Is Dave Crawley still a KDKA-TV employee?
Post-Gazette TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions online every Friday in Tuned In Journal blog at post-gazette.com/tv. Here’s a selection of recent queries.
Q: Whatever happened to Dave Crawley? His bio is still on KDKA-TV’s website, he’s not really heard from anymore, and I think the last we heard, he was suing the organizers of the flugtag about seven months ago. If he’s retiring, I feel like that puts KDKA in such an awkward position, because he’s been off the air for so long with no comment from the station, but he’s been there since 1988 so they can’t just unceremoniously remove his bio and not even mention it. Have you heard anything?
Rob: David’s question prompted me to reach out to Crawley’s wife, who does most of the communicating for him, and she put me in touch with his lawyers, who announced a new lawsuit against KDKA-TV charging the station with age discrimination and retaliation.
The lawyers also say Crawley’s contract with KDKA was not renewed. This is where things get sticky. At one point in the past few years I remember being told many people were working at KDKA without a contract; their previous contracts had expired, and they had not yet been offered new contracts, but they were still working there. My understanding is Crawley has not been fired and is still an employee of KDKA but on leave, which is probably why his bio is
still posted at KDKA.com.
Regardless, given the lawsuits and his underlying health condition — one of Crawley’s lawyers told me he continues to be treated for his injuries, most significantly with respect to cognitive issues that are ongoing — it seems doubtful Crawley will return to the air on KDKA.
Q: Has Comcast permanently severed ties with PCNC? I miss it. — CATHERINE VIA
PHONE Rob: My sense is it’s unlikely that PCNC will return to Comcast even though Comcast owns a small stake in the channel. But who knows what future negotiations could bring. Never say never, but it seems unlikely in the short term.
Q: My wife and I enjoy watching “Stumptown,” and we were just wondering how the ratings have been and if the show has a chance to be renewed for a second season? — TONY, VIA FACEBOOK Rob: Seems like a tossup. Ratings have been dropping pretty consistently, which is not a good sign for the show’s viability. But critical response has been positive, and maybe it’s doing well beyond traditional ratings — digital streaming, ondemand, DVR playback — which could help sustain it. We’ll find out by May.
Q: I was hoping you could help me find out what piece of music is used in the MSNBC/NBC commercial “This Is Who We Are.” I have Googled extensively and can’t find anything. Is it original or a classical piece? I love the soundtrack! — DEBBIE, VIA
EMAIL Rob: It is an original piece of music that is not available for purchase.