Congratulations to John Rodgers who was honored with the 2010 “Service to Mankind” award Saturday night during the 18th Annual Diamond Ball at Samuel’s Grande Manor. The award is presented by the Western and Central New York Chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It honors Rodgers for his dedication and leadership in advancing the mission of the Society: finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and Hodgkin’s disease and improving the quality of life for patients and their families.

Dr. Michael Cropp introducing John Rodgers

Rodgers has devoted much of his personal time to helping those who have blood-related cancers. He is executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Independent Health. He has served on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Board of Trustees Executive Committee. He is a past chairman of the Diamond Ball and serves on many of the chapter’s event and fundraising committees.

It is always touching to watch the “Service to Mankind” award presentation. There are no plaques or trophies. Instead, a donation is made in the honoree’s name to continue the fight against blood cancers. And, the honoree is presented with a rose from each of about a dozen leukemia survivors who walk in silence from the back of the ballroom and circle the honoree on the stage. Survivors hand the honoree a red rose. A family member of a patient who did not survive hands a white rose to the honoree.

Service To Mankind Award

Channel Four has been a sponsor of the Diamond Ball from the beginning, and it has been my great privilege to emcee this fundraising event for about 15 years now. It was an especially great privilege to be named as the 1999 “Service to Mankind” honoree. My involvement with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has stretched over a quarter century. I’ve seen the cure rates for blood cancers improve dramatically over these years – proof that medical research is vital. Our local chapter currently is helping support nine research projects at the University of Rochester and Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

I’m sure that John Rodgers will treasure his memories of Saturday’s Diamond Ball and will acknowledge, as I do, that the real jewels of this big event are all those people who gave him a rose, a hug, and a reason to keep working toward a cure.

Jacquie was the emcee for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Diamond Ball

Of course the CARS are the big attraction at the Buffalo Auto Show 2010, but keep your eyes open and there are some entertaining sidelights and diversions mixed with the autos.  Check out the Chicken-mobile displayed by Airport Plaza Jewelers. Owner Don Hoffman and his chicken-suited friends are giving away beaded chicken necklaces and plastic mini-chickens, just for fun.

Don Hoffman and his chicken-suited friends!

Hoffman is urging auto show visitors to join him for a unique fundraiser for the People, Inc. Foundation.  He’s selling Easter candy from Fowler’s Chocolates in his plaza “Showroom” from March 17 through April 3 with all net proceeds going to People, Inc. — which helps people with disabilities live more independent lives.

Not far from the Chicken-mobile, look for the Clunker Cube on display.  This is an old ‘clunker’ car that was pressed by Auto Recyclers of William Street and cubed by Metalico Buffalo.  In a contest co-sponsored by WIVB-TV, auto show visitors are invited to guess the weight, make and model of the cube for a chance to win prizes – flight lessons from Prior Aviation, a flat screen TV, or a Salvatore’s getaway.

Crushed clunker on display

Guessing the weight, make and model of the cube for a chance to win a prize

There are several other contests and unusual attractions.  And, there must be some free items being handed out.  I saw lots of folks carrying plastic bags that looked like they held more than just brochures about the new cars.

And, there’s one more thing you’ll find that is free this year: an air of optimism.  I talked to several dealers and salespeople Thursday night and ALL of them said they see 2010 as being a good year for sales – and certainly much better than the dismal 2009.  They said they are encouraged by the activity they’ve seen in showrooms through January and at the Auto Show so far.  And, would you believe, I talked to an auto show visitor who says he’s in the market for THREE new cars for his family!

The Buffalo Auto Show 2010 runs through Sunday evening at the Buffalo Convention Center.

Ratings every day!

Imagine if you walked into work everyday and someone held up a big number — rating the quality of your work the day before. It would be just like they used to do in Olympic competition.  A “10” would be an outstanding performance rating. A “2” would mean your work is dismal and you better step it up or you are out the door!

This is a little taste of what it’s like to toil in the world of television ratings. Each day in the newsroom, we see our ratings posted on the wall – or in our email inboxes. These are the overnight ratings – a compilation of data collected from electronic boxes that are connected to TV’s in a few hundred homes around Western New York. While I don’t know the technical aspects of the whole process (there is one rating service –- Nielsen — which is paid by television stations to measure local viewership around the clock) I can tell you what it FEELS like to have your work rated every day: it only feels good when you’re NUMBER ONE!

