THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 3, 1995 TAG: 9412310035
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
HERE ARE SOME things I'd like to see happen in local TV in the new year:
I'd like to see Carol Hoffman of WAVY's early shift get a shot at anchoring the news at 6 and 11 p.m. on Channel 10 or some other station here. She's tough. She's cool. She's ready for bigger and better things.
It would be nice if Cox Cable reserved a channel free of charge for anyone who wants to be on television for 15 minutes. That's what public access really means.
I'd like to see the Virginia Lottery stop wasting money on TV commercials. Who needs to be reminded abut Lotto? We all know about the bouncing balls.
Sometime in 1995, I'd like to see Bieber pop up in the Joynes and Bieber commercials.
I'd also like to see Jim (``news and a note'') Kincaid of WVEC take time to explain this Spirit of Hampton Roads thing. What is it, Jim?
I wish for the new owners of Fox affiliate WTVZ to move forward with plans to start a nightly 10 p.m. newscast. It's long overdue for this early-to-bed, early-to-rise community.
I'd like to see Channel 3's Tom Randles let his boot camp buzz cut grow out a little.
It would be great if we could see more ``Points West,'' the folksy, ``On the Road'' kind of report that Bob West does for WTKR.
In 1995, I'd like to see local stations discourage their anchors, sports reporters and weather people from hosting telethons and begging for money as agents of charities. It's inappropriate.
When he's doing the ``Joe's Job'' bit on WVEC, I'd like to see Joe Flanagan be mayor for the day just long enough to declare Pungo downtown Virginia Beach.
I hope that WAVY keeps going to bat for consumers with its ``10 on Your Side'' segments, including one of the most watchable features on local TV - Andy Fox as the Road Rebel, who finds the good, bad and ugly on the highways.
I'd also like to hear that Channel 3 has stopped teasing viewers with that itsy-bitsy weather report at the start of the newscast. I want a full dose of meteorologist Duane Harding, the dullest but the best weather guy around.
When 1995 gets rolling, I'd like to see WGNT move the syndicated Jon Stewart talk show from 10 to 11 p.m. or later. He's too hip for primetime. And he's getting lost in the primetime crunch.
When federal regulators say it's OK for cable companies to add more channels for a modest rate increase in 1995, I'd like to see Cox Cable sign up Ovation, Turner Classic Movies, America's Talking, the Home and Garden Network and Popcorn, the network of movie previews. And ESPN-2.
I'd also like to see the three people in the Haynes commercials disappear. They annoy me no end.
I like Channel 3's local news updates on CNN Headline News. In 1995, I'll wish for them to be expanded to twice every half hour.
I also wish for Jeff Lawson's English teacher to get in touch with the WVEC meteorologist. Maybe she could suggest a better way for him to end his sentences than with the curious phrase, ``is all,'' as in, ``there'll be light showers this weekend is all.''
In the upcoming year, I prefer that WHRO sell some air time to sponsors rather than see the station's general manager appear on camera in a subtle campaign against federal and state lawmakers who want to reduce tax dollars for public broadcasting.
I'd like to see Channel 3 bring back artist Bill Kello to revive the blues and whites he had incorporated into WTKR's news set before designers from out of town turned it into the red menace.
It would be great if in 1995 a station in a big-city market searching for a mature, solid anchorman offered a contract to WVEC's Terry Zahn. As long as Kincaid is on the scene, he'll be second banana at Channel 13.
And finally, Id like to see the new year bring a hair color that WAVY sports director Bruce Rader could live with. He changes his look almost as often as does his anchor desk partner, Alveta Ewell. by CNB