"Life's a pitch, and then you buy..."
Pittsburgh:That’s what 50-year-old infomercial sales guru Billy Mays claims. It might surprise you to know that this pitch man is a native of McKees Rocks. In fact, if it hadn’t been for an opportunity at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show in the early 1990s, Mays probably wouldn’t be very well known.
When Mays graduated from Sto-Rox High School, he headed off to Atlantic City and started selling items along the boardwalk. He learned his tricks from the more-experienced salesmen who gladly took him under their wing. “I was there as an apprentice,” Mays told the Tribune-Review, “If you can make it in Atlantic City, you can make it anywhere in the world.” Mays said the other salesmen saw his potential and simply offered tips on how to improve his schtick. But it was that Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show where Mays was given his biggest break. Just mere hours into selling a product, the other salesman wore out. Mays was ready and took the mic and carried the show the rest of the day. A few years Mays was hired to sell Orange Glo on HSN.
This spring you’ll see Mays on the Discovery Channel reality series, “Pitchman: Gadgets to Glory.”
FCC to visit Blasco Library
Erie-Meadville: News Courtesy of WJET TV 24. Mark your new 2009 calendars for a stop at the Blasco Library. The Federal Communications Comission will be returning to Erie on January 15th at the Blasco Library, located at 160 East Front Street at the Bayfront. The FCC will hold two programs regarding the upcoming DTV transition in February. The program times will be at 2pm and 6pm at the Library's "H.O. Hirt Auditorium." This will be your last chance to ask the FCC questions you may have regarding the transition with a month before it actually takes place. The programs are free and open to the public. Quick Note: The time for the second program is 6pm, not 6:30 as I have stated earlier.Compare analog to digital DTV signals
National News: If you have been curious how well a digital TV station will come in compared to the current analog station you may watch over the air, check this site out courtesy of the FCC. Go to http://www.fcc.gov/dtv/markets. You can choose any market in the country and compare a station's analog coverage area to it's digital coverage area. It will also show areas gained or lost with the upcoming transition as well as areas served by another network affiliate that could fill the void of losing another station. Thanks to AVS forum for this useful tip.WYNE is now 24 hours (online)
Erie-Meadville: Good news from Captain Dan at WYNE 1530. He made it official announcing on his morning show that you can listen to WYNE online 24 hours a day. The webstream for WYNE was only on during the time the daytime only radio station itself was on the air. He went 24 hours on Christmas with their collection of holiday tunes. You can catch WYNE online at http://wyne.mercyhurst.edu/wyne.asx.Merry Christmas
Pittsburgh:
On behalf of Tom Lavery and Jason Togyer, I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for making PBRTV what it is.
Eric O'Brien
The 2009 Youngstown Holiday Wish List
Youngstown: With my location somewhat between Erie and Youngstown, it is my pleasure to bring you my first annual "Youngstown Holiday Wish List." The same rules apply to this list as the previous Erie list. So here we go with 1.) Putting "The Freq" out of it's misery. The Beacon FM station at 107.1 (WEXC) out of nearby Greenville has featured a Christian Rock / Rap format that hasn't gained any traction since the format replaced oldies a few years back. Meanwhile, Beacon has also replaced sports on it's two AM stations WGRP 940 and WLOA 1470 with classic country. My wish here is that the format be moved to the FM side in order to be more of a competitive FM station in the Youngstown market. Even if the format went back to oldies, you'd see a stronger station near Youngstown. 2.) Fox Youngstown having it's own HD signal. The station has a much better picture thanks to being on WKBN's DT signal. With only 3 full powered HD stations in the Mahoning Valley, Fox is limited to it's over the air HD on WKBN's special 3rd channel for events like the Super Bowl last year and the Daytona 500. A separate full powered HD signal for Fox would be great, however they will probably have to settle for a low powered station for the time being. 3.) Increasing power for the HD Radio stations. This is more of an FCC matter but increasing the power of the HD side of the Valley's HD stations on the radio side could improve listenership of HD. There are possible interference issues with such a power increase, but I'd be curious to see how much interference there would actually be with a power increase of 10% of what the analog station puts out. 4.) Like in Erie, let's hope that local talent is embraced and not cut any further on the local airwaves. To you & your family, have a Very Happy Holiday Season.The 2009 Erie Holiday Wish List
