Beale's Bites

A few parting words...

2009-04-10T23:03:00.002-04:00

Hope I didn't get your hopes up with my return last week to comment on the elimination of local news on WYOU. I never planned my return to be permanent, mainly because I no longer live or work in NEPA. That makes it hard to keep up on local news happenings, even with the occasional tip that wound up in my inbox. The blog will stay up for your reading pleasure, and I'll still moderate comments, but unless another local TV news operation goes belly up (and let's hope that never happens) or something big happens, it's back to obscurity for yours truly.

But before I go, there's one thing that's been on the back of my mind since WYOU News was axed, and that's the film archive lurking in the bowels of 62 South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre. I've written about the archive before, and the importance of preserving it for the sake of local history, since WBRE and WNEP no longer have film archives. This collection dates back to the 1950s, and was preserved due to the efforts of longtime WDAU photographer Jack Scannella. A lot of important events were recorded on that film, as were everyday events.

You may not care that WYOU is no longer doing local news, but would you care if important pieces of local history wound up in the trash? Think how you would feel if someone threw away your treasured and irreplacable family photos or videos. The WYOU film archive could meet that same fate, unless someone steps forward to preserve it. NEPA is home to many libraries and universities that would accept the film and perhaps even preserve it in a digitized form for all to see.

And if you're a Nexstar/Mission Broadcasting executive, think of the good publicity you'd get from donating the film archive! Sure, you may have killed a local news outlet, but in a way, you would be saving local news by donating the film. Better yet, I'm sure you could get a tax write-off, and save even more than the $900,000 estimated savings. Besides, it's not like you're going to need that film archive for any WYOU newscasts, right?

If you feel the same way I do, won't you please contact WBRE/WYOU and politely ask general manager Lou Abitabilo to preserve WYOU's film archive? You can either call him at (570) 823-2828, send him an e-mail to labitabilo@pahomepage.com, or use this Web form to contact him. Your efforts may help convince WBRE/WYOU to preserve important pieces of local history, before it's too late.

As Forrest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."

WYOU's final newscast

2009-04-05T18:46:00.003-04:00

Someone uploaded WYOU's 11 p.m. Friday newscast to YouTube today, so if you didn't see the station's last hurrah, here you go. It's split up into six parts. The fourth part includes the caller who asked about WYOU's demise, and anchor Eric Scheiner's response.

Who's staying, who's going?

2009-04-04T13:27:00.001-04:00

Now that WYOU has eliminated local news programming, several of its news personalities have been shown the door: reporter David DeCosmo (29 years with WYOU), anchor Eric Scheiner (hired in 2006 for the "interactive" newscast), anchor Lyndall Stout (moved from WBRE to WYOU in a swap for Candice Kelly), meteorologist Dave Kuharchik (joined WYOU in 1999), and sports anchor Mike Conigliaro (the only man left standing after WYOU ended its sports segments). Over at WBRE, weekend anchor Dia Wallace, who's been at the station since 1996, was also shown the door.

Who's staying? As previously mentioned, anchor/reporter Eric Deabill will move to WBRE and stay there, though his new position at WBRE is not known. What's also not known is Mark Hiller's future. He was moved to WYOU to be its noon and 4 p.m. anchor, after spending 20+ years at WBRE. His name has not come up on the list of cut personalities published in the local newspapers, but I haven't confirmed whether he'll return to WBRE.

Know something I don't? Share it via e-mail, or post a comment below.

Remembering WYOU

2009-04-04T13:22:00.003-04:00

YouTube is a great resource for digging up old television clips, and there's plenty of clips from WYOU's heyday. Here's a small sampling. You can also take a trip down memory lane by checking out this Web site run by Carl Abraham, a former WDAU employee who now works at WNEP.

1987 newscast segment (1/2), with Larry Sparano, Keith Oppenheim, John Nugent, Joan Murray, and Paul Heppner.

1987 newscast segment (1/2), with Larry Sparano, Paul Heppner, and John Nugent. (Bonus: a story about Debbie Dunleavy appearing in a local play.)

1980s promo commercials touting people who made the switch to watching WYOU. (Mullet alert at 0:36 seconds in!) Also includes promos from WBRE and WNEP, featuring the likes of Vic Vetters, Nolan Johannes, Karen Harch, and Tim Karlson.

1987 WYOU promo reel. "First News at 5:30 is distinctive and darned good!" That's an endorsement you can't beat. You also can't beat "The Heart of TV 22" song.

Another 1987 video segment, mainly of a WYOU newscast with Liz Linskey, Michael Gargiulo, and Derry Bird. (I believe that's a clip from Reefer Madness at 1:49!)

WDAU news promo touting the Luzerne County tag team of David DeCosmo and Kevin Jordan.

A "Newscene 22" newscast gets a bit exciting when one of the studio lights explodes and singes one of the anchors. (Can you identify the two in this clip?)

One day in 1980, WDAU became "Batscene 22" when an errant bat flew into the studio and freaked out Debbie Dunleavy. Fortunately, Derry Bird was armed with a broom.

Now this is a treat! From the early 1980s (or late 1970s?), a WDAU promo for CBS's "Looking Good!" campaign. Someone pretending to urinate in a filing cabinet? A flasher? Someone on a toilet? Clearly WDAU's employees had very strange senses of humor!

WYOU News: 1953-2009

2009-04-03T19:41:00.009-04:00

On July 7, 1953, WGBI became the first television station in NEPA to hit the airwaves, and after 56 years, its current incarnation as WYOU has become the first to fall victim to the economy. Employees were told this afternoon the 11 p.m. newscast would be their last one. According to the Times-Tribune, 14 WYOU employees will lose their jobs, though Beale's Bites has learned from a source that number could be as high as 25.

WYOU's demise is a sad end to a once-prominent station that established TV news in NEPA. Though the early days as WGBI were hardscrabble, the station's news broadcasts -- led by veteran newsman Tom Powell -- were what people watched. The station, which became WDAU in 1958, would continue its success for the next two decades or so, leaving WBRE and WNEP to duke it out for second place in the ratings. WDAU was the jewel of local TV news.

But something happened to WDAU that would eventually lead to its downfall: a tight wallet. The station's many owners became more reluctant to spend money, and it was around that time when WNEP decided it needed to spend money to make money. As WNEP began to throw more coal onto the fire, WDAU began to throw more water on its fire, and soon the station found itself in that eternal battle against WBRE for number-two in the ratings.

WDAU's future as WYOU would not get any brighter. Still a third-place station, WYOU was bought by Nexstar Broadcasting, and its news operations were merged with former rival and fellow Nexstar station WBRE. Then came the experiments: news anchors, new sets, even an "interactive" newscast that was a glorified talk show. Anything you threw at WYOU's wall would not stick. Things got so bad, that WYOU's 6 p.m. newscast was beat in the ratings by reruns of "Everybody Loves Raymond" from WOLF.

That brings us to today. Nexstar/Mission has made good on the nearly ten years of rumors about the end of WYOU, by taking the horse out to pasture, and shooting it in the head. WYOU is not alone. Those of you who follow broadcast trends know other stations are either laying off news employees, getting rid of newscasts, or just getting rid of news departments altogether. Consider the case of WTVH, the CBS affiliate in Syracuse. A tight wallet tanked the once-proud station and led to the demise of its newsroom.

What about the futures of NEPA's two remaining TV news operations? WBRE is still in its far-behind position as number two in the ratings, and Nexstar is reluctant to spend money on the station. Even WNEP, the station that has dominated the ratings since the 1980s, is no longer immune. Earlier this year, station managers on Montage Mountain Road decided to get rid of Skycam 16 -- its well-known news helicopter -- and lay off the pilot. Why? Skycam 16 was too expensive to keep and maintain.

Given the state of the nation's economy, it's hard to assign full blame for the death of WYOU News, as the station's downward spiral began several decades ago. Whatever the reason, one thing is clear. Many of the people who kept WYOU's newsroom running, even if it just sputtered and heaved like a run-down Chevy Vega, will be out of a job after today, through no fault of their own. The people of NEPA will have one less source for their news and information. A sad day, indeed.

Could WYOU News have been saved? Perhaps. All that was needed to bring in more vieiwers was to give the viewers something they wanted. Not a new set or a "Dialing For News" newscast; something relevant, something exciting, something informative, something insightful. But guess what? That costs money, and nobody's spending money these days. Catch 22.

So, to the station and the employees that kept going when many thought they should give up, I say to you, godspeed. And to the people in charge who allowed WYOU's newsroom to wither away and die, I say to you, go to hell and shove it.

Comments and e-mail are open; please share your thoughts.

UPDATE:
Beale's Bites has learned the layoffs are not limited to WYOU. Some WBRE employees were also laid off to make way for WYOU employees with seniority. As for on-air employees, Eric Deabill will move to WBRE and stay there. A source says some others, who were not named, will stay temporarily, and then be let go. Another source says some WYOU producers walked out the door after today's announcement, and left behind unfinished newscasts.

Goodbye to WYOU

2009-04-03T18:01:00.002-04:00

After 56 years of broadcasting the news to northeast Pennsylvania, WYOU is closing its newsroom. This story has made me come out of exile, if only for one night, to post what I'm feeling, and to allow you to share your thoughts.

More to come by the end of this evening. Stay tuned.

-30-

2008-02-14T20:02:00.004-05:00

I owe you an explanation.

When I started this blog back in 2005, I did so as a way to point out the flaws in my profession, and to let people know what goes on behind the scenes in local news, whether it was WNEP using Wikipedia as an on-air source, the firings of veteran WBRE personnel, or WYOU's Dialing for News. I never set out to make anyone look bad; I've worked alongside many people here, and most are wonderful people who love to do what they do...to tell the stories people want to know, and need to know.

For better or worse, I did that here. Beale's Bites attracted a lot of attention, namely from current and former journalists in the area, who shared their stories and their experiences, both good and bad. Unfortunately, some of that drew in the people who wanted to do nothing more than mindlessly grind axes and call people names. Even the best moderation couldn't keep that away.

The negativity got to me, and I had to back off. So I did. One day, I logged out of the blog and my e-mail account, and stayed away for about three months. I hope you could understand that, even if you wondered why I never responded to any e-mails. Time passed, and I thought about returning, so I checked my e-mail, and found plenty of supportive messages, urging me to keep it up, provided I didn't end up like Jimmy Hoffa.

So I returned, rested, refreshed, and ready to go. All would be well, except for the fact that the negativity returned, perhaps twice as bad as it was. Endless comments to wade through, calling people names, bringing personal matters into the discussion, etc. But that wasn't the spark that made me, once again, log out, and drop out.

One day, I received a phone call from an acquaintence who works in the "business." The message I received from a family member was regarding a matter at the station, and that the person specifically wanted to let me know about it. I took that as a sign. "You're busted, Howard." The fact that the call was placed to my home, and was given to a family member, troubled me. I was not about to lose my friends and my career over a blog, and let that affect my family in any way.

I logged out, and never returned, not even to check e-mails.

I do hope you can understand why I did what I did. Regardless, I felt I owed an explanation to everyone who read Beale's Bites or e-mailed me. You are the people who helped make this site what it was intended to be, an open and honest discussion about the state of journalism in this area. I can't thank you enough; this site was never about me, it was about you (at the risk of sounding like WYOU's promotions department!).

But I will not be able to continue Beale's Bites anymore, for the various reasons listed above. I've retired, turned in my press pass, gone to that great newsroom in the sky (where the water cooler always works), whatever you want to call it. There's still a few blogs around here where you can get your insider fix, such as NEPA Media. A former news director also has a VERY excellent blog about his experiences in journalism. I won't link to it, because I don't know if he'd want the attention, but I'll bet a lot of you already know about it. E-mail me if you'd like the link.

