw!
Turns out it was filmed for a show on cable's Country Music Television called "My Big Redneck Wedding." Their episode airs tomorrow at 9 p.m.
(The Tribune-Review had the story back in December.)
Sorry we didn't get invited. "Are you with the bride's family? Fine. You'll be driving the Buick Invicta. Here's your crash helmet."
And it's not true that my car was part of the procession. It just looks like it.
Penguins: Bring a towel for Mahrn!
Pittsburgh: The Pittsburgh Penguins will be honoring broadcast legend Myron Cope as they take on the Atlanta Thrashers this Sunday (3/2/08) at 3pm. Fans are being encouraged to bring their "Terrible Towels" to the game. In addition, fans may donate to the Allegheny Valley School at gates 1, 3 and 10 of Mellon Arena. If you do not have a Terrible Towel, one may be purchased at Penn Station before the game.Myron Cope passes
Pittsburgh:
The gravelly voice of the Steeler Nation has been silenced.
Myron Cope died this morning in a Mount Lebanon nursing home after a lengthy illness. He was 79.
The Associated Press quotes Joe Gordon, longtime Steelers public-relations executive, as saying that Cope had been suffering from respiratory problems and heart failure for several months. An operation to remove a growth from his throat had reduced his distinctive voice to a hoarse croak.
From 1970 to 2004, Cope was the color analyst on Steelers football broadcasts, punctuating powerful plays with patented Cope-isms like "yoi!" and panning poor performances with "feh!"
He also hosted the city's first daily sports talk show on the former WTAE (1250) and contributed commentaries (and wacky music videos) to newscasts on WTAE-TV (4).
The talk show, launched in 1973, ran for 22 years. The show was created, Cope noted wryly, after a WTAE executive said he had noticed a trend in radio toward "annoying voices."
Along with the Steelers' play-by-play men --- first Jack Fleming, later Bill Hillgrove --- it was Cope's prodigious broadcast talents that encouraged many fans to "turn down the TV sound" and turn up the radio coverage from the Steelers' flagship stations, first WTAE and then WDVE-FM (102.5).
Cope's rise in Pittsburgh broadcasting coincided with the Steelers' remarkable 1970s turnaround from professional football's doormats to four-time Super Bowl champions.
Helping to knit together the team's fan base, his contributions included the invention of the "Terrible Towel" as a WTAE radio promotional gimmick, while his quick wit created such memorable nicknames as "Emperor Chaz" for Coach Chuck Noll, "the Bungles" for the Cincinnati Bengals, and "The Bus" for halfback Jerome Bettis.
"His contributions and dedication to Steelers football were incredible," Dan Rooney, Steelers chairman, said in a statement today. "His creation of the Terrible Towel has developed into a worldwide symbol that is synonymous with Steelers football. He also helped immortalize the most famous play in NFL history when he popularized the term 'Immaculate Reception.'" (more)
WNEO to shut off analog signal in November
Youngstown:News from our friends over at Ohio Media Watch has some news regarding half of the "PBS 45/49" simulcast. WNEO 45 in Alliance which serves parts of the Youngstown market. In a check of the Northeastern Ohio TV stations regarding the digital transistion plans, OMW reports that WNEO will be shutting off it's analog signal on Channel 45 soon after November 19th of this year. This will allow the station to move it's digital signal from 46-1 to 45-1. Other parts of the Youngstown region served by WNEO's low powered translator W58AM on channel 58 should not be affected for a while. While there is a construction permit for that station on channel 44, the date for translators and other low powered stations to convert to digital will not occur until 2012. Hopefully, WNEO is informing viewers (who use an antenna for reception) of the shutoff & informing them on how to apply for conversion box coupons before their earlier analog shutoff.
I learned a lesson from Pat Kain
Musings From Eric: I can't say that I ever met Pat Kain in person...but I sure did learn a lesson from him. When you get right down to it, I was the victim of an unintentional set-up. Let me explain.
Back in the late '90s/early '00s, I had responded to a message board post on the state of radio. (I'm sorry I don't remember where, when or what exactly it referred to.) The message that was posted spoke negatively about Pat Kain in the sense that someone didn't appreciate the kind of stuff he did on the air. It stopped short of calling him names, but being the typed word rather than spoken, I couldn't feel the actual emotion. Can you tell where this is going?
W.Va. Fox affiliate fined
West Virginia: WVAH-TV (11), the Fox affiliate serving Charleston and Huntington, is among 13 stations that the Federal Communications Commission is fining over a 2003 episode of "Married By America," reports the Charleston Daily Mail.The episode of the canceled reality show that aired on April 7, 2003, violated broadcast indecency standards, the FCC announced Friday. (PDF)
"The program focused on Las Vegas bachelor and bachelorette parties for two couples that featured sexually oriented entertainment provided by male and female strippers," according to the forfeiture order issued by the Friendly Candy Company.
"Following the broadcast, the Commission received complaints alleging that the 'Married By America' episode contained indecent material."
The FCC's order says "the material depicted sexual or excretory organs or activities," "dwells on or repeats at length depictions or descriptions of sexual or excretory organs or activities," and "was pandering and titillating."
(Heh heh. They said "titillating.")
Other stations cited were in Detroit; Minneapolis; Washington, D.C.; Tampa; Kansas City, Mo.; Roanoke, Va.; Lansing, Mich.; Des Moines; West Point, Miss.; Greenville, S.C.; Yakima, Wash.; and Nashville, Tenn.
Former Centre County DJ passes
Johnstown-Altoona-State College: Scott Fybush at NorthEast Radio Watch reports that Pat Kain died Thursday at Lancaster Regional Medical Center. He was just 35.He was a former air talent in the State College area whose career included stints at WMAJ-FM (99.5) and "B-103" WBHV-FM (then 103.1), and as morning show host at "Quick" WQWK-FM (then 97.1).
Kain, who worked at WHFS-FM (105.7) in Baltimore before its unexpected switch in 2005 from progressive rock to FM talk, had also worked at WLAN-FM (96.9) in Lancaster as night DJ, music director and assistant program director.
Previously he was music director and PM drive host at KCNL, San Jose, Calif. A 1995 Penn State graduate, he returned to Pennsylvania to attend Widener University Law School.
