CHANNEL SURFING
We hope to see you later, Wally Gator
6ABC president and general manager Dave
Davis said "Philly After Midnight" didn't have enough
viewers to continue to carry the show.
By LAURA NACHMAN
Courier Times
E-mail
The clock has struck 12 for "Philly After
Midnight." Wally Kennedy will host the final show Aug. 10.
The latest incarnation of "AM Philadelphia" and
"AM Live" lasted almost four years after being
relegated to the 12:30 a.m. slot to make room for "The
View."
Despite beating its national competitors "Late Night
With Conan O'Brien" and "The Late, Late Show with
Craig Kilborn," 6ABC president and general manager Dave
Davis said "Philly After Midnight" didn't have enough
viewers to continue to carry the show. (In the May books, it had
a 3.0 rating - each rating point equals around 27,000 homes).
The "Oprah" spinoff "Iyanla" takes over
the slot Aug. 13. Full-time staffers Marilyn Phister, Janet
Tegley, Amy Buckman and Karen Rogers will be re-assigned to the
news division. For Kennedy, who has been a talk show host for
the station since 1984, his future with 6ABC is less certain.
Kennedy's agent Lloyd Remick said his client is exploring all
options as his contract with 6ABC is up in October.
CHANGING PLACES
Two stations that are struggling in the ratings have new
leaders.
Susan Schiller joins KYW-3 as news director from the
"CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" where she was a
producer. Schiller has Philadelphia ties, as she was the
assistant news director for WCAU-TV (then a CBS affiliate) from
1987-1990 and a news producer there from 1982-'84. She'll be
joining many familiar faces as current KYW-3 staffers Larry
Kane, Stephanie Stahl, Paul Moriarty, Mike Archer, Saul Stokes
and Pete Fall also worked at WCAU-TV. Schiller replaces Melissa
Klinzing who fired/resigned at the end of May.
Fox-Philadelphia took less time to find a news director as
youngster Scott (don't call me Scotty) Matthews, 32, replaces
John Mussoni who was fired at the end of June. Matthews held the
same position at the Fox station in Boston.
Save a trip to the newsstand. "Philadelphia Magazine's'
Best of Philly 2001" airs on KYW-3 Monday at 7:30, hosted
by Ukee Washington and Dawn Stensland. The live special takes
place at the winners' reception at the new Sofitel hotel in
Philadelphia... WB17 won Philadelphia Press Association awards
for Television Spot News and Television Feature. Reporters Jim
Sinkovitz, Bucks native Tina Kim and Brad Sattin were noted.
Saturday, July 28, 2001
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