As for the title of this post, it was used to signify when a story ended. One of my former editors told me this was used back in the newspaper era (sometime before computers, but after stone tablets), so a reporter who filed a story had a way to let the editor know when the story was done, as opposed to, "Did I miss the last page of this story? I don't know!" I've used it ever since, as a tribute to the days when journalism was in the interest of the public, and not in the interest of the shareholders. Hopefully those days will return.

Thank you all.

-30-

Journalism degree costs more

2007-07-29T12:44:00.000-04:00

Some colleges across the nation are changing the tuition prices for students who major in certain fields, because of things like "the high salaries commanded by professors in certain fields, the expense of specialized equipment and the difficulties of getting state legislatures to approve general tuition increases." For journalism students at Arizona State University, it means they'll pay an extra $250 per semester (freshmen excluded).

Yet, students who want to go into broadcast journalism will be lucky to earn more than $23,000 per year in their first job. I would say they'd be lucky to earn $21,000 per year, as I've seen job postings for full-time journalism jobs where the salary is far less (in one case, $15,000 per year!).

Many news directors always wonder why it's getting harder to find a good journalism student. Here's a hint: they went into public relations to make more money.

Photographer killed in chopper crash once worked at WNEP

2007-07-28T20:25:00.000-04:00

One of the four journalists killed in Friday's crash involving two news helicopters over the skies of Phoenix, Arizona was a former WNEP employee. KNXV photographer Rick Krolak worked for WNEP in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and also spent time in New York at stations in Elmira and Binghamton.

While WNEP is the only station around here with a helicopter, Skycam 16 has seen its share of crowded skies. Andy Palumbo wrote in his blog about one such experience during a NASCAR race at Pocono a few years ago.

"Skycam wasn't the only chopper in the air over the track. State Police were up. A private helicopter was circling, as well as one or two from the television network covering the race. [...] There were four or five helicopters over Long Pond that day and our pilot made sure we stayed out of trouble. Each of us was assigned an altitude. We kept out of each other's way. Still, I was relieved when the noon broadcast was over and we headed to the pad at WNEP."

Those of you who've seen WYOU's old promos on YouTube know that the station had a helicopter for a brief period in the early 1990s. According to one Beale's Bites reader, station management at WYOU and WNEP met to discuss things such as "how close, how far, aerial spacing, right of way" between both helicopters, to prevent what happened in Phoenix.

Tragedy in the sky

2007-07-27T19:54:00.000-04:00

Four people died in Phoenix, Arizona today when two television news helicopters collided as they followed a car chase. The pilot and photographer aboard each helicopter died.

Part of me wonders why something like this didn't happen sooner. In large markets like Phoenix, every station has a helicopter, and whenever there's a car chase, up they go. Combine that with a police helicopter, and you've got perhaps four or five hovering close to each other, trying to pay attention to the chase, and to each other. It's a recipe for a tragedy, which sadly happened in this case.

For those of you who aren't squeamish, there is video of the last seconds of video of one of the helicopters.

Hazleton's back in the spotlight

2007-07-26T13:35:00.000-04:00

A federal judge just decided that Hazleton's immigration ordinance - the law that brought so much national attention to our area - is unconstitutional. At the time I posted this, WBRE and WYOU already had a breaking news update posted on its website. WNEP didn't have anything.

This is sure to be the top story on all three stations tonight, so I'd like to know your thoughts on tonight's coverage. Respond here, or shoot me an e-mail!

EDIT: Typo fixed. L before E!

Celebrity news, BEGONE!

2007-07-26T06:22:00.000-04:00

A lot of you paid attention and applauded when MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski ripped up a script about Paris Hilton a couple of weeks ago. Now, here's something new to buzz about. CNN anchor Jack Cafferty also expressed his disgust with celebrity news by asking to skip a story about Lindsay Lohan.

I don't know if both Brzezinski and Cafferty's on-air displeasure was real, or scripted, but it's refreshing. I'm fed up with all of the attention paid to spoiled celebrities who get arrested, when there's more than enough local and national/international news to "fill the void" in a newscast. If there's one good thing to be said about the news stations in this area, it's that they're not obsessed with celebrity news.

WYOU reporter now writing for newspaper

2007-07-20T09:08:00.001-04:00

Former WYOU reporter Phil Yacuboski has been hired as a writer for Scranton's Electric City. He's also done some work for them in the past.

A reader also swears to have heard Yacuboski reading the news on an area radio station this week. Is true, perhaps that non-compete clause from Nexstar is no longer an issue?

Buyer beware

2007-07-19T22:22:00.000-04:00

It's pretty bad when you have to do a story about people using your station's website to try to scam people. WBRE reported this week that scammers were trolling classifieds ads on PAHomePage.com to find people to rip off through so-called advance fee fraud. You know how it goes; seller posts ad, scammer sends check for more than the actual price, asks seller to send difference. Good luck getting your money.

(PAHomePage.com's classifieds now sport a warning from WBRE consumer reporter Jeff Chirico on how not to lose your money.)

To be fair, PAHomePage.com isn't the only place where scammers look for suckers. Anyone who's posted a classified ad, in the newspaper or online, has probably gotten a bite from someone hoping to rip them off.

We somehow impressed New York City

2007-07-19T21:36:00.000-04:00

I spent the past week getting caught up on some off-Internet work, and look at what I missed! Two accused cop killers from New York City pick the Poconos as their hideout, just like the Fort Dix terror suspects, and the area is swarmed by reporters from the Big Apple.

A person with close knowledge of the whole affair writes in to say that WBRE and WNEP did great coverage by teaming up with their respective network affiliates in NYC. "Apparently all of NYC guys left with stellar impressions of the Scranton news market... go figure!"

The folks from WNBC probably didn't leave with good impressions of the State Police. The aformentioned source reports a trooper from PSP Swiftwater ordered the combined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton/NYC press corps off I-80 around 6:15 p.m. last Wednesday, and killed WNBC's live shot after the crew didn't move its satellite truck.

"The bottomline, PSP was awfully difficult to work with during this ordeal. It wasn't until midnight that a dispatcher from Swiftwater informed everyone about the nuts and bolts, and she only did it out of compassion for the lack of repsect all night long."

One does, one doesn't

2007-07-12T22:18:00.000-04:00

A viewer points out an interesting discrepancy from the local Nexstar duopoly this morning. WBRE chose not to air the President's press conference, while WYOU did. Both stations share the same news video, but not the same press conference?

Remember when...?

2007-07-12T22:10:00.000-04:00

I've written in the past about the treasure trove of NEPA television you can find on YouTube. Besides historical perspectives from the era when WYOU had a helicopter, there's also things that make you laugh, shake your head, or both.

WBRE's Josh Hodell and Kerry Shahen report on the February snowstorm in a professional matter befitting of such a serious event. Oh wait, they made snow angels on the roof.

You're not allowed to smile when you're on WBRE's I-Team.

WYOU 1st News, "the area's only 5:30 newscast!" I don't know about you, but I really liked WYOU's old theme music.

Being an intern at WNEP means you can jump on a slip-n-slide. Just don't mention this to a prospective employer when you're asked about your internship experience.

From 20 years ago, a promo from Norfolk, Virginia's WVEC, with a younger Mike Lewis!

Search for any of the stations on YouTube, and you'll find many more videos.

A friendly reminder

2007-07-07T16:09:00.000-04:00

The "NEPA negativity, revisited" thread seemed to bring out the worst in people, and in retrospect, there are some comments there I probably shouldn't have approved. So, I believe it's time for a refresher in what's not allowed.

1. Unfounded personal attacks

To borrow words from a Supreme Court justice, I can't define what a personal attack is, but I know one when I see one.

2. Rudeness or obscenity

If you can't post without a stream of words that would make a sailor blush, then don't do it.

3. Anything involving a person's personal life

We're here to discuss broadcast journalism, not what someone does on their own time. Go read one of the gossip columns in the local "alternative" newspapers, or head over to Talkback 16 to speculate about hair color.

4. Speculation about who posts here

Most posts here are anonymous for a good reason. Please respect a person's decision to be anonymous.

Let's keep it civil, OK?

Former WYOU photographer dies

2007-07-03T06:04:00.000-04:00

Bob Dennis, a former photographer for WDAU/WYOU, died of cancer Friday night. WNEP's Andy Palumbo
shares a pretty touching story about his last day on the job with Dennis...

"Bob was the photographer on the last story I did as a reporter for WYOU, in August of 1996. We were on our way to Mahanoy City to do a follow-up story on a rather large fire. The station had a new owner, and changes were in the works. I had a feeling I wasn’t included in the plans of the new regime. I told Bob how I felt in the truck on the way to Schuylkill County. Bob replied that I was too valuable to the company, and management would never get rid of me. He was trying to calm me down, and get my mind off my problems. I got fired that afternoon. Bob felt worse about it than I did."

Exclusive: More firings to come at WNEP?

2007-07-02T17:43:00.000-04:00

Beale's Bites has learned that the four firings that happened earlier this year at WNEP may not be the only ones to happen under new ownership at Montage Mountain Road. Sources have revealed there may be plans to jettison staff that has been there for quite some time. It's not known when this could happen, but some people at WNEP are apparently aware of the cost-cutting plan.

NEPA negativity, revisited

2007-06-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

Al Zobel was right.

That statement alone is bound to ruffle many feathers among the television reporters in this area. But when Zobel spoke about the pervasiveness of negativity in northeast Pennsylvania, he was right.

I should know; I have to review all the submitted comments to decide which ones get posted and rejected. In those comments, people usually point fingers at each other for the misfortunes of their station, their jobs, their personal lives, etc. So what's being done about it?

You know, besides posting here?

Probably nothing. Part of it is because every company that owns a television station is concerned about making money, not pleasing their employees. The other part of it is because people here are more apt to bitch and moan amongst themselves. Hell, around here, there are STILL people who whine about past events and people who have long since left NEPA!

Your job is what you make of it. If you spend your way whining, you're not going to like your job. But if you try to make your job better, then hey, coming into work won't be as bad. Maybe others will see what you're doing, and follow your lead!

Remember, you chose to work at your station. You can always choose to leave (and take some office supplies with you) if you don't like the way things are going.

You know, I should submit this to Soapbox 16!

(I'd like to amend my initial statement. Al Zobel wasn't right. Television people outside NEPA complain just as bad. A former reporter shared a tale with me about their current station, where people still complain about being understaffed, even though the place has more resources than you can shake a stick at. Can't win 'em all.)

Ticked about a ticker

2007-06-22T06:28:00.000-04:00

WNEP wants to know what you think about its apparently controversial morning news ticker. Ever since it was introduced this week, Talkback 16 has been flooded with comments for and against the ticker. As of this posting, the poll on WNEP's website shows 53% of people want to keep it, with the rest either against it, or unable to care.

Honestly, I'm not surprised there's been so much unrest over a simple news ticker. Lots of people in this area don't do well with change. Look at what happpened when someone noticed a reporter's hair color was darker than usual.

WYOU loses meteorologist

2007-06-21T19:46:00.000-04:00

After 12 years, Scott Stuccio is hanging up his hat at WYOU. The station's chief meteorologist will resign on September 28th to take a marketing/on-air analyst job with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the area's minor league hockey team.

"Weather has always been important to Scott, but hockey is his true passion. I've had the opportunity to hear Scott broadcast some Penguins games and I can tell you he is very talented. I have no doubt that Scott will be every bit as successful in his new venture as he has been for many years here at WYOU," news director Ron Krisulevicz told employees via e-mail this week.

Stuccio's job has already been posted on WYOU's website.

(Remember, if you've got a tip, you can anonymously e-mail it, or send it via AOL instant message to Howard Beale NEPA.)