According to the Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal, survivors include his wife, the former Stacy Nale; an infant daughter, Magdalena; his parents Vincent and Patricia Kain of Pelham, N.Y.; and two brothers.
Kain's funeral is set for later today at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lancaster, with interment to follow at the parish cemetery.
A fine time to leave me?
Pittsburgh: Terry Hazlett of the Observer-Reporter says one of the most depressing things about the Kenny Rogers song "Lucille" is "the number of tone-deaf people who consistently try to sing along."
But on a more serious "note," Hazlett says the fans of a number of network TV shows are likely to "live through some sad times" this fall.
Likely candidates for the programmer's axes are what Hazlett calls the "Sex and the City wannabes," "Lipstick Jungle" and "Cashmere Mafia." Also possibly canceled are CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" and maybe "Shark," "The Unit," "Moonlight," "Jericho," "Cane," and "Kid Nation."
1955: 'Remarkable strides' for educational TV
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:
"Educational television, beset by difficulties and loaded with problems, continues to show remarkable growth," wrote radio-TV critic Lawrence Laurent in The Washington Post on Jan. 15, 1956.
One of the big success stories was "The Children's Corner," developed at Pittsburgh's WQED-TV (13) and picked up by NBC for a three-year contract in 1955.
The show created by Josie Carey and Fred Rogers first appeared on network television at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, 1955, as a summer replacement for the "Winchell and Mahoney Show," starring ventriloquist Paul Winchell and his dummy, Jerry Mahoney.
For four weeks through Sept. 10, "Children's Corner" shows were seen on a "sustaining" basis (i.e. "unsponsored") on NBC, including "the famous Daniel S. Tiger and his puppet friends," reported the Pittsburgh Courier.
"Hostess Josie Carey, Producer Fred Rogers and their troupe will travel to New York to telecast the half-hour sustaining show live," the Courier reported Aug. 13, 1955. "Rated the top program developed at Station WQED, the 'Children's Corner' has captured the hearts of youngsters in this area who write over 4,000 letters a week to Josie and her friends.
"Although the hour-long show will be reduced in time, the only change in the format will be the elimination of special guests," the newspaper said.
While Rogers and Carey were in New York, kinescopes (filmed copies of the live broadcasts) of old "Children's Corner" shows aired on WQED.
The New York Times noted approvingly that "Children's Corner" was "designed for youngsters" but "tries to amuse adults as well."
"'Children's Corner' attempts to blend fantasy with fact, and instruction with fun," Val Adams wrote on Dec. 13, 1955. "It was created by Josie Carey, who appears on stage. Fred Rogers, who manipulates puppets from back stage, writes the scripts and composes.
With typical Times thoroughness, Adams noted that Daniel S. Tiger, who spoke only French, was "a tame tiger (a puppet)."
Apparently, that distinguished Daniel from all of the real, live tigers who were speaking French on network TV in 1955.
Brant dies at 84
Pittsburgh: Word has been received of the death of bandleader, Pittsburgh TV pioneer, and former WJAS (1320) personality Bill Brant.
According to Jerry Vondas of the Tribune-Review, Brant died Feb. 5 after a long illness. He was 84.
A native of Washington County, Brant joined WWSW (970) during World War II, at age 19. He later became one of the early personalities at the city's first TV station, WDTV (3).
More recently, Brant had hosted the morning show at WJAS after that station adopted the "Music of Your Life" adult standards format in the early 1980s. Brant, a trumpet player, also led his own jazz band.
Local record store collection sold on eBay
Pittsburgh:Perhaps one of the largest eBay auctions to date, the Record Rama Sound Archives 3 million-album collection is currently under agreement to a buyer from Ireland. Paul Mawhinney, collector of the recordings and owner of the Ross Township store, has decided the time has come to sell it off and retire after 41 years. The 68-year-old Mawhinney is legally blind now and has watched his business erode over the last several years due to music sales moving online. The store is expected to close within a few months according to Pittsburgh Business Times.
The unidentified highest bidder bid $3,002,150 for the collection and has a month to pay in full. However, Mawhinney has a plan in place should the bidder not come through. Seven others bid over the minimum bid of $3 million - none of them are from the US. Mawhinney values the entire collection between $70 & 90 million and is confident that one of the bidders is legitimate. His hope is that the rarer recordings will be donated to a museum.
UPDATE: (2/24) Several sources, including the Post-Gazette, have reported that the original bid mentioned above was a fraud. The registered bidder claims that his screenname was the victim of ID theft. The collection has been relisted in a different section of eBay where the bidders are screened.
A little levity
Signal-to-Noise: (Mini-commentary from Jason Togyer)
The proposed sale of Clear Channel Communications to a private-equity firm will apparently clear the U.S. Justice Department, if the company sells off radio stations in four markets.
Anti-trust regulators said earlier this month that CC must sell its stations in Cincinnati, Houston, Las Vegas and San Francisco.
(The Mighty Blog of Fun known as Ohio Media Watch has some speculation on what might happen in the Queen City, where the Xavier Musketeers smacked around our Duquesne Dukes last night.)
Those aren't the only Clear Channel stations that are expected to go. The new owners are planning to divest hundreds of Clear Channel properties. All of the company's TV stations and 161 radio stations are already under sale agreements, pending FCC approval.
But that's left about 300 radio stations outside of Arbitron's Top 100 markets still up for sale.
About a year ago, I cut this spot to help out Clear Channel. I think it's still good.
Oh, and Mr. Mays? No need to thank me.
Clearance Sale (MP3) 1MB
McCain story has Pittsburgh ties
Pittsburgh, National News: Several Pittsburgh TV stations are part of a controversy swirling around U.S. Senator John McCain, R-Arizona.The political flap is the result of a hotly disputed story in the New York Times about McCain, front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination.
The front-page report, which depends heavily on anonymous sources, says that McCain was too friendly with a lobbyist who worked on behalf of causes that the senator became personally involved with.
One of those causes was the proposed license swap between WQEX-TV (16) and WPCB-TV (40).
In addition, the story implies that McCain had ulterior motives for encouraging regulators to approve other deals, including the one that put WPGH-TV (53) and then-WPTT-TV (22) under the same control.
