In light of CNN’s dismissal of Chris Cuomo as anchor of its keystone 9 p.m. program, Doylestown native and Ardmore-based Sirius XM talk host Michael Smerconish fills in this week, starting Dec. 6, at the helm of the primetime slot.
It is not Smerconish’s first time in the anchor chair. He has regularly sat in during Cuomo absences and vacations. He is the first selected to appear in a significant anchor role that is now open for the filling.
Cuomo was suspended from his long-time post for allegedly aiding his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, as he fought allegations of sexual misconduct that he denies but which drove him from office in August. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper extended his 8 p.m. anchor duties to take Chris Cuomo’s place last week.
Even though Smerconish has a history of filling in for Cuomo, one can’t help thinking he or anyone who subs at 9 p.m. is auditioning for the main job.
Smerconish’s career has primarily been rooted in radio. His Sirius program, heard on the POTUS Network, would continue to be the first listing on a current Smerconish resumé even though he is host of an hourlong Saturday morning show on CNN, appears constantly as an expert commentator or guest, and is the author of several best-selling books.
All while keeping an association with a local law firm, Kline and Specter.
Radio is also where Smerconish began. He started that segment of his career at the bygone WWDB-FM, once of the home of Philadelphia talk, before he moved to WPHT (1210 AM), the current champion of local talk, and rose to host in major time slots and build a strong following.
Television became part of Smerconish’s routine when he was tapped for political comments and eventually became a regular panelist on Channel 6’s “Inside Story” and the late Comcast Network (and CN8)’s “It’s Your Call with Lynn Doyle.” Those appearances were parlayed into national TV nods, first on MSNBC, where Smerconish often sat in for fellow Philadelphian, Chris Matthews, and later on CNN, where Smerconish says he felt more at home became of CNN’s neutrality compared to MSNBC and the Fox News Channel.
Smerconish’s personal neutrality set him apart from many radio talk hosts. Throughout his career, one of Smerconish’s claims to fame was his ability to conduct conversations with people of all political stripes. He disagreed and admonished less temperamentally that most, or any, of his colleagues and let guests and callers have their say before he weighed in with his thoughts, always considered and obviously based on his study and not on prevailing partisan whims.
That didn’t mean Smerconish was not partisan. For most of his early career, he could be expected to take conservative stances and favor Republican policy and candidates.
That changed drastically and controversially in October 2008 when, to the almost stupefaction of his WPHT and nationally syndicated audience, including this member of it, Smerconish endorsed Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. At the time, he linked his backing to the failure of the George W. Bush administration to forge a decisive victory in Iraq and Afghanistan or to capture Al Qaeda head Osama bin Laden.
From that time on, Smerconish did not become liberal but took a middle-of-the-road approach, eschewing extremes on both sides of today’s sharply drawn political aisle and worked toward finding common ground and workable approaches. His theme song, and the title of one his recent books, comes from the Stealers Wheel pop music hit, “Stuck in the Middle With You.” Specifically, Smerconish uses the bridge, “Clowns to left to me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck…..”
Smerconish is so far booked to replace Cuomo for this week. We’ll have to stay tuned to find out CNN’s ultimate disposition of its 9 p.m. slot.
Big losses in entertainment world
Last week was a sad one in the cultural world in general and in local broadcasting, which lost three stalwarts in a matter of days.On the international scale, the music and theater communities mourn the passing of possibly the greatest light classical composer of a generation, Stephen Sondheim, who died on November 26 at age 91.
Sondheim did not write much for television, but his works, such as “Company,” Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Into the Woods,” and “Sunday in the Park with George” has been staples on PBS’s “Great Performances” and other programs. In 1966, he wrote an entire musical, “Evening Primrose” for an ABC anthology series. The work is not remembered as much as Sondheim’s Broadway efforts, but it contained two songs that remain timeless among Sondheim fans, “I Remember” and “Take Me to the World.”
The Sondheim legacy will be one of music ever after. Later this week, the second film version of his 1957 work with Leonard Bernstein, “West Side Story,” makes its debut of theater screens.
Another theater loss is Antony Sher, who is known more for his stage work in Britain, and for film roles in “Shakespeare in Love” and “Mrs. Brown” that for anything on television.
