On The Air
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
October 7, 2005

Philadelphia will have its second new sportscaster within the month when Don Bell joins CBS3 next week as a sports anchor and reporter. Bell, from the WB affiliate in St. Louis, will anchor the weekday 4 p.m. sports and report for the station.

With three members already on the CBS3 sports staff - sports director Beasley Reece, weekend sports anchor Steve Bucci, and reporter Garry Cobb - some are speculating if Bell will replace one of the existing members.

It won't be Reece, who recently signed a multi-year contract with the station. That leaves weekend sports anchor and recent Mid-Atlantic Emmy winner Bucci, who is said to be working without a contract, and sports reporter and sometimes anchor Cobb.

A station spokesperson would not comment on the personnel situation. Bucci and Cobb did not return phone calls.

No word on how this hiring affects the status of former NBC10 contributor and WIP 610-AM host Howard Eskin, who some thought was going to join his former station for the Sunday night sports show "Sports Access."

Bell joins Keith Russell, who joined 6ABC last month as weekend sports anchor.

How's this for openers?

It wasn't an impressive opening day for new sports-talker WPEN 950-AM Monday. Though the station announced six weeks ago that it was changing formats, on its first day there wasn't a live morning show, evening show or overnight show.

When computer users typed in http://www.wpen.com/, the first image seen was of noted sports legend Bobby Vinton. That's because the Web site from the former Oldies format was still up. A couple of days later, that was corrected, but the new Web site had scant information - just contact numbers for hosts and jabs at WIP such as "Debate Without the Hate," and "We Talk to the Athletes, Not About Them."

Around the dial

In other station news, although WPEN made a play for WIP 610-AM part-timer Ray Didinger, the Eagles' expert will stay on WIP.

In two weeks, a local show called "The 700 Level Sports Fanatics" will air weeknights from 7 p.m.-midnight. The talent hasn't been announced yet.

Tomorrow, a high school sports show hosted by Jeremy Treatman and Joe DeCamara debuts on WPEN from 10 a.m.-noon.

The jackpot on ESPN 920-AM's "U Pick the Score" contest is $30,000. At 5:20 p.m. today, callers are invited to guess this week's Eagles score. My guess: Eagles 31 Dallas 10.

Baby talk

Congratulations to Comcast SportsNet anchor Leslie Gudel and her husband Jamie, who became parents of a son, James Chase, Wednesday. James weighed in at a robust 9 pounds, 8 ounces and joins big sister Kendall, who was born in February 2004.

Fellow CSN anchor Dei Lynam is expecting her first child around Thanksgiving.

Counting down

In the spirit of Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens' appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman" Tuesday night, here is my own top 10 list.

Top 10 list of things Terrell Owens is unlikely to say

10. "Don't throw me the ball so much, try to spread it around a little."

9. "Hi, Brad [Childress]! How are you? How's the family?"

8. To Donovan McNabb: "Sorry."

7. To Jeff Garcia: "Sorry."

6. To ex-agent David Joseph: "Sorry."

5. To Eagles head coach Andy Reid - "Sorry."

4. To any national network such as ABC, ESPN, Fox Sports Net, or CBS: "No comment."

3. To any local reporter: "Time's yours."

2. "Super Size Me," and add a McFlurry."

1. "These millions of dollars I'm making are more than enough money that I'll ever need. Thank you, Mr. Lurie."