"Struggling Philly TV News Hanging by a Thread"
By Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
[email protected]

Philly TV News of WTVE-51, which released the majority of its news staff on December 4^th, is continuing with a barebones news operation, and the results are an amateurish and sometimes even embarrassing newscast. 

             The little seen and publicized local news operation, which before the layoffs was providing up to five newscasts a day, is not completely off the air, but is down to one broadcast a day.  The staff has been reduced from three anchors to one, six reporters to two, and four photographers to one.  The weathercaster and sportscaster were also part of the cutbacks.

Watching the Monday, December 18th newscast, it was easy to pick up errors.   First, many of the stories were poorly written and difficult to follow.  For example, anchorman Maurice Browne read a story about two players on the Temple University basketball team that were having problems.  He neglected to name the players, or to at least mention if their names were purposely kept private. During a story about the collapse of “Ally McBeal” star Calista Flockhart, Browne read that she was “fed intravenous drugs,” and that Flockhart’s collapse led to more reports about her “poor eating habits.  Since there was no sports anchor, Browne was left to read the sports news, with no video or interviews.  Browne, who primarily was a reporter at his last position at Fox-Philadelphia, stumbled over much of the script.  Visually, there were no pictures or artwork behind his shoulder.  When asked why, former Assistant News Director Steve Kalb said he put in a request for a DVE/Still Store machine (the piece of equipment that makes the artwork) a half dozen times, and the request was always denied. Kalb attempted to defend the broadcast, saying that since the cutbacks, associate producers and other lower level employees of Philly TV News were left to take over the broadcast. He also said that even though Philly TV News was available in over two million homes, it suffered from lack of publicity and lack of funds. 

Due to contractual obligations to WTVE, Philly TV News will continue to provide news content indefinitely.  Philly TV general manager Jim Sweeney was unavailable for comment.  

“The Philly Connection,” has moved to WTVE from WB17, airing Sundays at 10 PM.  Hosted by WOGL-FM disc jockey, Bob Pantano, the show features reports from “Philadelphia Daily News” columnist Stu Bykofsky, WIP’s Angelo Cataldi, and others.

WTVE, Channel 51 of Philadelphia is available on Adelphia Cable of Plymouth Meeting in Ambler, Flourtown, Lansdale, and Hatboro on Channel 21; on Adelphia Cable of Kennett Square in Avondale, Pennsbury, and Pocopson on Channel 95, on AT & T Cable of Levittown in Bristol, Langhorne, Pendel, and Yardley on Channel 19; on Comcast of Bensalem in Levittown, Lower Southhampton, and Warminster on Channel 51, on Comcast of Jamison in Chalfont, Doylestown, Holland, and Newtown on Channel 63; and on Comcast/Sellersville in Bedminter, Hatfield, Perkaskie, and Quakertown on Channel 51. 

And in other news, Jonathan Gorchow has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of CN8, The Comcast Network. Gorchow’s responsibilities will include network operations, promotions, and all programming development, direction and decisions for CN8, Comcast Newsmakers and Comcast Original Programming.  The Comcast Network now reaches more than 3.9 million cable homes and employs 200 people at its four studios in Philadelphia; New Castle, Delaware; Trenton, New Jersey; and Union, New Jersey. 

Laura Nachman can be reached at her website “Brady Residence,” at www.geocities.com/bradylady

 December 28, 2000