Channel Surfing by Laura Nachman Bucks County Courier Times September 22

Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
September 22, 2005

Tribune Corporation, which owns WPHL-17, is shutting down the existing version of the “News at 10” as of December 10. Instead of WPHL producing its own newscast, WCAU-10, which has shared resources with 17 in the past, will produce a show that will air on WPHL at10 p.m. According to insiders, most WPHL newsroom employees will lose their jobs.

The Emmy-nominated “News at 10” is anchored by Scott Engler and recent hire Mary Stoker Smith, who relocated here from Rockford, Illinois. Meteorologist Kirk Clyatt and sports anchor Matt Biondi round out the anchor team. Bucks county resident Steve Highsmith is another notable member of the news team.

According to television industry web sites, Tribune is doing the same cost-cutting move in San Diego, CA.

WPHL began its newscast in 1994 in a partnership with “The Philadelphia Inquirer.” There were rumblings that the newscast was going to shut down a couple of years ago, but WPHL cut the show from an hour to a half hour at the beginning of 2004.

In the last ratings sweeps period in May, WPHL's news had a 3 rating/4 share Monday through Sunday. It's main competitor, WTXF had a 7rating/10 share.