Fans: Bring back Mike!
Pittsburgh: We missed this, but apparently there's a grassroots movement afoot to bring back Mike Lange to Penguins' TV broadcasts for the 2008-09 season.
A veteran of 30 seasons in the Pens' radio booth, Lange was bumped from TV coverage by Fox Sports Pittsburgh in 2006, when executives at the network decided the games needed a "fresh set of eyes."
Known for his colorful calls and gruff, rapid-fire play-by-play, Lange is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is known around the country as "the unmistakable voice of the Penguins."
More than a few people (including this PBRTV correspondent) already turn down the TV sound and turn up Lange on WBGG (970) and WXDX-FM (105.9), but the different broadcast delays between the video and audio make the two difficult to sync.
Ross Township resident Bill Soles has started a website called "Bring Back Mike" and is urging fans to call FSN and complain.
"There are tons of new Pens fans tuning in to see [Sidney] Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin, and they deserve to listen and learn from Mike Lange, like I did growing up," Soles tells Pittsburgh City Paper.
Get into the fast lane, FSN --- the bingo game is ready to roll!
Is Mixed Martial Arts right fit for CBS?
National News: In what seems to be a very odd pairing, CBS will air "EliteXC Saturday Night Fights" this Saturday @ 9pm. The primetime program of mixed martial arts is a first for the usually older skewing CBS network. It's similar to fighting you would see from UFC or King of the Cage. Why would CBS go this direction in primetime? Simple: Younger viewers & more revenue. Like it or not, mixed martial arts is growing in popularity as I can see by all of the pay per view events advertised on Dish Network. It would be interesting to see the numbers of mixed martial arts to that of pro wrestling. My guess would be that fans grow out of the theatrics of wrestling & go for martial arts, which has none of the glitz WWE wrestling has.WICU goes HD (but only if you have Time Warner Cable, that is)
Erie-Meadville: Recent articles on Jack Tirak's "Erie Media Go Round" blog says that viewers of Time Warner's HD package can now watch WICU 12 in High Definition. I'm not able to check this for myself since I do not live in Time Warner's coverage area in Erie county. Reports are mixed on Jack's blog, but hopefully all the bugs will be worked out. As for sister station WSEE, the station is waiting on equipment from CBS before going HD on Time Warner as well. Too bad WSEE cannot go HD over the air since they have a great full powered DT signal. Hopefully both stations will look as good as the NBC & CBS HD affiliates I can pull in from both Youngstown & Pittsburgh.Madden FIRED
Pittsburgh:The Post-Gazette is reporting that ESPN 1250 (WEAE) Talk Show host has been fired for the disturbing comments he made about Senator Ted Kennedy during his show last week. The decision came from the Connecticut ESPN headquarters. Josh Krulewitz, the network's VP of Public Relations, tells the PG, "We've taken Mark off the air pursuant to our contractual rights."
See story below.
WSEE-TV anchor in the doghouse
Erie-Meadville: WSEE-TV (35) anchor Pat Van Zandt has announced that she's leaving the Erie CBS affiliate at the end of this week to help provide therapy dogs.
Van Zandt wrote on her blog: "I have been blessed with an opportunity to enter the nonprofit sector in an agency I formed from the ground up. It will give me a chance to bring therapy dogs to some of Erie's most needy --- the elderly, the sick, or anyone who can benefit from a friendly pooch paired with a gracious volunteer."
Van Zandt's agency is called Therapy Dogs United.
There's also a story about Van Zandt's new vocation in the Times-News.
A graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Van Zandt has been at WSEE-TV for seven years.
Van Zandt wrote earlier this month that she knows who her replacement is, but is "not at liberty" to reveal the name.
"I can tell you --- you will find her presence to be an outstanding addition to our anchor team and the WSEE family," she said.
Say it ain't so!
