Inqlings: Roberts sets a last forecast
After 31 years at WPVI, weatherman Dave Roberts announced his retirement on last night's Action News. Roberts, the town's dean of TV personalities at age 73, will wrap his 56-year broadcast career Dec. 11.
After 31 years at WPVI, weatherman Dave Roberts announced his retirement on last night's Action News.
Roberts, the town's dean of TV personalities at age 73, will wrap his 56-year broadcast career Dec. 11.
Roberts, born David Boreanaz (the name his actor son uses), was a popular personality in Buffalo when he relocated to WPVI in May 1978 as a host of AM/Philadelphia and noon weatherman.
Shortly after the death of Jim O'Brien in a 1983 skydiving accident, Roberts got the main job. In 2002, when he handed the main weather duties to Cecily Tynan, Roberts started cutting back. He's been working a few days a week on the 5 and 6 p.m. shows.
B goes a-caroling
B101 seems to be the first Philly station to go to an all-Christmas music format this year, as Andy Williams will croon "Happy Holiday" at 3 p.m. today.
Christmas music is big business for music stations, and B101 counted a weekly cumulative audience of about 2.2 million last year, and 2.5 million the year before.
It's started as early as October, but stations risk alienating listeners. Station manager Blaise Howard says this year's start was determined by a poll on the station's Web site.
Rival WOGL (98.1) plans to go all-Christmas, but its flip date is unknown.
On the market
Teddy Pendergrass' Main Line spread went on the market this week, and the four-bedroom on about an acre in Penn Valley is offered at $1.5 million. The soul icon, who's used a wheelchair since a 1982 car crash, had the gated house outfitted with an elevator and a first-floor master suite. Pendergrass' aides declined to say where he's headed, but friends say he may be making a move for Center City.
Honored
December's Travel + Leisure mag names the Omni at Independence Park as Philly's top business hotel, the result of a reader poll. The Omni pulled a score of 83.62, a mere 5/100ths of a point ahead of the Ritz-Carlton and 29/100ths of a point ahead of the Rittenhouse.
Briefly noted
Zach Miller, a producer of the indie film The Messenger (the Woody Harrelson film, opening tomorrow, about soldiers who deliver grim news to families), has a B.A. from Penn and an M.F.A. from USC. So why is he back, eight years later, at Penn? He's pursuing an M.B.A. at Wharton. Miller got into the film business "when it was really booming," he says. "Now . . . the independent side of the business is struggling, so I'm studying the digital-media business to try to understand how new technology and consumer behavior will create a new business model."
Robin Preiss Glasser, a former Pennsylvania Ballet dancer who went on to become the illustrator of the Fancy Nancy books, will sign books (including her new Splendiferous Christmas) at Abington Friends School in Jenkintown at 3 p.m. Sunday; the Metropolitan Ballet Company will perform Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly. (Info: www.metropolitanballetcompany.org.)
"Check . . . check:" John Storyk, the world-class acoustician, will talk about his work at 6 p.m. today at Drexel's Disque Hall. Besides Jimi Hendrix's Electric Lady Studios, he's done work in the homes of the Goo Goo Dolls, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. It's free to listen.
Though based in New York, Q102 morning man Elvis Duran dug into his pocket for $5,000 to help Blueflame, the Philadelphia police and fire football team, whose uniforms and equipment were vandalized. Duran's show challenged listeners to match the donation.
at 215-854-5514 or mklein@phillynews.com. Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/insider. He's also on Twitter: @phillyinsider.