TV Q&A with Rob Owen
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This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about meteorologist's statistics and loud commercials and features not one but two voice mail messages of the week. As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.
-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor
Q:Why do local weather forecasters constantly use the statistic of Pittsburgh having only "59 sunny days." They do not cite the source and do not explain why the number is so low. Just this past week, WTAE's Stephen Cropper showed on the 6 and 11 p.m. news Pittsburgh's number of sunny days compared to many other cities. Pittsburgh has plenty of sunny days, and this misused statistic just builds on negative views of our great city.
-- Chuck, Pittsburgh
Rob: Actually, I think the best way to improve the city's reputation would be for the folks who live here to knock that "we're not as good as we used to be" chip off their shoulders. Pittsburgh is a great place, certainly a much more enjoyable place to live than in the era when steel mills were belching smoke. But in my experience, too often outsiders appreciate it more than locals, who often say, "Why would you want to live here?" A friend in his 20s just went through a round of job interviews with local companies and at every one he was asked that question. Perhaps a better question: Why wouldn't someone want to live in Pittsburgh?
Fellow Pittsburghers, let's develop some self-esteem already.
OK, rant done, back to the crux of your question.
Rich Redmond of the National Weather Service at Pittsburgh International Airport said the statistic Cropper uses is accurate.
"Sunny or clear means that for the entire day, including overnight, we have little to no cloud cover. We average close to 103 partly cloudy days a year. You could think of it as 50/50, there is still sunshine during the day, and some stars visible at night, but also clouds in the sky. We average about 203-204 cloudy days per year.
"This is not a negative statistic, it has much to do with the fact that a large body of water lies to our north. In the winter time, our air flow generally comes from the north. This flow of cold air picks up moisture from the Great Lakes and distributes it as either precipitation, generally snow and/or clouds. When our area becomes stuck in this pattern, it can be cloudy for many days in a row. If we have a very cold winter, the lakes can freeze over, cutting down on the moisture that can be picked up. In the summertime, our area, as I am sure you know, can become very humid. This increase in low level moisture often leads to some cloud cover.
"So to summarize, the 59 means full sun and clear skies at night. We still have some sun during partly cloudy days, but this area sees more cloudy days then clear.
"The source that the writer questioned are records from the Pittsburgh International Airport. In addition to temperature and precipitation, we also keep track of clear, partly cloudy and cloudy days."
Redmond also sent me a link to this useful site. While Pittsburgh has 59 sunny days a year, compared to Seattle's 71, we have about the same number of cloudy days a year, 203 to 201 for Seattle. The difference can be found in the partly cloudy days: We get 103 on average and Seattle has 93, although as Jay Albrecht, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, told me, on the West Coast, there is often a huge variability in weather within a relatively tiny geographic area.
For a positive take on Pittsburgh weather, read this.
Q:Do you think Sonni Abatta and Kristine Sorensen would make a good team?
-- Question about KDKA-TV News at Noon, New Castle
Rob: I haven't seen them anchor together at noon when Stacy Smith has been away, so I don't really have an opinion on this.
Q:Perhaps it's me, but it seems as though TV commercials have gotten louder. The Steelers game was especially annoying. My solution -- the mute button. Be alert advertisers, networks and stations, if you want me to hear your commercial play it at a normal level. Play it loud, you have no chance.
-- Robert, Pittsburgh
Rob: I've heard this complaint before and one reader recently sent this useful explainer about sound levels in TV ads.
Q:"Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy" both advertise their programs as HD. Why doesn't WPXI broadcast them as such?
-- Marjorie, Level Green
Rob: The HD broadcasts of both shows began on Feb. 5, according to Annette Parks, Channel 11's director of engineering. As part of WPXI's move to a new facility, the satellite receiver has been moved to that new location and the shows will resume airing in HD once Channel 11 completes its relocation to the new facility, which is expected by the end of this month.
Q:How's the Jennifer Antkowiak show doing ratings wise on WTAE?
-- Mary, Irwin
Rob: Your timing is impeccable! Actually, your e-mail arrived last weekend after I had already made a note to myself to look into that, prompted by a new "Jennifer" episode Sunday morning. I had always intended to check the July ratings, but never got around to it until now.
I wrote about the show's ratings status earlier this week in Tuned in Journal. As it says, the ratings have been inconsistent.
Q:I have Comcast high definition. I just noticed that HGTV has a high def station now, but why is the programming different on the HD channel than the regular channel?
I've never known this to be the case on any other high def channel.