Johnstown-Altoona-State College: The voice of the Penguins' TV broadcasts used to be ... a Red Wing!This shocking news was uncovered by the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, which reports that Paul Steigerwald got his start in radio calling games for the Red Wings ... of Johnstown. The team, which lost 45 games during the 1979-80 season, was a farm club for that other team up in Michigan.
Steigerwald's pay for calling games on the former WJNL (1490) was a princely $110 per week; he passed up a job in Hampton, Va., to work in Flood City.
WJNL was going to carry 70 games, while the Hampton station was carrying only 22.
"That Johnstown experience was really good for me," Steigerwald tells the paper. "If I had gone to Hampton and done 22 games, I may have never made it. I might have made it, but I might have gone on a different path."
FYI, PDQ
Pittsburgh: In honor of the Stanley Cup finals, "Kiss" WKST-FM (96.1) is distributing Penguins rally cards, including one that says "WWGRD?"
We thought they meant "What Would Gene Romano Do?" but it turns out they're talking about winger Gary Roberts.
You can download your sign here.
Oh, no he didn't
Pittsburgh: Just when you thought that Hillary Clinton was the only one talking about Kennedy assassinations, Mark Madden of ESPN Radio WEAE (1250) apparently also has been in the fray, according to Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette.
Says Smizik --- who must be a glutton for punishment, since he hates Madden's show, but apparently listens all the time --- the confrontational sports-talk host said Wednesday:
"I'm very disappointed to hear that Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to be assassinated.
"I wonder if he got a card from the Kopechnes."
The comment referenced Kennedy's role in the 1969 drowning death of Mary Jo Kopechne, who was a passenger in his car when it drove off of a bridge and into the water near Martha's Vineyard.
Madden apologized on the air two hours later for what Smizik says "would be a fireable offense at some radio stations."
WEAE GM Mike Thompson tells Smizik, "it was a comment that was stupid" but one that didn't justify further action.
New coats of paint
Pittsburgh: Through our station surfs, we've noticed that the Renda Broadcasting stations are in the process of receiving new appearances. Learn more about Dan Dunlap at wshh.com. Wonder why John Tesh seems to be the main focal point on the front page at 1320wjas.com. Enjoy Lynn's podcasts at 1360wptt.com. Then, head on over Greensburg to SAM-FMs new website. The latter should answer a question sent by a reader to PBRTV months ago asking if Brent Whigam was "as cute as he sounds."It's another XM Sonic Sound Salute to "Fun-Lovin' KQV Audio 14"
Pittsburgh: Every Friday afternoon XM "Sixties on 6" host Terry "Motormouth" Young salutes a top-40 station of yesteryear and once again he's saluting KQV. If you are a subscriber, the program begins at 4 PM EDT on Channel 6. And we still think that if you aren't a subscriber, you can get a free trial period (at the very least a reduced-cost online-only subscription) at xmradio.com and tune in. He'll have all kinds of airchecks (yes Adrian McCoy...I said "airchecks" not "audio"), references to places from the era as well as the classic PAMS Jingles.Paulsen goes green
Pittsburgh: Jonesing for Scott Paulsen?
You can now catch up with the former WDVE-FM (102.5) morning man --- most recently heard on KDKA (1020) --- every Thursday in the Observer-Reporter.
Paulsen and his wife have made their home on a Washington County farm for the past five years, and he's now writing a weekly column called "Green Acres" for the newspaper in Washington.
He's also reading his columns in a podcast. Make sure to read (or listen to) his story about chicken cannibalism.
I've met a lot of state troopers (including several times when I wasn't a suspect) and I didn't realize they knew so much about poultry.
Telethons raise $35K
Erie-Meadville: A series of telethons on WJET-TV (24) in March and April raised more than $35,000 for local charities, including SafeNet, the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Erie, Earth Force and Voices for Independence.The telethons were done in conjunction with the ABC-TV series "Oprah's Big Give," in which talk-show host Oprah Winfrey challenged 10 contestants to do something to change the lives of complete strangers. The "biggest giver" won $1 million.
WJET is an ABC affiliate.
Details in the Erie Times-News.
