In this week’s issue… Alhart sets end date – WNBC’s Scarborough hits 50 – Garabedian relaunches WJIB – Rogers rebrands in Toronto – One less “Nash” in PA – Albany meets “Zoey”
By SCOTT FYBUSH
Jump to: ME – NH – VT – MA – RI – CT – NY – NJ – PA – Canada
*Nothing in broadcasting lasts forever, but it sure looked like Rochester’s Don Alhart was coming close.
Alhart, who recently turned 80, has gradually scaled back his role at the station, dropping the 11 PM newscast and taking long vacations to his beloved Aruba. He’d been hinting about retirement, and last week he made the official announcement.
To nobody’s surprise, Alhart’s last day at the station will be June 6, 58 years to the day after he started (yes, that was 6/6/66), and we’re sure he’ll have a sendoff in style. It’s not just longevity that’s made Don a beloved figure here; he’s also been a constant presence all over the community with leadership roles in Rotary, the ARC of Monroe and the Al Sigl Community of Agencies.
He’s also been a supporter of the broadcasting community here in town, working with the late Danny Guilfoyle to host the annual holiday luncheon that brings us all together every December.
In today’s TV landscape, there will never be another Don Alhart – careers are much shorter and more itinerant. (As a point of comparison, the Rochester anchor with the next-longest tenure is WHEC-TV morning anchor Lynette Adams, who’s been there 30 years.)
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS!
The 2024 Tower Site Calendar is very, very nearly sold out.
We are so happy that we have so many supporters after nearly a quarter century of doing this. We especially appreciate the nice comments we receive from our longtime buyers.
We will not be reprinting this year’s calendar, so if you want one, order it now. We still have some previous years available if you need to fill in any gaps.
In the meantime, we still have some great broadcasting books. Check out the store!