WQED to be off-air tonight
Pittsburgh:Whether you sleep to public television or classical music, take note. WQED will be interrupting service to Television (Channel 13; and we assume WQEX at Channel 16) as well as WQED-FM (89.3) at 2 a.m. on Tuesday to install emergency power equipment. The interruption is expected to last just three hours. Studio power will be off for the first hour and transmitter power will be off for the remaining two hours. All operations should continue by 5 a.m.
Source: PG
Directv to add Erie locals
Erie-Meadville: In my previous article, I had incorrectly stated that Directv had no plans to add Erie local stations to its lineup. Well it looks like Directv will add Erie stations in September of this year according to their website. Hopefully this will include HD signals for those with High Definition TVs'.Dish Network to provide locals in every U.S. market
National News: It was announced recently that Dish Network will be adding 29 local markets to its list of local channels. These 29 markets are the last markets remaining in the U.S. which will make Dish Network the first satellite TV provider to offer local channels to every TV market in the country. This is something Directv has yet to do but that could change according to a reliable source. Read the comments section for more details.WQLN to look back at its history
Erie-Meadville: "A Dream in Progress, The History of WQLN" will take a nostalgic look back at the history of the station going back to its roots in the mid 1960's as well as it's sign on in August of 1967. This is part of the WQLN History Project which has been worked on for several years by WQLN Historian Tom McLaren and Production Director Adam Ladaika. Hopefully this will be better than the half hour WICU 60th anniversary special which borrowed most of the material from the well done 40th anniversary special produced in 1989. It will be great to see some familiar faces I knew from my time at WQLN and sadly those friends that are no longer with us. You can catch this well produced program this Sunday at 3pm and I'll quote the station ID as it was said in the words of the Late Paul Brown on "WQLN Channel 54, Erie."Bixler reportedly named new COO at Cornerstone
Pittsburgh: PBRTV has learned that Paul Bixler is the new COO at Cornerstone Television (WPCB-TV 40; DT 50). Bixler is the son of Russ and Norma Bixler, who founded the station, and has worked for CTVN for the last 30 years. He succeeds the late Ron Hembree who suddenly passed away of an apparent heart attack last week. More as we hear it.Linaberger named News Director at KDKA
Pittsburgh:KDKA-TV announced on Friday that Anne Linaberger was named News Director, effective immediately. Linaberger worked as the assistant ND and has acted in the role of ND since the departure of Coleen Marren who left the position in April after nine months. No on-air changes are in the works, but Linaberger's first priority is to hire an assistant. She is very well known in the market having worked as a news anchor for WAMO and eventually moved on to WDTV in Clarksburg, West Virginia before heading to WTAE-AM and TV. She stayed with WTAE until 1998 when she moved her job - and then-title of executive producer of special projects - to KDKA-TV. She has filled the role of assistant ND for about five years.
Linaberger took herself out of the mix when the ND position was open in 2009 stating that she was concerned she wouldn't be able to balance the role of her job and being a monther to a sports-active 10-year-old. Her role as interim news director has allowed her to find that balance.
Ms. Linaberger tells the Post-Gazette that her last on-air appearance was on WTAE in 1994 when USAir Flight 427 crashed near Pittsburgh International Airport. "When the plane crashed, all the anchors were out to dinner, so we looked around the newsroom to see who had ever been on the air before. I started reporting until the anchors got back."
Sharpless without gig; listeners petition station to rehire
Johnstown-Altoona-State College:WJAC-TV reported last week that WPHB-AM (Philipsburg) host Sheldon Sharpless abruptly left the station. Sharpless told the station that he was "forced out" but management said that it was strictly a "personnel matter". The host, who has been on the air for nearly 50 years, hosted a morning program described as a "town hall meeting on the air" where he would inform the community while playing country music. Sharpless isn't angry, but would like to get back on the air.
Listeners have started a movement for WPHB management to rehire Sharpless. Nearly 1300 people to date have joined a Facebook "Like Page" which serves as a petition to save the host's job.
Erie radio listeners can check out this Jewel from across the lake.
