Action News

We're only a matter of weeks away from the crew at PVI to be hanging their hat in their new building that was completed a few months back. Everyone has moved in and the news staff are now in the process of making their move. As I wrote below (from April)--I'm told there won't be any real drastic changes in the new set. Has anyone noticed the "crystal city skyline" is gone from the current set? I'm told big money was paid for that and it will be incorporated into the new set. Plans call for the crew to soon begin doing duplicate newscasts from the new studio as a rehearsal for going live from there in the next few weeks.

Posted 4/09: Look for the crew at WPVI to move into their new digs, next door, and be broadcasting from there by early September. I'm told that staff is pretty psyched about the new state-of-the-art facility along Monument Road just east of City Avenue and their current home which was considered "state-of-the-art" back in the day. Don't look for any drastic change in the on-air look of the Action News broadcasts, however. I'm told there will be a few tweaks here and there that are in the plan but overall--the home of Action News will pretty much look as it does now.

Sean Murphy Drives Into The Sunset

Former CW57 "Wake Up News" traffic reporter Sean Murphy--who transferred to CBS3 in June when "Wake Up News" awoke at 5 a.m. for the last time--has been canned from CBS3. Marnie Hall's Philly Gossip recently reported that initial rumors were that the features/traffic back-up reporter recently signed a 3 year contract to remain at KYW. However, management took an early-out clause and bid farewell to Murphy instead. Murphy is married to the daughter of former CBS3 General Manager Michael Colleran who retired from CBS3 about five months ago and seemed to be Murphy's biggest fan. Time will tell who Bob Kelly's official back-up will be but smart money would bet on Jamie Shupak?

Shupak Clearing The Way..

Philadelphia Inquirer's Inqlings reporter, Michael Klein, reported yesterday the "clearing of the way" for Jamie Shupak, the FOX 29 Traffic reporter for weekday FOX 29 news broadcasts. Shupak has been an interim fill-in for the departed Dorthy Krysiuk since October 2008. FOX 29's reason for the decision is "economics" and will have the anchors voiceover the traffic problems over the video feeds from Penndot. Shupak will most likely use her nine months on-air experience to add to her resume for another traffic gig, most likely, outside of Philadelphia. Traffic Pulse provides traffic information to Channels 3, 6, 10 and 29 while Metro/Shadow Traffic provides their information to Channel 3 as well as local radio stations and XM/Sirius.
Who knows if it's really "economics" or just a change of direction by management. In reviewing the FOX blogs, it seems she has about a 60/40 group out there. About 40% seem to like her and about 60% who seem to dislike her. Comments were posted about her wearing yellow nail polish (something one would do in college, one person posted); her annoying voice, her lack of professional dress (too tight blouses, belly blouses exposing her stomach on-air as several posted) and even a comment from another about her having "great camel toe"! Based on some of the postings, I would think management might have decided to find someone else "down the road" a little more polished and professional.

Mike Jerrick's First Day...

Mike Jerrick's return to FOX 29 was today and his first day on "Good Day Philadelphia" was uneventful. He kissed co-host Sheinelle Jones and weathergal, Sue Serio, who commented "do you believe I'm still here!". Later, as he introduced traffic reporter, Jamie Shupak, he walked over to her to give a kiss on the cheek...all very hokey and silly stuff. GDP's John Anderson was reporting live from the Lehigh Valley on the Eagles summer camp with Hugh Douglas. Does FOX 29 really think Douglas has the chops for television? Wow---the guy is a disgrace to television professionals!

Jerrick returned to Philadelphia from his cancelled national FOX show "The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet" that lasted two years. He hosted GDP for three years from 1999 until 2002 when he bolted for a national gig with FOX News Channel.

Philadelphia Daily News' Dan Gross reports that plans are in the works for GDP to expand from four hours to five beginning September. John Anderson will co-host from 5 a.m. till 7 a.m. with Jones and then give up the anchor chair to Jerrick from 7 a.m. till 10 a.m.

Jerrick began his TV career at Topeka Kansas station WIBW-TV and later moved on to New York's WNYW-TV as a producer for a time before moving on to San Francisco station KPIX-TV. Jerrick also worked for HBO, Sci-Fi, the "America's Talking" cable network as well as CNBC.

WPVI's NEW DIGS

I hear everything is on track for the Action News family to be moving into their new digs in the next 4-6 weeks. Construction, which began in the summer of 2007, was completed some time ago. Now, it's the completion of all the wiring involved of an HD state-of-the-art type facility it is.

I'm told the station should go on-air from the new building by early September. As I wrote in late April, don't expect any drastic changes in the look of "Action News", only some tweaks here and there. The studio will definitely be larger which should allow some elbow room in future programming.

WPVI went on the air September 13th, 1947 as WFIL-TV. WFIL-TV was the home of Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" which hit our airwaves in 1952 and went national on the ABC network in 1957. WFIL-TV was also ABC's first affiliate.

A little known fact I found interesting? According to Wikipedia, channel 6 never carried ABC's new morning news show, "AM America", back in 1975 when ABC decided to create a morning news show to compete with NBC's "Today". ABC cancelled the ratings struggled "AM America" six months later and debuted "Good Morning America" in October of that year. WPVI only aired the first hour, opting instead, to air locally produced "Captain Noah and his Magical Ark" in the 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. hour. It took three years until ABC pursuaded WPVI to air the show in its entirety. Similiar situations happened with ABC's "Home" show (anchored by Robb Weller and Sandy Hill) and daytime soap, "The Edge of Night". "Home" was preempted entirely and finally hit WPVI's air only to have the first half hour preempted. "The Edge of Night" never aired on WPVI but instead, on independent stations in Philadelphia that were contracted by ABC to carry the show.

Gary Papa Passes On...

I join the fans, viewers and the 6ABC family in mourning the passing of Gary Papa. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and two sons. Channel 6 devoted their entire 90 minutes (5 p.m.-6:32 p.m.) to Gary's life and time at Channel 6. You can read about his life here

At the close of the 6 p.m. "Action News" they showed a 2 minute video montage of Gary played to the song "The Time of My Life" which was quite touching.

You can watch the announcing of Gary's death, by Jim Gardner,here.

Rest in peace Gary!

Phone Rings Live On-Air

Near the close of PVI's 6 p.m. Action News tonight (Mon 6/15th)--Adam Joseph (filling in for Dave Roberts) was throwing it back to Jim Gardner as he sat back down at the anchor desk detailing thunderstorms coming into Center City from neighboring Montgomery county. As Adam said "a small storm, but a POTENT storm--with the possibility that..." at which point the phone behind Gardner began to ring. Adam acknowledged it by laughing and saying "someone's calling us over here, who is it Jim?"
Gardner turned right around, saying "the phone is ringing!"...picked up the phone and said "HELLO?". Adam cracked up again saying "THEY HUNG UP!". Gardner then responded by saying, "running out of time here--I'm sorry!". Gardner went on to say, "first time THAT'S EVER HAPPENED!" as he squinted, smiled and shook his head in amusement. Gardner promoted the upcoming World News Tonight and as they went to commercial, Gardner picked up the phone again with Jaime Apody and Adam Joseph laughing at Gardner.
Nothing like LIVE TV, at its best!