'Backyard Brawl' on national TV
Pittsburgh, West Virginia: The Pitt Panthers' surprising upset of the West Virginia University Mountaineers last season has revived national interest in the century-old rivalry.Jack Bogaczyk of the Charleston Daily Mail reports that this season's "Backyard Brawl," to be held the day after Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh, will be carried nationally on ABC.
At best, Big East games usually land on ESPN or ESPN2; the league has had only one national telecast in the past three years.
"The Nov. 28 date at Heinz Field likely is the only ABC national telecast the Big East will get, unless a blockbuster game develops in-season, one that could dominate a Saturday time period," says Bogaczyk, who calls it one good thing to come out of WVU's "meltdown" in the last game of the 2007 season, which cost the team a shot at the national championship.
Local media goes Pens-crazy
Pittsburgh: Local radio and TV stations are scrambling to cash in on the Penguins' trip to the Stanley Cup, notes Pat Cloonan in the McKeesport Daily News: "Or has anyone missed that WTAE-TV promo that shows a conga line of black-and-gold-clad news anchors?"On video, the finals will be split between the Versus cable network and NBC affiliates, including WPXI-TV (11), Johnstown's WJAC-TV (6) and Steubenville's WTOV-TV (9).
Game 1 this Saturday is on Versus. Fox Sports Pittsburgh will offer pregame and postgame coverage.
On radio, "The X" WXDX-FM (105.9) and Clear Channel sister station "Fox Sports" WBGG (970) will carry all seven games. XM Satellite Radio subscribers can also hear the NHL Network's coverage on Channel 204.
One outlet that's in the cold, Cloonan notes, is ESPN's WEAE (1250). Although the station has carried network coverage of other NHL playoff games, it's contractually prohibited from carrying Penguins' play-by-play.
Indoor football to FSN Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Erie-Meadville: Are you ready for some (indoor) football?
Fox Sports Pittsburgh thinks you are. The cable net has signed a one-year contract with the American Indoor Football Association to telecast the remainder of the league's 2008 season, including the playoffs and championship game.
Besides being seen in the Pittsburgh area, the channel is available on Direct TV and Dish Network.
The 16-team league, based in Baltimore, in 2007 signed a $2.5 million, three-year deal with a Florida distributor to syndicate 14 games around the country. That syndication deal came to an abrupt end last month when the distributor announced it was financially unable to uphold the agreement.
"This is an important step for the league," AIFA co-founder John Morris said in a prepared statement. "Credibility will not be an issue in this relationship. Fox Sports has an outstanding reputation with solid distribution. That is a real plus for us."
The first game --- a rebroadcast of a March 8 tilt between the Baltimore Mariners and the Reading Express --- aired Monday night over Fox Sports Pittsburgh.
A schedule of upcoming telecasts will be released later.
The two-year-old AIFA was launched after the previous American Indoor Football League ceased operations. Other teams in the tri-state area include the Erie (formerly the Pittsburgh) RiverRats, the Canton Legends and the Huntington, W.Va., Heroes.
The league also previously included the Johnstown Riverhawks; the team is not playing in the AIFA this year.
For the record (pun intended)
Pittsburgh: In case you haven't noticed that ad hanging out on the right-hand side of PBRTV, Doug Hoerth is coming out of enforced retirement this Memorial Day weekend to host a special Internet-only program of music and talk."Songs and snappy patter," says Hoerth, who calls it a music and talk "variety show."
The program "airs" this Sunday beginning at 4 p.m. on www.pgholdies.com, an Internet station run by local radio engineer Phil Lenz, who also runs a mobile DJ business with Hoerth.
Hoerth will be live until 12 midnight; the program will then repeat on pgholdies.com through the end of the week.
He's also accepting emails at uncledougie44@yahoo.com.
