Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Penguins’ Willie O’Ree Academy on WQED-TV, ‘Smackdown’ on the move, fall TV
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, including WQED-TV’s new 30-minute documentary “Equity on Ice: The Willie O’Ree Academy” (8 p.m. Oct. 5, Channel 13), produced by Beth Dolinar and Dave Forstate with narration by Brian Cook.
The film looks at the academy, a Pittsburgh Penguins and Dick’s Sporting Goods mentorship initiative founded in 2021 and named after Canadian native Willie O’Ree, who became the NHL’s first Black player in 1958. “Equity on Ice” explores O’Ree’s history and young participants in the Pittsburgh program that seeks to open hockey to a more diverse audience.
Owen and Benz discuss the fall TV season, such that it is this year with the writers’ and actors’ strikes impacting scripted programming especially on the broadcast channels. The good news is cable/streaming and PBS are less affected.
The pair also discuss what Rupert Murdoch stepping down from the chairmanship of Fox Corp. might mean for the future of Fox News Channel and they talk about WWE’s “Smackdown” relocating from Fox to cable’s USA Network in October 2024.
Owen gets into the details about Amazon’s Prime Video adding commercials in 2024. Viewers who want their Amazon shows to remain commercial-free will have to pay an additional $3 per month on top of the Amazon Prime subscription fee.
Listen to Pittsburgh Pop on the TRIBLive Podcast Network or on iTunes.
You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at rowen@triblive.com or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, X, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.
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