TV Q&A: Why did KDKA-TV make such a big deal out of an anchor’s retirement?

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.

Q: In reference to “Stacy Smith prepares to sign off from KDKA-TV on his terms” and his three-day consecration: I appreciate Stacy Smith and his devotion as a reporter and KDKA TV anchor. I will miss his unpretentious presentation of the news.

I understand that Pittsburgh is a small market and the family environment is our greatest asset but, Wow! Smith is not a god. He is a reporter/anchor merely doing a stupendous job at reading television news scripts. The manner in which KDKA-TV chose to glorify him was nauseating. I was waiting for the rest of the crew to kneel down and ask for Smith’s forgiveness for their sins of being a sub-par reporter/anchor.

— Dan, Pittsburgh

Rob: It was May sweeps, a ratings period when the local channels strive for every advantage they can get. In a TV market like Pittsburgh, other than athletes on pro-sports teams, local TV newscasters are the celebrities, albeit down-to-earth figures who can feel more like friends because of how they come into our homes every time we watch local TV news.

KDKA dragged Smith’s farewell out over three days because station executives know people will watch. If Peggy Finnegan had left Channel 11 in sweeps, WPXI may have done the same thing.

As it is, Smith’s last day was structured similarly to Finnegan’s farewell even to the point of both stations posting an extended version of an exit interview to their respective streaming channels. KDKA has 120 minutes more of newscast to fill each night compared to WPXI and WTAE, so it’s not surprising that KDKA’s farewell would be more expansive. Personally, I loved seeing Patrice King Brown Zoom in to chat up Smith with whom she anchored for 20 years.

Q: Why do no stations include sports scores from the night before in their morning news scrolls? (Like the Pirates and Pens now). Seeing them would save me from turning to ESPN and waiting out all the details they list for every game!

— Greg, Belle Vernon

Rob: I put this question out to all the TV station news directors in town and none offered a response to Greg’s query, which leaves me to speculate.

I suspect the reason for this is two-fold: First, my guess is the morning news audience tends not to be an audience that is overly interested in sports news unless it’s about the Steelers (or another local team in playoffs season). And second, my guess is local TV stations are gambling that anyone who wants to know the score already looked it up online so why bother repeating it on TV?

Q: I know they just rolled out the MeTV Plus channel just last weekend in Phoenix and Chicago. Just was curious if you heard any rumors of it coming to the Pittsburgh market?

— Jim via Facebook

Rob: MeTV Plus is another oldies rerun channel with weeknight programming that includes “Vega$,” Hawaii Five-0” and “Mission: Impossible.” There are currently no plans to add the channel in Pittsburgh.