The originator of the current "Sunday Night Oldies Diner" on WWSW-FM (94.5), Hoerth until earlier December hosted a competing oldies show on WJAS (1320). (more)
Media honored by Press Club
Pittsburgh: Print and broadcast journalists were honored last week by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania with the 2008 Golden Quill Awards.Ed King Memorial Awards for excellence were presented to Jim Parsons, Kendall Cross and Michael Lazorko of WTAE-TV (4) for their reporting on the series "State Agency Secrets," and to Kevin Gavin of WDUQ-FM (90.5) for his reporting on transit cuts at Port Authority of Allegheny County.
The Press Club also honored Aviva Radbord, weekend assignment editor and public affairs producer at KDKA-TV (2), with the President's Award for "contributions to the field of journalism."
The ceremony, held May 12 at the Pittsburgh Hilton and Towers, was sponsored by Burson-Marsteller, Columbia Gas, Dominion, PR Newswire, ReedSmith, Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Potter, Trib Total Media and the University of Pittsburgh.
A complete list of all awardees can be found online. Broadcast winners are listed after the jump. (more)
WGFT Playing Music? Well Sort Of (I Guess)
Youngstown: Reports from our friends at Ohio Media Watch state that WGFT 1330 in Campbell is playing music once again. While the new "1330 Talk" is carrying talk programming including "Imus in the Morning", the station is possibly also playing oldies on Sundays. I cannot confirm this since I am only able to receive WFNN 1330 from Erie where I am. I wonder if it's similar to Akron station WSTB 88.9 with their "Sunday Oldies Jukebox" or if it's just music. Feel free to drop a line here if you are in the Youngstown area & can tune in.Keeve Berman passes
Pittsburgh:
Former area radio man Keeve Berman passed away this morning (5/18) at a nursing home in Pembroke Pines, FL. He was 71. Berman spent his years at WEDO, KQV, WTAE-AM as well as a couple of stints in New York.
He was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in 2007 and underwent extensive treatments and acutally beat the disease by Christmas. In the early part of 2008 though, Berman found himself suffering health ups and downs and was being treated for weakness on one side of his body and depression. His death was the result of a blood clot to his brain.
Keeve Berman was born in Greensburg PA and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. He began working in radio in his late teens and in the early 60s he left McKeesport station WEDO (810) for KQV where he was hired as a fill-in personality and newscaster. After several years, and being named the staff newsman, Berman left to become News Director at WOR-FM in New York City. Two years later, he returned to Pittsburgh to hold a similar position at WTAE Radio. But it was in 1974 that he was called to ABC Radio News in New York where he had a 10-year stint as a correspondent on the American Contemporary Network.
Berman is remembered as an avid golfer and for having a great sense of humor. He is survived by three sons and two daughters as well as a companion
PBRTV Hat tip: Jeff Roteman and Bob Gibson
Editor's Note: This story has been changed to reflect the correct number of children.
Berecky leaves KDKA
Pittsburgh:KDKA-TV is losing its Westmoreland County chief at the end of the week. Mary Berecky will give up her position at the end of the week as she finalizes plans for her wedding. Although she won't be leaving the area, Berecky will be moving out of Westmoreland County and is opting not to make the commute. A Pittsburgh native, she tells the PG that she is happy that the station gave her the opportunity to come home in 1997. Prior to her homecoming, Mary worked at WDTV in Clarksburg, WV (does anyone else spot the irony in that?) as well as KGAN in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Berecky will miss all the people in Westmoreland County that she has come to know over the years. She is still particularly grateful to the viewers who reached out to her when she became a part of the news after being attacked at a self-serve car wash in 2002. "That really did pull me through a very difficult time. I was touched," she said. Her attacker got a 50- to 100-year sentence.
In the PG interview, Berecky admits that she is going to miss the job. "Walking away from television is tough. It's a big part of who I am, it's your identity."
Are You Ready For The DTV Transition?
