By LAURA NACHMAN
Courier Times
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Could the Carter administration be coming to WB17's news? Chuck Carter, 43, the assistant news director for the last two and a half years at WTIC-TV, Fox-61 in Hartford, Conn., interviewed for the news director position last week and is said to be a leading contender for the job.

Rich Scott, WB17's news director for the last five years, will be leaving March 1 due to ratings. WB17 trails Fox-Philadelphia in the 10 p.m. news race. Fox-61, as well as WB17, is part of the Tribune family. WB17 vice president and general manager Leslie Glenn previously stated that WB17's next news director would come from a Tribune station. Hartford is the 25th largest television market. Philadelphia is number four.

CN8 may be expanding its news operation to include an 11 a.m. newscast by September. It currently airs a 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. show Monday through Friday anchored by Channel 10 exiles Connie Colla and Arthur Fennell.

FRIENDLY FAMILY FEUD

In what may be the only competition of its type in the country, WB17 weekend anchor Karen Jordan is on the air the same time as her father, anchorman Robert Jordan of WGN in Chicago. (Some systems in the Delaware Valley carry Chicago's superstation). Family rivalry is nothing new for Jordan - her husband, Christian Farr, is a reporter for Fox-Philadelphia.

In a related note, WB17 weekday news anchor Toni Yates competes against her ex-husband Arthur Fennell on CN8 at 10 p.m. And Larry Mendte of NBC 10 is on an hour later than his wife Dawn Stensland of Fox-Philadelphia's "Ten O'clock News."

TEEN IDOLS - THEN AND NOW

Break out your old "Tiger Beat" magazines. Leif Garrett and his new band, F8, will perform on the "NBC 10 News at 10" today. Doylestown's Pink, a.k.a. Alecia Moore, is on "Late Night with David Letterman" tonight at 11:35 on CBS ... Local freelance voiceover talent Tom Richards of Wilmington, Del., will be taping an episode of the daytime version of "The Weakest Link" at the end of the month. Richards was selected from the auditions that took place at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Philadelphia last month. "Weakest Link" airs on KYW-3 weekdays from 4-5 p.m. ... Proof that the radio wars are over: Recently an ad for "Smooth Jazz" FM106 was heard on Alice 104.5. Both are owned by Clear Channel communications.

Questions and comments may be sent to Laura at bradyresident@aol.com. Laura appears on WBCB 1490-AM Monday and Friday at 8:45 a.m.

Thursday, February 21, 2002