July 23rd, 2010 
joel 
Selena Wiles
WORKING…
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.
Confirming reports that I received last week, Nexstar-Erie is advertising for a new anchor for 6 & 11 to replace the departing Selena Sunshine Wiles, given the nickname “Sunshine” when appearing on Tri-Cities television in Tennessee and Virginia. According to sources, Wiles is heading back to her home state of West Virginia.
P&T has requested comment from WJET and Ms. Wiles.
(more…)
Posted in Television 
Tags: Alese Underwood, Amelia Segal, Jason Berry, Ken Brown, Nexstar, Selena Wiles, WFXP, WJET 
26 Comments » July 20th, 2010 joel 
Blue Streak - Conneaut Lake Park
To get $250,000 for the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, it took a huge community-wide effort fueled by enthusiastic support by Erie’s traditional and new media.
After a two-month break from voting, it looks like the area is ready to get behind another “idea” for the Pepsi Refresh project: the relaunching of the classic Blue Streak roller coaster at Conneaut Lake Park in Crawford County. The trustees of the park have entered the coaster, built in 1938, in the competition for a $50,000 award this month, with the goals of:
•Raise funds to proceed with restoration
•Replace timbers, realign track, restore trains
•Reopen coaster
•Support local economy by attracting more visitors to the area.
Posted in New Media Tags: Conneaut Lake Park, Erie, Erie Times-News, John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation, Pepsi Refresh, Ravine Flyer II, Waldameer Park, WFXP, WICU, WJET, WQLN, WSEE 1 Comment » July 5th, 2010 joel Folks who responded to our P&T poll about the potential Hamot merger with UPMC were split, with over 40% feeling that the health system was dropping the ball when it comes to the public relations and communications efforts over the merger. About another third said that it was too early to tell, with a quarter saying that Hamot was doing just fine with getting its message out there.
This week we want to know where you get your news online. So many of us now have iPhones, Androids, and Blackberrys and never have to wait until the morning paper or the 6 o’clock news to get up to date on what’s happening in Erie. However, the quality of the websites for those who originate local news content vary greatly, from quite good to downright poor. And I would add that smartphone compatibility for Erie’s news sites is quite lacking, with only ErieBlogs providing a mobile version of their site at all (along with Press and Tower, of course).
So, what say you?
Which online Erie news site do you use most?
Total Voters: 64
Loading ... Posted in Polls Tags: Apple iPhone, Blackberry, Erie, Erie Times-News, ErieBlogs.com, GoErie.com, Google Android, Hamot Medical Center, UPMC, WFXP, WICU, WJET, WSEE 3 Comments » May 31st, 2010 joel It just might be the singular defining event in modern Erie media history.
May 31, 1985: the Albion tornado.
Today local media people are remembering the devastating scene, and the soaring spirit of a community.
First, my story: I was working the evening air shift at WDOE/Dunkirk, NY when the weather radio and AP wire went berserk with tornado warnings for the region. We were giving regular updates, although our listening area in Northern Chautauqua County was not affected as much as the rest of the region. I called into WJET radio where I had worked part-time to get a report on the destruction in Albion as well as the Union City/Corry area.
This morning the Erie Times-News did an anniversary report, and Val Myers weighed in on the memories of that day. 106.3 WCTL had a special Memorial Day edition of its morning show remembering the tornadoes. WJET/WFXP shows archive video of the worst weather event in Erie history and talked to survivors and NOAA weather forecasters, and WSEE’s Scott Bremner remembers the day.
Earlier this year, Tony Victor who was a reporter at WJET-TV remembered on P&T becoming a journalist/first-responder:
Bob Neely and I drove up on Cranesville only to see it raining down attic insulation from when the tornado actually hit. Many of the news crews were pressed into EMS duties, holding IVs for rescue crews while photogs rolled.