Beyond the overnight metered ratings, Nielsen does a more in-depth probe of TV viewership four months each year – February, May, July, and November. For this measurement, Nielsen asks a number of local households to fill out special diaries each week describing the age and gender (and perhaps other information) about each person who is watching television and which programs are being watched.  It’s an imperfect system, but it is the only generally accepted system Buffalo stations have for measuring viewership. Important? You bet. Stations use the ratings to show potential advertisers the popularity of their programming.  The more popular the program, the higher the price that stations can charge advertisers to place an ad in that program.

It’s no secret that the entire communications industry – television, radio, newspapers, magazines, cable, etc., has been rocked to its core by the ongoing recession – and the rise of the web. Still, ratings remain king and there is a great deal of concern about producing programming that will be popular among viewers and appealing to advertisers.

Fortunately, News Four has been rated number one in almost every newscast since 2001. While this is certainly gratifying for our station management, which as to be concerned about budgets and bottom lines, it is satisfying to the news team in an another way.  It means we are making good choices in the stories we cover and the manner in which we cover them.  It means Western New Yorkers have placed their trust in us and, even though they have other choices for local news, they choose us.

This is on my mind because the newsroom is gearing up for another strong effort in February. Nobody takes vacation.  Nobody asks for a day off. Everybody checks the ratings on the wall. And everybody strives for a “10.”

Timing is (almost) everything in the news business. Last Friday, the date of Elvis’ 75th birthday, the time was right for an unexpected mail delivery.

Elvis at 11

Some background here. Over the holidays, I ran into retired Buffalo News photographer Bob Smith. I’ve known Bob for years and would occasionally see him when we were each covering stories for our news organizations. He’s a real pro, a news veteran who’s seen a lot during his lengthy career and has many entertaining experiences to share. He asked if I had a copy of his Elvis poster and when I said no, Bob said he would send me a copy. I didn’t think about it until a long, cardboard tube appeared on my desk last Friday.

When I spotted a story about Elvis’ birthday in the news rundown for News 4 at 11 p.m., I decided to open the cardboard tube, which had Bob Smith’s return address pasted on the outside. I was blown away by the poster, and the story that accompanied it.

According to Bob’s printed comments — he took this photo April 1st, 1957, in Memorial Auditorium. It was printed in the News the next day and Bob sent a copy of the photo to Col. Tom Parker to see if he wanted to buy it. Bob never heard back from Parker. But, forty-three years later, a friend told Bob Smith that he had spotted Smith’s photo “all over Graceland and Memphis.” Bob went to Graceland and negotiated compensation for its usage of the photo. Officials there also allowed him to produce one item using the photo – and that is this poster.

When I showed the poster to our 11 p.m. producer Aaron Mason, he agreed that it would be a nice local tie-in to the story about Elvis’ birthday and we should show it during the news. Wish I had had more time during the news to tell the story above, but, again, timing is everything!

Bob says his photo was selected by Kodak as one of the top 500 photos ever taken during the Rock and Roll era – 1950-2000. If you wish to purchase a copy of the photo or the poster, you may contact Bob Smith by email: photorls2@verizon.net.

ELVIS - Photo credit: Bob Smith, 4/1/1957

Traditionally, a television news story runs 1:15 to 1:30. This is rarely enough time to include all the elements that a reporter wants to share, but generally, we make it work. Tuesday night I covered a story which has so many layers, that I simply didn’t have time to share everything that I believe you should know.

Please follow this link to see my story about the return home of wounded Marine Staff Sergeant John Stanz then read below to see the rest of the story.

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Staff Sergeant John Stanz on patrol in Afghanistan

Stanz says he’s not a hero — “he was just doing his job.” But, his job was riding a vehicle through bomb-strewn territory in dangerous Afghanistan. Not heroic? How about the fact that John was on his third foreign tour of duty after having been injured by a bullet through his helmet on his first tour in Iraq? What about his experience as part of the Marine Corps’ Special Operations Unit? And, here’s another mark of heroism. John is credited with braving hostile fire to get a wounded comrade out of harm’s way. He has all the attributes of an American hero. And now, he has two Purple Hearts and a life that is forever altered in service to our country.

