THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996 TAG: 9603190036
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
TODAY'S TV buzz:
Say it isn't so, Carol - After 11 years with WAVY, Carol Hoffman has resigned as co-anchor of ``News 10 Today,'' the NBC affiliate's weekday wake-up call, which signs on at 5 a.m.
Channel 10 lost a savvy reporter, rock-solid anchor and perhaps the best news reader in this market because Hoffman and WAVY could not agree on a new contract. ``Basically, it was about money,'' said Hoffman, who hopes to catch on with another station in this market in June.
Until then, she's prevented from jumping to WTKR or WVEC because of an exclusivity clause in her old contract. Memo to the WVEC bosses: Your morning show, which has been trailing WAVY and WTKR in the ratings for months, could use Hoffman's star power.
Edith Robertson of Virginia Beach, Jennifer Duke in Chesapeake, Nancy Rowe in Portsmouth and Joe Ponzillo of Kill Devil Hills, N.C., were some of the readers who called to ask why Hoffman did not return to the morning show after her vacation ended.
Now you know.
``We couldn't get together on a contract,'' said WAVY general manager Edward L. Munson Jr., who last week began searching for Hoffman's successor. He had nothing but high praise for her.
Hoffman didn't work a full eight-hour day, electing instead to work 5 to 8:30 a.m. and go home to look after her children, ages 2, 4 and 6.
Teamed with co-anchor Don Roberts and meteorologist Jon Cash, Hoffman helped WAVY dominate early morning TV in this market with a show that was as informal as breakfast in bed. The latest Nielsens showed Hoffman's gang 11 share points ahead of the opposition.
She was that popular. WTKR meteorologist Duane Harding was popular, too. He was replaced. Hoffman is gone. The bottom line rules in broadcasting.
Hoffman said her one regret is not having the opportunity to do a farewell and thank you on the air. ``I didn't say goodbye to the people who have been waking up with me all these years,'' she said.
From Hoffman to you: `` `Bye, all.'' She won't be out of work long.
ABC has come to its senses - Many readers who called, including Jack Mann in Norfolk, Angela Isles in Virginia Beach and Pat Metzler in Portsmouth, to beef about ABC's decision last Tuesday to replace ``NYPD Blue'' with a new show, ``High Incident.''
It was a last-minute move, said Janice Gretemeyer, ABC's director of press relations. The network is so excited about the new cop show that ABC ran ``High Incident'' twice last week.
That was once too many, according to those who called to complain about missing ``NYPD Blue.'' There is good news from ABC.
Starting tonight at 10, ABC will show three new episodes of ``NYPD Blue'' through April 2.
The balance of the new episodes of the 1995-96 season will be played off during the May ratings sweeps. Bumping ``NYPD Blue'' for ``High Incident'' spoiled the night for thousands of viewers.
When ``NYPD'' co-creator and executive producer Steven Bochco met TV writers in Los Angeles recently, he told us that although the series is great now, it will get even better. ``The range of talent in the cast is extraordinary,'' Bochco said. Amen.
Busy, busy busy - Laura Robbins, the 24-year-old Princess Ann High graduate who teaches school when she's not acting, recently had a role in the CBS film ``A Mother's Instinct'' and is scheduled to appear April 5 in an episode of ``Homicide: Life on the Street'' on NBC. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Carol Hoff-man hopes to join another local station.
by CNB