Portland Press Herald from Portland, Maine • 41

Sunday EBRUARY 6 2000 SlINDA11 Audience SECTION HErXANCE )dofe at fame's MEmmSby TV newsbrb iffwf' KSwcsh RfflMMiate: Gannett Co txwncr of 20EraXtaiwnsand89 Btoretnt changes: 'x Hgpeximiiig planned HfeginkUn ratings: 1 in HMftall time slotsMas'' Hrwgme' MR Xbaonel 13 CBS' HKOymer: Sinclair KBaridcast Group of UgByimd owner of Hgiian 50 TV HVBancHeJ weekend isBraming'toul noon HnS last summer KSRopf color of sets thisyrinter MHatlngrlianges: MHfigrine 'Ke'nnpaign news RBRMRftfociftingon MayMwdandior toBBi Kttytgs: 2 Mylyania Maine a andriboriKawsts' Kraunss: 3 in Kexe HrcrVgasus anhour dianges: 6 pm or newscast in Mjfrhefair HREmmb ratings: compete The WCSH news team from left meteorologist Joe Cupo news anchors Pat Callaghan and Cindy Williams and sports anchor Bruce Glasier has been together for more than 10 years a factor which some observers say helps explain the rise in the ratings 1 A Ti' ijgji 1 BwV" tA OH wy a 7 MMMas 1mh 4 anas BHH Mac 1 HBBBHB fr V' A BB (ai HM jA 1 Top of 1 the news Wyi hmSIHu vMEkjyX usmr I 1 Longfamiliar to local news watchers the prime time news team at WCSH (Channel 6) is riding high in the ratings and roughshod over its rivals ByRAYROUTIlIER Staff Writer the past year WMTW TV (Channel 8) has hired a well known anchor from Boston bought four radio stations and announced it will move its news operation from Auburn to Portland WMTW is also considering starting more news shows During the same period WGME (Channel 13) has been taken over by a new owner canceled some weekend news programs lost several on air peo ple including one who went to WMTW and saw its ratings drop for evety weekday news show it offers The events at the two stations may represent a shift in competi tive TV news market or as long as TV news has been here it has been a two way battle for superiority between WGME and WCSH (Channel 6) But WCSH seems to be emerging as the dominant station and WMTW is doing everything it can to try to catch up to the others WMTW has a ways to go though ABOVE: Kim Block and Doug Rafferty on the WGME (Channel 13) news desk RIGHT: WMTW (Channel 8) news anchors Jeannine Lauber and John Dougherty recently brought in from Boston sign off at the end of a 6 pm newscast Although programs have held the number one position in the Nielsen ratings forthe past few years WGME is still a strong second while WMTW re mains a distant third A fourth station WPXT (Channel 51) offers news Hut only at 10 pm How has WCSH managed to stake its claim as the most watched news station in southern Maine? It probably has more to do with the relationships that viewers develop with anchors and the blockbuster prime time shows aired by the affiliate NBC and less to do with the actual news As NBC developed hit shows such as and WC news ratings climbed simply 5cj because many viewers get accustomed to watching a certain network and leave the TV tuned to it Through the 1990s WCSH also has had stability in its on air people Its entire 6 pm news team andiors Pat Callaghan and Cin dy Williams meteorologist Joe Cupo and sportscaster Bruce Glasier has been together for more than 10 years John Dougherty who became an an chor at WMTW in January says the longevity of news anchors is crucial to a success in news than anything people want to see (anchors) they trust that comfortable Dougherty said not tuning in to see graphics or slogans or sets not an overnight thing trust has to be built up over the not to say competi tors are ceding victory WGME while making changes aimed at increasing viewership says it is not losing ground with viewers And though WGME has lost some on air employees since being sold last summer its main news team of Kim Block and Doug Rafferty with Dave Eid on sports and Dave Santoro on weather is intact WMTW also despite its lackluster ratings has continued to try to bolster its news programs during the past few years with new people and new facili ties in hopes of catching WGME see them as vulnerable People see all the changes at 13 and they might start sampling other said Doug Cook who was hired from WGME to become the 5:30 pm anchor at WMTW last August would Please see NEWS Page 8E Inside: Will the return of Maine native John Dougherty help WMTW get out from behind the 8 baU? Regardless he happy to be back from Boston page 8E BSIwB MNT VJ 'ihH ABOVE: Memorable among movies that portrayed unions in a positive light starred Sally ield in an Oscar winning role in 1979 RIGHT: Cary Ehves (left) Hank Azaria (center) and Angus Macfadyen star in Will now showing RL JLJb Labor of love Workers of the world applaud: Tim Cradle Will marks the rare appearance ofa dormant genre Vj "5 By DOUGLAS ROWE Associated Press NEW YORK As the play within the movie Will nears its climax John Turturro fumes as a fat cat tries to buy off his char acter and stop his union organizing The eyes widen looking slightly crazed ed up and defiant he says: people of this town are out what all about up! And when everybody gets together like together tonight where are you impassioned pro union solil oquy in Tim new star studded film might sound quaint a tinny echo ofa lefty rant lifted from a time capsule But considering the recent Battle in Se attle the long tradition of filmmakers spotlighting unions and the working class and that the underrecognized genre might be headed for a comeback Turtur ro offers a timely voice not an echo 4 Inside Will and opened this weekend and Telegram critic Marty Meltz saw both of them page 9E The violent protests at the World Trade Organization meetings in Seattle might not jack up the box office for Will like Three Mile Island did for China but Robbins is in trigued by how the recent events tie in to his movie Will opened riday He has been following the tensions that led to the unrest at the WTO meetings so he surprised was surprised by the magnitude of he says a wake up call You even have that in the You have the AL CIO Please see LABOR Page 9E i i 1.