Sandy and John Stanz have been at John's bedside since August.

John’s parents, John and Sandy, can also be counted as American heroes – in a different way. Their lives, too, changed forever on August 15th, 2009, when the IED exploded under John’s vehicle. The military flew them to Germany to be at John’s hospital bedside…and they never left. From Germany he went to Bethesda, Maryland, to a rehab center outside Philadelphia, and finally home to Hamburg on December 15th. John and Sandy have not been able to work a day since the bomb exploded and have devoted themselves to John’s recovery. Now, with John home, he still needs almost constant care. Doctors have said he will require years of therapy, not only for his shattered and rebuilt knee, but most importantly for his traumatic brain injury. With this injury, every day is different and unpredictable for John and his short-term memory is damaged. While John’s medical treatment is paid for through the military, there is no compensation for his parents’ loss of income and their new and unexpected change in lifestyle.

John's injuries were extensive and required months of rehab in Philadelphia

This altered lifestyle extends to John’s wide circle of siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends. Each of them is paying a price for John’s injuries.

John's first night home surrounded by his siblings.

Rus Thompson was among those greeting John at the airport.

Grand Island anti-toll activist Rus Thompson is keenly aware that our nation’s military veterans need additional support. He served in the Army just after Vietnam in a Special Forces unit and has seen the many changes in our nation’s treatment of veterans. He has organized a benefit on Friday, December 18th, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Tandoori’s Palms Banquet Center on Transit Road in Williamsville, to help pay for renovations to the Stanz family home. Thompson would like local contractors and suppliers to join forces to build an addition that would include a bedroom and bathroom to accommodate John’s needs. Sometimes he uses a wheelchair and his leg brace must stay on every waking hour. A walk-in shower would help.

If you would like to join the renovation effort, you may contact Rus through rusthompson@roadrunner.com. In the meantime, News Four will work to bring you new developments and events in John’s long road to recovery. His is the story of a true American hero.

“Old man winter’s back around….” Sing it with me now…I know you can.

1996

WIVB-TV is now airing its holiday jingle to send greetings of the season from our Channel 4 family to yours. The promotional announcement features pictures of the news team, in a location of our choosing, most often surrounded by members of our own families. It is, without question, the biggest topic of conversation among viewers we meet in the community. We’ve had many, many friendly comments over the years about our spouses, our children, and our pets. (Shockingly, my own husband has been recognized by strangers – even when I wasn’t with him — for his appearance in the holiday promos!)

To my recollection, this holiday tradition was the idea of our former station manager, Cliff Abromats. Producer Alisse Sikes sent some copy points about Buffalo to musician Jolly Demis in Aurora, Colorado. He composed the music, and based on Alisse’s ideas, wrote the lyrics. Demis oversaw production of the jingle as you hear it today. Working with Alisse on the initial holiday greeting, production photographer/editor Tim Baxter added the movie projector effects. Demis tells our Promotion Manager Dan Meyers that while other stations around the country use this music with different lyrics and video, WIVB-TV has been airing it the longest. (Originally Demis told us the holiday promo tradition started in 1990. We now believe it started in 1993, making this the 17th year.)

1996 : Lorey's daughter was already a year old in her second holiday appearance.

Tom Garlick, husband of Lorey Schultz, surprised her last year with a DVD of ALL of the holiday promos in which they have appeared. Lorey says it brought her to tears to see her daughter Grace, next to big brother Zach, in her first promo when she was just one week old! Grace is now a lovely teenager, age 14, and Zach is a big, handsome 16 year old.

2009 : Michele McClintick's family

Michele McClintick calls it interesting that people always seem so excited about seeing her in the holiday promo…even though she appears on the news all the time. This year Michele had a special challenge of getting her 18 month old daughter, Cate, and her dog, Baxter, to look at the camera at the same time. (Her husband, Brendan, was no problem!)

2003 : Thomas Burton was about 9 months old in his first holiday appearance.

Lisa Flynn has happy memories of her son, Thomas (now 6), hearing the holiday jingle and running like mad to the TV hoping to catch that fleeting glimpse of himself and his family. Lisa has also had wonderful conversations with viewers about her big Labs Brutus and Duke. Brutus passed away in 2007, but Duke continues to have a starring role in the family video next to son, Thomas, and her husband, Tom Burton.

