Local TV News Changes

[Snafu]

Its all about the money and the ratings and they were losing on both counts. TV isn't run by idea people anymore, especially not as the local level. Its run by sales people. When they can't sell they go find another product. Again, the FCC ough to make them do local programming, but Uncle Charlie isn't in that business anymore. Heck, they can barely enforce engineering regulations anymore.

Could be worse. They could go dark. Has happened in the market before.

 

[amradioiii]

Following along that train of thought, and maybe we should start a new thread with this question, is it your opinion that we need more enforcement and/or more programming requirements from the commission? Personally, I don't. I would rather let the market (audience/advertisers) decide what is working and what is not. Forcing additional restrictions on broadcasters to provide a locally produced newscast, or any additional programming requirements is counter productive. We already have enough public service and community service requirments that we must adhere to. If the market would support an all local news, all the time outfit, then someone should jump on that. Let the market decide!

 

[Snafu]

First the FCC should start at least trying to enforce engineering rules. If you've heard the side channel splatter being created up and down the east coast by WBZ's night time signal you know what I am talking about.

Second, yes they need to start treating the airwaves as if they belong to the public again and not Lowry Mays and the NAB. Running the same canned public affairs show that 16 of your sister stations across the country are running at 6:00am Sunday morning just doesn't cut it.

Third, we are allowing the market to decide and it is deciding in larger and larger numbers that we and the record labels are dinasours. iPods, satellite radios, sound imbedded in newspaper websites are ganging up on your radio dial and winning more and more of the battles every day. They ARE coming to get us and here we sit thinking that we can fend them off by running 20 minutes of commericals an hour and allowing the Clear Channels and Keymarkets/Forevers of the world to make up our minds for us.

 

[amradioiii]

I was not commenting on engineering rules. Or how the largest of the broadcasters attempt to skirt around or re-write ownership caps. I was simply commenting on my belief that we do not need to be begging the commission to become more deeply involved. I will agree with you on this- (BTW I am watching C-SPAN right now,,,todays recorded Commissioners Meeting regarding allowing further consolidation and cross ownership of broadcast and newspapers), here is what I agree with: Diversity in news gathering. I personally witnessed Channel 6 get the story wrong. They broadcast the wrong story at 5p.m. & 6p.m., they corrected their error at 11. Of course they did not make an on air apology or make reference to their earlier mistake, so in that respect I will agree with you. I am not opposed to the commission setting stronger guidelines to diversity of news gathering. My station is Uber compliant in this field. I have since revised my views after witnessing channel 6's mistake so bear with me. I would hate to think that Channel 6 could merge with the Tribune-Democrat, the Altoona Mirror, and the CDT plus provide the news content for Channel 8 & 23 and then get the story wrong. So in that respect you and I are on the same page.

 

[GuyFry]

Wes Maley

Wes Maley was probably one of the best anchors Altoona ever had or will ever see. Use to watch him anchor at WHTM and WHP in the 80s in Harrisburg and he was still as good! Often wonder where he is or if he is still alive?

Altoona/Johnstown news hasn't been the same since the days of John Swartz, Wes Maley, Dale Smith, and Dick Richards. Of course, who could ever forget Chic whats-his-name and his "weather-in-motion". Somdbody pass the gaspipe...

I also would like to find out where Wes Maley IS..and what he's doing. I agree with the poster who lauded Wes' authoratively-crerdible anchoring. I didn't know what happened to him after he left his post as News Director/Anchor at WLYH-TV15 in 1982. I knew had worked for WGAL-TV8 as a producer in the late 80's or early 90's..but did not know of him working at WHP-TV and WHTM-TV in Harrisburg. His wife, Rose had a beauty shop in Schaefferstown, PA in the early 80's. Can you update us on the Maley's? Both very decent, kind and good people.

 

[clangham]

I have been doing some searching on the internet and talking to people who use to work with Wes back in the days over the past year or two, and no one seems to know where he is or if he is even still alive.

 

[fmtuna]

was he the bald guy?

 

[John-Summers]

Sorry to be the bearer of sad news, but Wes Maley passed away several years ago. I don't know the circumstances. He was the anchor on WLYH Channel 15 for a long time (15 was one of the three CBS affiliates in the Harrisburg-York-Lancaster market at the time). I seem to recall he got stabbed in the back by an unscruplulous person who wanted his job, and got it. I think that's when he went to WGAL Channel 8 as a producer. He never worked at WHTM Channel 27 to my knowledge, but he was one of the many people who went through WHP-TV Channel 21, which hasn't had a successful news operation since the early 80s. I never met Wes Maley but I know several people who worked with him and to a person they say he was a nice guy and a pleasure to work with.

 

[fryman]

Wes was from upstate New York (Dunkirk, I believe) and did sports on the old WFBG television. In the late 60's, he was the morning man on WFBG radio prior to Peter McCoy. McCoy earlier on had worked at WVAM. Wes had a wooden leg but you would never know it by listening to him on the radio. He also did radio news on WFBG radio. During the holidays when money was tight, Wes would work out at Penneys to embarrass management as he was the local union steward for a time when WFBG was AFTRA.