Channel Surfing by Laura Nachman Bucks County Courier Times September 16, 2003 New CBS3 news anchor Larry Mendte, who debuted last night at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. doesn't think it was a coincidence that his old station, NBC10 ran a "special report" about former co-anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah's impending delivery of her second child last night. "It's a real compliment to our station that Channel 10 was so worried about Monday night that they had a high profile anchor doing a high profile piece for that night.  It is completely unusual for them to do something like that outside of sweeps.  But this is what they do best - one night marketing tricks.  What we are going to try to do best is news," Mendte said. Mendte, who spent the last six years at NBC10, signed a six-year contract with CBS3 this year.  Estimates place his salary in the $700,000/year range but Mendte said, "Press reports are always incorrect."  When asked for a correction, Mendte declined to give his salary, but said he isn't making that much more at CBS3 than at NBC10.  So then why did he leave a solid number two station for a distant number three? "I didn't agree with the direction the station (NBC10) was headed.  I was shocked when they let (former weather anchor) John Bolaris go.  I thought our team of Vai (Sikahema), Renee (Chenault-Fattah), and John could have been together for a very long time.  It was also disappointing when people like (news anchor) Connie Colla (now on CN8) and (weather anchor) Kathy Orr (now at KYW) left the station. Personally, I wanted to stay in Philadelphia even though I received offers from New York and a Fox syndicated show.  Plus, his wife Dawn Stensland works down the street from Channel 3 at Fox29. After spending his summer going to concerts (Bruce Springsteen three times) and losing 20 pounds on the "South Beach" diet, Mendte is ready to do battle again. "I'm not promising to lift ratings, but I promise to make it a better newscast," said the winner of over 40 Emmys.  Mendte, who is a big sports fan will also co-host the CBS3 Sunday morning Eagles' pregame show at 11:30 a.m. Let the games begin! Congratulations to 6ABC news anchor Lisa Thomas-Laury, who returned to the airwaves on September 11.  Thomas-Laury had been on medical leave for almost a year due to a nerve ailment in her feet. Pierre Rocks! WMMR 93.3-FM mainstay Pierre Robert will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual March of Dimes Achievement in Radio (AIR) Awards this year.  The luncheon will take place at the Adam's Mark hotel in November. NBC10's weekday show "10" has a new fulltime address.  The entire show takes place at the Loews Hotel in Center City.  Tipping is appreciated. Fox29's weekday show "Good Day Philadelphia" is giving Jennaphr Frederick and George Mallet a try in the morning.  Frederick, who was a hard news reporter for "The Ten O'clock News" is surprisingly pretty damn funny.  I've chuckled more in the last two weeks with Frederick than I have in the last year. Former B101-FM morning co-host J.J. (Joan) Jones will audition next week on the new Michael Smerconish morning show on WPHT 1210-AM.  Jones left B101 earlier this year after not being able to come to contract terms with the station.