Post-Gazette TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions online every Friday in Tuned In Journal blog at post-gazette.com/tv. Here’s a selection of recent queries.
Q: WHERE is Jeff Verszyla? Doesn't he work as KDKA's weatherman anymore? — MARILYN, MCCANDLESS
Q: I thought Dennis Bowman had retired; now I see him giving the weather on KDKA-TV. And I haven’t seen Jeff V. for weeks. What’s happening over there? — TOM, MURRYSVILLE
Rob: Mr. Verzsyla is out on an extended medical leave. Retired forecaster Dennis Bowman is filling in while Mr. Verzsyla is away.
Q: Is there a reason why our local PBS station no longer carries the old Lawrence Welk shows? Family members in different cities across the US have told me that their local PBS stations still show the program. — DARCIE VIA EMAIL
Rob: In 2014, WQED-TV dropped reruns of Mr. Welk’s show due to its cost, the station’s “financial constraints” and a lack of donor support for the program.
Q: I like to watch the old shows on WEPA and its two digital subchannels. However the signal fades in and out when watching over the air.
Is this just a low-power station thing? My house sits on a hill, and I get good reception with the antenna otherwise. — VIC, GIBSONIA
Rob: WEPA station manager Matthew Davis says Vic should be getting a strong signal.
“He needs to make sure that his antenna is pointed just a tiny bit north of west” to pick up Channel 56 or south and west to pick up Channel 66 or 59, which all carry WEPA.
“Not all receivers are the same, and sometimes you have to re-scan periodically to make sure he is receiving all of the stations,” Mr. Davis explained. “Hills, trees, water, bridges and buildings bend, deflect and weaken signals. Our digital TV signal is a ‘line of sight’ signal. Typically, the higher you have your antenna, the better the reception. While signals pass through walls and other surfaces, the more obstructions the signal encounters, the weaker the signal and this causes signal disruption. The clearest, most unobstructed view to the broadcast towers will allow the antenna to perform at the highest level.
There is no magic antenna. Antennas come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each designed for a specific situation. Some are narrow focused (directional) antennas, while others are multidirectional, both with various range capacities. We have found some viewers who use the Lava Omnipro HD-8008 Omni-Directional HDTV Antenna have quite good success of picking up not only us but all of the stations in the Pittsburgh area. Once again, the higher the antenna the better the reception.”
Q: Is "Bates Motel" returning for another season, which will be the finale? If so, please let me know when. — Florence, Shaler
Rob: “Bates Motel” returns Monday at 10 p.m. on A&E for its final season.
Ask TV questions by emailing rowen@post-gazette.com, including your first name and location, or submitting the form at post-gazette.com/tv.
First Published: February 19, 2017, 5:00 a.m.