New contact method

2007-06-20T00:09:00.000-04:00

Since instant messaging seems to be all the rage in the newsroom and elsewhere, I've decided to jump aboard the bandwagon. So, whether you've got a tip, question, or a death threat, you can now shoot it to my AOL screen name Howard Beale NEPA, provided I logged in. E-mail still works as well.

Ch-ch-changes

2007-06-19T23:53:00.000-04:00

WNEP is making two changes to its morning news show this week. The biggest change is a new co-anchor, Mindi Ramsey (formerly of WVIT-TV in Hartford, Connecticut), who formally replaces Kim Supon tomorrow morning. WNEP has already introduced her through various promos and segments, pairing her up with the seemingly zany Tom Williams and the certifiably zany Joe Snedeker, who I hope won't make the mistake of asking her to choose between her job and her children.

The other change is the addition of a news ticker to the bottom of the screen, similar to what you see on WBRE and WYOU's "Pennsylvania Morning." The bored housewives and chatterboxes on Talkback 16 are already in an uproar over this.

Sid Michaels back at WYOU

2007-06-18T21:58:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I saw Sid Michaels on WYOU Sunday night. The anchorman who left the station last summer when "Dialing for News" eliminated weekday sportscasts, is back as a fill-in anchor. Either that state PR job isn't paying well, or he couldn't get the sports out of his system.

I'm not the only one who's scratching his head. Several of you e-mailed me in shock as well, with one of you comparing Michaels' return to that of a woman who goes back to her abusive husband. I wouldn't go that far, but then again, this is a guy who saw the writing on the wall after WBRE axed sports anchorman Jacon Knapp.

Grading the Video: WYOU

2007-06-17T23:54:00.000-04:00

Here's the final critique in the "Grading the Video" series.

Bar Shooting
Any efforts to prove WBRE and WYOU are separate entities were shot in this story, as Laurie Monteforte's mic had a WBRE logo. Oh well. That said, the video in this story was average. We had police officers walking around a crime scene, and other outside shots of the bar. Final grade: B-

Bus Fire
You can't get much better on a story about a bus fire, than by seeing the burned-out bus itself. Final grade: A

Overrun Shelter
Video of cats in a shelter...well, that's what the story was about. Final grade: B-

Duathlon
It's a story about people running around Wilkes-Barre, and that's what we saw. Eh, nothing exciting really. Final grade: B-

Father's Day
It was an interesting take on Father's Day, with dads and sons spending the day piloting model airplanes. and that's what we saw in th video. Final grade: B

Car Show
Unexciting video of a car show. Eh. Final grade: C+

Swimming
Unexciting video of people swimming. Another "Eh." Final grade: C+

Miner Dedication
There wasn't too much video to this story, just a statue of a miner. Yet another "Eh" response. Final grade: B-

Grading the Video: WNEP

2007-06-16T23:32:00.000-04:00

I wasn't able to catch the 6 p.m. news tonight for my ongoing video critique, so I tuned to WNEP at 11 p.m. I'll get to WYOU tomorrow. As always, I don't count video that came from other sources, like network video or online video. Ergo, I won't mention the Obama YouTube story, or the Lancaster County murder (unless WNEP did go down there to cover the story).

Schuylkill Murder
Unless my eyes deceived me, I saw a major mistake in this video. It's called a flash frame, which I saw somewhere before Ryan Leckey's stand-up. And I'm sure there was better video for this story, as I flipped over to WYOU, and saw video of what looked like blood at the crime scene, and a makeshift memorial there. Final grade: F

A Tree Falls in Scranton
You couldn't do much better for the story: we got to see the tree that fell on the highway. Final grade: A

Snake Wranglers
Again, you couldn't do much better: we see video of people handling snakes. It's hard to not use video like that. Final grade: A (because I was hoping someone would get bit)

Nay Aug Reunion
This story was a perfect example of what some in the business call BOPSA. It's short for "Buunch Of People Sitting Around," which you normally see in stories about municipal government meetings. In this story, we saw kids playing, and adults sitting around. Final grade: C

Cancer Walk
The story was about people walking around a track for a cancer benefit event, and that's the video we saw. Final grade: B

Endless Mountains Concert
Let's end the newscast on a happy note, with video of a bluegrass concert in Tunkhannock. I'd have liked to have heard more of the music, but I guess that's why God invented CD and MP3 players. Final grade: B

That's what I think. How about you?

Grading the Video: WBRE

2007-06-16T00:17:00.000-04:00

What separates television from all other forms of broadcast media is its ability to use great video to tell or enhance a story. Listening to a story about a big fire isn't the same as watching the flames for yourself. If it wasn't for video, television would be radio! Alright, that's a dumb saying, but you get my point: great video is what makes television news.

I bring this up because a blog reader e-mailed me to point out the poor video seen on all three stations in this area. This person stated the quality of video was gradually going downhill across the board, so I decided to check for myself. Tonight, I watched WBRE's 11 p.m. newscast to judge its video. Here's my notes on the video used for each local story (this doesn't include video shot by other sources, i.e. national video).

Scranton Immigration Rally
The video was OK, as it was really just a bunch of people standing around, holding signs. But what made this stand out was the use of different soundbites to show how pissed off each side was. Final grade: B+

Story about some drunk guy
Like any crime story, this one included the requisite perp walk of the guy. It also included what looked like file video of the crime scene in question. It was pretty boring; here's a shot of two state troopers standing on a road, and here's a shot of something on the side of the road. Final grade: C

Another story about some guy in trouble
Same as above: requisite perp walk, and then a file video shot of an ambulance driving away. It doesn't tell me a lot about the story. Final grade: C

Pool Vandalism
It's a story about vandalism, and yes, we do see video of what the vandals did. From graffiti to damaged soda machines, the video really complimented the story. Final grade: A

Martz K9
For a story that mentions police officers patting down people at the Martz bus terminal in downtown Wilkes-Barre, I sure didn't see any video of said officers patting down said people. All you see are the cops, their dog, and a bus pulling away. Final grade: C

Filthy Animal House (with special guest appearance by Vince Sweeney!)
I would've loved to have seen the inside of this apparent hellhole, but I imagine the police didn't want any TV photographers in there. So we get the next best thing: people in hazmat suits carrying cats out of a filthy house that's been roped off. It gives you a great image of just how bad the inside was. Vince didn't want it to be like this! Final grade: A

McKinney Jobs Lost
Eh, this video was nothing home to write about. You see an outside shot of the building, but you do see the fired employees hugging each other in emotion. Final grade: B-

Call Center
This is a PERFECT example of the "wallpaper video" phenomenon. The term is used to describe video that doesn't add anything to the story. It's there for the sake of being there, like plain white wallpaper. This video showed boring shots of a call center, and the sign outside the call center. Final grade: F

Pharmaceutical Plant
More wallpaper video! Did this story really require the viewer see some shots of this plant's sign? Final grade: F

Octane Gas
The story mentions gas, and we see people pumping gas. Can't do better than that. Final grade: B

Make a Difference
The video in this story seemed blurry to me, which detracted from the story itself, which was really just a bunch of people at a college doing some sort of bonding experiments. At least we saw something more than just a bunch of people sitting around. Final grade: C+

Stroudfest
Oh boy, more wallpaper video. Here's a shot of downtown Stroudsburg, here's a close-up shot of a clock tower, here's another shot of downtown Stroudsburg, here's another close-up shot of a clock tower. Final grade: D

Movies In the Park
Plenty of people were in the park, watching movies with their families, eating popcorn, all that good stuff. The video captured it. Final grade: B

Tomorrow, I'll take a look at the video in WNEP and WYOU's newscasts. Until then, discuss the results of my review amongst yourself!

Bradley bolts 'BRE

2007-06-13T20:21:00.000-04:00

Today's Citizens Voice reports WBRE reporter Amy Bradley has left the station to go back to school. She'll be pursuing a law degree, and with today's media obsession over celebrity court cases, a lawyer who doubles as a journalist can surely find a job at CNN, MSNBC, or Court TV.

A reader also points out the CV's television column, which they never post online anymore, will be printed less often, from every Thursday to every other Wednesday. Anyone know why?

Boring reality

2007-06-11T08:46:00.000-04:00

I once worked at a station that gave semi-regular tours of the place to anyone interested, which was usually elementary school students and sales clients. They were probably disappointed when they came through the newsroom. All they would see were people hunched over at their desks, writing scripts, making beat calls, and grumbling to themselves. It's a far cry from the oft-romanticized image of a television newsroom, where people are running everywhere, trying to beat the deadline.

Fact is, unless a plane crashes nearby, a television newsroom can be one of the most-boring places in the world. That's why I was rather surprised when I saw that the TV Guide channel will roll out a brand new reality TV show (as if we need any more) tonight at 8:00, called "Making News: Texas Style." It follows the hijinks and exploits at a small-market station in Texas, where the anchorwoman is a former Miss Texas, the anchorman is a well-groomed hire from a competing station, and their combined egos could probably fill up Madison Square Garden.

It's an odd pick for a reality TV show, as it doesn't show anyone stranded on a deserted island (though I imagine Odessa, Texas, is just as bad) or anyone eating a bucket of worms and spiders, but I dare say it might just be realistic. It might just show how mundane the inner-workings of television news is, or how some journalists have a vernacular that could make a sailor blush, or how egotistical some anchors can be. Hell, it might even show the rather morbid humor that's exclusive to this line of work. Only in a newsroom will you hear someone wish for a cop to get shot, or a house to burn down, just so they can blow off St. Ubaldo Day in Jessup.

Frankly, I'd like to see a similar show focus on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market. Until that happens, I'm sure you could call WNEP, WBRE, or WYOU, and arrange a tour of the place. Just keep your hands inside the car at all times.

Cookie cutter coverage

2007-06-10T16:12:00.000-04:00

In honor of the Pocono 500, I'd like to point out a pet peeve that's so common in this area. It's the time-honored tradition of covering a major event with the same stories that were done in previous years. It's as if the assignment desk digs up a checklist of the same ways to cover the same story every year, because it's easy to do.

Case in point: WNEP aired a Pocono preview story Friday, about how the annual NASCAR race is a "boost for business." NO DUH! Major sporting events tend to bring money to the area. Is this news to anyone? That's like doing a story entitled, "Doctor washes hands before surgery."

WNEP is not alone; WBRE and WYOU also trot out the same tired stories on other annual events. The worst examples from all three stations include the ever-popular "PennDOT is gearing up for that big winter storm by putting gas in its snow plows," or the "Idiots are buying milk, bread, and eggs before the storm hits." It's the same thing every year!

You can't avoid major stories, like the Pocono 500, but you can avoid the same year-after-year cookie cutter coverage. When I covered a major annual event in this area a long time ago, I poked around to find an interesting way to cover it. I won't speak in specifics, but I ended up finding a great story about how a group of people made their way to the event. I thought it was a new and interesting twist on the event, and my boss didn't disagree.

To sum it all up: It's not really news if it's now new, is it?

We're not live, but we think we are

2007-06-10T00:24:00.000-04:00

One of the stupidest ideas in television news is the "look live." That's where a reporter will act as if he or she is live at the scene of a story, when in fact it's being taped for later broadcast. But to your untrained eye, it looks like the reporter is live, and you'll probably hear the anchor end the report by thanking the reporter, who at that time is probably at home laughing at the newscast.

The only station around here that regularly does these stupid things is WBRE, but it's only during the weather segments. The next time you watch their "All Points Accuweather" segment, watch the lower part of your TV screen when Josh Hodell (or whoever the forecaster is) toss to Brian Fitzgerald in Stroudsburg. The word "LIVE" suddenly disappears from the WBRE logo. That's because, well, it ain't live!

Why pretend you're actually live, when you actually aren't? It's one of those crazy things dreamt up by news consultants, who think that a live broadcast, or the appearance of one, makes the story look fresh, even if it's a few hours old. And if the live truck is in the shop, the "look live" is the next best thing.

