|
WABU names Ted O'Brien news director
By Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff, 12/30/93
he newest TV station in town doesn't yet have a newscast, but it does have a news director. Ted O'Brien, a veteran of Channel 7 and two different Boston radio stations, has been named head of the news operation at Boston University's WABU-TV (Ch. 68).
O'Brien worked as an anchor on various newscasts on Channel 7 from 1974 to 1982, then went to New York to work at WPIX. He came back to Boston in 1984 and joined Janet Jeghelian as host of the morning show on WRKO-AM for six years, then did a solo show on WHDH-AM. He and the station parted ways last fall, and O'Brien said he "took a sabbatical for the past year."
Next month, WABU will introduce hourly news breaks. Plans for a regular newscast are still preliminary. O'Brien said, in fact, that at this point his main concern is not contributing to the glut of news shows: "We feel this market has plenty of 11 o'clock and even 10 o'clock ones, so we may try some kind of alternative form of news program."
Although WABU may seem a step down from a network-affiliate TV station, or even a radio show during morning drive-time, O'Brien said he's eager to join a start-up station. (Boston University bought the outlet last month from the First Church of Christ, Scientist.) "One of the attractions is the opportunity to contribute to the building of a station and have input on the process," O'Brien said.
He's well aware that the station's efforts will be under special scrutiny. "TV here is at a very high level, and we want to be part of that. So we'll take our time, and make sure what we put on is worthwhile," O'Brien said.
The station is still building its staff, but O'Brien is joining another well-known Boston broadcaster in Gail Harris, who is director of special projects. Locally she has been an anchor for WBZ-TV, WGBH-TV and the Monitor Channel; she's also worked as a correspondent for ABC's "Nightline."
General manager Bob Gordon said the station will delve into news later next month, with news breaks to be shared between O'Brien and Harris.
"They'll be very short breaks, and feel almost like radio news breaks," Gordon said. He said that, unlike other news updates, "ours will be more like little news programs.
"Not to speak bad about the other stations, but their updates are mostly to tease the news; they might say, 'We have two lottery winners -- tune in at 11.' "
Channel 68, which is currently heavy on movies and syndicated programs, has no plans to abandon those, and has been beefing up its library. Some shows the station has acquired are "WKRP in Cincinnati," "Matlock" and "Golden Girls."
|
12/30/93: 