The lobbyist named in the story is Indiana County native Vicki Iseman, who has also reportedly done work for AMFM Inc. and Capstar, two of the companies that merged into Clear Channel Communications.
McCain's campaign manager calls it a "smear campaign" by the Times, while the lobbying firm for which Iseman works says the story is filled with "malicious innuendo." (more)
Forever promotes Johnstown cyber-mall
Johnstown-Altoona-State College: Spots are running on Forever Broadcasting's six Johnstown-area stations promoting a new "shopping mall."But according to the Tribune-Democrat, the new "mall" is actually a shopping website that's in the works ... not a real shopping center.
That's got some residents confused, including many who posted questions on the newspaper's message board wondering if the new mall would include a Wal-Mart, and where it would be located.
Terry Dietz, vice president and general manager of Forever's Johnstown cluster, told the newspaper that the website would be launched last Friday. We can't find a URL yet, but we'll post it when we do.
The Johnstown cluster includes "Froggy 95.5" WFGI-FM, "96 Key" WKYE-FM, "Rocky 99" WRKW-FM (99.1), "Hot 92" WJHT-FM (92.1) and news-talk WNTJ (850), as well as WNTW (990) in Somerset.
'TAJ opens Johnstown bureau
Johnstown-Altoona-State College: Altoona's WTAJ-TV (10) has opened a bureau in the Johnstown suburb of Richland Township, according to the Centre Daily Times.
Two employees will work there, including Sean Dreher, formerly a weekend anchor and Blair and Centre counties correspondent for Johnstown's ABC affiliate, WATM-TV (23) and its sister station, WWCP-TV (8).
Those stations recently discontinued their news coverage and outsourced the work to WJAC-TV (6).
The new office, to be used for both news coverage and advertising sales for the CBS affiliate, will be at 907 Old Scalp Ave. ... just a short walk past Richland Cemetery to WATM and WWCP at 1450 Scalp Ave.
A live feed from the Johnstown bureau to WTAJ's master control room is in the works, the CDT says.
Former 'SLB' co-host passes
Pittsburgh: Family and friends of former "Saturday Light Brigade" co-host Bill Lucker are mourning his passing after a nearly two-year battle with brain cancer.
"SLB" creator and host Larry Berger reports that Lucker died peacefully early Wednesday morning.
"Rikki and I saw Bill on February 11th," Berger told PBRTV. "He was lucid, sure-witted and good-humored, despite being aware that his course of treatment had reached its limits."
Berger founded "SLB" at WYEP-FM (91.3) in 1978. Project manager at a major engineering company, Lucker joined the program as a producer and co-host in 1984, Berger says, then took a sabbatical in 2003 to care for his father.
"We -- along with tens of thousands of listeners -- will never forget his incredible storehouse of information in the hard-drive of his head, loyalty as a friend, good-natured stubbornness in his convictions and wonderful laugh," Berger says.
Now an independent production owned by a non-profit corporation and funded through grants and donations, "SLB" airs on Pittsburgh's WRCT-FM (88.3) and four other non-commercial radio stations.
Lucker remained friends with Berger and his wife, Rikki, and was a member of SLB's Advisory Board.
Lucker, 46, is survived by his mother Devera "Debbie" Lucker, cousin Edyth Dickman of Monroeville, sister Roberta (Lucker) Kitchenoff and family of Wynewood, Pa., and uncle Marvin Bluhm and family of Florida.
The funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow at Ralph Schugar Chapel, 5509 Centre Ave., Shadyside, with interment to follow at B'nai Israel Cemetery, Greensburg.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions may be made to Parkway Jewish Center, 300 Princeton Dr., Pittsburgh 15235; or Forbes Hospice, 115 S. Neville St., Pittsburgh 15213.
Insult to injury
Johnstown-Altoona-State College: It wasn't bad enough for Jim Penna to lose his job as lead anchor and news director of WWCP-TV (8). He was also the subject of death threats from a New Stanton man.According to the Tribune-Democrat, Bruce Profaizer, 31, pleaded guilty yesterday to making terroristic threats.
Police in Croyle Township, Cambria County, allege that Profaizer harassed Penna, his family and neighbors because WWCP had run stories about him four years earlier.
Profaizer will be sentenced Feb. 28.
WFSE holds Campus Radiothon for St. Jude's
Erie-Meadville: Edinboro University campus station WFSE 88.9 deserves some special recognition. The station decided to hold a campus wide radiothon yesterday (2/19/08) with various stops across campus. Most of the time, radiothons on college stations usually benefits something on campus but this one is going towards something much bigger. All proceeds will go towards the "Country Cares for St. Jude's" radiothon. The annual radiothon airs on several country stations across the nation, including "Country 98 WXTA." You can call in with your donations or stop by the Millcreek Mall on March 6th & 7th for the live broadcast with some extra change for a very worthy cause.'Mister Rogers' marks 40th
Pittsburgh: Despite news reports to the contrary, 40 years ago today, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" did not appear on PBS.That's because 40 years ago, PBS did not exist.
Instead, the landmark children's program created by Latrobe native Fred Rogers, and produced at Pittsburgh's WQED-TV (13), debuted on a predecessor of the Public Broadcasting Service, National Educational Television (NET).
In fact, some of the older viewers out there will remember that the model village that opened each episode of "Misterogers' Neighborhood" once sported a house in the shape of the NET logo.
Rogers' program, originally titled "Misterogers' Neighborhood," was the outgrowth of childrens' TV programs that the graduate of Rollins College and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary had produced in Pittsburgh as early as 1954.
"Neighborhood" debuted on NET's affiliated stations on Feb. 19, 1968. Sponsored by NET and grants from the Sears, Roebuck Foundation, the show at first aired in black and white; later episodes appeared in color.
But the format barely changed. In fact, some of the characters --- like X the Owl and King Friday the 13th --- were created by Rogers and Josie Carey at WQED in the 1950s for "The Children's Corner." They followed him to Toronto and the Canadian show "Misterogers," and were carried along to "Neighborhood."
Those same characters --- and Rogers' values, including patience, storytelling, a willingness to discuss important topics, and a refusal to talk down to children --- captured the hearts of young viewers in the 1950s, then continued to reach their children in the 1970s and their grandchildren in the 1990s.