Erie-Meadville: Welcome to my first annual "Holiday Wish List" as it relates to the Erie / Meadville region. This list is not intended to be retransmitted in any shape or form without the express written permission of NASCAR, The National Football League, Major League Baseball, The Pro Bowlers Association, Eric O'Brien, Jason Togyer, Molly, John Facenda, Don LaFotaine and finally "Yours Truly." 1.) My holiday wish list will start with a much too common occurance in Erie radio, pink slips. It's an unfortunate situation where various talented personalities and behind the scenes people are being let go due to budget constraints. For every personality let go, Erie loses another local connection to a particular station. My Holiday Wish here is a need to stop this bloodbath of firings and embrace local talent on Erie airwaves in 2009. 2.) Find a way to get WYNE 1530 either an FM translator or a full fleged FM station. "Captain Dan" Geary is now in charge of the 1,000 watt daytimer from Mercyhurst North East and puts out probably one of the best sounding oldies stations in the country. The webstream has certainly helped but the station needs an FM presence on the dial. Otherwise, you're stuck with the same old corporate owned commercial FM stations that keeps cutting talent and plays the same songs over and over and over...... 3.) Jack Tirak's dream of converting all of Erie's TV stations to Digital TV (HDTV in particular). His wish will hopefully come true on February 17th, 2009. All full powered analog stations will be shutting off their signals come 2/17/09. We should all remember Jack on this very special day. 4.) It would also be nice to have another way to remember Jack's vision as he has been a great influence on a lot of people, including myself. Maybe a scholarship or something along those lines. OK it's a short list but you're welcome to add your thoughts here. In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you & your family all of the best this Holiday Season.Yule Log for WPXI's RTN Sub-channel
Pittsburgh:From 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve until 7 p.m. Christmas Day, WPXI's RTN channel will air a yule log. (I wonder if it's in high definition?)
For Gastmeyer, Brooks - the time is right to retire
Pittsburgh:Andy Gastmeyer of WPXI-TV (11) and Marilyn Brooks of WTAE-TV (4) are retiring this month - both after many years of service to their respective stations.
Gastmeyer has no quams about telling it how it is. The "no features, no fluff" format provides less and less satisfaction for the general assignment reporter who has been with the station 24 years. "I guess I'm one of those dinosaurs", Gastmeyer told the Post-Gazette, "I had it instilled in me that in this business, you comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. You're a surrogate for people who don't enjoy the privileges we in the business enjoy. And there is less and less of that in this highly competative market of Pittsburgh."
For Brooks the reason isn't lack of satisfaction. The recent death of her dog and a close-friend who is ill at a young age have inspired the long-time medical reporter to want to live life. "I want to wake up and go for a long walk, and I don't want to have to put on my war paint. In a way, it's kind of sad to go, but then I think, 'No more deadlines, oh whee!' I'm a happy camper," she said.
Before coming to Pittsburgh, both reporters worked in DC. Brooks covered the end of Nixon's Administration for WTTG-TV while Gastmeyer covered White House happenings for two news services which are no longer in existence. Both plan on remaining in Pittsburgh. Gastmeyer will continue to write and tell stories - a website yet to be finalized is in the works. He may teach, but he really wants to travel. Brooks may attempt to get a PhD in public health and may try her hand at teaching.
