THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 11, 1995 TAG: 9505110410
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY BONKO, TELEVISION WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The city that just played host to Vanna White, Pat Sajak and the ``Wheel of Fortune'' crew, was visited electronically by another famous television personality Wednesday morning.
Oprah Winfrey connected with a local ``Get Fit'' weight-loss program at Waterside in Norfolk by way of satellite from Chicago, where her nationally syndicated talk show is taped.
Winfrey, in the midst of a month-long ``Get Movin' With Oprah'' eat-right-and-exercise campaign, introduced her national audience to a Virginia Beach vs. Hampton fitness rivalry.
City workers there are competing for the honor of most pounds lost in May. When WVEC, the local ABC affiliate which carries the Winfrey show daily at 4 p.m., alerted Winfrey's staff to the ``Get Fit'' competition, the producers sent a camera crew to Hampton Roads.
The Virginia Beach-Hampton segment, which aired at the tail end of Winfrey's show about adoptions on Wednesday, was taped shortly before 11 a.m. outside the Bait Shack at Waterside. Winfrey's producers taped Team Virginia Beach and Team Hampton against an impressive background - the Elizabeth River with the sun playing peekaboo on the water.
It was a festive TV moment, with balloons bouncing in a stiff breeze and the 20-member teams waving signs on camera. There was even cheering: ``Go Hampton! Beat the Virginia Beach Fat Cats!''
It took hours to set up the remote from Norfolk, which came and went in just a few minutes on the Winfrey show. Winfrey opened the segment by calling in Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf.
``Who's winning?'' Winfrey asked.
``We are,'' said the Virginia Beach mayor.
``How you doing it?''
``Exercising hard and eating strawberries,'' the mayor said, plugging her city's upcoming Strawberry Festival in Pungo.
Team Virginia Beach has lost a combined 63 pounds so far in May, Oberndorf told Winfrey. Two of the pounds shed once belonged to the mayor.
``And how is Hampton doing?'' Winfrey asked.
Mayor James L. Eason said his team is down by 70 pounds, give or take an ounce.
Not so, Oberndorf shot back. The official number of pounds lost by Team Hampton is 51.
But before Oberndorf could set the record straight on camera, Winfrey and her satellite-delivered voice and image were gone, just like that.
The emotional show about adoption ran on and on, Winfrey said with a hint of apology. ``That's often how it is when you do live television . . .'' The Winfrey show that was syndicated nationally, and aired at different hours across the U.S. on Wednesday, came on live in Chicago at 9 a.m.
It wasn't even 15 minutes of fame for the ``Get Fit'' rivals here. But Oberndorf, C. Oral Lambert, Beverly Spencer, Paulette Braithwaite and others of Team Virginia Beach got a pretty good idea of the preparation it takes to go on national TV.
They were called on to rehearse showing enthusiasm on cue. ``One more time,'' the director said, begging for cheers. They were part of a communication marvel that is taken for granted these days - a talk-show host in one city connecting with her guests in another city as the show is under way.
One of the Hampton High School cheerleaders, carried to Waterside to root for her team, summed up the experience in a word: ``Cool.''
Norfolk, due for a wealth of exposure on national TV when the ``Wheel of Fortune'' shows taped here begin airing on Monday, found itself part of another TV picture postcard on Wednesday.
Hampton Roads got movin' with Oprah. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by PAUL AIKEN/
Mayor Meyera Oberndorf leads a group of Virginia Beach employees in
a cheer while Hampton Mayor James Eason, right, looks on during a
taping for the Oprah Winfrey show at Waterside Wednesday morning.
The two cities are in a weight-losing contest.
by CNB