Don’t expect to lose 5 PM newscasts

Recently TV stations in New York and Miami dropped their long-time 5 PM newscasts in favor of 7 PM newscasts. However, Rob Owen says that while it’s a logical move, don’t expect it to happen in Pittsburgh. It’s logical to move the newscast since people work longer hours and aren’t getting home from work as early. However the 5 PM newscast ratings are strong and solid even though they skew an older audience.

KDKA GM Chris Pike tells Owen that it’s more likely that they will add more local news rather than subtract although the station has no plans to do either. KDKA is the only Pittsburgh station which has dared to start a 4 PM newscast which has been successful for the last few years. Pike adds that local stations are unique with their local content in the era of hundreds of cable channels. Meanwhile, WTAE news director Bob Longo thinks a trend might begin once news directors nationwide see what happens with the stations in NYC and Miami, but thinks that a 7 PM newscast in Pittsburgh would be “in addition to” not “instead of”. Meanwhile, WPXI’s Ray Carter wonders why bother with the “winning formula” of news from 5 – 6:30 PM followed by NBC News and then an hour of game shows at 7 PM.

Also in this article…

Rob Owen finds out why Fred Honsberger hasn’t been doing his television program on PCNC since a leg break last year. Honsberger says that it has been a slow recovery – one that got even slower after a perferated ulcer was found for which he had surgery. He continues to do his KDKA radio show from home since walking is difficult. Honzman also adds that his TV program was a “moonlighting job” and has even told PCNC to move ahead if they desire although they have no plans to do so.

Finally (as in, this is the last part of this story), Patrice King Brown was married over the weekend to KDKA co-worker and medical reporter Dr. Paul Nemiroff in Palm Springs.