TV Talk: Reporter Tori Yorgey exits WTAE-TV

WTAE-TV reporter Tori Yorgey, who arrived at WTAE-TV in January 2022 after becoming a viral sensation when she was hit by a car during a live shot at her previous station, will depart Channel 4 after Feb. 21 for a new job at sister-Hearst station WBAL-TV in Baltimore.

She will be a reporter at Baltimore’s NBC affiliate.

“I have learned so much here,” Yorgey said of her time in Pittsburgh. “Little things and massive things because I didn’t ever work with anybody else before (coming to Channel 4). I was always by myself out in the field. I’ve really gained a lot because of the reporters and the anchors and (news director) Jim (Parsons) and [assistant news director] Mike (Solakian) have guided me in such a good direction. I feel like I’m coming out of Pittsburgh a much stronger, more confident journalist than when I entered.”

Yorgey said she still laughs about the incident where she was hit by a car on live TV but thankfully was not injured.

“The whole incident really showed me just how kind and caring people are and can be,” Yorgey said. “There’s a lot of craziness and really negative things happening in this world and people could have been negative in that situation and they were the opposite in Pittsburgh. Every Pittsburgher I’ve run into that has mentioned that to me never had anything negative to say and we laugh together and it’s something fun to reminisce about and get a good laugh together.”

Yorgey said she’s “good with being ‘the girl who got hit by the car,’” but she also said Pittsburgh viewers have moved beyond that.

“I really don’t think I’m that girl anymore,” she said. “I think they took the time to get to know me and let me be me in all my corny, quirky, loud, sometimes obnoxious self and they’ve embraced me, so I’m thankful that I came here and so honored to get to be part of the Pittsburgh legacy in a way within the news world.”

Yorgey said the opportunity to take a job in Baltimore, an hour-and-a-half from her family in Conshohocken, Pa., was part of the appeal. But she also anticipated that Pittsburgh would be a stepping-stone market in her career advancement.

“I wasn’t really sure I would love Pittsburgh as much as I do, so maybe coming in I didn’t see it as long-term for a while but I’m comfortable here,” she said. “But BAL is a great station, too. I loved BAL (growing up) and always saw their work and when I saw they had an opening I thought, maybe I should give this a try. I just want to explore stuff while I can while I’m young and kid-free.”

Yorgey said she appreciates how Pittsburgh TV viewers embraced her.

“I’m not from here, and I’m so happy I got to be in this city for the time that I did,” she said. “I got to go through some really sad times and happy times with them and I think Pittsburghers are awesome and really great people.”

Channel surfing

The 10-episode final fifth season of “Star Trek: Discovery” will stream its first two episodes April 4 on Paramount+ with additional episodes dropping weekly thereafter on Thursdays. … Syfy announced season premiere dates for “Chucky” (10 p.m. April 10) and “Reginald the Vampire” (10 p.m. May 8) and Syfy renewed “Surreal Estate” for a third season. … New-to-the-U.S. seasons of “The Traitors UK” arrive on Peacock March 8 with new seasons from Australia and New Zealand coming to the platform March 28. … Geraldo Rivera, formerly of Fox News Channel, has joined NewsNation as a correspondent-at-large. … Snoop Dogg will be a special correspondent for NBC’s Olympics coverage this summer from Paris. … Sony is developing an hour-long, reimagined “Bewitched.” … New episodes of Pittsburgh-based Fred Rogers Productions’ PBS Kids series “Donkey Hodie” debut through the week of Feb. 26 (11 a.m. weekdays, WQED-TV).