The final new episodes were taped at 'QED in December 2000 and aired on PBS stations in August 2001, less than two years before Rogers' death of cancer.
In all, Rogers and his team produced 900 episodes of "Neighborhood" over a 33-year run.
Many of the early episodes are now preserved at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York and Los Angeles, and a statue is to be erected in Rogers' honor on the North Side.
But the real lasting memorial to Rogers and his vision is probably the enduring popularity of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," and its continuing resonance with young children and their parents.
You can find out more about Rogers, and the 40th anniversary of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," at the website of his company, Family Communications Inc.
Currie memorial set
Pittsburgh: According to a posting on the bulletin board Radio-Info.com by Bill Currie's daughter Susan, a memorial service will be held March 15, 2008, for the retired KDKA-TV sportscaster, who died last week at 82.
An obituary in the Hickory, N.C., Daily Record notes that Currie was named North Carolina's "Sportscaster of the Year" eight times before joining KDKA.
During his tenure in Pittsburgh between 1971 to 1990, he also served as pastor of the Bellevue Full Gospel Church, and according to the obituary he could play the piano, guitar and organ.
In addition to his daughter Susan Currie Smith of Hickory, Currie is survived by another daughter, Margaret Currie Granger of Yelm, Wash., and four grandchildren.
Though Currie displayed in his office a photo of himself in a coffin, there will be no public viewing, and he donated his body to the University of Washington's medical school.
In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorial contributions to Save the Children and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Hail to the Chief
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix: Today is Presidents' Day in the United States. And no matter where you fall on the political spectrum --- AM or FM, digital or analog --- we think you might enjoy a list of American presidential broadcasting "firsts."You probably know that the first U.S. presidential election returns broadcast were of the 1920 contest between Republican Warren G. Harding and Democrat James Cox. The returns were heard over KDKA, whose transmitter was on the roof of Westinghouse Electric's factory in East Pittsburgh. KDKA had the first commercially issued broadcast license, and has long claimed that this was the start of commercial broadcasting; other stations dispute that.
But the first U.S. president whose voice was carried by radio waves was Woodrow Wilson. In 1919, using a ship-to-ship transceiver on board a seagoing U.S. Navy vessel, he addressed a group of sailors on other ships in the fleet. Some amateur radio operators ("hams") on shore were able to hear Wilson's speech as well.*
Harding was the first president to install a radio in the White House on February 8, 1922. After he died unexpectedly while in office, his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, became the first president to make a national radio address. President Coolidge's speech on Washington's Birthday (Feb. 22, 1924) was heard on 42 stations.*
Also in 1924, Coolidge became the first president to use radio advertising to conduct his election campaign. The speech he gave on the night before the election had the largest radio audience in history to that date. On March 3, 1925, his inauguration was the first ever broadcast on radio; 23 million Americans listened.*
The first U.S. president to appear on television was Franklin D. Roosevelt. His speech opening the New York's World Fair on April 30, 1939, was seen in the New York metropolitan area over RCA's experimental station.*
Harry S. Truman was the first president to make a national television address. About 10 million people watched on Oct. 5, 1947, as Truman urged Americans to conserve food to help the starving peoples of war-torn Europe.*
Truman's inaugural address on January 20, 1949, was the first ever televised.*
The first president shown on color television was Dwight D. Eisenhower. His speech to the graduating class of the U.S. Army's West Point Military Academy aired on June 7, 1955 ... the same day that "The $64,000 Question" debuted.*
Eisenhower also became the first president to appear on color TV via videotape, when he spoke at the dedication of WRC-TV's studios in Washington, D.C., on May 22, 1958. The broadcast is one of the oldest surviving color videotapes.*
The first U.S. president to be broadcast via satellite was John F. Kennedy, whose press conference of July 23, 1962, was carried to Europe on Telstar:
The only U.S. president to own a radio or TV station was Lyndon B. Johnson. Technically, KTBC radio and TV in Austin, Texas, were owned by his wife, Lady Bird, but an expose in Life magazine claimed that as a congressman and senator, Johnson had used his influence to obtain network affiliations for the stations, and to block the FCC from awarding other licenses in the area. * The television station was sold in 1972, but the Johnson family continued to operate a cable TV system until the 1990s and several radio stations until 2003. *
And finally, if voters had elected Barry Goldwater in 1964, we would have gotten the only president who could fix his own television. An avid electronics and radio buff, Goldwater assembled more than 100 Heathkits, often flying to the company's factory in Benton Harbor, Mich., to stock up.
When the Heath Company stopped making electronics kits in 1992, Goldwater complained to the New York Times: "It's just that people today are getting terribly lazy, and they don't like to do anything they can pay someone else to do."*
With an attitude like that, it's no wonder he didn't get elected.
WYFX HD appears once again for Daytona 500
Youngstown: It's good to see that New Vision once again shifted it's HD from WKBN to WYFX for the 50th running of the Daytona 500. A couple weeks after Super Bowl 42, the folks at New Vision in Youngstown decided to shift it's HD for the "Super Bowl of Motor Racing" on Fox. While I do not expect this every week, it would certainly be something to consider for some of the races during Fox's portion of the 36 week schedule.Ohio HD Radio Observations
Misc. Ohio: On a recent trip to Ohio near Canton, I was checking out the sounds I could pull in on my HD Radio I installed in my vehicle for such trips. I was somewhat surprised by how many Cleveland area HD signals I could pull in since I was about an hour or so away from the Rock 'N Roll City. Despite the very low power output of HD stations, I was able to listen to some very good HD2 channels like country outlet WGAR 99.5 HD2, where they put out a classic country signal. Another was Oldies WMJI "Majic 105.7" with their HD2 channel playing 50's & 60's oldies while the main signal plays more 60's - 80's. Kudos to them for giving listeners an option. Speaking of which is WNWV "107.3 The Wave", which is a very successful smooth jazz station. Their HD2 option is traditional jazz. For those who like their AM to sound like FM, I was also able to check out WTAM 1100. I wouldn't call the sound FM, but it's pretty close. While I definitely wouldn't recommend Nighttime HD for AM because of the HD signal dropouts due to various interference issues, daytime AM HD isn't too shabby. While those were very good, there were some that were not so good. A couple I found included WHOF 101.7 in Canton and WKDD 98.1 from Akron. Both stations had HD2 signals but both were silent. This is definitely not a good way to promote multiple streams of audio when there is no audio. Someone at the respective stations needs to monitor the signals & not simply assume that they are on. Let's hope that a proposed power spike for HD Radio takes place and increases coverage areas to the point where you are not losing HD2 or HD3 signals when driving.Bell pregnant
Pittsburgh:WTAE-TV anchor Wendy Bell is pregnant again. The 5:00 & 11:00 PM anchor is due in August. The question came up in Rob Owen's weekly Q&A (AKA - "Stump the Critic"). Owen, who received the question of Bell's pregnancy from a female viewer, admits that he was clueless and the women of Pittsburgh have the best batting average when it comes to determining if a news anchor is pregnant.