Apply for DTV coupons by December 31st
National News: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has put out a notice regarding the Digital TV Transition. The NTIA is encouraging those who use an antenna for over the air TV reception to order their $40.00 converter box coupons by December 31st. This is being pushed by the NTIA so that viewers are prepared for the transition on February 17th, 2009. It takes about 6 weeks for the coupons to arrive after ordering online or with the toll free number. You can order coupons by either calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or log on to http://www.DTV2009.gov/. The coupon program itself ends on March 31st, 2009.Have you seen Gizmo? Apparently so!
Pittsburgh:
WDVE-FM (102.5) personality Jim Krenn is missing his dog and took the morning off to find little Gizmo. Krenn's fellow 'DVE jocks are helping to spread the word. The dog disappeared into the woods near Banksville Park off of Crane Avenue Tuesday night apparently after being spooked by some bigger dogs. Signs are posted near the park and a $1000 reward is being offered. Anyone seeing the dog is advised to call Animal Friends - 412-847-7000. The dog had a sweater on along with an Animal Friends tag.
UPDATE: Krenn, his wife Heda and a group of faithful listeners found Gizmo, the rat terrier, in Banksville Park tonight. He's doing fine and the Krenns are relieved!
You might have seen Gizmo with Krenn in a recent Animal Friends PSA on WTAE.
WTAE's Burton out at the end of the year
Pittsburgh: Jon Burton will leave his sports anchor duties at WTAE-TV (4) the end of the month/year after eight years. While he does not have a new job lined up, he describes his departure to the Post-Gazette as "by mutual decision, one we both feel good about." WTAE's GM Rick Henry says the position was eliminated "due to economic conditions." Buyouts, job cuts and early retirements have been words heard frequently around the station lately. A replacement has not been named, but there will still be a sports segment.Hank Stohl passes
Pittsburgh:Hank Stohl, known for his children's shows on KDKA-TV (2) and WTAE-TV (4) throughout the 50s and 60s, passed away late in the evening on December 15. He was 87. Stohl is remembered as being the "straight man" to a menagerie of puppets - most notably "Rodney & Knish". Stohl was also an accomplished author and voice talent. Former Pittsburgh Press TV editor Ed Blank received the word from Stohl's wife, Anita, in an email which was forwarded to PBRTV. Blank and KQV announcer P.J. Maloney remembered Stohl on the air earlier today.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Beinhauer's Funeral Home in Dormont.
Tony Jay back on Classy 100
Erie-Meadville: Former Classy 100 afternoon jock Tony Jay is back on a very part time schedule with the station. According to sources, Tony is alternating every other Sunday with Jim Eaton. It was good to hear him spinning those holiday tunes including one of my favorites called "The Twelve Pains of Christmas." Very appropriate as I was sitting in traffic on Sunday with the Missus who literally dragged me to the Millcreek Mall.New sitcom to be set in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh:Shawn Ryan, creator of fX program "The Shield" says he plans to set his next series in Pittsburgh. Ryan describes it as a single-camera sitcom about five people living in Pittsburgh trying to find satisfaction in their lives by creating a get-rich-quick scheme. The show, produced for Fox, would be called "Millionaire's Club".
Someone should tell Ryan that the last time a sitcom set in Pittsburgh was made for Fox, it bombed. 2007's "Back To You," starring Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer, was cancelled after a single and rocky season. So why would Pittsburgh be the optimum choice? "Because Pittsburgh to me is the big-city equivalent of the town I grew up in, Rockford, Illinois," Ryan told Rob Owen in a recent phone interview. "They're both towns that in the past, I think, represented a lot of what was great about America; Rockford with tool and die and Pittsburgh with steel production. In many ways the country has abandoned places like that." Ryan has been to Pittsburgh in the past to visit relatives and is familiar with the city.
A single-camera approach would make it easier to shoot the sitcom in the city, but that probably won't happen - unless a conversation between Fox and the Pittsburgh Film Office will change that by touting the tax benefits of filming here.
But the question remains, "the guy who created 'The Shield' writing a sitcom?" Ryan went to Hollywood after a play he wrote in college won the 1989 Columbia Pictures Television Comedy Playwrighting Award. His first credit was "story by" on the 1980s sitcom "My Two Dads" starring Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan.