Frankly, I wish every station would ban those stupid things. Reporting from the Internet, I'm Howard Beale, back to... *TAPE JAM*

Time to play catch up!

2007-06-09T00:55:00.000-04:00

Let's recap some of the exciting stuff that happened in my absence...

1. People got fired at WNEP

Back when WNEP was sold to Oak Hill, I predicted that some changes would be coming. And what do you know, they did, in the form of pink slips. The four who were canned were all behind-the-scenes people: operations manager Len Modzelesky, engineer Bob Schacht, assignment editor Mike Rudolf, and photographer Dan Harvey. Viewers would raise a stink if an on-air person got canned, but nobody really cares about the hard workers behind the camera. It's one of those sad facts of life under new ownership: your new bosses will find ways to save money, and if it doesn't mean smaller paychecks, it means none at all.

Meanwhile, a newspaper down in Virginia speculated that WNEP anchorman Mike Lewis might want to return to his old stomping grounds. Should that happen, I honestly don't think anyone would care. It's not that Lewis is terrible, it's just that people who were hot at WNEP tend to become nobodies when they leave the station. Look at what happened to Gary Essex.

2. Someone hand Perry Sook a parachute!

Talk about interesting; Nexstar Broadcasting is thinking about selling its TV stations! There must be something in the water that's causing everyone to sell TV stations like it's a freaking sale on hi-fi stereos at Crazy Eddie's. It's not like selling WBRE or WYOU would necessarily be a bad thing, as both stations don't do anything but exist. WBRE is stuck in the middle of the road, and while there's interest in WYOU's "Dialing for News" format, all eyes still shoot over to wNEP come news time.

Maybe a new owner is what both stations need. If anyone's willing to pump money into all the right things at WBRE and WYOU, like technology and staff, then I think WNEP could be given a real run for its money.

3. CHING CHING!

Yes, I know, it's a Rube Lomax column.

Either way, arbitration has made two former WYOU employees a lot richer. Photographer Stephen Yevchak and reporter Gabrielle Prutisto will share a $1.36 million arbitration judgement stemming from a car crash a while back. I don't know the details of the accident, but it kept Prutisto off the air for quite some time, even though her picture remained on WYOU's website. She thankfully seems to be doing better (I've been in car crashes, and they're not fun), as she's now jumped over to PR as one of those people at the state capitol who keep flooding my inbox with stupid press releases about how Democrats in Harrisburg are better than Republicans, and vice versa.

PR people usually wind up in my spam filters anyway.

4. Impersonating Don Imus gets idiot in trouble

Here's someone who makes Stephen Hawking look like Beavis or Butthead. As Don Imus faced a lot of heat for that whole "happy headed hos" comment, which ultimately cost him his job, a morning radio DJ in the Poconos decided to say the same phrase on-air, and even hold a contest about it. Not surprisingly, he lost his job, which proves that the clue train didn't stop at Gary Smith Junction that day.

I'm back

2007-06-08T21:29:00.001-04:00

It's amazing what happens when you're away. WNEP's new owners take out the big red pen and start crossing out names and jobs on Montage Mountain and at other former NYT stations. Nexstar Broadcasting fans the flames of scuttlebutt that it will sell its TV stations, including WBRE and WYOU. And former WYOU reporter Gabrielle Prutisto gets a settlement that's worth more than all of my belongings combined. And people tell me you can't make money in television news!

I never thought I would just walk away from this blog, but I did, and I think all of you deserve to know why: I had to. I won't go into specifics here, but let's just say that a breakdown of sorts nearly happened, which sucked away at my love for my line of work. It became difficult for me to walk into the newsroom, and tell myself that something positive would result, because the end result was the same stuff I've criticized: lame stories, horrible writing, idiotic management, etc.

And despite my best efforts to push my work, and the work of others, towards the well-written, insightful work that television news should produce, it was the same old thing. And when I would go home and update this blog, it was the same old thing. "WNEP can't write its way out of a paper bag!" "WBRE wouldn't know a good story if it smacked it in the face!" "WYOU...well, WYOU!"

Perhaps I'm just stubborn, but I'd like to remain in television news. For better or worse, it's what I do. I even turned down a PR job with the state, just so I could stay in my line of work. Dedication or stupidity? I'll leave it up to you. Regardless, I realized that I couldn't be a journalist and be Howard Beale all at the same time. I needed to get away. With that, I walked away, and never said a word.

That was a big mistake.

Even though this blog attracted the mudslingers and trolls that made my job as Howard Beale hard, it also attracted real insight, from the people who bring you the news, to the people who watch the news, and everything in between. It was refreshing for me to hear people point out what was right, and what was wrong, about television news in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market. I'd rarely hear that in the newsroom, as either people were too scared to go against the grain, or their noses were up someone's you-know-what to even care.

Beale's Bites serves a bigger purpose than as a medium for me to rant and rave about my job. It gives people a forum to say what they couldn't otherwise say about the news in this market. Few stations or newspapers want to give people an open forum to call them out on bad decisions or other goofs. That's where this blog came in. And even if the tip box goes dry, which it sometimes does, I think Beale's Bites is just too important to sit around and collect dust.

I'm still mad as hell. I'm still not going to take it anymore. But now, I'm sorry as hell for leaving.

All news, all the time

2007-03-07T21:34:00.001-05:00

There's a new player in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton market, even if it's just in Olyphant. A 24-hour cable news operation from New York, News 10 Now, is dipping down into Pennsylvania to cover stories. Time Warner's news channel doesn't even pose a threat to WNEP, WBRE, or WYOU, but a lot of you have been hounding me to opine about the feasibility of 24-hour local news.

Simply put, I don't think it will work, at least not here. As large as the market is, I honestly don't think there is enough news to cover, without the coverage becoming redundant. How often are you going to loop the same story about that fire in Wilkes-Barre, or the shooting in Williamsport? And what can a 24-hour local news channel offer, that you don't already get from the "big three," or the smaller independent or cable stations?

What say you?

NEPA journalism pioneer dies

2007-03-04T00:56:00.000-05:00

Tom Bigler, who guided WNEP and WBRE during its early years, has died at the age of 85. He was an anchor, and later news director, at WNEP in the late 1950s, and later jumped to WBRE, where he stayed until he resigned in 1986. Bigler also taught journalism at Wilkes University, and until recently, was a Times Leader columnist.

WNEP has an obituary article, while ~~I haven't seen or heard a peep on WBRE~~ viewers say WBRE mentioned it throughout its Friday newscasts.

Who's really "on your side?"

2007-02-27T19:45:00.001-05:00

Despite the demise of beat reporting in this market, the consumer reporting beat is still active, with good reason. It's definitely one of the most-popular things among viewers; it gets results. Businesses are more likely to see things the consumer's way once a TV station gets involved and starts asking questions. Admittedly, I've even turned to calling a company's PR department and identifying myself as a reporter, if the usual "talk to someone in a call center" method goes nowhere.

So, who's really getting results for you? If you ask me, it's not WNEP, the station that pioneered consumer reporting in this market. I've seen quite a few "Action 16" segments, and it's nothing but product tests and rip-and-read stories from the wires. It's quite a big change from when Bill O'Reilly was getting "thank you" signs hammered onto telephone poles in Scranton. You might as well call it "Inaction 16."

WBRE, surprisingly, has taken the consumer reporting format, and made it work. Since they revived the format around 2000, they've relied heavily on complaints from everyday people. You tell WBRE about that car dealership that sold you a lemon, and they'll go to the dealership and ask questions. You get the problem resolved, and WBRE turns around and makes it into a "Look at the results we're getting for you" promo. Everyone wins.

What WBRE does with consumer reporting is a perfect example of how the beat should work, and is the only time when the station's "On Your Side" slogan makes perfect sense. It's also the only time that WNEP should actually look at WBRE, and ask, "Why aren't we doing what they're doing?"

MIA no more

2007-02-27T19:20:00.000-05:00

The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Who won?

2007-02-16T23:45:00.000-05:00

This has certainly been an interesting week for our three local news stations. The first major winter storm of the season came thundering in, and by the time it was over, it was traffic mayhem all over the place. From stranded drivers to piled-high snow, each station went all out.

It's hard to say which station owned the snow coverage, as each had its high points and low points:

WNEP had reporters and photographers stationed all over the place, and Skycam was flying high over the closed interstates. Clearly, a good effort that reached all corners of the market. But at times, WNEP forgot something important: this storm isn't about what some talking-head official thinks, it's all about the everyday people who are getting screwed by the storm.

WBRE and WYOU really surprised me. Both stations seemed to be in the right place, at the right time, when all hell broke loose on the interstates, to the point that they ended up catching the market's longtime leader off guard. But when you see the station's meteorologist and anchor making snow angels on the station roof, it really cuts at the credibility behind the coverage.

Overall, all three stations did a good job this week. I just hope that, when the next major storm rolls in, everyone will leave the snow angels and "French Toast" stories in the newsroom wastebasket, where it belongs.

Now it's your turn to stand on the soapbox. Hit the comment button, or shoot me an e-mail about your thoughts on the snow storm coverage.

How a newsroom makes french toast...

2007-02-13T22:45:00.000-05:00

Snow storms are some of the best things to happen in television news. Why? It's an easy story to cover -- just have your meteorologist make their predictions, and then send the reporters out to the grocery store to see if anyone has ransacked the bread and dairy aisles. It's the typical tried-and-true ~~crutch~~ formula, so much so that one former news director refered to it as "french toast weather."

To be fair, you can only cover a snow storm so many ways. But I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I saw everyone go on bread, egg, and milk patrol. Yes, we know, some people stock up on food during an impending storm. Why should the viewers care? Were any of them hoping to make french toast tonight or tomorrow?

That said, let's see what each station is predicting when it comes to snow:

WNEP: Up to 16" in northern PA, up to 12" in central PA, up to 8" in southern PA

WBRE: Up to 20" in northern PA, up to 15" in central PA, up to 10" in southern PA

WYOU: Up to 16" in northern PA, up to 13" in central PA, up to 7" in southern PA

WBRE seems to be more liberal in its predictions, while the other two are holding back a bit. Either way, the difference doesn't appear to be that drastic, so it's not as if one station is going out on a limb with a drastically-different forecast.

We'll see who's right tomorrow night. Until then, enjoy all the news stories originating from your local supermarkets or PennDOT sheds!

WNEP news director heading to Harrisburg

2007-02-10T21:33:00.000-05:00

Several tipsters report WNEP news director Dennis Fisher is leaving the station for the news director's job at Harrisburg ABC affiliate WHTM. Perhaps he doesn't want to stick around and wait to see what happens to WNEP under its new owners?

(If you have a copy of the memo announcing Fisher's departure, please forward it to me.)

Beat down

2007-02-10T05:46:00.000-05:00

It seems a rolling camera doesn't stop some people from trying to kick the crap out of a reporter. Here's your latest proof of the phenomenon, where a business owner attacks a Canadian journalist. But unlike another well-known attack on a reporter, this one ends up with a FREAKING SWAT TEAM.

Reporters and photographers in this market have had their fair share of shoves, pushes, and thrown microphones. But sometimes, things have gotten very physical, such as when a WNEP photographer was attacked while covering a story three years ago.

Online musings

2007-02-09T19:34:00.000-05:00

Here's something I discovered by accident: PAHomePage.com will allow you to customize the layout of the website to your personal preference. If you click and drag on the heading bars, like the community calendar, you can drag things around. Check out this before and after picture to see what I mean. I don't know if this is a feature or a mistake, but if you've ever wanted to arrange section categories for the classifieds and the community calendar, this is your chance!

A reader also notes that people don't seem to be interested in the polls on PAHomePage.com...

