Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
www.bradyresidence.com/channelsurfing.html
June 22, 2006
 
Former 6ABC host Wally Kennedy is joining KYW 1060-AM as a news anchor.  Station general manager David Yadgaroff said that Kennedy "will be a great addition to the staff."
 
Kennedy spent over twenty years at Channel 6 until 2004, when his show "Philly After Midnight" was canceled. Since then he was a fill-in host and reporter for CN8 and taught a journalism class at Temple University.
 
Kennedy debuted in Philadelphia in the early 80's as a host on the old WCAU 1210-AM.
 

Though management isn’t talking, according to Fox-29 insiders, the station might launch an 11 a.m. newscast.  This would be in addition to a 5 p.m. newscast that is also said to be in the works.  Fox spokesperson Jennifer Best said, “We have no expansion plans to announce at this time.”  Currently, Fox29 airs five hours of news a day Monday through Friday, the hour-long “The Ten O’clock News” and “Good Day Philadelphia” from 5 a.m. – 9 a.m.

 

Kyle Schmoyer, 29, the lead news reporter for CN8’s 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows isn’t intimidated working on the big story of the day against veteran reporters from other stations such as Walt Hunter, Dann Cuellar, and Mike Strug.

 

“When I’m working, I don’t have time to worry about the other people.  I’m consumed with the story I’m covering,” said the graduate of Northwestern University who grew up in the Poconos.

 

Schmoyer, a two-year veteran of the station already has the most seniority among the crop of young reporters on CN8. 

 

“I love being out in the field, interacting with other people.”

 

With reports that CBS3 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news anchor Alycia Lane recently signed a multi-year contract, it appears she’ll be working with co-anchor Larry Mendte for a few more years.  Mendte, who joined CBS3 from NBC10 in 2003, is signed through 2009.  Also, 4 p.m. news anchor Marc Howard, who began at CBS3 at the beginning of 2003 is signed through 2008.

 

Bucks County resident and WB17 and NBC10 host Steve Highsmith is among the recently elected officers of The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).  Highsmith will continue as chapter treasurer.  Other on-air people on the board are Scott Palmer of the Phillies and Mary Stoker-Smith of CBS3.  The annual Emmys are handed out in September.

 

With Whoopi Goldberg’s new Clear Channel radio show set to debut July 31st, radio observers are saying that Philly’s Sunny 104.5-FM, a Clear Channel station, may change its format to include Goldberg and other female-friendly personalities such as “Dr. Laura” and Rollye James, formerly of WWDB 96.5-FM.

 

Goldberg’s resume includes broadway, movies (an Academy Award for "Ghost"), a television game show (“Hollywood Squares”), a television talk show, a television science fiction show (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), a couple of sitcoms (“Baghdad Café” and “Whoopi”), and stand-up comedy.  I guess the reality show should be next.