Nobody did it better than Ukee in 2015
Last year, I chose Ukee Washington as the Most Valuable Player because of his steadiness at the helm and his versatility as the long-time anchor of a morning newscast. I cited Ukee’s ability to move easily from a hard news story to a fluff feature and how personable he is with guests from all phases of the news spectrum.
This year, I do the unprecedented and name Washington the Most Valuable Player for a second consecutive year.
Yes, Ukee is the Mike Schmidt of local television personalities. He is consistent is the management and presentation of news. He can be a heavy hitter when analysis or perspective is called for. He exudes energy and stamina that makes him fit and ready for the long haul. He can adapt to different situations and be adept at every one of them.
Last year, Ukee’s accolade was based on lifetime achievement. This year, it’s more in keeping with an MVP award and derives from something specific, being placed in a position to carry or attract audience from one broadcast daypart to another and doing it.
People thought Channel 3’s general manager, Brien Kennedy, was either bloodthirsty or mad when he lopped his primetime anchor team by three quarters in June. The move was especially odd because Channel 3 had no news director to consult about the dismissals of Chris May, Kathy Orr, and Beasley Reece at the time. The expectation was Kennedy was going to clean house and bring a set of fresh faces to his part of the Philadelphia market.
Kennedy fooled us. He did not clean house, and he did not go afield to find the replacements for May and Orr. Instead, he tapped the popular but seemingly entrenched morning anchor, Ukee Washington, to preside over critical “Eyewitness News” programs at 5, 6, and 11 p.m., where Jessica Dean was retained as his mikemate and sidekick.
This was a bigger transition than it seemed. It jeopardized two shows. As competent as Erika von Tiehl is, Ukee was the driving force of the morning program, just as Matt O’Donnell is at Channel 6 and Mike Jerrick is at Channel 29. Without Ukee, the heart and soul of the dawn broadcast was gone.
Or was it? Nicole Brewer stepped in admirably and kept the morning show solid, Von Tiehl showed more sides of her personality. Katie Fehlinger would be on maternity leave, but the weather forecasts continued in good stead, and the morning show seemed to retain its quality and core.
Now to the bigger risk, the primetime shows, the money shows, the signature shows that determine how a local television station is judged.
Ukee had been on primetime, even as an anchor. His move from sports to news was made to give Ukee an anchor berth (no pun intended).
Channel 3, at some earlier point, saw more potential in Ukee than he could realize as a sports director. He had more audience appeal. Research and instinct bore that out.
Research was also given as the reason May, Orr, and Reece were released. Channel 3’s ratings numbers were flat and uncompetitive at 5, 6, and 11. Something had to be done.
Kennedy decided his morning anchor would be embraced by primetime viewers.
For Ukee, that meant an adjustment. First of all, he had to abandon a long routine of being in bed by 8 p.m., waking at 2 a.m. in Delaware, and being on the air by 4:30 in Philly. Second, he had to adapt his presentation to the different time slot. A morning anchor is a congenial greeter, the first friend you hear from on a given day. He can be loose and make side comments. He can break from news mode and be light or even silly. (Catch O’Donnell’s Harrison Ford-approved imitation of Chewbacca the Wookie.) A primetime anchor need gravitas and can be personable, as Jim Gardner proves, but has first to be authoritative and credible.
Authority and credibility are part of Ukee Washington. It’s the entertainer he would have to control — no Wookie imitations or bursting into song that a morning anchor can get away with.
To be frank, Ukee stiffened during his first 11 p.m. broadcasts. He soon reverted to the Ukee we know and was fine.
Now to the ultimate test. Kennedy obviously thought Ukee could raise Channel 3’s ratings for primetime shows. Could he? The answer is yes. Ratings champ Channel 6 is not exactly quaking in its boots, but Channel 3 has seen significant increase in its ratings at 5 and 6 p.m.
Think about that. Morning audiences might not always coincide with 11 p.m. viewers. Sleep beckons early risers. Those 6 a.m. viewers probably do come home at to the television by 6 p.m. Who do they see? Their good friend, Ukee Washing ton.
Ukee is a good friend to the Philadelphia television audience and the community in general. His good works off the camera and away from all publicity speak to the quality of this man.
He also aced his transition and fulfilled his ratings mission.
For that, Ulysses “Ukee” Washington is the Most Valuable Player, again, for 2015.