CHANNEL SURFING
Kathy to pull up her 'Orr'
The latest news is that WCAU evening weekend weather anchor Kathy Orr is pulling a "Marc Howard" and going to KYW.
By LAURA NACHMAN
Courier Times

The Philadelphia weather anchors are changing faster than J-Lo's husbands.

The latest news is that WCAU evening weekend weather anchor Kathy Orr is pulling a "Marc Howard" and going to KYW. This move comes on the heels of WCAU's announcement that Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz will take over when John Bolaris heads to New York City in two weeks.

Though a WCAU spokesperson issued a "no comment" on the status of Orr, a KYW source said that Orr will be joining "Eyewitness News" for the weekday evening shows and current No. 1 weather anchor Chris Dunn will probably be reassigned to another show. Dunn, who has never clicked with the Philadelphia viewers since arriving earlier in the year, previously endured speculation that Dave Frankel would take over his job. Now it looks like Dunn is done. Sources say that WCAU has been auditioning potential replacements for their two weather vacancies. When Orr takes over at 11 p.m., viewers will have three new faces in that slot, with Cecily Tynan on WPVI and Schwartz on WCAU.


THOMAS-LAURY RECOVERING

With Lisa Thomas-Laury out of commission for the next few months due to a nerve disorder that has affected her legs and feet, the station announced that morning news anchors Monica Malpass and Rick Williams will anchor the 5 p.m. news. Rob Jennings and Anita Brikman will handle the noon news.

The station said that Thomas-Laury's condition is completely curable, but she will need a few months to recuperate. Jim Gardner will continue to anchor the news following "Monday Night Football," which Thomas-Laury had done the last couple of years, and Tynan will substitute for Thomas-Laury and join Dave Roberts for the "Channel 6 Thanksgiving Day Parade."

REMOTE REMOTE

Fox News Channel, which has the reputation for "dolling" up its anchors, is trying to do the same with former "Good Day Philadelphia" host Mike Jerrick. He was spotted with noticeably darker hair last weekend. ... On Sunday night, WCAU used weekday anchors Larry Mendte and Renee Chenault-Fattah and KYW used weekday anchor Ukee Washington to bolster ratings for sweeps ... WCAU needs to adjust the audio for its new studio at the Loews hotel in Center City, as viewers could barely hear the interviews over the noise from the lobby ... WPHT 1210-AM's Michael Smerconish wraps up his week of broadcasts from Israel today from 3-6 p.m. ... Golf prodigy Kyle Sterbinsky, 6, of Yardley will be featured on "SportsNite" on Comcast SportsNet tonight between 6:30 and 7 p.m.

Reach Laura Nachman at bradyresident@aol.com.

November 14, 2002