-- Peg, Speers
Rob: Actually, WQED's HD channel is not a simulcast of its analog channel either.
In the case of HGTV, the reason for the discrepancy is that much of what's on traditional HGTV was not shot in high-definition, so there's no reason to air it in HD.
"As time goes by and more and more of our production companies have the ability to shoot in HD, more of our programming will appear on the HD channel," a network spokeswoman said.
Q:I am probably one of only a very small group of people in this area that watch HRTV (Horse Racing TV), but I wanted to ask if you know if and when that channel is going to be moved by Comcast to whatever this Sports package is they are putting together. I know the NFL network has already left my digital level. I saw HRTV mentioned in this package in Bob Smizik's sports on air column a couple of Tuesdays ago and that was a surprise to me. As a parting shot at Comcast, I have not noticed a decrease in my cable bill when they move a channel from expanded basic to a digital level or when they remove something from my digital level.
-- Greg, Castle Shannon
Rob: According to a Comcast spokeswoman, HRTV has been simulcast on Sports Entertainment Pack and Digital Preferred (Channel 259) since its launch. It hasn't moved and there are no plans to move it.
Q:Since someone else commented on a "Mad Men" episode not being shown in HD, at least he got to see it! I have been waiting patiently for Episode 107. Imagine my surprise this morning when Episode 108 was up and listed as "new" and 107 is still missing. They shouldn't advertise that it is available on demand the next day when it isn't. And nowhere on their Web site can I find when that episode will repeat.
-- Cheri, Presto
Rob: A Comcast spokeswoman said episode No. 107 is now available on demand.
"I appreciate your reader alerting us to the fact that it was not up," she said. "We contacted the provider and got it sent."
FEEDBACK
This is not a question, but, rather, a comment. I read your Q&A every Friday, and I am amazed at the negative comments (by both your readers and you) about Comcast. I've been a Comcast customer (cable TV and high-speed Internet) for many years. On the few occasions when I've phoned Comcast's Customer Service Department (usually when I've screwed up something with my remote!), the representatives (to a person) have been kind, helpful, friendly, and so willing to help. They have come out to my house (no charge) to "reset" the digital box that I've messed up.
I am sure there are many cable companies that are now known as "Comcast" but are, in reality, the "old" cable company that serviced a given area in previous years (before Comcast acquired the "old" cable company). In my case, my original cable company was New York Times Cable TV, which then was acquired by Garden State Cable, which is now Comcast. The people in my community are impressed with Comcast's service AND their community-minded deeds.
I write enough letters of complaint when I am unhappy or dissatisfied with a company's service, so I think it is appropriate to also give credit where credit is due.
-- A. G., Medford, N.J.
My attempt to find out more information about the show "Corner Gas" resulted in an amusing lesson.
Unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention and glanced at the cover of TV Week and saw the headline "Fill 'er up." My search on IMDB.com resulted in an adult film. The fact that the star of "Corner Gas" is Brent Butt didn't help either.
-- Marc, Monroeville
VOICE MAIL OF THE WEEK 1
First attempt: "Yes, I was calling about 'High School Musical' and how I can get on part three if there is a part three, because I saw your [phone] number on the Internet and it said we could call if we have any questions. How can I get in touch with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens because I am a huge fan of them, so when you get this message, please call me back at this number. Thanks. Bye." [No phone number was mentioned]
Second attempt: "Hi, my name is Eddie ... I was calling to see HOW I can get on TV because I would love to be in 'High School Musical 3' if there is one. When you get this message, please call me back. ... "
Third attempt: "Yes, my name is Eddie. I called you about three times about how I can become a star and stuff like that. When you get this message, please call me back. ..."
-- Teenager who left multiple messages Sunday afternoon.
VOICE MAIL OF THE WEEK 2
Oh, hello, Rob Owen, this is the Lord speaking. You went on vacation and I saw in my notebook you were coming back July 30, but I never did call you because I didn't get around to it anymore. I just looked where I left off mailing letters to reporters from Post-Gazette and I saw that I never even called you and now I can't remember what I was telling them when I was calling. Well, first of all, TV's great and you're the TV editor and that's wonderful, and TV is impressive. But also I was telling them that Scarnati needs to give late money for buses and maybe he still can. Let's pray about it and try to see if Scarnati could come through with late money this time and every time because that is the answer. You'll be hearing from me in the mail. Thanks. Bye.
-- Female caller at 1:59 a.m. Monday.
First Published September 14, 2007 12:00 am