Bell has three children already - all boys.
Hoerth writing a book...not a rumor!
Pittsburgh: Doug Hoerth told the PG's Adrian McCoy to tell his listeners, "thanks for listening." (Yes, he told PBRTV pretty much the same thing the other day while squelching rumors of a move to satellite radio.) Instead, Uncle Dougie has a publisher interested in a collection of short stories he's writing called, "I Fell in Love With a Lunatic."WBGN's Bruno: DTV is a 'big blunder'
Pittsburgh, National News: The FCC's pending deadline to switch off all analog TV broadcasting is "the biggest blunder to hit the communications industry since God knows when," Ron Bruno tells Brad Hundt of the Observer-Reporter.
Bruno is the owner of Green Tree's WBGN-TV, which operates a network of low-power TV stations around Western Pennsylvania. Low-power TV stations will not be switching to digital until 2012.
Because they're not required to be carried by local cable systems, many of Bruno's viewers can only watch via over-the-air reception. But if they upgrade to a digital tuner in preparation for next year's switch, their set may block analog broadcasts.
Residents of Washington County who don't want cable or satellite are also disgusted, Hundt reports. "I was talking to a friend and I was worried that I was going to have to get a whole new TV or get cable and spend hundreds of dollars I don't have," Jeffrey Tenney of Canton Township says.
"It's like making me buy a yacht when you live in the desert," Anita Janchenko of Canonsburg says.
Bad day at Black Rock
Pittsburgh, National News: From the better late than never department ... numerous sources report that CBS Radio last week let go Jim Meltzer, vice president and general manager of the Pittsburgh FM cluster.
CBS's Pittsburgh FMs are "B-94" WBZW-FM (93.7), "Star 100.7" WZPT-FM, and "Y-108" WDSY-FM (107.9).
Meltzer is just one casualty of a nationwide Eye 'Net bloodbath that also included the PDs of three of its New York stations and stations in Sacramento, Dallas, Cleveland and Las Vegas; the promotions directors of WCBS-FM and WFAN; a morning host in Phoenix; and a vice-president in Chicago.
Scott Fybush is reporting that at least 200 employees were pink-slipped by CBS Radio in all.
Man, whatta business. Our deepest sympathies to the victims.
More from Fybush's NorthEast Radio Watch, Radio Insight, and FMQB.
Local DJ helped CBS drama's return
Pittsburgh, National News: The recently settled strike by the Writers Guild of America pushed most network TV dramas and sitcoms into reruns this winter, and it could take several weeks before new episodes of some shows return.
One of the few series with new episodes shot and ready to air is CBS' "Jericho," which returned to the network's lineup at 10 p.m. Tuesday. "Jericho" airs locally on Pittsburgh's KDKA-TV (2), Youngstown's WKBN-TV (27), Altoona's WTAJ-TV (10) and Wheeling's WTRF-TV (7).
"Jericho," set in a small Kansas town in the weeks and months after a mysterious series of nuclear blasts has destroyed several major American cities and disrupted the government, was canceled in May after only one season. The show was head to head with Fox's "American Idol" for much of the time, and CBS blamed low ratings for its demise.
A concerted effort by fans unseen since the cancellation of "Star Trek" in the 1960s convinced CBS to bring the series back into production.
One of the viewers helping organize the protests over the cancellation of "Jericho" was longtime local radio personality and programmer Clarke Ingram, who was invited to visit the set in California during the summer.
Here's Clarke, a friend of PBRTV, in front of the fictional "Jericho" post office:
(It's nice to know that the post office will remain in business after Armageddon. That means my Equitable Gas bill will continue to arrive during the nuclear winter.)
For newcomers to the series, the first season is now available on DVD, and reruns are also airing on Monday nights on SciFi Channel (check your local listings, etc.).
There's lots more for fans at CBS' "Jericho" fan forums and website, and the "Jericho" wiki, where a major contributor is ... go on, guess.
Hoerth squelches XM rumor
Pittsburgh: UPDATE (Feb. 13, 2008): "I am out of radio," Doug Hoerth told PBRTV correspondent Jason Togyer today in a brief (very brief!) phone call. "Once I figure out what to do next, I will give you a holler."That's apparently a response to rumors floated on the Internet --- reported at PBRTV and elsewhere --- that Hoerth had talked to XM Satellite Radio.
. . .
P.S.: Doug brought up a good point. He wasn't sure how to get in touch with us, especially since commenting on this entry was closed.
PBRTV editor Eric O'Brien can be reached at pbrtv@aol.com. Correspondent Tom Lavery can be reached at laveryman@hotmail.com, while Jason Togyer can be reached at jtogyer@gmail.com.
We will immediately correct any known errors of fact.
(By the way: Generally speaking, the name of any PBRTV author is included at the end of each story, and it's usually an email link that can be clicked.)
Bill Currie passes
Pittsburgh: KDKA-TV is reporting that former Sports Anchorman Bill Currie has died. Currie, who was 85, passed of a brain hemmorage in Yulma, Washington where he was living with his daughter. He was a sports commentator for KDKA's evening newscast from 1971 to the mid-80s and known to wear colorful sport coats and boutonnieres.We can't wait
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix: OK, so we should have posted this link during football season. Sue us.But we don't think you'll mind seeing this early 1980s Alcoa commercial featuring the Sept. 24, 1978 Steelers-Browns game at Three Rivers Stadium. Yer Stillers won 15-to-9 in overtime on Terry Bradshaw's ... well, watch the video.
