tee vee

I've always been somewhat of a local TV news junkie. Growing up in Wilkes-Barre, we had three choices... 16, 22, and 28. When we got cable in 1980, we also picked up 3 & 10 from Philly, and 5, 9, and 11 from NYC. At age 5, my folks let me have a little black and white TV in my room. I think that same TV is in Dad's bathroom. I would watch Keith Martin on channel 28 at 11, then Johnny Carson's monologue.

It's easy to remember people who you watch every night deliver you the news. Drop a name, and I can probably tell you which station they reported for. I grew up in the era of Nolan Johannes and Karen Harch on 16, Debbie Dunleavy and Derry Bird on 22, and Keith Martin, Dean Phillips, and Vic Vetters on 28. At the same time in Philly, you had Larry Kane on 10, Jim Gardner on 6, and Jerry Penacoli and Steve Bell (among others) on 3.

How about some TV did you know's...

Remember when Karen Harch married Alby Oxenreiter? They're working together in Pittsburgh at WPXI-TV.

WNEP's Scott Schaffer once anchored Super 2 News for Service Electric in Allentown.

If it seems like Tom Clark has been at WNEP forever, well, you're almost right. Remember who Tom replaced? If you guessed Paul Douglas, you got it. Paul is now at WCCO Minneapolis, and still looks younger than I do.

You're either old, have a good memory, or related to him if you remember that Sam Lesante co-hosted WNEP's local breaks of the MDA telethon.

Remember Barry Finn's rooftop weather? And the 4-degree guarantee?

The snowbird report.

"Vince said it would be like this."

Two words... Joe Zone. He's now in Hartford.

Last but not least... did you know where WBRE's Phil Schoener got his start? He started out right here at WPPA and T-102.

Finally, a good luck wish to longtime buddy Scott Stuccio. He's leaving WYOU to become play-by-play voice of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Good luck, Scott!

If you want some good local TV history, visit WNEP Interim News Director Carl Abraham's website... www.carlabraham.com. He's good a lot of old photos of WNEP & WYOU/WDAU.

Buckle up,
TS