When I say that the Albion tornado was a defining event, I mean that the media response to our public service mandate definitely changed after that day. Soon after WSEE purchased an expensive radar tower, the first in Erie. The master Emergency Broadcast Plan was totally revised in the subsequent years. And no one would take another tornado warning for granted.
If you wish to read an excellent synopsis of all of the events of that day 25 years ago, go to pahighways.com for Jeff Kitsko’s account.
I’d like to hear your remembrances of the Albion tornado.
Posted in From The Editor Tags: Albion tornado, Erie Times-News, GoErie.com, Val Myers, WCTL, WDOE, WFXP, WJET, WSEE, YourErie.com 5 Comments » February 18th, 2010 joel Now that the FCC has identified Marshall Jones as operating a radio station without a license, he is telling his story to Erie’s mainstream media.
Last night on WJET/WFXP, John Treanor reported a package on Jones where they showed that he continues to operate the station with a computer, some microphones and a transmitter connected to a small mast at the top of a building in Erie’s Little Italy neighborhood. Despite the possiblity of major penalties, Treanor reports that Jones is determined to continue with 90.1 The Movement:
But Jones, a former Super Soul Saturday DJ, tells us he can’t stop – if he’s not on air, a whole genre would disappear in the city.
“The question always remained, why don’t we have this 24 hours a day, what do we have to do to do it and basically I went ahead and said let’s see what happens, you know what I mean,” says Jones…
…Jones is staying on air as long as he can before getting fined – his dream is to make the movement legal.
“I have to I have to go forward and see what it is that has to be done to make this happen,” Jones says.
This morning (Thursday), David Bruce continues his reporting on the pirate radio stations in the Times-News, complete with pictures of Jones’s operation. Bruce describes the chain of events leading to the sign-on:
A club disc jockey and former announcer at Gannon University’s WERG-FM, Jones said that he started broadcasting in October because there wasn’t enough urban music being played in Erie.“Blacks, whites, Hispanics all had a major concern about the type of music played in Erie 24/7,” Jones said. “It was my mission to get this station up and running.”Jones said that he started broadcasting at the low-frequency limits, then increased power.“The response from people was so strong that I just turned it up,” Jones said. “Then someone ratted me out to the FCC.”One problem was that Jones’ signal was intruding on the signals of other, licensed, radio stations, said A.J. Miceli, who oversees WERG as Gannon University’s chairman of theater, communications and fine arts.
Posted in Radio Tags: A.J. Miceli, David Bruce, Erie, Erie Times-News, FCC, Gannon University, GoErie.com, John Treanor, Marshall Jones, pirate radio, WERG, WFXP, WJET, YourErie.com 8 Comments » January 18th, 2010 joel 
24
With the new season of “24″ as a powerful lead-in, WFXP/Fox 66 begins Erie’s first hour-long prime-time newscast tonight at 10:00 PM.
Promos running Sunday night promised a greater and different approach to news, weather and sports for the 60-minute strip, which is slated to run 7 days a week. The prime-time news product should prove to be a powerful competitor to the current broadcast schedule. It also illuminates the reality of the cost of syndicated programming compared to repackaging local news.
What would make this move even more interesting is if WFXP put on a hip young anchor to match the prevailing network audience. I love Sean & Selina…but maybe a Jeremy Beecher-type would keep the high 18-35 year-old lead in.
Just my take.
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Deep Background for August 22-28, 2010
August has turned into a time of significant change for Erie’s media.
Long-term TV personalities have flown the market, the newspaper has unequivocally called out County Councilmen and women based on their support of the proposed Community College, the Citadel group experienced a resurgence in Erie’s radio ratings even Connie Media’s #1 station extends its lead, and Erie’s top new media properties join together to further connect their/our readers.
We are covering it all in the coming days after this lengthy hiatus. Meanwhile you can spout off on anything media topic you desire in this open forum. Leave a comment below, e-mail me, or tweet @pressandtower.
Embrace the chaos!