National News: Over the past few weeks, several people have been asking me about the change coming to television. Despite all of the PSAs' and crawls during newscasts & other programming, there is still a lot of confusion out there when it comes to this transition. I will use my parents as an example who are in their 60's. While things like digital TV are easy for me to understand, the technology is confusing to those who were used to just turning on a TV. They are not ready to fork over some dough for a new HDTV. For now, they watch local channels using an outdoor antenna while subscribing to Dish Network. I told them that they could get a Dish dual tuner 322 with the Dish 1000 & get the local Erie stations like I do. Right now, they use two receiver boxes (which are not able to get local stations) so with the one box, they'd pay no more than they do now. They also now have two DTV converter boxes for other TV sets not hooked up to satellite. For Mom & Dad, they want to keep things simple (unlike me with technology, just ask my wife.) I have heard things like "Why is the Government doing this?" "Why do we have to buy converter boxes?" and so on. I explain about the coupon program & give them the website address or phone number. I even offer to go to their house to install converter boxes or other options like I told my parents about. If you've had similar experiences or are still puzzled about the new digital world, drop a line here & share your thoughts.Fybush a daddy again
National News: We received word today that our friend and collegue Scott Fybush is a daddy again. Eli Benjamin was born to Scott and his wife on May 13th. This makes Ari a big sister! :-) Congratulations from all of us at PBRTV! (...and we'll understand if you're a little too busy to update NERW.)'Back to You' back to us?
Pittsburgh: There's a move afoot to rescue the Pittsburgh-set sitcom "Back to You" from its cancellation by the Fox network.
According to TV Week, the producers are pitching the show to CBS, arguing that the program was never a good fit for Fox anyway.
(Over a year ago, Terry Hazlett of the Washington Observer-Reporter said the same thing, noting Fox's long history of developing funny sitcoms ... and then canceling them. Maybe someone in Hollywood should spring for a subscription to the O-R ... or at least read PBRTV.)
Meanwhile, there's also an online petition you can sign to save the show.
It's questionable whether online petitions amount to much, or that "Back to You" has a fan base as devoted as the CBS drama "Jericho," which earned a temporary reprieve from cancellation.
CBS is expected to announce its fall schedule next week. Kelsey Grammer, who starred in "Back to You" with Patricia Heaton, told the Associated Press that he spoke personally to the network's CEO, Les Moonves, about saving the show.
"He was not completely discouraging," Grammer quipped.
"Back to You" was a stylistic throwback to 1980s or '90s sitcoms, and it wasn't really breaking any ground that hadn't already been plowed by "WKRP in Cincinnati," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "NewsRadio," among other shows.
On the other hand, Grammer and Heaton were engaging, the stories were well-told, and the writing was witty although it wasn't particularly daring. In fact, "Back to You" was one of the few consistently funny shows that debuted this season.
The real puzzler is why Fox canceled "Back to You" and renewed its stinky lead-in, the stridently unfunny Brad Garrett sitcom "'Til Death."
I watched a couple of episodes of "'Til Death," and frankly, by the time each half hour ended, I was longing for death myself.
Mourners criticize Honsberger, KDKA
Pittsburgh: The minister presiding at the funeral for a man killed in a police shooting called yesterday for a boycott of KDKA (1020) and KDKA-TV (2), according to the Post-Gazette.Bishop Otis Carswell of Potter's House Cathedral in Mt. Oliver said that talk-show host Fred Honsberger made remarks on KDKA radio that were "racist, insensitive propaganda" and said news coverage in general "painted a picture of the victim" as "a horrible young man."
Justin J. Jackson, 19, was shot May 6 by Pittsburgh police after officers say he shot and killed a police dog. The case is being investigated by the Allegheny County district attorney's office.
Jackson was African-American. His family and some community activists allege that he was unarmed, and that police planted a weapon on him.
But media reports indicate that Jackson had a criminal record both as a juvenile and as an adult, and police reports contend that the K-9 officer was being used to subdue Jackson after he refused to comply with police requests.
KDKA Program Director Marshall Adams told the newspaper he was not concerned by the threatened boycott.
"That sort of thing happens all the time when someone doesn't like what they hear on a KDKA talk show," Adams said.
