WGAL-TV News 8 journalist Dick Hoxworth announced Tuesday that he will retire before the end of the year. During his 40-year career at WGAL, Hoxworth has reported from the state Capitol, the White House and everywhere in between. The McCaskey graduate co-anchors the early-morning and noon news for the Lancaster station.
The award-winning broadcaster's final appearance is scheduled to be the 6 a.m. newscast on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. Signal-strength map: WHTM-TV abc27 has created a signal-strength map in an effort to help local viewers make the switch to digital television. TV viewers who receive their signal over the air in the Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York areas can find the information online at abc27.com. Type in the keywords "DTV map" to find help in troubleshooting reception problems.
Viewers can refer to a color-coded legend to determine the antenna configuration that will provide optimum reception.
Those who cannot access the Web site or have more questions can call the abc27 Call For Action hot line from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The number is 214-9187.
End of Phillies viewing woes? The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a three-year contract with WPHL-TV myphl17 to broadcast 45 regular-season games and three exhibition games. The station also will carry the weekly "Behind the Pinstripes" show before each Sunday broadcast. WPHL broadcast the Phillies from 1971 to 1982 and 1993 to 1998.
Since 1998, WPGS-TV CW 57 has broadcast Phillies games. This station was not available to Lancaster subscribers of Comcast cable. Harrisburg's WLYH-TV CW 15 picked up many but not all of CW 57's games, leaving a few Phillies games unavailable to Lancaster viewers. For the next three years, that should not be a problem.
HBO buys Obama documentary: HBO has bought the U.S. rights to a behind-the-scenes documentary on Barack Obama's presidential campaign from actor Edward Norton's production company.
Filming will continue through the president-elect's inauguration, with the premiere expected sometime in the spring, the network told the Associated Press. HBO reportedly paid at least $1 million to show the still-untitled film.
Hogging time: ABC will devote all of its prime time Wednesday, Jan. 21, to the return of the hit drama "Lost," showing two one-hour episodes preceded by a synopsis to update viewers on the story, according to the Associated Press.
The drama, whose last new episode was the May 29 finale, will air regularly at 9 p.m. Wednesday. ABC said it will make an announcement soon on where "Private Practice," currently in that slot, will move.
Staff writer Eric Stark discusses trends and tidbits in broadcast media each week in the Sunday News. He can be reached at estark@lnpnews.com
