March 19th, 2009 
joel Sympathy goes out to the WSEE family and the entire Erie television production community as they’ve lost one of their standard bearers. Longtime Production Manager Don Rowe passed away on Wednesday at Springhill. He was 78.
Don worked at Channel 35 for 41 years until his retirement in 1997. He was past president of NABET Local 28. The entire obituary can be found at GoErie.com.
P&T commenter Heavy D, reports that David Calabrese, market manager of Connoisseur Media’s Erie cluster has been let go. We’ll try to get a comment from corporate today.
Although I didn’t agree with many of his tactics, David was one of the most responsive media executives I’ve dealt with since starting this blog. Best wishes to him on his transition.
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I first met Don Rowe when he interviewed me for an opening he had in 1983 for a tape operator. I had been laid off as a part timer from JET after two years as a reporter and videographer there.
Knowing that I would use the position to eventually try to get into the WSEE newsroom, Don looked at me and said, with a wry smile, “I can’t hire you. You’re overqualified.”
Jobs like tape and studio camera operators were the apprenticeships of their time, a chance for someone to come in and work with professionals like Don to learn how to shoot, edit and direct.
Commercial and news production staffs were as large as news staffs in those days, jobs that are now long gone in the face of hard drives and robotic cameras.
Don was a man of that era, not this one.
When he’d see me in the hallway, he’d always ask,
“How’s my bestest buddy in the whole world?”
I’m doing okay, Donny. RIP.
Don provided internships to many Gannon CommArts students over the years. Many of those students went on to successful careers in TV. Don was a real (if sometimes crusty) TV Guy — and the industry is better because of his many contributions.
RIP, Don.
Don was a great union leader. He provided positive leadership for Local 28 and was a mentor to those who followed in his footsteps. Erie televsion is better because of his dedication. Those of us who knew him are better from his leadership.
Don Rowe…..what a great guy and a super mentor. I worked for Don way back in 1971, when the studio cameras at WSEE looked like the one’s featured on SCTV’s Russian TV set. He took me under his wing and taught me all aspects of the business with help from Jim Dewart, Al Benedict, Fred Koeberle and Pete DiBacco. As a result of his tutelage, I think I hold the record for number of grievances filed against a NABET member because I was a 19 year old jack-of-all trades. He once scared the bejezzus out of me after I had been out “Filming” (no video canmeras then) an event and little did I know he was lurking in the newsroom darkroom. He got quite a laugh out of it. I don’t know how many other employees he showed the Soupy Sales Show outtakes to but if you were one of them you know how odd that was. Another WSEE employee , Wendy the Weather girl, recently passed away….Uncle Don’s headset directions to me as to how to frame her up was another highlight of my TV career.
He truly was one-of-a-kind and will be missed by many. Goodnite Don….that’s a wrap….let’s go to Palmisano’s.