The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 376

1 COVER STORY OW Tn CTObc AtowV art fttaM MT; Howard Eakto, tacCarttrj and Harm mMcttamyt; tha tint broadcast tomorrow night Dropping anchor at Ch. 29 Lee McCarthy has left the correspondent's jet-set life. hopping places on a moment's notice to 18 foreign countries, the native of Youngstown, Ohio, now has a four-year contract worth more than 125,000 a year that doesn't require him to travel or work weekends, except on rare occasions. For a fellow with a wife and five children ranging in age from 18 years to 11 months that's a mighty sweet deal "When you work for a network, you know going in that your life's not your own," says McCarthy, who served as a Boston-based correspondent for seven years before moving to Washington in January 1953. "They own you lock, stock and barrel.

As long as you understand that, h's easy." It certainly won't be easy for Channel 29 news director Roger La-May and his kiddie corps of reporters at the Taft Broadcasting Corp. station. Phil-adelphians haven't had an independent prime-time newscast since 1970, when the now -defunct Channel 48 folded its broadcast after two years and a sea of red ink. That fact has done little to dampen LaMay's enthusiasm. (Some might Bv Gail Shister btqtanrSufl Wnur So what's a seasoned network news correspondent like Lee McCarthy doing in newsroom with reporters almost too voting to remember life before Loving every minute of it, that's what.

"There an energy and excitement here that I didn't feel at NBC when I left," says McCarthy, a 17-year veteran of the network. "It's a new challenge. All these people haven't been in jobs for 20 vears. They're not jaded or bored." They're not much of anything yet. but thev will be tomorrow.

That's when WTAF-TV (Channel 29) unveils its long-awaited Ten 0 Clock A'eua. McCarthy, who turns 43 next month, is the newt anchor for the half -hour wee knight broadcast. Former Channel 3 sports director Howard Eskin, 34. the highest-paid member of the staff be has a five-year, 1.2 million contract anchors sports and will host Phillies Preixeu. Marie Michelini.

29. of Cleveland's WEWS-TV, will handle the weather. "When I took this job, I thought a lot of my friends and colleagues would say I was crazy," says McCarthy, lighting another cigarette. (A pack-a-day smoker, he says he'll quit soon.) "But, to a person, I was congratulated. And some of them had envy in their voice." What's not to envy? After years of Curiae Thomaa tia potttcai raportar call it bravado, but let's wait for the ratings.) LaMay, 34, a former news director at Metromedia's KTTV-TV in Los Angeles, says his 26-member staff "isn't conceding anything" to the three local network affiliates.

I Adds Henry Bonilla, 32, a former news producer at New York's WABC-TV and LaMay's assistant: Td put our five reporters against the best five from any other station in town." Probably the best and certainly the most recognizable reporter is Charles Thomas, 34, formerly of WCAU-TV (Channel 10). Along with (Continued on Page 67) 4 tvc pjkoe Mum tv mck. Nranr 'a.