Channel Surfing

By Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
July 18, 2006

 

Though Fox29 will probably be starting two new newscasts soon, employees who will work on the additional shows won’t get paid extra. 

 

According to a newsroom source, the technical employees who are in the union, IBEW, are already "on the clock" until noon.  That’s why the station is doing an 11 a.m. news instead of noon.  The night people come in around 3 p.m., so everyone who is on the clock already for the 10 p.m. show, could do the proposed 5 p.m. news.

 

Currently, Fox29 airs an hour-long 10 p.m. show seven days a week and morning news weekdays from 5 a.m. – 9 a.m. 

 

In comparison, NBC10, CBS3, and 6ABC each air three evening news shows each weeknight – varying from 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m.

 

For example, Tim Lake and Renee Chenault-Fattah of NBC10 anchor the 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. shows, compared to Fox29’s Dave Huddleston and Dawn Stensland, who only anchor the 10 p.m. show.

 

Newsroom insiders believe that Stensland will not be part of the 5 p.m. show because her contract allows her to start work at a later time than required for the earlier broadcast.

 

The 11 a.m. show is scheduled to start in October.  No official start date for the 5 p.m. show.  

 

One more thought.  With the two possible news shows, Fox29 might have to trim one of its myriad of "Judge" shows.

 

New Q-102 morning man Chris Booker and Bucks county resident Jill Whelan were a couple of the talking heads on the hilarious “I Love the 70’s Volume II” last week on VH1. 

 

Though Whoopi Goldberg’s show is scheduled to begin on Clear Channel stations across the country on July 31, according to Clear Channel regional VP of programming, Brian Check, Goldberg won’t be on Sunny 104.5-FM.  In an email, he wrote that John Tesh will remain in the morning (5 a.m. – 8 a.m.) and the music will stay the same.

 

It will be interesting to see how the political Goldberg gets along with her new corporate boss.

 

Former KYW 1060-AM news anchor Elaine Keno’s trial against the station is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 18^th before U.S. District Court Justice Judge Clifford Scott Green.   Keno, who was fired from the station in 2004, is suing for age and sex discrimination.

 

Nominations for the Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards will be announced August 3.

 

Congratulations to Robin Quivers of “The Howard Stern Show,” who was named one of the top sidekicks of all time in this week’s “Entertainment Weekly.”