Honsberger has invited Carswell to appear on his show. Writes Honsberger on the station's website: "Fact: The kid had a gun ... he fired at police ... he killed a police dog. There's ONE person to blame for Jackson's death ... Justin Jackson."
Video of the Week
Musings From Eric:The first installment is a KDKA-TV promo from 1980. This, apparently, was the local version of a CBS promo called "Looking Good".
Pens redux
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix: After Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix wrote about the history of the Penguins' radio and TV network, PBRTV reader Tom Wash asked:"I have a question that I hope you can answer. I could swear I remember watching the 1975 Penguins playoff series with the Islanders, especially that sad game 7, on TV but a friend of mine says they were not on TV back then. He says he had to listen to it on the radio. Can you resolve this debate for me and give me details like what channel broadcast the game? I was 15 at the time and my memory is deteriorating so maybe I am just imagining it. Many thanks if you can answer this."
We live to serve, Tom. Your friend seems to be right --- we've looked through the local TV listings for April 26, 1975, and don't see any evidence that any Pittsburgh TV station was carrying the game.
The game wasn't blacked out because of lack of attendance --- newspaper articles from the next day report a "sell out crowd at the Civic Arena" for Game 7 --- but it is evidence of a general lack of interest in hockey in the 1970s, at least among TV executives.
(In fact, although NBC recently renewed its contract with the NHL, TV ratings for hockey in the U.S. have never been great by football, basketball, baseball and even NASCAR standards. Game 3 of the 2006 Stanley Cup finals scored one of the lowest ratings in network prime-time history.)
It's also indicative of the Penguins' shaky status in those days. One article we found by Mike Hasch in the Uniontown Morning Herald notes that Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty attended the game carrying a sign that said "Go Penguins -- I Believe."
Wrote Mike: "The mayor, who has been active in the campaign to keep the financially troubled Penguins in Pittsburgh, drew a standing ovation from the crowd."
(He also notes that "an ugly incident" occurred in the third period when someone threw a whiskey bottle onto the ice, "followed by a brief melee in the stands between Islanders and Penguins rooters." It reminds me of the time that I went to a fight, and a hockey game broke out.)
Anyway, Tom, you're correct that the Pens lost Game 7 of the 1975 quarterfinals. The Islanders' Ed Westfall scored the only goal in New York's 1-0 win ... and Pittsburghers who didn't have tickets could only follow the action on KDKA (1020).
Things are have changed for the better for TV sports fans ... and we think they've changed for the better for the Penguins, too!
And meanwhile, as we all await Game 3 tomorrow night, here's something from the archives. It's a commercial from Oct. 12, 1973, promoting a telecast over WIIC-TV (11) of the Pens' first game of the season, on the road versus the Atlanta Flames. The Penguins won that game, 4-3.
You'll also hear a promo for the WIIC-TV news with Eleanor Schano and the WIIC "movie of the week" ... Elvis Presley in the 1962 box-office stiff, "Follow That Dream."
We're following our own dream ... that after Game 4, Elvis will have left the building. Let's go Pens!
- WIIC-TV promos, Oct. 1973 (MP3, 1.5MB)
'Back to You' Cancelled
National News:Fox has cancelled 'Back To You' - the sit-com taking place in a fictional Pittsburgh TV station. The moves comes as a surprise to producers but some trade mags suggest that the talent on and off the screen make the production costs so high that the high ratings don't mean much. (FWIW the show got better ratings than 'Til Death' which serves as lead in.) According to the article in the PG, most of the networks were interested in the program when it was being created. The producers may attempt to pitch it to another network, but hopes for success may be dim.
No word on whether this move could be related to last fall's writer's strike
Clear Channel reports 1st quarter profit
Pittsburgh, National News:It was a good first quarter for Clear Channel accoring to an AP report. Revenue was up nearly $800 million which is significantly better than the $102 million at the same time last year. CC recently divested itself of its television group and is in the process of going private.
