KQV anchor Lohle dies
Pittsburgh: Longtime KQV (1410) afternoon news anchor Steve Lohle died today at his home in Beaver County of an apparent heart attack, the station announced. Lohle was 58.
A graduate of North Hills High School, Lohle began working for KQV in 1974, one year before the station switched to its current "all-news" format.
KQV News Director Frank Gottleib said that Lohle came to KQV from stints at WQRC-FM in Hyannis, Mass., where he covered the Chappaquiddick incident, and WMAS/WHVY-FM in Springfield, Mass.
Lohle co-anchored afternoon drive newscasts with another KQV veteran, Joe Fenn.
He is survived by his wife Barbara, son Colin, father Edward Lohle, and a brother and sister. Lohle was preceded in death by his mother, Catherine, who died last month.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. PBRTV extends its deepest sympathy to KQV and the Lohle family.
Readers’ Forum
The loss of Steve Lohle is a huge one for anyone who ever worked in Pittsburgh news.
His booming voice and knack for “over-pronunciation” was Mr. Lohle’s trademark. When Steve and I worked together in 1997 & 1998, then again in 2007, no one was more professional or loyal.
When I was the morning co-producer and all-around “fill-in” guy, I gravitated toward Mr. Lohle. The newsroom of Steve, P.J. Maloney, Eric Hagman, Pat Cloonan and Walt Golden was the best. We constantly “thought on our feet,” with the best of them. Steve was the anchor.
I vividly remember fielding his call to the newsroom, announcing the birth of his son, Colin.
Steve was my best friend at KQV. He will be missed.
Thomas Leturgey - June 20, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Tom honors me all too much putting me on a par with the rest of that crew, but this allows me to put a few things down I wasn’t able to include in a Daily News obit …
A highlight of Steve’s afternoon shift came at 5:20, when he recapped developments on Wall Street with Greg Drahuschak, first vice president of Janney Montgomery Scott.
Unlike many radio business capsules where an anchor opens the microphone and lets the broker do his thing, there was give and take between the two. Steve was well abreast of developments throughout the economy.
Steves off-air interests came out on the airwaves particularly the interest in golf.
Steve sometimes was better prepared than the equipment he had to use. Then again, we are talking KQV ... or at least the KQV of the decade I spent there.
I recall at least one occasion when he tossed an errant tape cartridge at a studio wall.
The man was a consummate professional. If you didn’t learn something working with him, you weren’t trying.
Pat Cloonan (URL) - June 25, 2008 at 5:25 pm