Greetings TV Garth readers! After a long delay, I'm finally looking back at all the over-the-air TV mayhem viewed at my home in Markham, Ontario from December 2015! There was a big burst of stations floating in from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and more, which was very unusual for the later part of the year! Here are the anchors, anecdotes and antenna reception I saw!
Dec. 5, 2015:
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...Lazytown featured a protagonist who reminded me of Jem/Jerrica from Jem & The Holograms!
- Alliance, OH, 45.1 WNEO (RF45)...Western Reserve PBS was in the middle of a pledge drive!
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...Erie News Now was spreading cheer with their Great Holiday Giveaway!
- Erie, PA, 54.1 WQLN (RF50)...Erie’s PBS was also in the middle of a pledge drive featuring Rick Steves’ book titled, ahem, Europe Through The Back Door!
- Alliance, OH, 45.4 WNEO-D4 (RF45.4)...The horny devils from “Extinction Sucks” might be interested in that Rick Steves book!
- London, ON, 10.1 CFPL (RF10)...Kelda Yuen’s festive look was totally on point-settia!
- Peoria, IL, 31.1 WMBD (RF30)...I was flabbergasted when WMBD (at 571 miles away) briefly decoded for the first time since 2010!
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...Matt Knoedler and Mike Ruzzi were on hand for that evening’s edition of Erie News Now!
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...Meanwhile, Steve Garagiola and Sandra Ali anchored the Local 4 newscast!
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...According to John Stehlin, December was above average! Judging by all the channels coming in, I concurred!
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...Lapeer, Michigan was on top of the map behind Andrew Humphrey! That city always reminds me of a Taco Bell and newspaper run during a road trip to JemCon!
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...Some people think the holiday season is for the birds, but don’t let them ruffle your feathers! Soar onward to events like “TREC The Halls” and peck away at the seasonal blahs!
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...I wonder if the “Bernie Bro” phenomenon ever rubbed off on Local 4’s Bernie Smilovitz!
- London, ON, 10.1 CFPL (RF10)...”You down with MLB? Yeah you know me! You down with MLB? Every last homey!” Brent Lale didn’t rap during his sportscast.
- London, ON, 51.1 CHCHDT2 (RF51)...Viewers were ready to make a commitment to Shelly Marriage and her forecasts! (Unfortunately, CHCH broke up with a multitude of station talent about a week later.)
- Detroit, MI, 20.1 WMYD (RF21)...WXYZ’s Detroit 2020 campaign got promoted on sister station WMYD!
- Detroit, MI, 20.2 WMYD-CO (RF21.2)...It was plane to see that viewers enjoyed Cozi-ing up to classics like Fantasy Island!
- Toronto, ON, 9.1 CFTO (RF9)...Ashley Rowe left CFTO later in the month for an anchor position at Buffalo’s WKBW! (I met Ashley when she was covering Toronto Pride in 2012!)
- Detroit, MI, 20.1 WMYD (RF21)...Since WXYZ was impossible to get from my location, I welcomed a great station ID via WMYD!
- Detroit, MI, 20.2 WMYD-CO (RF21.2)...Angela Lansbury was part of the delightfully named “Cozi Holidozi” taking place in December!
- Flint, MI, 28.1 WCMZ (RF28)...Hari Sreenivasan anchored the weekend edition of the PBS Newshour!
- Toledo, OH, 11.1 WTOL (RF11)...Holy Toledo! WTOL was back!
Although weather conditions take their TOL, viewers have Chris Vickers, Robert Shiels, Kimberly Newman and Ryan Wichman to guide them!
Chief meteorologist Robert Shiels talked about WTOL’s First Alert Weather!
- London, ON, 10.1 CFPL (RF10)...TLC Landscaping Design + Pools had a holiday themed ad that everyone happily participated in!
CORRECTION: TLC Landscaping Design + Pools had a holiday themed ad that everyone happily participated in!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 11.1 WPXI (RF48)...Championship Chase is an original WPXI production highlighting Pittsburgh teams!
- Flint, MI, 28.1 WCMZ (RF28)...Lawrence Welk’s God Bless America looked patriotic, and I was ready to salute the fab station ID that followed!
