Greetings TV Garth readers! March was a good DX month with reception from Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Erie all making appearances! My recap was so big, I split it into two parts! So stay tuned, grab a snack and get ready for Part 2 of highlights from March 2012 with reception galore, sassy commentary and the occasional tasteless innuendo!
March 23, 2012
Syracuse, NY's WSYR (RF17) rolled in just in time for me to see my original recipe Syracrush Steve Infanti reporting on March Madness from Boston!
WSYR talked with Syracuse U's Dion Waiters, who used all the tips he received over the years to serve up some great action on the court!
I also got to see WSYR's Dan Cummings and Staci-Lyn Honda, who was the driving force behind that morning's news!
Syracuse, NY's WSTM (RF24) featured Megan Coleman anchoring
Today In CNY!
Today In CNY also brought me a look at my Syracrush Niko Tamurian! Niko rocks my socks and hits it out of the park with his sports reports!
Meanwhile, WSYR's Chris Brandolino breezed through his weather forecast.
"I think your baby's going to be this big," Peter Hall allegedly told a glowing Megan Coleman during their newscast.
I always enjoy getting to see the awesome Don Shipman anchoring on Utica, NY's WKTV (RF29.)
WKTV's Jason Powles had the balls necessary to deliver a rousing sports report that morning.
To my surprise, WSTM's Peter Hall drew an approximate line from where the station was broadcasting to where I was receiving them that day!
Rochester, NY's WXXI (RF16) was airing their original newsmagazine for kids,
Assignment: The World hosted by Teej Jenkins. I would love it if she co-anchored with Regis Philbin so they could host a show called
Reege & Teej.
Erie, PA's WQLN (RF50) showed up with this hilarious visual that I wanted to dub "Clifford The Big Red Spy." But then I worried parents would misunderstand and hide their children from Clifford's supposed communism!
The station also displayed a great "WQLN Kids" logo featuring their dual US-Canadian ID along with an Erie lighthouse in the background.
Only a Freak Like Me could get all nostalgic over a collection of 1990s R&B tracks called That's My Jam! It also Creep'd me out that the 90s really are considered a "retro" thing now! (Seen via Rochester, NY's Cool TV subchannel on WUHF, RF28-2.)
The Chew bit off more than they could handle when they replaced beloved soap
All My Children. However, I do like the personalities who are on the show and they weren't to blame for
Children's cancellation. (Seen via Rochester, NY's WHAM, RF13.)
I caught another example of men who should definitely
not be
Excused on Rochester, NY's WUHF (RF28.)
"Alright class, put your hands up if you enjoy well branded station IDs on screen!" (Seen via Syracuse, NY's WSTQ, RF24-2.)
Luckily, Syracuse, NY's WSTM (RF24) hasn't been such a Hard Target since Toronto's CBLFT moved to RF25 after the Canadian DTV transition. I was also happy to see that WSTM doesn't bump
Carson Daly the way other NBC stations do.
WSTM had a glorious local commercial for
CNY Sales which looked more like a promo for
Rock of Ages! I say that with love! Rock on CNY Sales...rock on!
There was some crazy doppler radar on WSTM's CNY subchannel, showing off the rain that would make its way up to my area soon after!
Syracuse, NY's WSTQ (RF24-2) featured this amazing CW6 station ID!
NBC was running promos for Betty White's new prank show
Off Their Rockers! I love me some pole dancing Betty White! (Seen via Syracuse, NY's WSTM, RF24.)
I also caught part of WSTM's late repeat of the
Today show with "Red High Heels" chanteuse Kellie Pickler joining Hoda Kotb to discuss having your head in the clouds. In the middle is an
amazing illustration complimenting the story!
Rochester, NY's WUHF (RF28) featured a repeat of
Friends, reminding me that there were some pretty nifty stories about Joey & Chandler going around in the late 1990s. Hmmm....
March 24, 2012
I knew this hunky handyman could screw things into the right places after watching him on a home repair show on Rochester, NY's WXXI (RF16.)
Some people don't give a hoot about crafts, but I know the hosts of
Around The House felt strongly about sharing their owl making techniques! (Seen via Rochester, NY's WXXI-C, RF16-3.)
Canadian show
My Green House popped up with a soapy Andrew Misle in the tub! Misle has been travelling Canada with
Andy's Yoga Tour For The Cure to raise awareness about IBD. Hopefully he has a flexible schedule during the tour! (Seen via Batavia, NY's IONLife, RF23-3.)
Buffalo, NY's WKBW (RF38) still runs cult fave
Off Beat Cinema which provided me with this AMAZING shot of a punny club in
Get Christy Love!