CC owns WDVE, WXDX, WKST, WWSW, WBGG-AM & WPGB in Pittsburgh; and WBBD-AM, WEGW, WKWK, WOVK, WVKF & WWVA-AM in Wheeling.
In case you were wondering...
Pittsburgh:I just happened across this YouTube clip of one of Don Schwenneker's WBBM forecasts. Judging from when this was posted, it wasn't long after he started the position. Looks like he's right at home.
Schwenneker left WTAE-TV at the end of 2007 for the new postion at WBBM. The last we heard he was bumped up to weekdays rather than weekends.
FSN scores with Pens
Pittsburgh: Patrick Cloonan of the McKeesport Daily News reports that "the race to the Stanley Cup continues to be a winner" for Fox Sports Pittsburgh.The cable net claimed an 18.56 rating for the April 29 Pens game with the Rangers, notes Cloonan, topping even "Dancing With The Stars" on WTAE-TV (4), which scored a 13.55.
In other items, Cloonan (whose column still isn't online ... hey, Trib Total Media, what year is this?) reports that Chris Matthews of MSNBC is backing off of a statement that he made to an Erie reporter that he planned to run against U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter in 2010.
Matthews has told HBO's Bill Maher that he's "not getting involved" in the race.
Cloonan also logs several changes to weekend programming at classical music pubcaster WQED-FM (89.3). "Saturday at the Opera" (2 p.m. Saturdays) will fill the months when broadcasts of New York's Metropolitan Opera goes on hiatus.
"Sunday Baroque" with Suzanne Bona now airs at 7 a.m., and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts hosted by Jim Cunningham will air Sundays at 8 p.m.
Cannon to California
Pittsburgh: Longtime Pittsburgh TV anchor and reporter Don Cannon is headed to California and semi-retirement, according to the Post-Gazette.Cannon, 68, tells the P-G's Rob Owen that his contract at KDKA-TV (2) was not renewed. Dozens of positions were cut at CBS owned-and-operated stations over the past year.
But Cannon has not anchored the news since July, when viewers saw him shaky and disoriented while reading the news --- an appearance chalked up to illness. (Cannon was seen on camera in a reporting role after the incident.)*
Cannon declined to discuss his health with Owen, saying he didn't feel "like recycling the same story from 10 years ago," when he disclosed that he had been treated for alcoholism and depression.
The former WTAE-TV anchor has owned a home in Southern California for several years, and will look for a broadcasting job (Cannon says he will "never fully retire"), but says he will miss Pittsburgh. (more)
He's a brick ... salesman
Pittsburgh: From the "Why Didn't I Think of This? Dep't.": When the Regional Industrial Development Corp. last year demolished two former Westinghouse Electric factory buildings in East Pittsburgh, I went down to take a look.
Local videographer and radio historian Art Vuolo did more than that. He bought a pile of bricks from one of the buildings ... specifically, the building where KDKA's first transmitter and studio were located, way back in 1920.
Now you can buy one of the bricks, complete with certificate of authenticity signed by current KDKA afternoon host Fred Honsberger; Wendy King, one half (with her late husband Ed) of the station's legendary "Party Line" show; and former KDKA engineer Mel Check.
The bricks are shipped by priority mail (pity Art's poor mailman) and cost only ... $34.90.
Thirty-five bucks for bricks?!
Oh, yeah? Well, I have ... um ... scoops of dirt for sale from Frank Conrad's tomato patch ... and ... um ... wheel bearings from KQV's Amphicar ... and ... um ... webbed feet from Jim Quinn's duck! Meet me in the alley in five minutes.
(PBRTV propeller-beanie tip to several readers)
New hire at KD-AM
Pittsburgh: KDKA (1020) has hired Matt DelSignore from WGY (810) Schenectady to serve as an evening news reporter-anchor.
The addition comes as the station plans to restore local newscasts until 10 p.m. on weeknights, according to Marshall Adams, KDKA director of news-talk programming.
The station currently uses CBS News' hourly reports in the evenings.