It's one of Alcoa's "Fantastic Finishes" series that ran during NFL TV broadcasts. (Another series of 60-second Alcoa spots that ran during football games, "You Make the Call," pitted viewers against referees, asking them to guess how the real-life rulings in complicated games went.)
By the way, we're pretty sure that Pittsburgh-based Ketchum, MacLeod and Grove handled Alcoa's advertising in the 1970s and early '80s, and we think we recognize a local voice on the recycling portion of this spot.
We can't wait to find out if we're right; do any PBRTV readers know who worked on these iconic TV commercials?
Please email us or post your information in the comments below ... you make the call!
Dickson says 'goodbye' via his website
Pittsburgh: Gary Dickson didn't have a chance to say goodbye on the air before being laid off last Tuesday. However, he has addressed his listeners by way of his website - garydickson.com. (We give his site "two thumbs up," by the way!) In his letter, addressing the hundreds of listener emails he's received, Dickson says that the decision came from KDKA and was "not based on performance issues." He goes on to say that he's not angry or holding a grudge, but is understandably disappointed and shocked. Dickson will be spending his extra time working on his web design and voice over business and hopes to stay in Pittsburgh.Pirates still in contention; set radio schedule
Pittsburgh: The Pirates' radio flagship, "FM NewsTalk" WPGB-FM (104.7) will carry 12 spring training games, beginning with a Feb. 28 "Grapefruit League" tilt against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, Fla., the team announced today.Also included is the Pirates' first-ever spring training night game at its home field in Bradenton, Fla., on March 7.
In addition, FSN Pittsburgh will cablecast games against the New York Yankees on March 19 and the Minnesota Twins on March 25.
Six games also will be webcast on the Pirates' website, with the first at 1:05 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29.
If you're watching those games at work, try to sob quietly so you don't disturb other people.
Dukes' Goss kept the faith
Pittsburgh: Few Division I college basketball announcers have worked longer for the same team than the Voice of the Duquesne Dukes, Ray Goss. The games are carried locally by KQV (1410) and on the Internet by Red Zone Media.Goss began calling the team's games during the glory days of the 1960s, but as an Associated Press profile notes, there's been a long dry spell for the red-and-blue since then. The Dukes have had only five winning seasons in the last 35 years.
The Dukes are currently 14 and 7, and only two games away from clinching their first winning season since 1993-94.
"While I lean toward Duquesne, my job has always been to be as objective as possible," says Goss, a Carnegie native who's believed to have called more losing games for his home team than any other Division I announcer.
He was almost replaced twice (once by "Sweet Old Bill" Currie of KDKA) but his popularity with Duquesne's fan base saved his job.
Goss now counts Pitt Panthers' play-by-play man Bill Hillgrove, former Pitt sports information director Beano Cook, and --- best of all --- Duquesne men's basketball coach Ron Everhart among his fans.
Zombo featured
Pittsburgh:Fans of Zombo's Record Party on WRCT (88.3) every Friday from 10A - 3 P will be pleased to know that he's featured in today's Ticket section of the Trib. Zombo has taken the paper's "Personality Test".
Zombo's music collection consists of many hard-to-find stuff from the 1920s - 40s, surf, rockabilly, disco, and everything in between. He also seeks out "goofy novelties that everybody's afraid to play."
In the questionnaire, Zombo (whose real ID is Michael Devine) is asked to name his favorite Captain. He chose "Kangaroo". He is also asked to name the oldest thing in his refrigerator. He says, "A jar of pickles that I had since I was a kid." He never travels without his Barbasol either!
Best Buy first with Digital to Analog converter boxes
National News: With just over a year before the shut of date of analog TV, Best Buy is the first to sell the Digital to Analog converter boxes. (This is according to the Best Buy website.) These boxes will help those who plan on using their current analog TV after the analog shut off date of February 17th, 2009. The Insignia converter box is first in the marketplace for those who have ordered the $40.00 coupons in order to offset the regular price of a converter box. The Insignia box is $59.99 but with the $40.00 coupon, the price drops to $19.99 + Tax. You can order up to 2 coupons at www.dtv2009.gov until March 31st 2009. Coupons that have been already ordered should start being sent out by February 17th. Note: Thanks to a tipster for correcting my mistake by noting that the coupon program expires on March 31, 2009 (or while money for the program lasts.)WCUC Clarion picks up SLB
Pittsburgh, Erie-Meadville:In his weekly email, Larry Berger has announced that the Saturday Light Brigade has a new affiliate. WCUC (91.7) in Clarion has joined the steadily growing list of program affiliates and will begin broadcast of the program this Saturday (2/9).
For the first 25 years the program existed, it was on WYEP (91.3). In 2003, the program moved over to WRCT (88.3) whose signal is considerably smaller. In addition to being able to listen to SLB over the its website, the program began to pick up affiliates. WSAJ (91.1) Grove City; WLFP (1550) Braddock; WIUP (90.1) Indiana; and WNJR (91.7) Washington are the stations WCUC joins in broadcasting the six-hour weekly program.
SLB broadcasts from a state-of-the-art studio in the Pittsburgh Children's Museum on the North Side.
McGann out at WJAS
Pittsburgh:
A scan of 1320wjas.com shows that Mike McGann's picture is no longer there. Although a quick glance at the photos page (almost 10 a.m.) shows many of McGann's photos are still there. Mike has spent the past several years with WJAS as Program Director and afternoon drive host.
Update: Reached this morning via email, McGann declined to comment, saying only that "budget cuts are the rule in radio now --- it is what it is." PBRTV also asked Renda Broadcasting for comment; a company official could only confirm that McGann is no longer with the station, and was being replaced by John Tesh.
A native of East Liberty and Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs, McGann was heard in the 1970s and '80s on the former WIXZ (1360), WTAE (1250) and WTAE-FM/WXKX-FM (96.1). In 1983, he became vice president and general manager of WRKZ-FM (now WMHX-FM) in Hershey, later working in similar roles at stations in Allentown, Butler and Altoona, as well as for Bellefonte-based cable TV company Tele-Media Corp.
