Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
Bucks County Courier Times
April 15, 2003

Bucks County Gets Its Own KYW Reporter

       As part of KYW-TV's new "Mobile Bureaus" program, Bucks County has been assigned its own reporter and photographer that will cover the area on a daily basis.  New hire Valerie Levesque (pronounced le-VACK) will get the Bucks beat and will live in Doylestown. 
       Taking the phrase telecommuting literally, Levesque with the help of a laptop computer, cell phone, mobile video editing equipment, and satellite truck will be able to file her reports without having to set foot in the KYW studios in Philadelphia.
       KYW news director Susan Schiller said the reason the Bucks County was chosen is because it is one of the fastest growing counties in the Philadelphia television market and the second largest county outside of Philadelphia.
       There will also be mobile bureaus in New Jersey and Delaware.  Marge Pala will handle Delaware and Cydney Long will get New Jersey.

       Do you love to talk about the Schuylkill Expressway and I-95?  Know the difference between the Blue Route and Blue Bell? Then this item is for you. WCAU is holding an open casting call for its new traffic reporter at the Loews hotel May 1 and 2.  Viewers will get the final vote for the job.       

       KYW has its own "Top Gun," weekend weather anchor Tom Lamaine. A jet pilot, Lamaine served as a Navy flight officer and has flown with the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, who awarded him a special commendation for achieving 9Gs (nine times the force of gravity) during a flight, an honor only a select number of Air Force pilots have achieved.

Mixed Messages

       There's a promo on WSNI 104.5-FM that says "We play songs you won't be embarrassed to listen to in front of the kids," then segues into "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb!
       "Boogie Nights," Philly's only nightly dance-music program changed its timeslot from 7-11 to 8-midnight. Tony Harris hosts.