At press time, Rhea Hughes of WIP 610-AM's morning show continues to be off the air due to a contract dispute.

By LAURA NACHMAN
Courier Times

At press time, Rhea Hughes of WIP 610-AM's morning show continues to be off the air due to a contract dispute.

Hughes, 34, has not been heard on the popular a.m. drive program that features Angelo Cataldi, Al Morganti and Joe Conklin for two weeks.

Hughes said she was hopeful that she would be back on WIP soon, when we were guests on "Lou Tilley's Sports Connection" Monday night on CN8. That was all she would say and directed other questions to her agent, Steve Mountain.

This is the first time that Hughes has used an agent in her negotiations with the station. Mountain, who represented The Hooters in their heyday, did not return phone calls.

With her new big-time agent, I wonder if she is being told to play "hard ball" with the station. It's a risky tactic because in radio and television, even though a personality may be popular (like Hughes), one is easily replaceable. Just ask Max Vierra, Michele Polino and Chris Gamble, formerly of WIP.

WIP-AM station manager Tom Bigby said in his 13 years at the station he hasn't negotiated a contract in the press, and he wasn't about to start now.

Translation: No comment.

Because Philadelphia is a town that is short on female sports personalities, I hope we won't lose Hughes, who knows her sports and provides the only strong female presence on testosterone-overloaded WIP. Since Jenna Wolfe left WPHL, there are no females on the air for the broadcast stations (tsk, tsk), and Leslie Gudel and Dei Lynam are the only females on all-sports Comcast SportsNet.

Hughes, a Philadelphia native and graduate of Temple has been on the morning show the last four years. She started as a producer there in 1992.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Fox, the network that has brought us embarrassments such as "The Glutton Bowl," "Celebrity Boxing," and worst of all, "Ally McBeal," has announced its lineup for "Celebrity Boxing 2" next Wednesday night.

Joey Buttafuoco will box former WWF wrestling star Chyna because John Wayne Bobbitt managed to get arrested for beating his latest wife this week. Big Joey should win that one.

Next is Manute Bol vs. William "Refrigerator" Perry, who is now up to 400 pounds. Though Bol has the reach and speed advantage, I have to go with Perry, who has the huge weight advantage.

The female bout pits Darva Conger vs. Olga Korbut. Like the first "Celebrity Boxing" bout of Paula Jones vs. Tonya Harding, which Harding won, I think Korbut will win because she is more athletic than Conger, who is famous for being on the most embarrassing show of all time "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire."

And in my favorite fight of the night, Ron "Arnold Horshak" Palillo will box Dustin "Screech" Diamond. Because Diamond is almost 20 years younger, "Horshak" will need to be "saved by the bell."

Chris Rose, who has no shame (he works with Tom Arnold on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period"), will return to call the fights with Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, Barry Williams from the first "Celebrity Boxing" and ring announcer Michael Buffer.

WILD ABOUT HARRY

Harry Kalas will be the recipient of this year's Ken Garland Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Philadelphia A.I.R. (Achievement in Radio) luncheon later this year.

Laura Nachman covers television and radio sports for the Courier Times. Write her in care of the Courier Times, 8400 Route 13, Levittown, PA 19057, fax 215-949-4177 or e-mail [email protected]

Friday, May 17, 2002