TV Q&A: Is a ‘chief’ in charge of all the other meteorologists in Pittsburgh?

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.

Question: Just wondering why on WPXI-TV they call Stephen Cropper “Pittsburgh’s Chief meteorologist?” I would think he is WPXI’s chief meteorologist. Or does their designation mean that all the other stations’ meteorologists report to him?

— Becca, Greensburg

Rob: Let’s chalk this one up to the usual local TV news chest-beating and hyperbolic promotion.

Obviously the other meteorologists in town don’t report to Cropper, but calling him “Pittsburgh’s chief meteorologist” is WPXI’s (inaccurate) attempt to confer a higher status on him than his peers at rival stations. Cropper has been in the market for a long tenure but he’s Channel 11’s chief, not the market’s chief.

WPXI news director Scott Trabandt did not respond to Becca’s question.

Q: I haven’t seen or heard Bob Walk this season so far announcing Pirates games on TV or radio. Have I just missed him or is he no longer announcing for the Pirates?

— Amy, Mars

Rob: Seems like Amy just hasn’t tuned in at the right place/time.

Although Walk was out sick for three games, he was part of the TV coverage for the first three Pirates games of the season and delivered color commentary on radio broadcasts for the next three games. In addition, he was back on the radio April 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 25, 26 and 27 and on TV April 22 and 23.

Q: WTAE-TV news reported Giant Eagle would stop mailing weekly promotional ads, then reported GE would occasionally mail them, then reported GE would go back to mailing them. How is the marketing planning for a for-profit business news? Are they in cahoots with GE to promote them as if the news is an infomercial?

— Becky, Scott Township

Rob: As a consumer who always shops sales, where to find the list of those sales is information I want to have. I suspect I am not alone. This decidedly falls under “news you can use.”

Q: What happened to Great American Family, which used to be on Comcast Xfinity’s Channel 1620?

— Jack, via email

Rob: Great American Family moved from channel 1620 to 1461. Per Comcast, customers can use their voice remote to easily find their favorite channels or view their local channel lineup at xfinity.com/support/local-channel-lineup.

Q: When can we expect to see ABC newspaper drama “Alaska Daily” return with new episodes? We really enjoyed it and I expect a lot of people have.

— George, Greensburg

Rob: Alas, “Alaska Daily” has completed its first season and given the low ratings and the lack of promotion ABC has done for it, particularly compared to the recently-renewed “Will Trent,” I fully anticipate “Alaska Daily” will officially be canceled by mid-May. It’s too bad as “Alaska Daily” was the best broadcast network drama of the 2022-23 TV season.