THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 27, 1996 TAG: 9602270043
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Larry Bonko
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
AFTER WATCHING the dueling local 10 p.m. newscasts, I've reached these conclusions:
``News Channel 3 News at 10 on UPN 27'' - What a mouthful! - is more or less a dress rehearsal for WTKR's 11 p.m. newscast.
``13 News at 10 on WPEN'' - Hey, it rhymes! - is different from WVEC's 11 p.m. newscast mainly because the anchor teams change.
On both WGNT and WPEN, the producers appear to be striving to make the 10 o'clock shows different from those at 11 by applying a lighter touch. In preparing a recent broadcast for WGNT, the WTKR newsroom decided to tease with a shot of the circus (``a treat for all the senses'') before turning the newscast into a police blotter.
When the WVEC newsroom was putting together WPEN's newscast on the same night, the light touch was evident in a report on ``Good Morning America'' visiting the Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk - the doctors joked about being nervous with ``GMA'' on town - and Priscilla Monti's romp with circus clowns.
Not much, really, to separate the newscasts at 10 and 11.
On both 10 p.m. newscasts, the fluff soon melted away in the heat of stories about shootings in Norfolk and Hampton, and the report of an escaped convict. At 11 on WTKR and WVEC, there was no fooling around with that softball stuff until deep into the newscasts because, as everyone in TV news knows, if it bleeds, it leads.
Essentially, the local news at 10 on UHF stations WGNT (27) and WPEN (62) is the same package viewers get on VHF stations WTKR (3) and WVEC (13) an hour later.
Sports at 10 is virtually the same sports at 11. The weather at 10 is the same weather at 11, with a tad more silly chatter on WGNT among co-anchors Tom Randles, LeAnne Rains and the weather guy up on the roof - or ``weather deck,'' as they call it at WTKR.
The difference comes in who delivers the package.
For its 10 p.m. newscast on WPEN, WVEC chose Mike Lewis to co-anchor in Norfolk with Velma Scaife on the Peninsula. Because they are not elbow-to-elbow, the director uses a split screen to bring them together. Sometimes, the picture is arranged in three parts to call in meteorologist Jeff Lawson.
That works fine. Lewis and Scaife are young professionals who have a nice, smooth way of reading the news. I'm surprised that stations in bigger markets have not hired away these two. (However, I must lower the grade on Lewis' report card for saying that Norfolk's historic Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church is in Portsmouth).
For one night at least (Feb. 21), I give the edge to WPEN's 10 p.m. newscast, because WVEC did a better job reporting on the Virginia General Assembly. WTKR's reporters had their moments on the WGNT newscast at 10 that night.
Bruce Barry turned in a nifty report about a Portsmouth man who risked his life, and suffered serious cuts on his arm, to protect his 84-year-old neighbor from a burglar. Mark Penland is a hero.
Another observation about the WPEN newscast: The picture comes up looking flat and washed out on cable. And on the Peninsula, Scaife appears to be reading her copy in a broom closet. The set is claustrophobic.
At 11, WVEC says adieu to Lewis and Scaife, bringing in Terry Zahn and Barbara Ciara. Randles and Rains work as co-anchors at 10 on WGNT and 11 on WTKR, as well as at 6 p.m. on Channel 3. What the heck. You might as well have them do Channel 3's local cable updates on Headline News, too.
The 10 p.m. newscast was long overdue in this TV market of early risers. Now there are two. Trouble is, they are by and large previews of newscasts to come at 11. Nothing special.
It would have been great if the people at Fox affiliate WTVZ had launched a livelier, hipper newscast, which is the Fox style. That won't happen now that Fox is moving its affiliation to WVBT in a few years. by CNB