1994 : My sons' favorite year throwing snowballs!

My own family has had the rare opportunity to appear in all of the WIVB-TV holiday promos. It has become part of our own holiday tradition. In recent years we pose for our family Christmas card photo after shooting the station video, because it’s one of the few times we are all together! My sons Matt (now in law school) and Michael (now in college) will tell you that their absolute favorite promo was many years ago when we shot our family video outside and they were allowed to throw snowballs at the station videographer – a very patient Roy Schrodt.

The 2009 version of the WIVB-TV holiday promos is now on the air. By next week, you’ll be able to tap into our archives on WIVB.com and see past versions of our holiday promos. It’s a tradition that we cherish here in the newsroom as it allows us to maintain a very personal connection with our viewers during this special time of year.

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On Wednesday, November 4, 2009, hundreds of local business people and community leaders gathered at the Adam’s Mark for the 20th Annual Athena Award Luncheon hosted by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and co-sponsored by WIVB-TV. I was pleased to emcee this community event for the seventh consecutive year. The Athena honors women who excel in their professions and who provide significant help to other women along the way.

For this special 20th anniversary luncheon, the keynote speaker was the woman who founded Athena International as a non-profit organization. Martha Mayhood Mertz told the crowd that she started Athena to advance the status of women in business because she had often been told that women could not be considered as leaders in the business world. She discussed the need to change our thinking about what business leaders look like in our community – the need to change our picture of the ‘face’ of leadership.

Martha Mayhood Mertz, founder of Athena International, and Sharon Lochocki, 2009 Athena Award Recipient

The face of leadership in Buffalo now looks like Sharon Lochocki, Senior Vice President and District Leader, Business Banking, KeyBank N.A. Sharon was named as Buffalo Niagara’s 2009 Athena Award recipient at the dramatic conclusion of the luncheon. In her thoughtful and gracious acceptance speech, Sharon urged the crowd to extend a hand to girls and women who may need help opening doors in the working world.

The event featured something new this year – the first ever Young Professional Award. This honor goes to an emerging local leader, a young woman who is early in her career and demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative. Amy Martoche, a partner at the Connors & Vilardo law firm, made a point of thanking those who have provided mentorship and support in her development as an attorney and community volunteer.

Amy Martoche, the first Athena Young Professional Award Recipient

The Athena luncheon this year benefits the American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge. The rambling Summer Street home provides free lodging for those who have come to Buffalo seeking treatment for cancer.

WIVB-TV has taken an active role in community events for decades and the season of fall seems to be a particularly active time for local charities and non-profit organizations to raise money and present awards. I have been privileged to have a role in many of these events on behalf of the station. I try to take pictures when I can to help document and remember these community events.

Harvest Festival

Unfortunately, I forgot to pull out my camera during the 9th Annual Harvest Festival on October 2, 2009, at the Statler Towers, co-sponsored by WIVB-TV. It was a huge crowd – 720 guests – that turned out for the gourmet meal and wine-tasting. The successful benefit raised an impressive $285,000 to benefit the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care.

M.S. Dinner of Champions

The Dinner of Champions to benefit the Upstate Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is always a highlight for me. This year the 30th Annual DOC brought hundreds of supporters to the Hyatt Regency on October 13, 2009. I believe I have emceed this event for close to 25 years and I have learned how many, many people we have in this area who are living with Multiple Sclerosis. They need and appreciate the services of the M.S. Society.

Lee Evans of the Buffalo Bills and his wife, Miranda, attended the Dinner of Champions to help promote the Team Up 4 MS campaign. Funds support research and patient programs of the M.S. Society.

Use this link to pledge a donation for every touchdown or sack the Bills score this season.

Roswell Park Alliance All Star Night

For nineteen years, the Roswell Park Alliance has presented a gala fundraiser to benefit Buffalo’s Roswell Park Cancer Institute. WIVB-TV has been a partner through the years as this event has evolved into what is now All Star Night, a white-tie benefit set on the stage of Shea’s Performing Arts Center. Each year, Roswell honors a faculty member, a volunteer, and a courageous cancer survivor. On October 24, 2009, those honorees were cancer prevention researcher Dr. James Marshall, inspirational 80 year old volunteer William McLaughlin, and NFL Hall of Famer and prostate cancer survivor Michael Haynes.