KDKA Announces new lineup with Pintek returning to the mix
Pittsburgh:In a press release, KDKA-AM (1020) announced a new weekday lineup which will begin Monday, January 5, 2009. The new schedule includes a bigger news block as well as the return of 24-year KD veteran Mike Pintek. Fred Honsberger's program will move from its current spot to 12 Noon and be on the air until 3 pm. That will be followed by a 3-hour news block which will include weather, traffic, sports and business, from 3 - 6 pm. Paul Rasmussen and Rose Ryan-Douglas will remain the anchors for this newscast. That will be followed by Mike Pintek from 6 - 10 pm.
Pintek was one of the victims of a bloodbath back in December 2005 when the station let him and others - including Mike Romigh - go in favor of other programming. "We are very excited to announce Mike's return," said Michael Young, CBS Radio senior vice president and Pittsburgh market manager. "Mike's zest for news-driven talk radio, along with his natural affinity for southwestern Pennsylvania and specifically KDKA, makes his return to the radio station very special."
Over the last three years, Pintek has been heard doing freelance work on KQV, hosting NightTalk on PCNC and doing some work for CBS-owned KMOX in St. Louis and the former WHFS-FM in Baltimore. "The guy who said, 'you can't go home again' is wrong!" said Pintek. "I am absolutely ecstatic about coming home to KDKA."
No word on what will happen to hosts Kevin Miller or John Steigerwald. Stay tuned...
Not even Rush is safe from "Budget Cuts"
Erie-Meadville: In a somewhat surprising move, Connoisseur Media has decided to drop "The Rush Limbaugh Show" from WJET 1400. The program has aired on 1400 since the station was formerly known as WLKK in the early '90's. Connie said that the station is trying to go in a different direction & could very well do that with Rush's replacement, Dennis (That's the News, And I am Outta Here!!!) Miller. I can imagine that this move will have Rush fans scanning the dial (or the web) for his show, so here is a list of regional affiliates. WKBN 570, WJR 760, WBEN 930, WTAM 1100, and WMGW 1490.Gastmeyer hangs up his microphone
Pittsburgh:
WPXI-TV (11) reporter Andy Gastmeyer is apparently retiring next week according to a PG article. Gastmeyer has been with WPXI since July 1984. Before that he was with KDKA-TV (2) and WAVY-TV in Norfolk, VA. He was also a White House correspondent for Television News, Inc. and DC's Satellite News. Channel 11 is considering whether or not to find someone to fill the position. Given the economic times, that may not happen.
Erdos headed for political career?
Pittsburgh: WPXI-TV (11) weekend anchor Stacia Erdos has left the station after becomming a finalist in the appointment for a senate seat in the 33rd District - a region including Youngstown, Ohio. Erdos used to be an anchor in Youngstown, but came to WPXI 10 years ago. She remained a resident of North Lima, Ohio and commuted. More as we hear it...More radio "budget cuts"
Erie-Meadville:In the almost daily story of radio "budget cuts", here are a couple more from late last week on December 5th. Connoisseur Media has terminated the services of "93.9 The Wolf" PD Bob Domingo and "Rocket 101" afternoon drive talent Sammy Stone. Bob sent us a nice e-mail and I said that both he & Sammy are welcome to post their stories and any other information here. Best wishes to both friends of PBRTV. However it gets rather depressing to write stories about personalities and others involved in radio being simply "kicked to the curb." I've seen this happen time & time again and to me every time it happens, local radio whether in Erie, Youngstown or anywhere across the country loses more of it's local flavor.
