TV Q&A: Why do Channel 4 anchors stand to read the news?

Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.

Q: Why do they make Kelly Sasso and others on Channel 4 Action News stand while giving us the news when other news stations don’t? I wish you would have them sit cause it looks dumb and uncomfortable.

— Dee, via email

Rob: I have nothing to do with anchors standing while reading the news!

But honestly, I’m also ambivalent about it. I know many people who prefer a standing desk in office workplaces, and they don’t seem to find standing uncomfortable.

As to why Channel 4 producers made that stylistic choice, WTAE news director Baylor Long did not respond to Dee’s question, but my best guess is it’s an effort to differentiate from other newscasts with anchors at the desk.

Q: Why would some West Virginia political groups spend a large amount of money on the Pittsburgh TV market when it reaches such a small number of W.Va. voters? We are being overwhelmed by these ads that have no interest to a large majority of PA viewers.

— Mike, Beaver

Rob: In elections, every vote counts and presumably groups advertising on Pittsburgh stations that reach West Virginia counties (including Monongalia and Preston) that are part of the Pittsburgh media market want to reach voters in those parts of West Virginia, too. The Pittsburgh Designated Market Area also includes Garrett County, Md.

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Q: I thought “Station 19” on ABC was popular, but it’s been canceled. Do you know why? Will the Big Three or Big Four (if you count Fox) have any new dramas now that they have canceled some? I am not interested in game shows or “American Idol.”

— Gena, via Facebook

Rob: Financial concerns are almost always the reason shows end. The broadcast networks will continue to have a mix of scripted and unscripted shows but the balance will continue to tip more towards less expensive, unscripted series.

Q: What happened to cause CBS to cancel “So Help Me Todd?” The good shows are all leaving TV now. How can I contact CBS to raise a complaint?

— Bev, via email

Rob: CBS has a high-class problem: Too many shows with decent-to-good ratings and not enough time slots available when considering the new shows the network also ordered for the 2024-25 TV season.

In other scenarios, “Todd” probably would have been renewed. Same with “NCIS Hawai’i.” But under current circumstances, CBS opted to cancel shows with the least financial upside. I don’t think CBS executives care but you can always write them at 4024 Radford Ave, Studio City, CA 91604.

Q: Do you think “NCIS Hawai’i” will be picked up by another network or streaming service?

— Jack, via email

Rob: It seems unlikely. But I do wonder if CBS might make some effort to somehow wrap up loose ends on another “NCIS” series.

Q: I noticed that CBS has been promoting its end-of-season shows. The promo for “NCIS” is listed via voice-over as the “CBS finale” of the series. Is CBS moving the popular show to a streaming platform? I would imagine that network affiliates are not pleased when they lose more and more eyeballs (and local advertising) to network streaming services.

— Peter, via Facebook

Rob: The original “NCIS” will stay put on CBS but I can see why that phrasing is confusing. My guess is it’s an effort to distinguish the CBS finale from the show’s continued availability on Paramount+. A CBS publicist did not respond to Peter’s query.