The new (and "improved"?) PaHomePage.com features the "WYOU Interactive Web Poll." Tuesday's question, "Do you think your car insurance rates are too high?" OK, I'll play along, so I click "YES," and I get a results page: As I write this, 77.78% say "YES" (to be expected) and 22.22% say "NO."

But get this: that's SEVEN "YES" votes and TWO "NOs." That's right--a total of NINE %$^%$ VOTES!

This person's point?

A: it seems the polls are useless to measure public opinion if only a handful of people are voting

B: if nobody's voting, is anybody watching?

Well, given the elderly demographics of this area (and state), I think Mr. and Mrs. John Public would rather deal with rabbit ears than a cable modem.

Mini Bites

2007-02-08T21:50:00.000-05:00

How far will WBRE go for a story? How about Binghamton, New York. I understand this is just another angle on the Scranton smoking ban, as New York already bans smoking in public places, but it seems like a wasted trip. Oh, and the audio on that story is bad.

It looks like there's not enough room in Bradford County for two NBC affiliates. Comcast, which provides cable service to Towanda, is booting the NBC affiliate in nearby Elmira, New York, since Towanda viewers already get WBRE. What's more noteworty is that the article points out WETM is beating WBRE in their own market...at least when it comes to the 6 p.m. newscast.

Did you find a misspelled word on WNEP's website recently? Don't point it out on Talkback 16, as most posters there have no problem with a news organization misspelling words in its stories. These are probably also the same people who shrugged off WNEP's use of a video news release last year.

GARBLED

2007-02-02T22:56:00.000-05:00

Well, PAHomePage.com isn't even a week old, and it seems WBRE and WYOU have already screwed up the video on their website. Watch and listen to the following examples of crappy audio.

Earlier video clips, like this one, sound fine, which makes me think someone decided to crank up the volume when they digitized those video clips, and then didn't check their work afterwards. Or maybe they didn't care.

No editor, producer, or news director would let a story with such glaring glitches make it on-air, so why let the same bad quality end up on your website?

Wikipedia picture whacked

2007-02-02T22:22:00.000-05:00

After yours truly pointed out that WNEP misattributed a Citizens' Voice picture of murdered gay pornographer Bryan Kocis in a story, the folks on Montage Mountain Road have suddenly dug up what appears to be a mugshot of him.

Gone is the original picture that was taken from, and attributed to, Wikipedia. Well, not totally, but I'm sure those pictures will be yanked offline as well.

It's not so much how WNEP sourced the picture, since some people have noted that the CV doesn't even say who took the picture, but it's the fact that WNEP relied on a sometimes-unreliable Internet encyclopedia for a crucial piece of a story. Someone in that newsroom got lazy.

WNEP cites wrong source for story

2007-01-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

I was surprised tonight when I saw WNEP credit Wikipedia in a story about murdered gay pornographer Bryan Kocis. The credit came in an on-screen graphic (left) that had Kocis' picture, which was taken from his entry on the online encyclopedia.

Why the trouble? Wikipedia has had its share of accuracy problems, including an article that claimed journalist John Siegenthaler was a suspect in the JFK assassination. Jimmy Wales, the website's founder, even says he doesn't think people should cite Wikipedia as a source; rather, it should be used for background information.

However, there is no accuracy problem with Kocis' picture, as it is him. How do I know? Like any journalist, I check the source, which shows that Kocis' picture actually came from this Citizens' Voice article.

Seems like WNEP credited the wrong source for the photo.

Remember when?

2007-01-31T21:29:00.000-05:00

Youtube also has other old promos and news segments from the era of Debbie Dunleavy.

WNEP's future boss is an on-air fart machine

2007-01-31T20:48:00.000-05:00

A reader passes along an interesting article about Randy Michaels, the former Clear Channel radio CEO who will now head up the television group that includes WNEP. In short, Michaels' background includes many stints as a radio shock jock, whose antics include on-air farts and a sexual harrassment suit, among other things. But if there's one thing Michaels can do, it's generate lots of cash.

Perhaps the most-telling part of the article is this: "Shock tactics get you noticed, the attention generates listeners and bigger audience numbers mean more advertising revenue." In other words, will Michaels' past become a part of WNEP down the road?

(If the site asks you to register to read the article, click here for a password.)

PAHomePage.com online

2007-01-30T21:54:00.000-05:00

PAHomePage.com, Nexstar's combined webpage for WBRE and WYOU, is finally up and running. The biggest change from the stations' individual websites is more news stories, and actual online video. The website is also heavy on weather, to the point that one tipster wondered if WBRE and WYOU's weather staff outnumbers their news staff.

It's a good start, but will WBRE and WYOU continue putting a commitment into their new website? We'll have to wait and see.

Get elected, get a free car!

2007-01-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

Former WYOU news director Frank Andrews is one of 23 new state representatives who is getting the perks of taxpayer-funded transportation. The Philadelphia Inquirer finds many freshman lawmakers in Harrisburg have opted for leased vehicles, funded with taxpayer dollars, instead of being reimbursed for mileage. Andrews' choice is a 2004 Dodge Durango, at a cost of $439 per month.

In all fairness, a lease could be cheaper than being reimbursed for the miles to and from Harrisburg. And Andrews isn't the only NEPA legislator driving a leased vehicle up and down Interstate 81. But after last year's payraise debacle, you'd think the politicians in Harrisburg would think twice before lining up to the trough o' freebies.

UPDATE: Blog reader Tom Carten notes that Andrews picked the Durango because there wasn't much of a choice left. And as I noted, it turns out the lease is cheaper than mileage reimbursement.

Former TL columnist now hosting at WILK

2007-01-22T21:19:00.000-05:00

Steve Corbett, a former, sometimes-controversial, and always bearded columnist at the Times Leader, is now a morning talk show host at WILK. He left the TL in 2002 for unknown reasons, and spent the past few years working at a California newspaper.

Corbett recently returned to Wilkes-Barre, because, as he puts it, "I want to be Irish again. I want real Italian food. I want polka music on my public television station." A poster on NEPA Media claims Corbett has no intentions of returning to the TL.

We're all about local television; it's in our name!

2007-01-20T17:29:00.000-05:00

Oak Hill Capital Partners, the private equity group that plans to buy WNEP and the rest of the NYT station group, has formed the company that will ultimately own those stations, pending government approval: Local TV LLC.

I guess you can't get more straight-forward than that.

Randy Michaels, a former radio executive who once worked for Clear Channel, will head up Local TV LLC once the deal is sealed. Final approval could come by this summer.

WVIA seeks state money to expand studios

2007-01-17T00:53:00.000-05:00

An alert reader points out that local PBS affiliate WVIA has applied for a $500,000 state grant to help pay for a planned $2.6 million expansion of its studios. The project involves building a theatre, a new warehouse, and a new radio/TV studio. The project is expected to be done in time to host bigwigs from NPR and PBS in September. Luzerne County's commissioners will have the final say tonight.

I'm mixed on whether WVIA should even be asking for a state grant in the first place. WNEP, WYOU, or WBRE likely wouldn't get a dime from the state. But then again, one can argue that WVIA is, in a way, a public entity, unlike its private commercial counterparts.

You can't fault WVIA for taking money that's there for the taking. If Ed Rendell offered you half-a-million dollars, would you pass it up? I know I wouldn't.

What's in a name...for the President?

2007-01-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

From the inbox...

Wednesday night WBRE's Carmen Grant referred to the President of the United States several times as "Bush"--as in "Bush's speech" and "Bush's plan."

What's the style guide on this? I was always taught that it was "President So-and-So" on the first reference and "The President" or "Mr. So-and-So" on subsequent references. "Bush" (or "Clinton" or "Washington" or "Jefferson") sounds a bit flippant to me--even bordering on disrespectful. What do your readers think?

This question gave me a good reason to dig out my AP Stylebook. Most journalists, be it print or broadcast, have a copy of this book somewhere, especially those who can write a story using clear, concise words. Think of it as an unofficial Bible and book o' rules for journalism.

Anyway, the AP's rules for refering to the President are as follows:

1. On first reference, the first name of a current or former president is not necessary, unless it's to avoid confusion (i.e. President George H.W. Bush and President George W. Bush).

2. On second reference, use only the last name (i.e. Bush).

If you take a look at the thousands of news articles about tonight's speech, you'll see most refer to "President Bush" on first reference, and "Bush" thereafter.

So, if Carmen Grant's first mention was "President Bush," then it appears she's following the generally-accepted rules of journalese. I've heard that journalists are supposed to refer to presidents as "Mr. Such-and-Such," but it seems to be more of a courtesy than a rule.

Mini Bites

2007-01-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

Time to play catch-up on the big stories at hand, and some other errata...

Lou Abitabilo's jump to WBRE/WYOU had nothing to do with the then-impending sale of WNEP. The former station manager on Montage Mountain Road had praise for his former employer, and said the GM job at Nexstar's duopoly was "a promotion for me." Several tipsters have called Abitabilo an honest and fair guy as well.

WNEP's pending owner has pretty deep pockets, and connections to even-deeper pockets. A quick check on the Internet for Oak Hill Capital Partners shows the private equity firm, which was founded by a Texas oil billionaire, has more than $4 billion in investments. Also, its investors include Bill Gates, who clearly has a lot of money to burn.

A new book by television critic Marvin Kitman chronicles the rise of Fox News pundit (and former WNEP reporter) Bill O'Reilly. The unauthorized biography follows " his beginnings in Long Island through years of aggressive reporting and management faceoffs" and then some. Perhaps the book also includes a look at his stint in our area?

Whaaa?

2007-01-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

If it seems like this blog suddenly updated, you're right. For reasons unknown, Blogger never posted my previous updates this week, until now. I'm scratching my head over this, but at least you have more to comment on. :)

Newsflash: WNEP, other NYT stations sold

2007-01-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

It's official: WNEP has a new owner. An equity group known as Oak Hill Capital Partners will pay $575 million for WNEP and eight other stations owned by the New York Times Broadcast Group.

This is going to get really interesting...

WNEP station manager jumps to WBRE/WYOU

2007-01-04T10:42:00.000-05:00

It seems WNEP's station manager isn't waiting to see who buys the station. Lou Abitabilo is heading to WBRE/WYOU as its new general manager, replacing former GM John Dittmeier. Broadcasting and Cable reports Dittmeier resigned, though some rumors say he was actually fired.

Not so crazy 'bout sports

2007-01-03T14:29:00.000-05:00

When Penn State went to the Orange Bowl last year, all three stations pulled out the stops when it came to coverage. WBRE and WYOU sent their sports guys, and WNEP topped it off with a whole team of news and sports people.

I guess things were different this year. A blog reader e-mailed me to note that special coverage apparently wasn't warranted for Penn State's Outback Bowl victory over Tennessee. (Perhaps there was, which means someone in the promotions department isn't doing their job, or I'm not paying attention.)

It used to be that any Nittany Lions bowl appearance would bring out the big guns -- from live reports to pre-game shows. So, what happened? Is money so tight that nobody made an effort this year?

The Year in Review

2006-12-31T20:47:00.000-05:00

What a crazy year 2006 has been. From management shakeups, to ethics lapses, to a war of newspaper headlines, there was plenty for local media watchers to talk about. And without further ado, Beale's Bites presents the Year in Review.

WYOU starts "Dialing for News"

For the past few years, WYOU's newscasts have been dead last in the ratings. Nexstar management tried to tinker with WYOU, to try to gain more viewers, but all efforts fell flat. It's not like WYOU even tried to forge its own identity; its newscasts seemed to be a grab-and-pull from WBRE's shows. This year, Nexstar decided to "think outside of the box," as CEO Perry Sook put it. Gone were the usual newscasts...