Longo headed for Florida sister station
Pittsburgh: WTAE-TV (4) News Director. Bob Longo, is headed to Florida in January to take the same position at sister station WESH-TV in Orlando. WESH General Manager Jim Carter, who used to be the sales director at WTAE, hired Longo for the position there. Longo has been news director at WTAE since 1999."Jazz FM" coming soon to Erie
Erie-Meadville: No, the headline is not a misprint. Sister station to WYNE 1530, WMCE 88.5 / 104.9 at Mercyhurst College will become Erie's first ever all Jazz station. "The Fine Arts Station" will be dropping classical and some other genres not related to it's new Jazz identity. Thus, leaving the classics to WQLN 91.3. The new station will be known as "Jazz FM" and is expected to make it's debut in February of '09. An interesting thing is that the new website for the station is already up and running. You can find it complete with the station lineup at http://www.erieradio.com/.When it comes to Christmas...Older is better
Pittsburgh, Musings From Eric, National News:We've noticed it year after year, the older the recording of a Christmas tune is (and the 'deader' the artist is), it's more popular - even with the young crowd. Take Bing Crosby or Burl Ives for instance - both are on the air more during November and December than any other time during the year. Terry Hazlett of the Observer-Reporter says that nearly all of the theories surrounding this phenomemon connect in some way to childhood memories. And while most would think that these memories would change by age group, that doesn't seem to be the case. The surveys done by the 200 or so stations in the US who flip to all-Christmas at this time of year show that people prefer the Christmas classics. The older songs "sound like Christmas". New Christmas albums are coming out in droves, but stations often ignore them. The most recent success was James Taylor's album last year, but it remains to be seen if Der Bingle will still beat out Taylor for airplay this year.
One sore point for listeners, except for a couple of what could be considered "hits", most stations opt to play the actual Christmas Carols (O Come All Ye Faithful; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) closer to Christmas day.
Well, at least they do something right...most stations forget that Christmas is only beginning when they put the music away on December 26.
Big 106.1 now in HD (Radio, that is)
Youngstown: John Clarke who is the Engineering Director for the Clear Channel Youngstown stables has notified us that WBBG "Big 106.1" is now broadcasting in HD. With "Big" now broadcasting in HD, all of the Clear Channel FM signals in the Mahoning Valley are also HD Radio stations. They join 3 Cumulus stations and WYSU 88.5 also broadcasting in HD or Hybrid Digital, not High Definition like it is on the TV side. John also asked if anyone could let us know how well the HD version of Big 106.1 comes in where you're at in the region.WNAE FM sold to Vernal Enterprises
Misc. Pennsylvania: Jamestown / Warren: News courtesy of Fybush.com reports that WNAE 102.7 FM in Claredon, Pa. is being sold by Iorio Broadcasting "Joseph Iorio" to Vernal Enterprises for $355,000. Vernal is owned by Larry Schrecongost who owns other stations in Southwest Pennsylvania. WNAE FM was put on the air by Iorio in order to be a translator for WNAE AM 1310, however technical issues prevented that from happening. The station then became a simulcast partner with WKNB "Kinzua Country 104.3" with no plans of operating the station with a separate format. Expect a call letter change once the sale is finalized.Brooks retiring
Pittsburgh: WTAE-TV (4) Medical editor Marilyn Brooks will be retiring at the end of December. More as we hear it.Where is the 11pm newscast on Saturday night?
Erie-Meadville: I went to check WSEE or WICU for the 11pm news since WJET was carrying a college football game that was no longer competitive and would be on until about 11:30. At 11pm, both WSEE and WICU was carrying special programs in regards to the digital TV transition. While the digital transition is very important, why was it necessary to carry it during the 11pm news slot? Why not carry it at 7pm or during the day when infomercials clutter the local airwaves. If both stations want to have a reputation for news, it's important not to take part of the weekend off. This is why Jet has a solid reputation for news. At 11, I watched WFMJ from Youngstown and noticed that their news department (like most stations) does not take the weekend off.Bill Shannon leaves WYNE
Erie-Meadville: Our friends over at The Press and Tower have learned that Bill Shannon has left Mercyhurst North East and WYNE 1530. Their article states that Bill left for personal reasons. Of course Bill is an Erie radio veteran and was program director for the former combo of K-104 & WEYZ and later over at WXTA Country 98. He then was hired over at Mercyhurst College to run their communications course and become PD of WMCE 88.5 / 104.9 before heading over to the North East campus to start up a radio course there. Our friend and morning show host at WYNE "Captain Dan" Geary is now in charge. More details as they develop.Renda switches over to Katz Media
Pittsburgh:Pittsburgh-based Renda Broadcasting Corp. has changed it's affiliation with national sales reps. A former Interep client, it looks like Renda didn't have much of a choice in the move. (A quick look at Interep's site may lead one to believe they're not long for this world!) Renda is now affiliated with Katz Radio Group which represents more than 2200 radio stations and represents the majority of independent broadcasters in the U.S.