- Toronto, ON, 9.1 CFTO (RF9)...Actor Maria Ricossa was one of my drama professors, so I was excited to see her in an episode of Flashpoint!
Check out my class back in 2001! It’s not every day a professor tells you they’re appearing in the CBS miniseries And Never Let Her Go or working on the PAX show, Doc!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 11.2 Me-TV [WPXI] (RF48.2)...You can count on David Johnson and Lisa Sylvester for their coverage!
WPXI’s Peggy Finnegan and David Johnson promoted the Presents For Patients charity!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 4.1 WTAE (RF51)...The Action News 4 morning crew featured Steve MacLaughlin, Michelle Wright, Kelly Frey, Janelle Hall, Ashley Dougherty and Jackie Cain!
Some WTAE viewers wondered what the Bell was going on when Wendy unleashed some very problematic opinions. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review profiled what she’s been up to since.
- London, ON, 51.1 CHCHDT2 (RF51)...CHCH advertised the Theatre Aquarius production of It’s A Wonderful Life!
- Detroit, MI, 20.1 WMYD (RF21)...TV20 delivered a fab station ID!
- Cleveland, OH, 61.1 WQHS (RF34)...Univisión es magnífico!
Dec. 6, 2015:
- Cleveland, OH, 61.1 WQHS (RF34)...I was shocked to see Bait Bus La familia P. Luche airing that morning!
- Detroit, MI, 56.1 WTVS (RF43)...I was also shocked to see DPTV penetrating my viewing area! (It plowed through Buffalo’s WNED!)
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...Local 4 promoted their evening news team with Ben Bailey, Devin Scillian, Carmen Harlan and Bernie Smilovitz!
- Cleveland, OH, 61.1 WQHS (RF34)...Félix de Bedout anchored Noticiero Univisión: Fin de Semana!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 11.1 WPXI (RF48)...Reception certainly wasn’t the Pitts as Cara Sapida’s Steel City anchoring made it to Canada’s High-Tech Capital!
- Alliance, OH, 45.4 WNEO-D4 (RF45.4)...Nick Stellino y sus Amigos sounds more fun and coquettish en Español!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 4.1 WTAE (RF51)...Katelyn Sykes was reporting for Action News 4 that day!
- Erie, PA, 12.3 WSEE (RF12.3)...Kevin MacDowell hosted The Insider!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 11.1 WPXI (RF48)...Brandon Hudson was reporting for 11 News that morning!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 22.1 WPNT (RF42)...Raw Travel should not do a crossover with Rick Steves’ Europe Through The Back Door!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 53.1 WPGH (RF43)...DPTV slipped in earlier, but now WPGH was pounding its way through Buffalo’s WNED!
- Pittsburgh, PA, 11.1 WPXI (RF48)...At first I thought the map behind Kevin Benson showed a city named “Creeptown” near the bottom! (It was actually Cresaptown!)
- Toronto, ON, 9.1 CFTO (RF9)...Marilyn Denis had a great big package, but the real gift was the amazing reception floating around!
- Cleveland, OH, 61.3 GET-TV [WQHS] (RF34.3)...Those vintage antennas in the background had me feeling santa-mental!
- Syracuse, NY, 3.1 WSTM (RF24)...It looked like Molly Matott was about to say, ”NBC…right there!”
Laura Hand and Molly Matott were just toying with viewers that day!
Years ago, I saw Laura Hand in a TV Guide ad from 1978, so I think it’s neat that she’s still at WSTM and I’ve been able to see her newscasts!
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...Eva Mastromatteo and Chris Carroll were on hand for Erie News Now! (It would be amazing if his middle name was “more” in Spanish, so that he’d be Chris Más Carroll!)
- Pittsburgh, PA, 4.1 WTAE (RF51)...Jackie Cain should have burst into a chorus of “Papa Don’t Breach” during her report on data problems.
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...Erie’s Hometown Holiday Lights illuminated my TV screen!
John Stehlin’s forecasts certainly Warren-t attention!