...replaced by something management called an "interactive newscast." This time, viewers would get to play a part in the newscast, by calling in to express their opinions about the news topic at hand. They could even ask a question to the guests of the day. News was primarily limited to a CNN-style rundown at the beginning of the program. Sports were axed, except for Fridays and Saturdays.

In a way, it was a risky move. Nobody had done a newscast like this before. But, if the format failed, it's not like things could get any worse at WYOU, right? The official ratings are still not known, but if the amount of people who call in are any indication, it seems that people are interested in "Dialing for News."

For sale: WNEP

In a sea of constant change, WNEP has been relatively unchanged. Owned by the New York Times since 1985, WNEP enjoyed the benefits of ownership by a newspaper company flush with cash. In turn, the NYT enjoyed the benefits of a television station flush with advertising cash and dominant ratings. Most TV stations seem to go through five owners in a decade. But not WNEP.

Well, at least until now.

This year, the NYT announced it was selling its broadcasting group, which included WNEP. Management downplayed the sale announcement, but there were concerns rolling throughout the station. Who was going to come in and buy the place? What would happen under a new owner? Who would get fired?

Fortunately for the folks on Montage Mountain Road, selling a TV station is about as complicated as solving a Rubik's cube with your eyes closed. The amount of red tape from the FCC will likely delay any anticipated sale for another year or two. But with prospective buyers already touring the station, it's clear that someone out there wants WNEP. Employees will just have to wait until the deal is sealed, to know whether to polish up those resumes.

Management lost

2006 began with a big shakeup at WBRE. News director Paul Stueber, whose tenure as a news manager includes stops at WNEP and WABC, was suddenly and unceremoniously shown the door. The details behind his firing remain murky, though many staffers say it centered on Steuber's personality, which, depending on who you ask, can be pleasant or pissed off. Someone ventured down door #2, and went to human resources. Management later escorted Steuber out the door.

Just across the newsroom, WYOU news director Frank Andrews decided to hit the road. In the spring, he announced he would run for state representative in Scranton. Andrews won the primary, and in November, the voters gave him a ticket to Harrisburg.

WBRE and WYOU also lost its general manager, John Dittmeier. Whether he was fired or left on his own remains to be seen.

The Newspaper War

Those who have been around a long time may remember the infamous Wilkes-Barre newspaper strikes of the late 1970s. Upset that the newspaper was to be sold to Capital Cities, unionized workers at the Times Leader went on strike. What resulted was a giant mess that led to fights, vandalism, and a tiny strike newspaper that grew to become The Citizens' Voice.

2006 showed that the old wounds and memories of yesteryear were not forgotten. In March, the McClatchy Company announced it was hanging the "FOR SALE" sign on the TL's door. And before you could say "scab," the CV and TL began using their front pages to continue their decades-old battle. Both newspapers traded shots in back-and-forth editorials, and were eager to pounce on even the slightest of mistakes by its competition.

For the TL, it was a matter of survival -- there were rumors that CV parent company Times-Shamrock wanted to buy the TL and shut it down. But a buyer eventually emerged...a familiar one, at that. Richard Connor, a former TL publisher who held the reigns during the infamous strike, came back to Wilkes-Barre with his checkbook in hand. With that, Wilkes-Barre would remain a two newspaper town.

VNR fiasco

WNEP, a station that has long said it is "proud to serve" its viewers, ended up serving those same viewers a dish called "dishonesty." In April, a media watchdog group pegged the ABC affiliate as one of several stations which aired a video news release. A VNR is much like a press release, in that someone is trying to grab a reporter's attention, except the final product looks a lot like the news stories you see on television. Rarely does the VNR attribute its source, which is usually a company that paid to have the VNR created on its behalf.

The VNR that ended up in a WNEP health report promoted the benefits of glucosamine supplements, and was created on behalf of a company that...get this...marketed glucosamine supplements. WNEP's story, which used the VNR seemingly verbatim, made no mention of this fact.

Within a day, news director Dennis Fisher issued a statement, and admitted the story was indeed a VNR, and that WNEP never attributed the source of its story. But he called it "an honest mistake," because the reporter who picked the story thought it came from a medical journal.

That wasn't the end for WNEP, though. At last check, the Federal Communications Commission was investigating WNEP, and the other stations mentioned in the PR Watch report, to see whether airing the VNRs broke federal regulations. That will probably be the last we hear of this, since the wheels of government bureaucracies move slower than molasses.

Coming and going

The doors at all three stations continued revolving in 2006. Here's a sampling...

OUT

Elliot Weiler (WBRE)

Phil Yacuboski (WYOU)

Gabrielle Prutisto (WYOU)

Vince Sweeney (WBRE)

Jason Knapp (WBRE)

Diane Lee (WYOU)

Sid Michaels (WYOU)

Rachel Lindenmuth (WNEP)

Kim Supon (WNEP)

IN

Josh Brogadir (WNEP)

Sarah Buynovsky (WNEP)

Jim Hamill (WNEP)

Jeff Chirico (WBRE)

April Gonzales (WBRE)

Jeff Jumper (WBRE)

Brian Fitzgerald (WBRE)

Kevin Derk (WBRE)

Colin Riccobon (WBRE)

Eric Scheiner (WYOU)

Les Still (WYOU)

Four weathermen walk into a bar...

WYOU wasn't the only station to shake up its format. WBRE decided to place a bigger emphasis on weather, with its new "All Points Accuweather." In short, more weather forecasters spread out across the area! Josh Hodell stuck around in Wilkes-Barre, Dave Skutnik manned the Scranton bureau, Jeffrey Jumper headed to Williamsport, and Brian Fitzgerald kept his eyes in Stroudsburg.

Of course, bad weather has a way of screwing up the best of plans. The night it debuted, Hodell and Skutnik were in Wilkes-Barre (sorry Scranton!), and a thunderstorm killed Jumper's live shot from Williamsport.

Viewers love weather, and it's the main reason why they watch local news. Hopefully WBRE can find a better use of its "field meteorologists," because as I've said, all you have are four people standing around in a studio, waiting for a lightning bolt to kill their live shot.

One year later

If you had asked me, one year ago, whether this blog would make it to 2007, I'd probably say no. Why? Well, I'm sure there are some people out there who don't like what I post. Hell, someone even threatened to sue me.

But what started as a crazy thought in my head has kept going, and I plan to keep it that way. This blog lets me vent my frustrations about my job, and the news business in general, and it gives you the chance to see what goes on behind the scenes, when the cameras are off. There's a lot to this line of work, both good and bad, that the public rarely gets to see.

And it's you, the readers, who make this blog what it is. Thank you.

Prutisto out at WYOU?

2006-12-29T09:13:00.000-05:00

A tipster claims WYOU will not renew the contract of reporter Gabrielle Prutisto.

"Who's she?"

I don't blame you for asking. Prutisto hasn't been seen on TV since January. Sources say she was in a bad accident, and has been using sick time and leave since then. Hopefully Prutisto is recovering from whatever it was.

The original tipster said her job was posted, but I don't see it on WYOU's websie yet. WBRE is looking for a reporter though...

Working on Christmas

2006-12-24T17:21:00.000-05:00

When you work in television news, working on Christmas is a mixed bag. There's the holiday pay and the usually-soft newscasts of "Look at all the nice Christmas crap happening today." And, there's the whole "I'm stuck here while everyone else is home with their families. Is anyone even watching the news today?"

Earlier in my career, I worked at a station where the GM would allow people to go home early on the day before a holiday. His e-mails usually went something like this: "If your work allows it, you may leave at noon." Of course, those of us in the news department, where we were stuck until our shifts were over, felt the e-mails should have said: "If you work in sales, and you haven't left yet, go home."

For being the department that was supposed to make our station money, the sales people were sure eager to blow off work when they could. Can't say I blame them; I'd rather be home with my family than doing the same feel-good Christmas crap we did last year, and the year before, and so forth.

Oh well.

Here's to hoping your Christmas is happy, safe, and spent with the ones you love. Even if they work in the sales department. :)

Allbritton interested in NYT group?

2006-12-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

Newsblues is reporting that Allbritton Communications has been sniffing around several New York Times-owned stations, including stations in Alabama and Arkansas.

The report doesn't mention WNEP by name. But, if the NYT wants to sell its broadcast division as an entire group, and Allbritton is already looking at some stations in the group, you can put two and two together. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

Who wants to buy WNEP?

2006-12-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

With potential buyers already crawling through WNEP, everyone's wondering where the folks on Montage Mountain Road will end up. Will they wind up with a company that is just as good, or even better, than the New York Times? Or will a crappy outfit like Granite Broadcasting saunter in and swoop up WNEP?

Either way, whoever wants WNEP will have to pony up some major cash. Even if you don't believe the $100 million estimate, WNEP ain't going cheap. In a sea of stations that lose money, WNEP practically has its own printing press. It always makes money -- just look at the ad rates it can charge -- and it's got the long-dominant ratings to keep the cash coming in.

That's what makes guessing who will buy WNEP all the more difficult. Who doesn't want a TV station that makes money? From the Belos, to the Gannetts, to the Sinclairs, to the Granites, and everyone in between -- I wouldn't be surprised if one of those companies had its eyes on Moosic. I'd even go so far to wager that ABC might even look at WNEP. It's a long shot, but remember, WNEP makes money and has dominant ratings. Also, ABC does own stations in smaller markets, like Flint, Michigan.

However, WNEP's past and current success is no protection from failure down the road. Consider the saga of San Francisco's KRON. For the longest time, it was owned by the publishers of the San Francisco Chronicle, who poured money into KRON like there was no tomorrow. It was the WNEP of San Francisco. When the Chronicle put KRON up for sale, it was expected that NBC would swoop in and buy its longtime affiliate. S

uddenly, out of nowhere, Young Broadcasting ponied up more than $800 million for the station. NBC was outbid, and in revenge, it pulled KRON's network affiliation. Since then, KRON has slashed its budget, lost many of its best reporters, and now uses one-man-band reporters. Needless to say, its ratings went in the tank as well.

It will be interesting to see who ends up buying WNEP. Will things stay the course, as our president might say, or will we see drastic KRON-like changes? Or hell, will WNEP become even bigger than it is now?

As we like to say in television, stay tuned...

Late start

2006-12-08T12:19:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Morning got off to a late start on WBRE/WYOU today. Many tipsters report the show didn't start until 5:30 a.m. Was it a power problem? Did a computer crash? Or, as one tipster put it, did someone sleep in late?

More on pahomepage.com

2006-12-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

Nexstar now wants your ideas about what should be used on pahomepage.com, the website that appears to be a replacement for WBRE and WYOU's individual websites. Why, you can even win a handheld computer for suggesting that pahomepage.com include forums. Cool, another place for the bored housewives of the area to gather and discuss which anchor they love best!

It seems that Nexstar is giving some, if not all, of its stations new, rebranded websites. Take a look at ArkansasMatters.com, the new website for Nexstar flagship KARK. Unlike most Nexstar stations, the stories appear to be regularly updated, and some even include accompanying video.

Hopefully, WBRE/WYOU's joint website will include the same things. As I've always said, Nexstar's duopoly puts no effort into its websites, where many stories are just verbatim transcripts of a reporter's story. Friday's now-confirmed tornado is just more proof that WBRE and WYOU need to put more effort into its online presence. When the storm knocked both stations off-air, the Internet was the only practical way to get the news out. But people who went to WBRE and WYOU's respective sites were instead greeted by two-week old stories.

Overall, it looks like pahomepage.com will just be a combined WBRE/WYOU website, and not a sign that both stations will merge. However, both stations are sharing more resources nowadays, and if they'll soon share an online presence, who's to say that a merger couldn't happen?

There I go again, stoking the flames of those ten-year-old rumors... :)

No signal

2006-12-02T15:11:00.000-05:00

WBRE and WYOU are still missing in action, one day after a giant wind storm swept through the area and knocked their signals out. Fun, fun, fun.