March 25, 2012
Celebrity Apprentice was a HUGE guilty pleasure for me this year. Unfortunately, as much as I liked Lisa Lampanelli's charity (
Gay Men's Health Crisis) I didn't like the somewhat hateful attitude she displayed! (Seen via Buffalo, NY's WGRZ, RF33.)
I was pleasantly surprised that openly gay Clay Aiken and George Takei were treated respectfully as serious competitors on the show. A big improvement over the way past LGBT contestants have been treated!
Buffalo, NY's WKBW (RF38) featured anchor Kendra Eaglin recapping their Variety Kids 50th Anniversary Telethon.
One highlight of the Telethon was a reunion of the popular original Eyewitness News team featuring Tom Jolls, Irv Weinstein and Rick Azar.
March 27, 2012
I caught a repeat of the awesome
George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight on Toronto, ON's CBLT (RF20) where he talked about transgendered Miss Universe Canada contestant Jenna Talackova. Initially the pageant tried to disqualify her, but she triumphed and was allowed to compete! Go Jenna!
At night, Rochester was booming in! WHAM (RF13) had reporter Patrice Walsh looking more like Patrice Rushen with her disco inflected couture!
And WHAM went my heart when handsome Adam Chodak appeared on screen!
Rochester's WHEC (RF10) also arrived with a
Twilight Zone ep on their MeTV subchannel. The plot involved a librarian being sent to court in a futuristic society where religion and literature are banned. I guess that would make it harder to throw the book at him.
Kevin Williams was on hand with WHEC's weather report!
WHEC's Lia Lando talked about The Mandate Question. Usually I find the biggest questions are about which restaurant to eat at, and whose place to go back to after the date.
I caught a fun pic of WHAM's Ginny Ryan and Don Alhart at the anchor desk!
Lia Lando and Rich Funke (still LOVE his name) also seemed to be having fun at WHEC's desk!
Nothing could rain on Glenn Johnson's report, except possibly some storm clouds.
Get out some Jell-O, because it's Bill Cosby's
Fat Albert as seen on WROC's Bounce TV subchannel (RF45-2.)
Meanwhile, I was lured into some tasty advertising from Bill Gray's restaurant on Rochester's CW-WHAM (RF13-2.)
Mike Catalana tells viewers about the "big game" during WHAM's sports report! (As soon as I typed that I imagined a viral video of sports fans going crazy during close matches set to the Backstreet Boys' "Quit Playing Games With My Heart.")
I caught an ad for Advanced Hearing Centers on WHAM that was...er...so advanced that it looked like a wacky Calvin Klein perfume ad from the 90s.
Unfortunately, it was curtains for Nate Berkus' talk show this year. However, I'm sure the handsome host will find a new window of opportunity soon enough! (Seen via Rochester, NY's WROC, RF45.)
WHAM (RF13) showed another amazing ad for Abilify, this time with a woman's depression characterized by her Umbrella-ella-ella, eh-eh-eh.
While some folks found the idea of a "depression umbrella" all wet, the sassy accessory makes good by taking notes in the doctor's office.
WROC anchor Matt Molloy was beside himself with joy over the news that
News 8 First At 4 doubled its ratings! (Seen via WROC's Bounce subchannel, RF45-2.) Also, check out
this link for my recent visit to WROC!
Rochester, NY's low powered TCT repeater W42CO (RF42) was showing Jim Bakker (yes
that Jim Bakker) and wife Lori offering "love gifts" for a certain fee. Wait...that didn't sound right...
Rochester, NY's WXXI (RF16) showed the anchors of
BBC World News looking like they'd experienced a one night stand that didn't turn out so well.
From London To Singapore, in theatres soon!
WROC's Bounce subchannel ran a promo for
Poetic Justice, which I remembered seeing on VHS back when it first came out. My pal Felix rented it and was furious that his brother and I couldn't stop making fun of the movie, especially the way that Janet Jackson's song
Again kept popping up in the film...er...again and again!
I Try to walk away from Rochester, NY's WXXI (RF16) but my world crumbles when Macy Gray on
Tavis Smiley is not near! In all seriousness, I think Gray is a wonderful artist who deserves more mainstream attention!
We close this report with the amazing
My Pillow infomercial seen on WROC! Host Tonja Waring had me rolling on the floor with the line "Hundreds of thousands of people have benefited from sleeping on my pillow." I'd also love to see her break off into a fashion advice show called "What Tonja's Wearing."
That concludes my look back at the great reception in March!
Click here for Part 1 and stay tuned to TV Garth for more television related madness!
