Channel Surfing
by Laura Nachman
June 6, 2003

       The other shoe has dropped.  One day after WCAU announced that Tim Lake was the new permanent weekday evening anchor, KYW announced that Larry Mendte is joining "Eyewitness News" in September.   Mendte will do the 6 p.m. news and either a 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. show.  The one thing that is certain is that KYW won't air "Dr. Phil" at 4 p.m. because "Dr. Phil's" contract stipulates that the show cannot compete against "Oprah Winfrey," which airs at 4 p.m. on WPVI. 
       Mendte becomes the latest Philadelphia television personality to defect to KYW from a competing station, joining former WPVI anchor Marc Howard and fellow WCAU employee Kathy Orr.
       According to sources, Mendte got the six-year contract from KYW that WCAU wouldn't offer.  Mendte's new salary is estimated to be in the $700,000/year range.   And yes, there is a no-compete clause in the contract.  (The omission of the "No-compete" in WCAU's contract was what enabled Mendte to make the switch to KYW).
       Though Marc Howard will continue to anchor solo at 11 p.m., Mendte's hiring puts the rest of the KYW anchor staff into a state of flux.  It will be interesting to see what happens to morning anchors Tom Negovan and Robin Rieger (currently on maternity leave), noon and 5 p.m. anchors Pat Ciarrocchi and Ukee Washington, 6 p.m. anchor Denise Saunders, and weekend evening anchor Colette Cassidy, who has been mentioned for the Mendte co-anchor slot.
       So the question becomes can Mendte do what Diane Allen, Siani Lee, Dave Frankel, Larry Kane, and Marc Howard (so far) have failed?  Mendte said, "I'm not promising alone to incrase ratings.  It's never going to be just me.  I'm promising to work hard and try to improve the newscast.  "I'll go door to door if I have to get people to switch to Channel 3 because I believe in the product so much."

       Mendte, who returned to his hometown in 1997, is a graduate of Monsignor Bonner High in Delaware County and West Chester University.  He is married to former KYW and current WTXF anchor Dawn Stensland.  Could Mendte possibly work with his wife, whose contract with WTXF expires next year?  "Wouldn't that be fun?  She's the best anchor in town."

       Workaholic Mendte said he has been driving Stensland crazy with his time off.  "I rearranged the books of our library."  Mendte will continue to go to his Sunday Phillies games with Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz and is going to the Bruce Springsteen concert here in August. But once September hits, he doesn't expect to take vacation for a year.  "The anchor is like the quarterback of a football team, and must lead by example."

Sidebar:
"Real" Reasons Why Mendte Left WCAU for KYW
1. Got tired of looking at Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz's bow ties.
2. Wants to take advantage of KYW's "Beauty Cam."
3. Sports fanatic Mendte can fill-in on Infinity sister station WIP 610-AM.
4. Can have romantic dinners with wife Dawn Stensland who works at 4th and Market.  The KYW studios are at 5th and Market.
5. Gets a free snazzy CBS-3 jacket.
6. Never has to say "Breaking News" again!
7. Missed Kathy Orr like crazy.