Fellow local media gadfly NEPA Media chimes in with who had the best coverage of what some think was a tornado.

Tipster: Interested buyers looking at WNEP

2006-12-01T17:48:00.000-05:00

A tipster claims WNEP is already being shown off to some interested buyers. You may remember that the New York Times wants to sell WNEP and the rest of its TV stations. According to another tipster, employees have been told the station is worth about $100 million. Either the interested buyers have DEEP pockets, or WNEP has overestimated its value.

The plot thickens...

2006-11-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

Since posting about WBRE and WYOU sharing reporters, some of you are saying this is just the latest step in a total merger between both stations. One alert reader even pointed out this unfinished website, which claims to be your one-stop-shop for "News, sports, weather, community events, marketplace and much more!"

Who's behind pahomepage.com? Go here and type in the domain name. What do you get?

Registrant:
Nexstar Broadcasting
909 Lake Carolyn
Suite 1450
Irving, TX 75039
US

Domain Name: PAHOMEPAGE.COM

Administrative Contact , Technical Contact :
Nexstar Broadcasting
dnsmgr@nexstar.tv
909 Lake Carolyn
Suite 1450
Irving, TX 75039
US
Phone: 972-373-8800

Record expires on 09-Sep-2010
Record created on 21-Nov-2006
Database last updated on 21-Nov-2006

Sharing is caring

2006-11-27T22:19:00.000-05:00

WBRE and WYOU share a lot of things: the same owner, the same photographers, the same stories, and the same video. Now, in a reversal of a long-standing rule, they're sharing reporters as well.

Sure, both stations share reporters on their simulcast "Pennsylvania Morning" and "Pennsylvania Midday," but now we have WBRE personalities showing up on a WYOU-branded newscast, and vice versa. Perhaps you recently saw Andy Mehalshick show up on WYOU to talk about sex predators, or David DeCosmo doing a live shot for WBRE?

Until now, both stations vigorously defended their own identities. You never saw Keith Martin on a WYOU newscast, or Penny Lindgren on a WBRE-branded program. Back when WBRE was building its current set, former news director Al Zobel refused to let WYOU reporters walk behind the temporary newsroom set during a newscast, because he didn't want someone from WYOU showing up in a WBRE-branded product.

Perhaps this "crossing over" arrangement was inevitable. Both stations are owned by the same company anyway. But how long until we see both stations lose their identities and resort to "WBRE News on WYOU," or "WYOU News on WBRE?"

No juice for WOLF

2006-11-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

Even though Fox has pulled plans to air an interview with O.J. Simpson, where he talked about how he killed his ex-wife and her friend (hypothetically, of course!), local Fox affiliate WOLF says it wouldn't have aired it in the first place. “We wanted to send a message to FOX broadcasting that we do not support this kind of content," said executive producer John Cadman. Had it not been for the nationwide outcry, I doubt Fox would have listened.

Oh well. Just keep bringing us those crappy reality shows!

WNEP producer dies

2006-11-18T01:18:00.000-05:00

Erin Hollingshead, who produced WNEP's 7 p.m. newscast, died recently. She was only 27 years old. My condolences to her family.

So long, Supey

2006-11-16T23:16:00.000-05:00

So, did you know Kim Supon's last day at WNEP is tomorrow? What, you didn't? Then somehow you missed the endless amount of "Supey's Scrapbook" promos, and the sit-down interviews, and the career retrospectives, etc etc.

I'm not going to debate whether Supon "deserves" such a send-off. She has been a constant figure on WNEP's morning newscasts, and a lot of viewers like her. But as one blog reader observed, "Ed Bradley got 'only' an hour-long sendoff from '60 Minutes,' AND HE DIED! The Supon send-off tour is eating up most of this week and she's still (they say) alive."

(Perhaps WNEP just has oodles of tape of Supon's stuff they can use. It's a lot better than resorting to the still-pic-o-rama they used for John Glawe.)

Anyway, I guess my pont is you can only show "Supey" wearing a funny paper hat so many times.

Kim, best of luck to you as you move into full-time motherhood.

Enjoooooooooooooy! Enjoy!

2006-11-11T14:28:00.000-05:00

What do you know, Manny Gordon is still alive and kicking. Those of you who watched WNEP back in the day probably remember his distinctive "Enjoooooooooooy! Enjoy! The great outdoors!" saying. Next to Miss Judy, I'd say Manny was probably the best-known face on WNEP.

Earlier this year, The Times-Tribune did a special feature on everybody's favorite district forester.

Someone at Nexstar has a death wish

2006-11-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

Check this picture out, taken outside the Scranton Cultural Center on election night...

Those of you unfamiliar with the technical side of broadcast journalism probably just see a bunch of news vehicles. But it's actually a deadly accident waiting to happen. Take a look at how close the van's mast is to those overhead power wires. By one estimate, the mast is just four or six feet away from LIVE POWER LINES.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that is a WBRE/WYOU van.

I don't know which dumbass set up that shot, but they are damn lucky they didn't die. You see, news photographers and reporters have died or been seriously burned from electrocutions caused by microwave van masts touching or coming close to overhead power lines.

Most news photographers will tell you they always check to make sure it's OK to raise their news van's microwave mast. Apparently, the idiot who set up WBRE/WYOU's live shot failed to do that. And if I was in charge at the Nexstar duopoly, I would either fire that person, or rip them a new one.

This Week in Talkback 16

2006-11-09T06:22:00.000-05:00

Whenever I need a quick laugh, I just hop on the Talkback 16 message board:

A shiny nickel for whoever guesses which party "dale" belongs to!

Someone needs to tell the teleprompter operators that Carney's win was NOT an upset. (I'm not blaming Tom Williams and Kim Supon - they only read the teleprompter). An upset is when someone wins when they weren't supposed to win. Carney was always supposed to win. Sherwood was never favored to win that race.

WNEP webmaster Mark Sowers probably needs some Icy Hot after posting this pat-on-the-back response...

The Associated Press called the governor race at 8pm based on exit polls. That's what you saw at 8:10.

Congratulations to us for getting the news to our website so quickly. ;-)

Only losers like multi-party politics! Isn't that right, Bush2004?

No more election junk for another two years Yippee. I just wish we were a one party Country, look at the money spent on this election and where it could have went?

I.C. drops it like it's hot.

Who cares? It will just be another person for all you shallow people to slobber over or judge. To put up on a pedestal that they don't warrant,deserve or ask for. They are NEWS PEOPLE... they're job is to report the news. They do a fine job. But have to subject themselves to the constant reviews & fashon advice of you, the viewing audience.

Andrews wins election

2006-11-08T00:53:00.000-05:00

It's official: Frank Andrews is jumping from journalism to politics. The former WNEP/WYOU news director easily defeated his Republican challenger for 113th district state representative, 72% to 28%. The Democrat will replace outgoing state Rep. Gaynor Cawley next year.

I can't say I'm surprised by the victory. As I've previously said, Andrews has name recognition. Those nearly three decades in local television news count for something, right? Not only that, but his district includes Scranton, a heavily Democratic city that also tends to watch WYOU or WNEP.

The interesting question now is, will any other local news personalities follow Frank's lead and jump into politics? Stay tuned...

Election Day

2006-11-07T11:15:00.000-05:00

Can you guess what WBRE, WNEP, and WYOU's lead story will be tonight? That's right, it's Election Day, and tonight, it'll be all over your TVs.

All three stations have their battle plans drawn up. WNEP tends to cover every single race in the entire market, and this year, they'll beam the results to your cell phone. WBRE likes to be first with any returns, and as one blog reader wrote, even "if it was one precinct reporting for dog catcher in Waymart." As for WYOU, it'll be interesting to see if they'll incorporate "Dialing for News" into their election coverage.

Who will have the best coverage tonight? I'm interested to hear what you think, so feel free to post your replies here, or e-mail them to me. Like every other newsie, I'll be somewhere tonight covering election results, so unfortunately, I won't be able to monitor all three stations.

One more thing to watch tonight -- will former WYOU news director Frank Andrews find a new career in state politics? We'll see how his bid for state representative fares...

Things that make you go "Huh?"

2006-11-04T12:59:00.000-05:00

Newspapers have been endorsing political candidates for as long as I can remember. But I never understood the relevance behind it. As resident WNEP blogger Andy Palumbo notes, who votes for someone based on a newspaper endorsement? Frankly, I don't think any news outlet should endorse anyone running for public office, but that's besides the point.

Imagime my surprise this weekend, when I see the Times Leader rubber-stamped Rep. Don Sherwood's re-election. This is the same newspaper that vigorously defended its coverage of Sherwood's affair with a young woman. Rep. Paul Kanjorski also got the TL thumbs-up, even though the newspaper hammered him over using his political clout to provide federal money to a relative's failed business.

I'm still trying to make sense of this. And if my station ever endorsed a candidate, I know I'd feel pretty uncomfortable on Election Night...

Watch WNEP, win money

2006-11-02T20:34:00.000-05:00

If nobody watches your newscast, what do you do? Do you...

Cover more interesting stories?

Reformat the show?

Bring in new anchors?

Pay viewers?

If you picked the last option, then you work in WNEP's promotions department. Just in time for November sweeps, viewers who tune in to WNEP's 7 p.m. show can call in and win money.

Part of me thinks "It's a sweeps thing," but another part of me thinks, "Maybe the ratings aren't what management expected?"

Either way, it's the start of sweeps, when TV stations across the nation start cranking out incredible stories. Because damnit, they really want you to watch their newscasts...so the idiots in sales can get off their backs about those damn ratings!

Those of you who concluded that I dislike the hysteria of sweeps get a gold star, and can leave class early.

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-31T21:01:00.000-05:00

Why dress up like a pirate when you can dress up like this?

(Picture taken from WNEP assistant news director Carl Abraham's excellent WNEP history website.)

Times-Shamrock loses defamation lawsuit

2006-10-28T13:07:00.000-04:00

Two of Times-Shamrock's newspapers and a former reporter will have to pay $3.5 million after losing a defamation lawsuit. A judge says The Citizens' Voice, the (now) Scranton Times-Tribune, and former CV reporter Ed Lewis defamed a local businessman by tying him to an accused mobster. Whoops.

(Lewis now works for the Times Leader, whose Saturday article lacked the "Ha ha CV sucks" motif previously seen when McClatchy put the paper on the chopping block.)

WBRE hires new consumer reporter

2006-10-26T07:33:00.000-04:00

Say hello to Jeff Chirico, WBRE's newest consumer reporter. The University of Scranton graduate spent the past few years bouncing around cable news outlets in Lehighton and Reading, and at Bethlehem PBS affiliate WLVT. Somewhere along the way, Chirico also picked up a Murrow award for producing a documentary. He replaces Elliot Weiler, who left WBRE earlier this year for a consumer reporting gig at Fox O&O KTVI in St. Louis.

CBS blames affiliates for crappy ratings

2006-10-23T21:52:00.000-04:00

When former NBC news diva Katie Couric took the helm of the CBS Evening News, ratings went up, pushing the Tiffany network to the top. Then, the novelty of Couric wore off, and soon, the CBS Evening News was back in third place.

So, who's to blame? If you ask CBS News boss Sean McManus, it's the "low-rated local newscasts leading into Evening News." You know, newscasts like WYOU's, which have forever been at the bottom of the barrel, despite several efforts to reinvent itself.

In related news, Beale's Bites has learned that WYOU is actually adding more news to its lineup. Tipsters report WYOU will add a 5:30 p.m. weekday newscast starting on October 30. Another half hour of Dialing for News? Stay tuned...

