Tidbits

A few items from here and there, but first a request…

• Please don’t ask the editor about the status of KQV (1410) unless he says something. Even though I am employed by its new owner, nothing has been revealed… and even if it was revealed, such info would be embargoed. However, the station appears to be off the air again. The few week return was likely to “buy time” on the authority to remain silent. When such authority is granted, the station has a year to sign on again before the license is revoked. The clock has been reset, so stay tuned.
• Dave LaBrozzi has signed with Cumulus and heads to New York to program WPLJ. He’s spent the last several years at the Entercom (nee CBS) cluster in Baltimore. Dave also spent time locally – at WWSW (94.5/970), WNRJ (104.7), and stations in Wheeling, Weirton, and Johnstown.
• Seems that Post-Gazette political cartoonist Rob Rogers has taken a few hits in the last week or so. Paper editors have been refusing to print a total of six consecutive cartoons that Rogers produced since May 24. Many believe that it’s the PG editors’ more right-leaning stance working against Rogers’ left-leaning drawings. The drawings the paper embargoed have been on Rogers’ website and social media posts and have been shared by other news outlets. Local indie blog, The Incline, said Rogers’ June 5 cartoon appeared in the paper. Rob Rogers announced on his Facebook page today that he was taking a few days off until the issues were resolved.
• WTAE-TV (4) recently started their campaign called Project Hunger with a new edition of Chronicle. The campaign is part of the station’s 60th anniversary celebration. WTAE signed on in September, 1958. Meanwhile, the station also celebrates the #1 ranking with the recent May sweeps for the morning (4:30-7:00 a.m.) and evening (5:00-6:30 p.m.) newscasts. This is the 14th out of the last 17 sweeps that the morning news has been ranked most-watched, dating back to 2014.
• Programming note: WQED-TV (13) will air Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s new opera, A Gathering of Sons at 8:00 p.m. on July 1. A free advance screening will take place at the Hillman Auditorium of the Kaufmann Center on June 26 at 6:30 p.m. Find out more or RSVP here.