McGann returned to Pittsburgh to work at WJAS in December 2002. In 2006 he received the March of Dimes Achievement in Radio award for "best afternoon show" on a music station.
UPDATE (3/6/08): PBRTV thanks its readers for their comments and concerns about Mike McGann and WJAS. We have decided to close the comment box for this entry at this time.
Steigerwald, Paulsen join KDKA
Pittsburgh: Scott Paulsen and John Steigerwald join the nighttime lineup on KDKA (1020), starting Feb. 18.KDKA Program Director Marshall Adams says the three-hour "Paulsen and Steigerwald Show" will get what he calls "a limited engagement" weekdays starting at 7 p.m. and will play to the pair's "unique and different views" on a variety of topics.
"Scott and John will talk about current topics you would expect to hear on KDKA, but with the twist of their different personalities and with a decidedly Pittsburgh perspective," Adams says.
. . .
Also added are the Dennis Miller Show from 12 to 3 a.m. and the "Midnight Radio Network" from 3 to 5 a.m.
Out is "After Midnight" with Gary Dickson. This morning's show was his last broadcast, Adams says.
"Scott and John have a wonderful chemistry for two people with such different views of the world," said Keith Clark, vice president of programming for CBS Radio Pittsburgh, in a prepared statement. "We're excited to give them an opportunity on KDKA to see what develops with this show. We're hopeful this show will become a 'must hear' for our audience."
Both Steigerwald and Paulsen have long histories in the market. Steigerwald was a TV sports anchor and reporter for KDKA-TV (2) and other stations from 1978 until 2007, while Paulsen had a lengthy run on WDVE-FM (102.5), most memorably as morning-show host with Jimmy Krenn.
Both were also part of CBS Radio's ill-fated FM talk experiment, "The Zone" WTZN-FM (93.7), as was Miller.
. . .
Still, the addition of the pair, along with Miller, could bring a decidedly younger sound to KDKA in the evenings. The weekday nighttime lineup currently consists of syndicated political talk shows by Neal Boortz and Bill O'Reilly, followed by Dickson and "Undercover Club."
Boortz and O'Reilly are both conservative political talk-show hosts; though Miller, a Pittsburgh native, also leans right, he's considerably edgier than Boortz.
Although topics on "After Midnight" were many and varied, the show inherited the older audience of its predecessor, "The Undercover Club" with Bob Logue.
"The Undercover Club" might be most famous for disseminating the folklore remedy of placing a cake of soap in bed to alleviate aches and pains.
And just like "The Undercover Club," callers on "After Midnight" often wanted to discuss nostalgia or their medical ailments --- sometimes to the apparent on-air consternation of Dickson, who formerly hosted the high-energy morning-show at WWSW-FM (94.5) along with Jim Merkel.
Adams says Dickson "served KDKA and our audience very well and we thank him for his talent and tireless efforts."
. . .
In the new lineup, "The Paulsen and Steigerwald Show" leads into O'Reilly, who leads into Miller.
The combined show is an experiment that will last at least through the end of March, Adams says.
"As you know, they worked separately at The Zone," he says. "We're eager to hear what they can do as a pair."
. . .
Perhaps the only potential clunker in the new lineup is the "Midnight Radio Network," previously known as "The Midnight Trucking Radio Network."
The Dallas-based show, syndicated by Jones Radio Networks, was once solely aimed at long-distance truck drivers. It's now a more general-interest talk show, but many features are still geared (pun intended) to a truck driving audience.
The network can also be heard on 24 stations nationwide. Several, like KDKA, are 50,000-watt clear-channel nighttime stations like Detroit's WJR, Dallas' WBAP and Oklahoma City's KOKC ... the latter owned by Pittsburgh's Renda Broadcasting!
It's a beautiful neighborhood for a statue
Pittsburgh: The board that oversees Pittsburgh's sports stadiums and convention center has given its approval for construction of a statue honoring the late Fred Rogers.Members of the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority yesterday approved a maintenance agreement with the production company Rogers founded, Family Communications, and with the Colcom Foundation, reports the Post-Gazette.
To be located on the North Shore near PNC Park and Heinz Field, the sculpture is valued at $1.3 million, while development of nearby land will cost $1.7 million. Funds are being provided by Colcom, a charity created by the late Cordelia Scaife May, a descendant of the Mellon and Scaife fortunes and a friend of Rogers.
Preliminary plans call for the statue to be placed in a parklet carved from the old Manchester Bridge pier. Construction should start later this year.
Rogers, born in Latrobe in 1928, died in 2003. He created and starred in "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," which was produced and filmed at WQED-TV (13), for more than 30 years.
The statue honoring the childrens' TV pioneer will be one of the last monuments placed in the North Shore Riverfront Park; the authority says any additional memorials or statues will interfere with the park's design. (A World War II memorial has already been approved.)
(A tip of the PBRTV propeller-beanie to DCRTV.)
Dump 'Dexter,' Dell demands
Pittsburgh, National News: The Pittsburgh chapter of the Parents' Television Council is demanding that KDKA-TV (2) not air reruns of the Showtime drama "Dexter," reports Scott Tady of the Beaver County Times.
The critically acclaimed but gory cable series follows a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami police department as he stalks and murders suspected criminals who have escaped justice.
A heavily bowlderized version begins airing on CBS nationwide Feb. 17. Showtime is owned by CBS' parent company, and the "Dexter" reruns will give the broadcast network some new content to air while the writers' strike continues.
"A show on broadcast television that asks viewers to empathize with a serial killer is not appropriate for air in our community," PTC chapter director Deborah Dell, mother of two from Bethel Park, tells Tady. "No amount of editing can wipe out the disturbing content found on this show."
Tady says KDKA has not responded to his requests for comment. Launched in July 2007, the Pittsburgh chapter of PTC is one of the newest in the nationwide organization.