Paola pulled from 11 p.m. at WNEP

2006-10-20T20:15:00.000-04:00

WNEP anchorwoman Paola Giangacomo has been yanked from the station's 11 p.m. newscasts over an apparent contract dispute. Tipsters report Giangacomo wanted more money, since she co-anchored the show, but that didn't happen. Either management yanked her off the newscast, or she said, "no more cash, no more 11."

Giangacomo was tapped to co-anchor WNEP's 11 p.m. newscast back in March, when she replaced Marisa Burke, who left the show to focus on producing and co-anchoring WNEP's 6 p.m. show.

Covering the president

2006-10-20T08:22:00.000-04:00

For a local reporter, nothing is more exciting - and boring - than covering a presidential visit to your area. It's a big deal when the president and his entourage make a stop in the region, even if it's only to stump for a congressman. The national press is shuffling about, Secret Service agents give you stone-cold stares, and you always wonder if something important or earth-shaking will be said by the president.

Well, why is it also boring? The local press is pretty restricted in how it can cover an appearance, like Bush's pit stop at Keystone College. Obviously, we're not the White House Press Corps, and none of us are going to get THAT close to Bush to ask him any real questions. Instead, we're resigned to shooting video of Air Force One and his motorcade, and we rely on pool video shot by the networks. We sit around, listen to his prepared speech, and that's that.

Still, there are always the small stories that add something interesting and different to an otherwise bland presidential visit: the people who served Bush and company ice cream, the boy who toured Air Force One, the other boy who met the president, the woman who received a volunteer service award from the president...and the Republican v. Democrat political bickering.

The doctor is out

2006-10-18T20:23:00.000-04:00

For those of you northern Pennsylvanians who get your news from Binghamton, don't expect to see Dr. Bill Rogers on WBNG anymore. A tipster reports the chief weather forecaster was canned yesterday. Why? Nobody knows, though Beale's Bites has learned Rogers was either shown the door, or escorted to it, following yesterday's newscasts. Talk about a humiliating way to go, especially with November sweeps approaching.

Lawmakers consider non-compete ban

2006-10-18T09:19:00.000-04:00

Pennsylvania lawmakers are, once again, trying to push a bill to make non-compete contracts illegal. Senate Bill 442 would allow any broadcast journalist to jump to a competitor in the same market, after their current contract expires. Previous efforts in the state legislature have stalled.

Personally, I support this bill, because I don't think a station should have any say in where a former employee works.

Howard, where are you?

2006-10-12T18:54:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, nobody's outed me yet! I've just been caught up with work as of late, which means less time spent on the blog. Expect me back here on Tuesday. That should give me enough time to tie up loose ends and such.

I'll still pop in to moderate comments, and if anything huge happens in the meantime, I'll post it.

And if you've got tips/rumors/gossip/money you want to share, please send it my way. A lot of the stuff on Beale's Bites comes in from people like you. And as always, confidentiality assured!

Might as well work at McDonalds

2006-10-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I was speaking to an acquaintence who also works in television news. In the course of the conversation, this person brought up an experience they had when they started out. Of all the places where this person applied for an entry-level job, only one responded. It was a tiny station in a tiny market in West Virginia. Those of you who work in television news probably know where I'm going here -- low pay, crappy hours, crappy market, etc.

But here's where my jaw hit the floor. This person's starting salary was only $16,000. No hourly wage here...just a salary.

I know how crappy the pay can be in broadcast journalism. It goes with the territory. The newer you are, the lower your pay. And many stations are owned by companies that do nothing but slash costs and find ways to save money. But a $16,000 salary? It's no wonder so many bright journalism school graduates consider jumping ship to public relations, where they can make double the money.

And as much as I love my job, there are times when I think about the "greener" fields of PR.

All Points(less) AccuWeather?

2006-10-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

A few of you didn't see the point behind WBRE's much-promoted All Points AccuWeather Wednesday night...

Lightning forces Josh Hodell off the roof and into the Wilkes-Barre studio

Dave Skutnick, who mans the Scranton studio, is in Wilkes-Barre

Jeffrey Jumper gets a quick live hit from Williamsport before weather axes the live shots

You can't do much about severe weather introducing Murphy's Law into your newscast. But when severe weather hits, why not keep Hodell in Wilkes-Barre to man the ship, and send the other three out to look for any weather damage?

Personally, I think it's a much-better use of WBRE's "field meteorologists." Otherwise, you've got four people standing in a studio, waiting for lightning to kill their live shots.

Supon leaving WNEP

2006-10-03T20:59:00.000-04:00

WNEP morning anchorwoman Kim Supon has announced she's leaving the station. Supon, who joined WNEP in 1993, is leaving the station next month to spend more time with her children, one of whom was recently born.

Live from Lancaster County

2006-10-02T23:21:00.000-04:00

Today's school shooting in Lancaster County was all over the news -- our market was no exception. It was a lead story on all three stations. But WNEP went so far as to send anchorman Scott Schaeffer there to do some live reports.

An odd decision, considering Lancaster County is in the Harrisburg market, and fellow ABC affiliates WPVI and WHTM were already feeding all sorts of video to fellow affiliates nationwide. Schaeffer's report really didn't add anything extraordinary either.

Seems like a case of "We're doing this because we can do it," though I suppose you can't fault WNEP for jumping on such a huge story, as stations from Philadelphia and Baltimore did the same.

In unrelated news, I'm no fashion cop, but suspenders and a baseball cap?

Nexstar: Help us own more television stations!

2006-09-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

After its retransmission fee fight earlier this year, Nexstar Broadcasting is moving on to bigger things. Commercials now in rotation on WBRE and WYOU direct viewers to this Nexstar-run website, urging them to help "preserve local TV" by telling their elected officials to support media consolidation and let companies, like Nexstar, own more than one station in a market.

Says company bigwigs, "Operating two stations gives companies like ours the ability to deliver another news voice to the market. It means more local news not less. It means more local jobs. It’s good for our community." Just look at everything WBRE and WYOU has done!

The FCC, however, admitted that media consolidation will hurt local TV news coverage. Just look at the memo the agency ordered destroyed. In short, viewers get more local news when they watch a locally-owned station.

As for the Wilkes-Barre duopoly, fundraisers and promotions doesn't hide the negatives. Until recently, WBRE and WYOU were essentially cut from the same template. Both stations even aired the same stories, often within seconds of each other. Let's not forget that both stations now simulcast their morning shows. Less local news, not more.

So much for delivering "another news voice to the market."

NEPA negativity

2006-09-27T21:11:00.000-04:00

If you ask Al Zobel, there's something about Wilkes-Barre and northeast Pennsylvania that breeds negativity. "After four years of it, I just couldn't do it anymore. It was pervasive throughout the community," the former WBRE/WYOU news director told the Wisconsin State Journal.

"I had an employee that was just always complaining and unhappy. I pulled him in and said, 'If it isn't working, if you're that unhappy, you should just go somewhere else. Life is too short.' And he looked at me and said, 'It would just be worse somewhere else.' And I said to myself, 'There you have it,'" said Zobel, who is now news director at WKOW in Madison.

Those of you who read this blog are no stranger to the negativity in this area. Many of the comments posted here (and even more that don't make it out of the moderation queue) complain about certain stations, and certain people. Why does this happen? I'm no psychiatrist, but let's face it, every profession has pissed-off people. Journalism seems to be full of it -- what, with the long hours, low pay, and idiotic management decisions.

I can't say much of the complaining isn't deserved, but at some point, you've got to ask yourself, "If I'm so miserable here, then why haven't I left?" I can think of a few people who either need to deal with their situations, or go find a job in public relations.

That said, show me a profession where nobody complains, and I'll eat my shoes (offer void everywhere).

Comparing newscasts

2006-09-24T00:23:00.000-04:00

Here's a look at what each station had in their first blocks at 11 tonight. If I missed anything, let me know...

WBRE

Amber Alert

Bin Laden Dead?

Plains Twp. Crash

Archbald Arrest

Scranton Stabbing

Wilkes-Barre Demolition

Downs Syndrome Walk

WYOU

Amber Alert

Bin Laden Dead?

Stroudsburg Fight

Scranton Stabbing

Plains Twp. Robbery

Dickson City Robbery

Fatal Luzerne Crash

Luzerne House Crash

Plains Twp. Crash

Sunbury Train Accident

Wilkes-Barre Demolition

Bloomsburg Fair Begins

WNEP (newscast delayed an hour due to college football)

Amber Alert

Bloomsburg Fair Begins

Paterno's Stomach Bug

Wilkes-Barre Demolition

Plymouth Robbery

Missing Dog

Springbrook Twp. Crash

Archbald Accident Correction

PennDOT Memorial

Fatal Luzerne Crash

Sunbury Train Accident

Voting 101 Demo

WYOU has traditionally had shorter first blocks, due mainly to its lack of staff. Things were different tonight, though, as they had the same story count at WNEP. But take a look at the story slugs for WYOU...accident, crash, robbery, stabbing. It reads like a police blotter, as if the stories were just thrown in there to take up space. That's not what I call a newscast that screams "WATCH ME."

WBRE had the fewest stories of the three tonight. It didn't have the police blotter feel of WYOU's newscast, but the first block was pretty empty and bland. I wonder why?

WNEP's newscast tended to bounce all over the place. "The Bloomsburg Fair began today!" "Joe Paterno could have the runs!" "Here's Ryan Leckey in a green shirt bouncing around Public Square!" You get the idea. The newscast definitely had a faster pace, which I like, but could we have some sensible story transitions? Is there logic in going from a robbery, to a missing dog, and back to a car crash?

All three stations did immediately jump on the Amber Alert in Pittston.

Sendoff from Jim Miller

2006-09-18T21:58:00.000-04:00

Jim Miller, WBRE's longtime sports anchorman, gives former co-worker Sid Michaels a sendoff in a letter to the editor in today's Times Leader...

It saddens me that one of the great links emotionally to sports in Northeastern Pennsylvania has to be silenced by the ever-changing bottom line of television, but for those who know and care about Sid, he has made all of us richer for his work and more importantly his personality and touch in the sports world over the years.

Miller retired from WBRE in the late 1990s after nearly two decades in Wilkes-Barre.

More weather, more Mehalshick

2006-09-18T19:44:00.000-04:00

WYOU isn't the only station switching up its newscasts. WBRE is also making some changes to its finished product, albeit not as drastic as Dialing for News. For example:

"Field meteorologists," forecasters stationed throughout the market, ready to give a more-thorough five-day planner. Josh Hodell will stay in Wilkes-Barre, with Dave Skutnik in Scranton, and newcomers Brian Fitzgerald in East Stroudsburg, and Jeffrey Jumper hanging out in Williamsport.

More Andy Mehalshick. The station plans to have him do more reporting, which he did until he was promoted to replace Keith Martin, who left for a job as the state's homeland security boss. Viewers will see more of Mehalshick out in the field. As WBRE news director Ron Krisulevicz puts it, "A la Anderson Cooper on CNN."

The idea of "field meteorologists" is a bit quirky. It's a great thing to have, when a severe storm or tornado tears through the area, because you have instant coverage at the affected places. But what about the so-so weather days? "It's sunny here in Wilkes-Barre! Dave?" "Josh, it's also sunny here in Scranton! Brian?" "Well Dave, it too is sunny in East Stroudsburg. How's it looking out there Jeffrey?" "Guys, you won't believe it, but it's sunny in Williamsport!"

I'll give a mixed review to Andy Mehalshick's semi-return to reporting (since he'll keep his anchor seat), if only for the comparison to Anderson Cooper. This may surprise you, but network anchors are more about personality and inserting themselves into the story. Just look at Katie Couric's first week on the CBS Evening News. I don't care who is bringing me the news...I just want to know what's happening, and why I should care. I don't doubt that Mehalshick can do that, but WBRE, please don't promote him as an empty news personality whose presence injects any story with automatic newsworthiness.