- Detroit, MI, 4.1 WDIV (RF45)...Viewers feel 4tunate 4 Andrew Humphrey’s 4casts!
Steve Garagiola, Sandra Ali and Jamie Edmonds anchored Local 4’s evening newscast!
Dec. 7, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 29.1 WUTV (RF14)...Crazy Talk delivered everything I needed to know about Carlos PenaVega on Dancing With The Stars!
Dec. 8, 2015:
- Toronto, ON, 57.1 CITY (RF44)...Breakfast Television was served up hot with Kevin Frankish, Dina Pugliese, Tanya Kim and Frank Ferragine!
Dec. 10, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 7.2 LAFF [WKBW] (RF38.2)...The Empty Nest finale featured the original cast and fabulous additions Marsha Warfield and Estelle Getty!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Superstore is an awesome show!
Kathie Lee & Hoda took us out to the ball game Today!
Dec. 11, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Channel 2 promoted the Roswell Park Tree of Hope Lighting Celebration!
Dec. 14, 2015:
- Erie, PA, 12.1 WICU (RF12)...It was Erie-sistible to see Kara Coleman and Mark Soliday so late in the tropo season!
- Syracuse, NY, 3.2 WSTQ (RF24.2)...Wendy Williams was surrounded by presents, but the real stocking stuffer was Syracuse in December!
Dec. 18, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Kevin O’Neill was really branching out with his holiday wishes for viewers!
Dec. 19, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 4.1 WIVB (RF39)...Viewers Wake Up 4 Marissa Perlman!
- Buffalo, NY, 23.1 WNLO (RF32)...Andrew Baglini and Callan Gray anchored WIVB’s 10pm newscast on sister station WNLO!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...NBC eased on down the road again with a repeat of The Wiz Live! featuring Queen Latifah and Shanice Williams!
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...The awesome Martha Raddatz moderated the Democratic Presidential Debate with Hillary Clinton!
- Toronto, ON, 41.1 CIII (RF41)...What’s better than one Hillary? Two more courtesy Amy Poehler and Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live!
Dec. 20, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Heather Prusak knocked it out of the park during WGRZ’s Sports Desk segment!
Dec. 24, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 49.2 Get TV [WNYO] (RF49.2)...I enjoyed Get TV’s classic specials like Perry Como’s Christmas Show with The Carpenters!
- Toronto, ON, 5.1 CBLT (RF20)...Natalie Kalata was reporting near the Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square that was installed for the Pan American Games that year!
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...Cierra Johnson brought the holiday warmth with a story about Santa!
Dec. 25, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 4.1 WIVB (RF39)...Jordan Williams wished viewers a Merry Christmas!
- Buffalo, NY, 23.2 Bounce [WNLO] (RF32.2)...I love seeing the annual WIVB Holiday jingle with Jacquie Walker and her family!
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)...This festive ad was Tops!
CMA Country Christmas featured divas like LeAnn Rimes and Jewel!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Thomas Roberts made history as the first openly gay anchor on a major network’s evening newscast!
Dec. 29, 2015:
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)...Prime Minister Justin Trudeau popped up on Late Night With Seth Meyers!
HOLIDAY ROUND UP!
Here are some of the Christmas and Holiday themed IDs and promos I saw on various stations!
- Buffalo, NY, 2.1 WGRZ (RF33)
- Buffalo, NY, 4.1 WIVB (RF39)
- Toronto, ON, 5.1 CBLT (RF20)
- Buffalo, NY, 7.1 WKBW (RF38)
- Buffalo, NY, 23.1 WNLO (RF32)
- Buffalo, NY, 23.2 Bounce [WNLO] (RF32.2)
- Jamestown, NY, 26.2 WNYB-HD (RF26.2)
- Buffalo, NY, 29.1 WUTV (RF14)
- Ann Arbor, MI, 31.1 ION [WPXD] (RF50)
- Buffalo, NY, 49.1 WNYO (RF49)
- Toronto, ON, 57.1 CITY (RF44)
- Cleveland, OH, 61.1 WQHS (RF34)
Stay tuned to TV Garth and thanks for looking back at this tree-mendous year of tropo!