NFL Hall of Fame member, Mike Haynes, the 2009 Gilda Radner Courage Award Honoree

Dr. Donald L. Trump, President and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Jacquie Walker was emcee for All Star Night.

Mary Pinto and Barb Heller were co-chairs of All Star Night. Suzy Sears was chair.

Amherst Chamber of Commerce

The Amherst Chamber of Commerce changed its Business of the Year dinner a bit this year. On October 26, 2009, at the Buffalo Niagara Marriott, the Chamber honored the University at Buffalo as its business of the year and presented eight Alpha Awards to businesses and individuals with specific ties to UB. It demonstrates how far and deep UB’s roots stretch in Western New York. It’s not only a major employer, but it serves as a catalyst for creating numerous other companies and jobs in this area.

UB President John Simpson accepting the Amherst Chamber Business of the Year Award from David Rutecki of M&T Bank.

I interviewed Dr. Robert Smolinski and Dr. Claudia Fosket as they accepted the UB Believers Award.

The newsroom is rarely busier than on election night. News 4 Buffalo draws station employees from other shifts and other departments to join us nightside as we collect vote totals, interpret the results, and present them on News 4, CW23, and WIVB.com. The preparation actually takes weeks – researching the ballot, collecting the names and positions of candidates, loading computer data, drawing up a newsroom game plan, testing remote locations, and making contact with those who will be key players on election night. When the polls close at 9 p.m., it’s like turning on a fire hose! Information comes pouring into the newsroom and it’s a race to get it all on the web, on the air, out to our teams in the field, and into all the right hands. You can see why we need so many ‘hands on deck’ to help wrestle with one or two hours of ‘breaking news’ on election night.

Computers in the newsroom are key sources of information on election night. Much of the data is coming from the Board of Elections website.

Producer Vic Baker and News Director Joe Schlaerth have decades of experience covering local elections.

Newsroom Operations Manager Nancy Sanders and Nightside Assignment Editor Martha Meegan oversee coordination of our news teams in the field.

Director Tony Battilana, Engineer John Fellinger, Technician Dave Brown, and Technical Director Mickey Clemons handle the extraordinary volume of graphics and remote video feeds on election night.

News Four Political Analyst Joe Crangle and Ken Kruly, former Erie County Budget Director, examine vote totals.

A small army of volunteers gathers vote totals from the phone bank in News Four’s Election Center. This is information Political Analyst Joe Crangle uses when deciding whether to “call” a race.

During the Ten O’clock News on CW23, Political Analyst Joe Crangle shares his insight on the election. News 4 Videographer Craig Cornwell captures the action.

On Wednesday, September 30, our assistant News Director Pamm Lent told me she wanted me to do several live reports for News Four at Five in front of our Channel 4 studios on busy Elmwood Avenue. She had asked State Police Captain Michael Nigrelli to stand outside the station with me and try to spot drivers talking or texting on their cell phones. I admit, I was a little skeptical. I thought we would be lucky if he spotted one or two. But, Pamm was confident. She has had numerous encounters with distracted drivers as she enters or exits the station parking lot, and she believed it would be a fruitful demonstration.

I have to hand it to her. Within seconds of setting up, Captain Nigrelli began pointing out drivers breezing by talking on their phones. Within half an hour, he had counted more than thirty distracted drivers and, just as we were about to wrap up, we both watched a young female driver pass us as she texted with both hands. As he pointed out while all this was happening, he’s a big guy standing near the street in full police uniform!

It was an eye-opener for us and, I hope, for our viewers to see just how many people are sharing the roads with us…and not giving the roads their full attention. While there is a law against using a hand-held phone behind the wheel, there is currently no federal or state ban against texting. As Captain Nigrelli points out, when a state texting ban takes effect next month it does not allow police to pull over drivers for the sole reason of texting, it would only be treated as a secondary offense.

People often ask where we get ideas for stories that we cover on News Four. Very often, those ideas come right from our own experiences – or, in this case, from Pamm’s!

Assistant News Director Pamm Lent and Photographer Shane Phillips were spotting distracted drivers during our live reports on Elmwood Avenue.

New York State Police Captain Michael Nigrelli pointed out that he's a big guy wearing his full police uniform and yet, dozens of drivers were sailing by us talking on their cell phones!