THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 7, 1994 TAG: 9410070091
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LARRY BONKO
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
TODAY'S LOCAL TV buzz:
And I thought Katie Couric was perky - It took a while, but WVEC at last has a weather reporter to replace Chris Castleman on the ABC affiliate's morning show. News director David Cassidy hired Rhonda Bentley to co-host ``Good Morning Hampton Roads'' with John Miller.
She'll also discuss the subtleties of highs and lows during the news at noon. Bentley is a meteorologist who arrives in Norfolk from WBBH in Ft. Myers, Fla. She learned about Virginia's unpredictable weather when she worked for a TV station in Bristol.
Cassidy said he hired Bentley because she's bouncy and full of energy at sunrise, which isn't easy. Make mine a double caffeine, please.
``Rhonda is one of those people who enjoys being up and working that time of day,'' he said. To make room for the Bentley bounce, Cassidy moved Sandra Parker from morning co-anchor to Miller's partner on the noon newscast.
And now you have your 15 minutes of fame - Two of your neighbors popped up on coast-to-coast TV recently.
The fX cable channel sent host-in-the-field John Burke to Norfolk to spend an hour with Jim (``The Tie Guy'') Talbot and his collection of 1,611 neckties including some that reach to his shoe tops.
Talbot even had his neighbors and mail carrier wearing his ties when ``Personal fX: The Collectibles Show'' signed off from his front yard.
``The brighter and splashier the better,'' said Talbot about neckties.
In his collection are seven tacky fish ties.
I love tacky fish ties. I love tacky, period.
On ``Entertainment Tonight'' the other night, there was Chrissy Cox of Chesapeake hanging out with members of the ``Melrose Place'' cast. She got to mingle at a Hollywood party with Heather Locklear and other MPers by winning a local radio contest.
Was Chrissy ever excited - as excited as Talbot when he buys a new tie.
Reege! Reege! Reege! - It's seven days and counting to the arrival of Regis Philbin of ``Live! With Regis & Kathie Lee.'' Aren't you thrilled to the bone to learn that Regis will be in Hampton at the 15th annual Farm Fresh Extravaganza benefiting the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters?
He'll be on the red stage at Hampton Coliseum next Friday from 1:30 until 3:30 p.m. I anticipate a crush for this autograph.
Just say you're sorry and all will be forgiven - If you've been cheating Falcon Cable Television of Suffolk - tapping into the cable signals without paying - you ought to be ashamed of yourself. Stop now.
Regional manager Jack Edwards of Falcon says it's OK to come forward and admit your sins. The company won't file charges for money you owe during an amnesty period this month. Ripping off the cable company is comparable to shoplifting. It's a $3-billion-a-year steal.
And speaking of signals, WHRO wishes it had a better one - The good news at WHRO is that the area's Public Broadcasting affiliate will soon be getting a $525,000 matching grant to replace the station's transmitter.
It's been around since bell-bottoms and mood rings were in fashion.
The bad news is that the station is continuing to suffer problems at the tower site in Driver. The troubles popped up earlier in the week and knocked the station off the air.
Local cable companies picked up Channel 15's signal OK this week, but the blackout meant that viewers without cable missed programming including ``China Beyond the Clouds'' in the National Geographic series.
Station manager Mary Pruess is making plans to rebroadcast programs that can't be beamed out over the airwaves while the equipment is a mess. Channel 15 is waiting for parts to be shipped in from out of state before crews climb the 1,000-foot tower and fix the transmission line. by CNB