A graduate of Syracuse University and a native of upstate New York, DelSignore previously worked at WSYR in Syracuse and WTNY in Watertown, N.Y.
DelSignore will join the station later this month, Adams said.
Johnstown on 'The Edge'
Johnstown-Altoona-State College: News from Central Pennsylvania, via Scott Fybush's NorthEast Radio Watch: Johnstown's WKGE (850) is now simulcasting "The Edge" talk format of Loretto's WWGE (1400).
WKGE, formerly WNTJ, was sold last year to Michigan-based radio operator Sima Birach, who also owns Pittsburgh's Radio Disney outlet, WWCS (540, licensed to Canonsburg), while WWGE is owned by Mike McKendree, who several years ago LMA'd Braddock's former WURP (1550), WLFP.
Meanwhile, Scott also notes that Cary Simpson is selling WGMR-FM (101.1) in Tyrone to Forever Broadcasting, which --- to comply with FCC rules --- now has to sell WSGY-FM (98.7). That station, licensed to Pleasant Gap, was simulcasting "Froggy 98" WFGY-FM (98.1) in Altoona. It's going to 2510 Licenses, owned by Nick Galli.
But Galli is involved in a pending deal to sell four other central Pennsylvania stations --- WCCL-FM (101.7), WPRR (1490), WBHV (1330) and WLKH-FM (97.7) --- to Forever.
"Scorecards, getcher scorecards, ya can't tell the players without a scorecard." (To be honest, I'm not sure who owns what right now.)
When the dust settles, and if the FCC approves the sales (several other radio operators in central Pennsylvania are objecting to the transfers), there may be five square miles of Route 220 that aren't currently blanketed by one of Forever's stations, but you'd have a hard time finding them.
Westinghouse loved Lucy (and Desi)
Monday Morning Nostalgia Fix:
In the midst of the worst recession the United States had experienced since World War II, most advertisers were cutting back in 1958.
But not Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric, reported the New York Times 50 years ago this week.
"Westinghouse increased its annual budget more than 50 percent and agreed to spend $11,000,000 for a one-hour weekly film program," Val Adams wrote on May 4, 1958. "This may well be a record figure for a single series of programs by one advertiser in one year."
That $11 million was a lot of money then or now --- about $82 million in 2008 dollars --- but it was something that the nation's second-largest electrical manufacturer (after General Electric) could afford.
And it was more proof that after just a decade of widespread television broadcasting in the U.S., TV had indeed become the dominant advertising medium. (more)
Country 98 adds NASCAR
Erie-Meadville: If you're a fan of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, you can now find the races from MRN (Motor Racing Network) on "Country 98 WXTA." I caught a promo on the station with the local tag stating that the Richmond, Virginia race would be carried live. This is the first Erie station to carry NASCAR since the former WEYZ "Z-Country 1530" in North East simulcasted the races with WWCB 1370 from Corry in the mid to late 90's. This follows another great move by Citadel sister station "Z-102.3" with their addition of NFL games on Sunday nights. Putting both sports on FM stations really makes a difference in both sound quality and not having to lose a signal at night like you can with AM broadcasts. Plus it makes more sense to be more diverse in this age of I-Pods and Satellite Radio.Clear Channel gets into online music
Pittsburgh:Even the giants want a piece of the action when it comes to broadcasting online. Just this week, Clear Channel opened up a new music site called "Erockster" a site aimed to people 13-34 with a mix of classic and indie rock, soul, dance and hip-hop. The site is designed to attract many - both traditional radio listeners and those who have chosen to abandon conventional radio. There is a social networking component as well as an option for on-demand and links to sites like i-tunes. As of today, the site was streaming from CC stations in LA, DC and Philly with more markets on the way. The site will have an air-presence on HD channels throughout the country.
Meanwhile, over the summer CBS is expected to launch "play.it" where listeners can choose music by their favorite artists and have a customized playlist made up of those artists and new artists who might match the genre.
More at the PG.