New Vision gets it right with Super Bowl
Youngstown: In my neck of the woods where I can pull in multiple markets, I was going to attempt to watch Super Bowl 42 in HD on Fox affiliate WFXP 66-1 from Erie. As you know, that station is currently on low power which could have been a problem regarding reception. The backup for me would have been from Youngstown with WYFX 27-2 SD on WKBN's full powered digital signal. I was very surprised when I tuned into WKBN 27-1 & found the station listed as WKBN SD instead of HD. WYFX 27-2 was SD but WYFX 27-3 was in HD. New Vision temporarily put a second feed of WYFX in HD for the Super Bowl. The change occured on Saturday (2/2) and lasted until the program following the Super Bowl "House" was over. Definitely a very good move by New Vision & maybe one they could pull again at least for the Daytona 500, which also airs (2/17) on Fox.World's tiniest radio only gets AM
National News: Researchers from the University of Illinois and Northrop Grumman have built an AM radio using tubes.
That doesn't seem too impressive --- your grandma's Monkey Wards Airline console had tubes, after all, and got AM and FM --- except that these are carbon nanotubes. Those are sub-microscopic structures of highly engineered carbon molecules.
The tiny radio was built in a research lab in Linthicum, Md., and the first station they heard was WBAL (1090) in Baltimore, according to the Christian Science Monitor:
Electronic components built from carbon nanotubes have superior electrical properties compared with their silicon counterparts. Circuit designers, for instance, could pack more powerful radio transmitters into smaller packages than silicon-based components allow.
Until now, however, researchers have built carbon-nanotube electronic devices one tube at a time. The Grumman-Illinois team has perfected an approach that for the first time builds almost perfect horizontal arrays of tubes with near-perfect shapes.
This precision and uniformity prompted them to design transistors made from nanotubes, then incorporate them into a six-transistor radio. All six transistors could fit on a grain of sand, although when packaging is added, they become visible to the naked eye. Indeed, the team found it could build all the broad circuit types --- from the active antenna to the audio amplifier driving the speaker --- found in modern radios using its nanotransistors.
The first thing the researchers heard --- and we're not making this up --- was a traffic report. Their report is scheduled to appear this week in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science.
No word yet on whether the team is going to incorporate a tiny record player, like grandma's console had, but I'm holding out hope.
Happy birthday, Bossman!
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix: Ninety years ago today, on Feb. 4, 1918, Mrs. Chedwick gave birth to a baby boy in Homestead, Pa.She and her husband named him George Jacob Chedwick.
Later on, he changed his name to "Craig," but his mom called him "Porky."
I guess that makes her the mommio of the daddio of the raddio?
Happy 90th birthday, Bossman, and many happy returns!
You can celebrate with "Red Hots and Chili Mac," washed down with "White Port and Lemon Juice."
But before you get into the "Wine, Wine, Wine (Spo-Dee-O-Dee)," you might want to watch the story that Dave Crawley did for KDKA-TV (2) last Thursday.
You can also re-read Ed Weigle's fine tribute to Porky, written in 2001.
Newspaper: Lawmaker's parents are Griffin fans
Pittsburgh: KDKA (1020) radio host Marty Griffin often beats up on controversial state House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese, a Democrat from Waynesburg.But at least two of Griffin's loyal fans are also loyal fans of DeWeese.
According to the Tribune-Review's anonymous gossip column, "Whispers," DeWeese's mother and father, Vic and Dottie DeWeese, are "addicted to Marty Griffin."
"Whispers" attributes the information to Rep. DeWeese, and says he made the statement after a recent speech to the Pennsylvania Press Club.
"My parents have a serious malady," DeWeese reportedly said, tongue-in-cheek.
A veteran lawmaker, DeWeese has been harshly criticized both for leading an effort to pass a pay raise for members of the state General Assembly and for awarding $1.9 million in bonuses to employees. A grand jury is also reportedly investigating whether DeWeese and other top-ranking Democrats used state employees to perform campaign work.
Conflict for KDKA's Delano?
Pittsburgh: KDKA-TV (2) political and business analyst Jon Delano created a potential conflict of interest by accepting a position on the board of directors of Pennsylvania-American Water Co., according to published reports.That's the ruling of the station's news director, John Verrilli, who told the Post-Gazette's Rob Owen that KDKA management should have been consulted before Delano accepted the appointment.
Delano, who also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, resigned from the PAWC board one day after the appointment was announced.
Owen noted that other local TV personalities also serve on corporate boards, including Sally Wiggin of WTAE-TV (4), who is a director of the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. That station's news director, Bob Longo, told Owen that although Wiggin has covered stories about zoo animals, she has not been part of the WTAE's coverage of controversies involving the zoo.
A lawyer and political scientist by training, Delano also serves on the board of the Magee-Womens Research Institute and the Allegheny County Bar Association. But PAWC --- unlike those organizations or the Pittsburgh Zoo --- is a for-profit corporation.
A journalism professor at the University of North Carolina told a blogger for the Philadelphia Inquirer that Delano's appointment could have created at least two different problems.
"It would give the appearance that the journalist's media outlet would play favorites to that company --- even though that may not be the case," Chris Roush told the Inquirer. "It would call into question the motives of everything that the journalist would write in the future, even if it had nothing to do with the company."
Jamboree may return
West Virginia: A revived "Jamboree" country music concert series could return to WWVA (1170), though not under the auspices of the station's owners.The new "Wheeling Jamboree" is being launched by a local nonprofit coalition and the first concert (by Kathy Mattea) has been set for April 12 at the city's WesBanco Arena, according to the Wheeling News-Register.
Future concerts will tentatively include The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Lee Greenwood and The Oak Ridge Boys, but the sponsors still need to raise about $200,000 before the first show.
WWVA has agreed to air the concerts.
Under various names, the WWVA "Jamboree" was a country music institution from 1933 until being discontinued by the station's parent company, Clear Channel, and its one-time concert subsidiary, Live Nation, in December 2005.
The weekly Saturday night broadcasts --- carried around the country by the CBS network and WWVA's own 50,000-watt signal --- originated from Wheeling's Capitol Music Hall.
The Capitol is currently closed and in need of repairs, though promoters of the new Jamboree hope it can return to the stage if the hall reopens.
However, the new Jamboree is not a continuation of the old "WWVA Jamboree." Like the Capitol, the trademarks for "WWVA Jamboree," "Jamboree USA" and "Jamboree in the Hills," remain property of Live Nation.
In related news, WWVA reportedly is up for sale again; according to unconfirmed but reliable reports, a planned sale to GoodRadio.TV has fallen through.