Eddie Mekka’s career tells the opposite story. Although Mr. Mekka appeared frequently on stage, particular at New Hope’s Bucks County Playhouse, he will be everlastingly known his role as Carmine in the ABC series, “Laverne and Shirley,” a program that can be seen on several TV rerun networks.
Mekka passed last week at age 69.
While the first three reported deaths have broader status, three local passings are, perhaps, more devastating to people in the Philadelphia broadcast community, especially since they involve two revered figures in the radio and music business dying on the same day and a loving husband and wife dying two days apart.
Kal Rudman was a towering figure in many ways. He befriended many with open arms and unending generosity that asked for nothing but kindness in return.
Rudman, who passed at age 91 following a long illness, was a special education teacher in Bucks County when he realized he had a knack for predicting which songs, or recordings, would be popular. This led to him publishing a weekly sheet of songs on the way up called “Friday Morning Quarterback.”
It started in Mr. Rudman’s basement and quickly became a must-have, must-read to everyone in the music industry. It also led to a editing post at the music world’s influential “Billboard.”
“Friday Morning Quarterback” became an industry Bible. It was wildly successful and catapulted Mr. Rudman from being a teacher to becoming a large wheel in pop music.
Even as his national fame and success spread, Rudman stayed loyal to his Philadelphia roots, living in South Jersey, with his wife, Lucille, doing some local broadcasting on WCAM and other stations, boosting local sports teams, and being a generous philanthropist, to both his high alma mater, Central High, and to various broadcast and music entities, such as a high school in Delaware County and the TV and Film department of Temple University.
Lucille Rudman was always a willing, gracious, and popular partner to her outgoing husband. In addition to being Kal’s wife for more than 50 years, she was his co-teacher in the special ed days and shared in his philanthropic efforts.
Rarely did you see Kal without Lucille. In addition to many industry functions, I used to relish my frequent encounters with the Rudmans at a Cherry Hill Wegman’s where somehow we always managed to shop on the same day and worried our food would lose its refrigeration once we began talking. Conversation also flowed at several impromptu calls to meet Kal and Lucille for dinner, usually in Philadelphia’s Chinatown.
Lucille nursed Kal through his illness. She personally called several people to inform them of his death.
Kal died last Tuesday. Lucille, also age 91, passed away on Thursday.
On the same day Rudman died, a longtime figure in local broadcasting, one who gave their start to many in radio, Pat Delsi, also passed, at age 86.
Delsi was an historical fixture at WCAM and WSSJ, where he presided over an array of broadcast styles and formats and kept a keen eye out for talented people to succeed him in broadcasting.
He was a natural leader who was a former president of both the Philadelphia Press Association and Chairman of the New Jersey Broadcast Association.
I will remember Pat as an engaging conversationalist, always interested in what a person was doing and ready to share a wealth of anecdotes and advise.
‘Annie Live!’ was great
Irony. Irony. Irony.
I was right to predict that “Annie Live!” would break the curse that seems to have place on Broadway musical subjected to live performance on television.
Not only did NBC do a great job with the 44-year-old classic and lasting favorite, but it proved television can handle a big show without going overboard, employing bizarre camera angles and non-theatrical directorial choices, or making the scenery and technical effects as important as the show.
Taraji P. Henson and Tituss Burgess showed their abilities to play any role. Harry Connick, Jr. was charming and more New York than most Daddy Warbucks. Nicole Scherzinger was lovely as my favorite character (no surprise to anyone who knows me) Grace Farrell. Megan Hilty brought Broadway brightness to her role as Burgess’s sidekick. Jeff Kready was a great Bert Healy. Celina Smith was a game and loveable Annie, sometimes pitchy in her vocals but fine in dramatic scenes and always ready to belt out a second verse.
The irony is this best of TV musical efforts scored the lowest ratings on any show of its kind. The NFL game between two teams that have fans throughout America, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints, claimed a large portion of last Thursday’s audience.
Sports vs. theater, you know which always wins that contest.
Nevertheless, “Annie Live!” attracted 5 million people and set both a pattern and a standard other live musicals, particularly on NBC, can follow.
Neal Zoren’s television column appears every Monday.
