UPDATED THROUGHOUT: So after the shock wore off and and after scrambling to find previous articles about past Channel 4 changes (thanks to Barb Vancheri for her assistance) - and let's face it, there have been far more anchor configurations at WTAE than at any other station in my 10 years in Pittsburgh - I realized that I shouldn't have been all that surprised. I'd forgotten until I looked it up that I actually predicted a portion of today's changes two years ago, specifically the pairing of Wendy Bell and Andrew Stockey. (Some local TV insiders expected this, too.)
The decision to shrink the anchoring air time of Sally Wiggin, sad though it is, was sort of expected. Of course, WTAE news director Bob Longo denied this is an instance of a TV station downgrading an older female anchor. Even though, um, Wiggin is older. Wiggin is a woman. Wiggin will be seen on the air less beginning next week.
"Absolutely false. Absolutely, positively false," Longo said vehemently about how viewers are likely to see Wiggin's lighter anchor schedule. "Other TV stations in this town in the past and other TV stations in other markets in the present, people are dinged, but that is not happening here. Our folks have new assignments and everybody is accepting that."
Riiiiight.
But let's recall: The last time Wiggin lost an anchor slot - when she was moved from 11 p.m. to noon in 2004 - she said she wanted a schedule change. She was more than happy to discuss it. This time, my calls to Wiggin were not returned. Calls to Mike Clark were not returned. (I actually didn't make any calls to Michelle Wright because, one, I didn't realize at first that she was down to one newscast and, two, when I did realize it I had about 20 minutes to write a story for Friday's paper and then rush to WQED's annual board meeting. A report on WQED's board meeting will be posted here in the next few days.)
Longo is right when he says Wiggin is well-suited to "get" interviews because of her connections in the community. She's probably one of the most involved anchors locally, particularly when it comes to volunteering with charities. But another reason Wiggin can land the big interviews is because the people she wants to talk to are accustomed to seeing her on the news every night. Noon is the lowest-rated newscast so she won't be getting the same sort of exposure in the future.
Longo wouldn't answer my question when I asked how long these changes have been planned, which makes me think it's been a long time in the making (maybe about two years?).
So why make these changes and why now? I'm sure there are multiple factors but I suspect positive research on Stockey, who gains prominence in the new configuration, is part of it.
"There are a number of factors that come into play on any decision on lineups on TV," Longo said. "We take the totality of all of that and we decided all our people, where do they fit? This amounts to a lineup change. It's a simple lineup change.
"We're exposing as many viewers as possible to as many of our people as possible. These are terrific, personable, smart individuals. We want to get them in front of as many eyeballs as possible. We're getting sampling with our HD broadcasts and we think in a town like Pittsburgh where it's hard to change habits we think viewers will watch these pairings and make up their minds to change their habits. We see that as a very likely outcome."
I was tracking with him on "it's hard to change habits" thanks to the viewers who constantly bleat into my voice mail anytime there's a slight change to the Post-Gazette's TV Week. Pittsburghers HATE change. I'm also convinced it's the reason the other Pittsburgh stations have had so few changes to their anchor lineups.
Some other observations on the changes:
Moving Clark to mornings seems less like a demotion than what's happening to Wright and especially Wiggin. Granted, he started in mornings, but mornings, a growth area, are arguably more important now than they were when he started on the morning news in 1995. And he still gets to anchor twice a day.
Wright at least gets a plum spot at 6 p.m. And, let's be honest, coming off the noon news, the lowest-rated and lowest profile newscast, is no great loss for her.
Obviously the big winner in all of this is Stockey, who transitioned from sports to news just two years ago. I suspect research on Stockey is hugely positive, which would help explain his quick ascendency.
I don't think the changes in the weather lineup are done. This new configuration doesn't make a lot of sense. Longo says Demetrius Ivory's split shift - working mornings and then again at 5 p.m. - is becoming "more and more common in the industry." He also noted this configuration would be in play "for the foreseeable future." Hmmm.
Weirder still is the new schedule for Erin Kienzle, who will work mornings and evenings on Sunday and then at noon Monday through Thursday. For the time being, freelancer Michael Haynes will work at noon Friday and in the morning and evening on Saturday.
Longo said he's still looking to fill another weather position. He said the whole weather situation is less about shifts and more about "round the clock protection." Like deodorant!
And yet, I'm sure some viewers are likely to conclude these changes stink.
Channel 4's new anchor configuration:
Channel 4 Action News This Morning (5-7 a.m. weekdays)
Kelly Frey
Mike Clark
Demetrius Ivory (Weather)
Scott Stiller (Traffic)
Channel 4 Action News At Noon (12-12:30 p.m. weekdays)
Sally Wiggin
Mike Clark
Erin Kienzle (Weather)
Channel 4 Action News At 5 (5-6 p.m. weekdays)
Wendy Bell
Andrew Stockey
Demetrius Ivory (Weather)
Channel 4 Action News At 6 (6-6:30 p.m. weekdays)
Michelle Wright
Andrew Stockey
Stephen Cropper (Weather)
Jon Burton (Sports)
Channel 4 Action News At 11 (11-11:30 p.m. weekdays)
Wendy Bell
Andrew Stockey
Stephen Cropper (Weather)
Jon Burton (Sports)
So what do you think? Do you like these changes? Will you miss Sally Wiggin and Mike Clark at 6 p.m.? Will you continue to watch WTAE or will you try another station? Login (or register to login) to comment.
Posted
Sep 26 2008, 02:59 PM
by
Rob Owen