Musings: Potpourri

If you have realized my pattern, you’ve probably realized that today should be the day for “Person Profile”, but your editor was a little slow on the uptake this week. (Believe it or not, I work on other websites too!) Therefore I will muse instead.

WQED-TV (13)

No foolin’, WQED-TV turned off its analog signal this week – April 1 to be exact. That’s 55 years to the day after it was turned on for the first time. Not a bad plan if you could get it. Supposedly the plan was to shut off the analog signal and “flash cut” the digital signal from 38 back to 13. Then WQEX would move from 26 to 38. According to some O-T-A viewers that has not happened yet. That makes one wonder if some work has to be done before the move can take place. Stay tuned.

Ashley DiParlo

We somehow missed this one (but with the magic of the Internet, who misses anything now?) Ashley DiParlo has left Channel 4. She is getting married and her husband-to-be took a new job out of the area. DiParlo blogged words of thanks to viewers who watched her “stumble and really grow as a reporter.” Her “Plugged-In” segment has become a daily feature on the morning news at WTAE.

Keith Jones

We reported Jones’ departure from KDKA-TV (2) a week or so ago. Rob Owen was brave enough to ask why. Jones’ answer makes sense. His move to WSTP in Tampa is for job stability as he worked without a contract for 7 or 8 months. The negotiations for a new contract were continuously put on hold which made Jones a little nervous – especially given recent layoffs at CBS stations (and KDKA) in the last couple of years. Working without a contract could make one an easy target. When he told management about the new job offer, they didn’t counteroffer.

This leaves KDKA putting weekend anchor Stephanie Watson to work filling in for Jones further strapping the already thin-stretched anchors. At the same time, perhaps the station can save some money until the revenue nosedive reascends

It leads me to ask, will stations cut down their newscasts?

Verizon FiOS

The PBRTV World Headquarters is fortunate enough to be in a neighborhood where Verizon installed FiOS. We think it is safe to call it “The Official Online/TV/Phone provider of PBRTV.com”, but I’m sure such a commercial will never be made. The City of Pittsburgh residents are still waiting for FiOS to be approved in the city limits. Supposedly the deal would have been made so that things could begin in the first quarter of 2009. However, Verizon focused on negotiations for a Philadelphia franchise for which an agreement was reached. Local representatives for the City of Pittsburgh are meeting with Verizon this month and hope to be able to get the franchise rolling this summer. Still though, it might be a few years before certain parts of the city will be able to connect to FiOS.