What kind of news watcher are you?

Name these local TV personalities of the past and present.

Published December 26, 2002, in issue #47 of the Hook

BY J. ARGUS HUBER

1) This early-morning news gal pronounced lingerie as "linger-e," and fall foliage as "fall foy-ledge," much to the chagrin of weatherman "Stormin' Norman" Sprouse.

2) She did the 11 o'clock news without a co-anchor for at least seven years (perhaps a record), before moving on to a corporate communications job at Circuit City.

3) He used to do the noon news with Robert Van Winkle way back in the early '90s. Left to go to Missouri, and now he's b-a-a-c-k-k-k and working at WVPT-Public Television.

4) This politically savvy and suave newsman is now wowing viewers on C-span weekends with a national telephone call-in show.

5) Way, way back in the day when WVIR news was in its infancy, this golden-voiced morning-radio man did local TV news.

6) Lucky Steve Smallshaw married this beloved lovely lady anchor, and she went with him to attract more adoring fans to a Lynchburg radio station.

7) Used to be something of a redhead. Now a glorious blond in a nifty pageboy. A graduate of Syracuse U. Now with a new stylish wardrobe, we wonder how long it will be before she's snapped up by a station in a major metropolitan market.

8) This 5 o'clock news gal and UVA grad is destined to someday become the "grand dame" of local newscasters. Reason? Her hubby has a very successful local retail business, which most likely will keep her here forever.

9) He used to be sportscaster, then became Channel 29's sports director. Went bye-bye to South Carolina. Now back as City Communications Director.

10) He preceded the gentleman above as sports director. Noted for his outrageous sarcasm. Asked by anchor Mary Spencer if 245-pound baseball slugger Cecil Fielder was the biggest player in the major leagues, he responded, "No only certain parts of him are."

Answers:

1) Beth Pugh

2) Elizabeth Hewlett

3) Rex Hodge

4) Pedro Echavaria

5) Dick Mountjoy

6) Mary White

7) Lori Lichorobic

8) Linda Thomas

9) Maurice Jones

10) Todd Hawkins

SCORING:

10 correct answers: Get a life! You watch too much TV news. To conquer your habit, read at least one local weekly preferably this one.

8-9 correct: You are a trivia phenom! Why, you may even rival WINA Radio's Chris Callahan as a local minutiae master.

6-7 correct: You are probably a professional shut-in who gets away from watching TV only to go to the supermarket or to go bowling.

4-5 correct: You are alive and statistically quite average. You are probably a Democrat, have a household income of $33,000 a year, are married and have 2.3 children, plus a big mortgage. The lady-of-the-house probably drives a minivan or an old beat-up Volvo wagon.

2-3 correct: You are new to the area. Or you've been here five years and still pronounce Rio Road as "Ree-oh."

One correct: You spend most of your time prowling the Downtown Mall or attending UVA fraternity parties, and you think Dave Cupp is something you drink out of at Starbuck's.

Zero correct: You live in West Virginia. You have never left and never will.

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