Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
November 29, 2005

According to her manager, Jim Johnson, Lauren Hart is leaving the "10" show on NBC10 to devote more time to her music career.  Hart's last day on "10" will be December 9.  Hart's new CD will be released January 14 and tour dates in England and Europe are in the works. 

She will continue to sing the "National Anthem" at all Philadelphia Flyers home games.  Hart is the daughter of the late Flyers' play-by-play announcer, Gene Hart.  She co-hosted "10" with Bill Henley since 2004.  In the latest ratings, "10" was fifth in its 10 a.m. timeslot.

Let’s get you up to speed on some of the other latest changes at the local stations.

At 6ABC, the big news is the return of news anchor Lisa Thomas Laury to the air. Though she isn’t back full-time, for the first time since she departed the station due to medical problems in 2004, Laury was interviewed on “Action News” last week and she made an appearance on the Thanksgiving Day parade, an event she co-hosted for many years.

NBC10 has two new reporters.  Lori Wilson of the CBS Atlanta affiliate joins the station this week as a general assignment reporter.  Jade McCarthy from the Huntsville, Alabama market is that “Heather Mitts” type that we previously mentioned, who will primarily do sports stories beginning next week.  Also, Bucks county resident and veteran Philadelphia newsman Steve Highsmith of the soon-to-be ending WB17 news has landed a job at NBC10.  He will host the Sunday morning show “Live @ Issue.”  WB17 News at 10’s final newscast is December 9.

CBS3 has a few new employees.  Bucks county native Susan Barnett, will take over the weekday morning co-anchor slot in December.  WB17 news anchor Mary Stoker Smith will move to CBS3 and anchor on the weekends.  Don Bell is the new 4 p.m. sports anchor.  Tracey Russell of the ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C. is said to become the new 4 p.m. news anchor.  Brooks Tomlin will join the weather team in January.

December 9 will be the final broadcast of the WB17 News at 10.  So far, news anchor Mary Stoker Smith and reporters Tim Furlong and Steve Highsmith have landed jobs at other stations in town.  As of press time, some of the WB17 talent still looking for a job include news anchor Scott Engler, weather anchor Kirk Clyatt, sports anchor Matt Biondi and weekend news anchor Jim Sinkovitz.

NBC10 will produce a newscast for WB17 at 10 p.m. with NBC10 talent Vince DeMentri, Lori Delgado, Vai Sikahema (sports), and Doug Kammerer (weather).  The NBC10 weekend team of Lauren Cohn, Amy Freeze (weather), and John Clark (sports) will also do double-duty.

Fox29’s new weekend weather anchor is David Aldrich.  He replaces Karen Thomas.

UPN 57's "Wake Up News" is looking for a full-time weather anchor to replace Melissa Sander.  Currently, Christa Quinn is getting an "extended" tryout.

CN8’s major changes this fall were moving morning man Kevin Walsh to the evening news and making Greg Coy the co-host of “Your Morning.”  Gina Cancelliere replaced Ginger Jeffries as the weather anchor.