Source: Tom Taylor on Radio-Info
O'Reilly leaves radio in 2009
National News:Westwood One will have a gaping hole in its daily schedule come the first quarter of 2009. Bill O'Reilly will be giving up his radio gig. Tom on Radio-Info says, For O'Reilly it's become a necessity given that he puts in 60-65 hours worth of work between Fox, the radio gig, a newspaper column and yet other work.
KDKA-AM (1020) has been the latest Pittsburgh home for O'Reilly in the form of a late night tape delay. We wonder what the station may put in place. Now's probably not the time to recommend a costly, LOCAL program....
HD programs outside of network offerings
Youngstown:I'm not too clear as to when this began, but I noticed that WKBN DT 27-1 (41) was airing the "Entertainment Tonight" / "Insider" hour in HD last night (Thursday). This is syndicated programming that is not coming directly from CBS but is usually recorded earlier to air in this case from 7-8pm. So it appears that WKBN is now recording and airing programs outside of what CBS offers in HD. I'll keep an eye out to see if sister station WYTV DT 33-1 (36) is also airing "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" in HD. Another HD program I caught was over this past weekend from WNEO DT 45-1 with a pledge program called "The Sound of Philadelphia" featuring R&B acts from the 60's and 70's. That program was also recorded in HD since most PBS stations air pledge fare at various times.
Bogut CD is now out...Togyer Book out too...time for your Christmas Shopping!
Pittsburgh:- We told you last week that WJAS (1320) personality Jack Bogut has produced another CD of his stories. Jack checked in with us today and the CD is now out and available at all local Borders Books & Music stores. You can also get more information and even hear some audio samples at Jack's website, www.storytellerjack.com. Jack's first CD was released two years ago.
- Several weeks ago we told you that PBRTV informant Jason Togyer has a book out. While it has nothing to do with broadcasting, he has been working on this project for at least three years if not more. "For The Love of Murphy's" is all about the wonder years of G.C. Murphy - the McKeesport-based 5 and 10 chain many of us remember...even if vaguely. Jason will be signing books at the Heinz History Center this Saturday from 11 am - 3 pm. and will be doing a presentation at Pitt Book Store on December 11.
Villarreal out; LaPoint to mornings
Pittsburgh:
Musical meteorologists will be played yet again at WPXI in the coming weeks. Just as Julie Bologna returned from Texas, Krista Villarreal is headed back. The decision is personal, not that of the station as some might have guessed, but couldn't have come at a more convenient time. news director Corrie Harding was in the process of trying to figure out how to make a 5-person weather team happen. Villarreal's husband took a new job in Dallas and has been back in the area since October with the couple's infant daughter. Meanwhile, Villarreal does not have a new TV job lined up in Dallas. Her departure is scheduled for December 12.
Back at 11... Mike LaPoint will be moved to mornings and Noon but will lose the title of Chief Meteorologist. That role will belong to Bologna - a move that has been speculated since her return. She will be responsible for the evening broadcasts. Scott Harbaugh, who will be losing his Weather Plus duties when the channel ends later in the month, will do more work on PCNC.
Meanwhile, the question remains. How have the anchor changes affected the ratings? The PG says, "not much."