Erie-Meadville: Radio listeners in the Erie region now have another choice for AC mixed with Oldies. CKPC 92.1 FM in Brantford, Ontario has recently rebranded itself as "92 The Jewel." The station is mixing Adult Contemporary with Oldies during the day and more Adult Standards at night. The 80,000 watt signal covers Erie quite well and gives older adults another option with Standards in the evening. The other two stations from across the border are "Zoomer Radio AM 740" CFZM and "Easy 101" CKOT 101.3. The Jewel brand has been on a few Canadian stations in recent times with this mix.Analog shutoff: One year later
National News: It was June 12th 2009 when all full powered TV stations had to shut off their analog transmitters for good. Some kept theirs on for a brief time with instructions on how to convert to digital. With a year in the books, how has your reception been. I know some folks have had problems receiving some or all stations that could be received before with analog reception. I have had no problems with reception here near Cochranton with my two antenna set up. Feel free to share your good or bad reception stories here in our forum.Condolences
Pittsburgh:- The Post-Gazette is reporting that Ron Hembree, president of Cornerstone TeleVision since 2003, died last night in his Murrysville home at the age of 72. Hembree, who had been with the station for over 25 years, may have suffered a heart attack. A memorial service is in the works, but arrangements are not complete.
- Vernal Enterprises owner Larry Schrecongost died Tuesday after suffering an apparent heart attack while behind the wheel of his car. He was 58. Vernal is the parent company of WTYM-AM (1380) in Kittanning, Armstrong County among others.
Foundation option for WDUQ will cease after 60 day deadline
Pittsburgh:The four foundations that purchased a 60-day option on WDUQ-FM (90.5) will not seek further action when the term is up on July 2. The move was to prevent the station's current owner, Duquesne University, from selling it to a higher bidder than Pittsburgh Public Media, a nonprofit made up of station employees and others who plan to preserve the current format. The initial bid from PPM was rejected and a second bid is on hold until after the 60 day period is up. The foundations pooling their money are the Pittsburgh Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, the Richard King Mellon Foundation and a fourth funder wishing to remain anonymous. Doug Root, spokesman for The Heinz Endowments, said in a statement, "We're pulling out of the option, but we're not giving up our interest and support for a quality public radio station that delivers the NPR programming and what we would hope would be enhanced news and information that the community could really respond to."
Source: Post-Gazette
WKSV HD is back
Misc. Ohio: WKSU (Kent State University) Thompson area translator WKSV at 89.1 is currently on a backup transmitter due to storm damage over the weekend according to Ohio Media Watch. WKSU has put on a 4th HD channel which I tried to check out through WKSV on my Accurian HD radio but to no avail. The problem should be resolved in the near future. Update: WKSV is back on its primary transmitter with all 4 HD channels including a News focused channel on HD-4. Last night I caught "BBC World Service" on the new channel.New locally based show on Jazz FM
Erie-Meadville:Mercyhurst College has announced that WMCE 88.5 / 104.9 "Jazz FM" debut a new show hosted by Mercyhurst College students. "Jazz at the Hurst" will air Wednesdays at 3pm beginning this week. You can catch it on 88.5 or 104.9 in the Erie area or online worldwide at www.erieradio.com/.
The Fan gets P-B-P Contract
Pittsburgh:Bob Smizik reported Friday night that The University of Pittsburgh is ready to move its athletic broadcasting rights to KDKA-FM (93.7). It's the result of several months of negotiations with as many as three radio stations. The move has not been finalized, but should be by the end of the week, Smizik says. Pitt football and basketball have both been carried by the Clear Channel stations of late - most recently WWSW (94.5). In fact, until this move, Clear Channel held the rights to every major sports team in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are carried on WDVE (102.5), the Penguins on WXDX (105.9) and the Pirates on WPGB (104.7). The Penguins recently renewed their contract, but it's expected that competition between CBS Radio and Clear Channel could become fierce as the Steelers and Pirates contracts come up for renewal in the next few years. The move also gives Pitt more attention not having to compete with the pro-sports teams.
Bill Hillgrove is expected to continue his long-time role as the announcer for football and men's basketball. It is also possible that John Seibel (of The Fan's "Seibel and Starkey") will have a roll in the Pitt broadcasts - perhaps along the sidelines.
The move is expected to open up space for Duquesne University and West Virginia University which are likely to be heard on WPGB and WBGG (970) respectively next season.