TV Q&A: Why is a KDKA-TV anchor in the newsroom instead of the studio?

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: What is the deal with Kym Gable anchoring from the newsroom instead of at the regular anchor desk?

— Kitty, Charleroi

Rob: My guess would be it’s an effort to offer some variety to the visuals.

Per KDKA news director Shawn Hoder, “It’s to allow our viewers a peek into the newsroom, to see behind the camera what an active newsroom is and how we function. It’s to add even more transparency for our audience. Kym often talks about ‘what is happening behind her right now.’”

Q: KDKA-TV formerly had a weekend main anchor, a pleasant gal with a broad smile. She appeared to be a friend of the weather person, Mary Ours. After a bit, the former gal disappeared off the anchor desk and for a very short time was an out on the street reporter and then quite shortly thereafter was gone. Is she ill? Has she been fired?

— Rosemarie, via email

Rob: Rosemarie is thinking of Briana Smith. I reported in April that she landed a job at the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. Smith departed KDKA in May and the station is still seeking a permanent replacement for weekend morning anchor.

Q: How come WPNT-TV, Channel 22 “The Point,” doesn’t use The CW logo?

— @gleash, via X/Twitter

Rob: I wouldn’t expect them to. Channel 22 didn’t use the My Network TV logo prominently either. WPXI doesn’t use the NBC logo a ton. Ditto for WTAE and ABC.

KDKA, as a CBS-owned station, does use the CBS logo more regularly. Similarly, when CBS co-owned The CW, WPCW-TV used the CW logo.

Often, affiliates that are not under the same ownership use their own branding just as Channel 22 has done in recent years. WPNT won’t change its call letters either for the same reason: It’s not a station owned by the network it’s affiliated with.

All that said, my understanding is Channel 22 executives are working to get The CW logo included in on-screen guides for greater clarity.

Q: I watched “Fisk” on Netflix this past weekend. Funny show but there were only six episodes. I noticed on IMDB there’s a second season, but I didn’t find it on Netflix. Will Netflix show the second season?

— Krissy, via Facebook

Rob: My understanding is Netflix has thus far not bought the rights to stream season two.

Q: What happened to the comedy series “Chad” on TBS? It was supposed to premiere its second season last year, but I haven’t heard anything about it since then.

— Xavier, via email

Rob: I reported in November 2022 after TBS decided not to air the completed second season of comedy “Chad” that Roku Channel picked it up. The second season hasn’t streamed on Roku Channel yet, but my sense is it will likely stream in the coming months. No premiere date has been announced.