Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
July 11, 2006

 

According to station insiders, NBC10 5 p.m. news anchor and reporter Vince DeMentri will not be on the air for the rest of this week.  Though station management isn’t talking, the consensus is that DeMentri was suspended after his newsroom altercation with weather anchor Glenn “Hurricane” Schwartz last week.

 

During flood coverage, DeMentri did a remote with water up to his waist.  After DeMentri’s report, Schwartz told viewers not to go in the flood waters.  According to witnesses, when DeMentri returned to the station, he screamed at and physically threatened Schwartz.

 

Though DeMentri hasn’t been on the air for over a week, insiders say he won’t lose his job over this episode.

 

DeMentri, who also anchors the 10 p.m. “WB17 News Powered by NBC10,” also will not be on Channel 17 this week.

 

Industry insiders are saying that 6ABC "everywoman" Karen Rogers will become the new evening weekend weather anchor, replacing Sally Ann Mosey, who departed for a weather position in New York City. 
 
Rogers, who has done weather and traffic for the morning news, also is part of most of the 6ABC specials.
 
Former WB17 weeknight news anchor Scott Engler is joining Fox29 as a reporter for "Good Day Philadelphia."  Engler had been commuting to Washington, DC to anchor the weekend news for the Fox affiliate since the WB17 news was outsourced to NBC10 in December.
 
Congratulations to CBS3 reporters Cydney Long and Stephanie Abrams who both became first time parents last week.  Long and her husband Fred Penza welcomed son Charles Vincenzo Penza on July 6, and Abrams and her husband Ron Mintz welcomed son Andrew Samuel Mintz on July 9.

 

Here’s my take on some of the Emmy nominations that were announced Thursday.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Arrested Development (Fox)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
The Office (NBC)
Scrubs (NBC)
Two and Half Men (CBS)

The comedy category is a joke.  How could last year’s winner, “Desperate Housewives” not even rate a nomination?  It wasn’t as good as its freshman year, but it was still better than most of the other shows on the air.  The surging career of Steve Carell will probably lead “The Office” to victory.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Grey's Anatomy (ABC)
House (Fox)
The Sopranos (HBO)
24 (Fox)
The West Wing (NBC)

I can’t argue with the first four nominations.  However, “The West Wing” hasn’t been relevant for years.  There are plenty of other dramas that are better – any of the “CSIs,” “Law and Order:  SVU,” “Nip/Tuck” “Lost,” “Cold Case,” “Without a Trace,” and “The Shield” to name a few.  I think it will be between “Grey’s Anatomy” and “24.”

Two of my favorite entertainment entities, VH1 and “Entertainment Weekly,” are teaming up for the new game show “World Series of Pop Culture” that debuted last night (Monday) at 10 p.m. on VH1.  Sixteen teams of three will compete for a grand prize of $250,000.  Here’s a sample question.  Who played with a doll named Kitty Karryall?  The answer, Cindy Brady of “The Brady Bunch.” 

 

Speaking of “The Brady Bunch,” TV Land will air the top ten “Brady Bunch” moments July 22 at 10 p.m.  My guess for top moment is when Marcia got bonked on the nose with a football. Others that should make the list are when Peter’s voice changed, when Greg wiped out on a surfboard in Hawaii, Jan wearing a wig, and Greg’s hair turning orange.

 

CBS3 4 p.m. news anchor Angela Russell was probably watching the Star Jones/Barbara Walters tiff a little more closely than the average person.  That’s because Russell tried out for the host slot that went to Elisabeth Hasselbeck a couple of years ago. 

 

Former Philadelphia radio personality “Anita” is back on WMGK 102.9-FM this week subbing on the morning show, then doing the mid-day shift July 19 – 22.