Pittsburgh Media 2020: Wendy Bell Leaves KDKA, P-G Scandal & More

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pittsburgh TV, radio and newspaper industries experienced a noteworthy year in 2020, and not just because of their coverage and comments regarding the coronavirus outbreaks. Unanticipated firings, a sexual harassment scandal and a TV reporter suing his former station were among the year's more eyebrow-raising events.

Perhaps generating the most coverage locally this year was KDKA-AM parting ways with controversial conservative talk show host Wendy Bell. The former WTAE-TV news anchor was taken off the air in September after she suggested park rangers should shoot people who vandalize monuments honoring historical figures.

In October, KDKA announced that Bell would not be returning to the station. Earlier this month, the station announced that former KDKA-TV anchor Rick Dayton would take over Bell's time slot.

Perhaps generating the most coverage nationally was a sexual harassment scandal involving the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . A lengthy article in The New York times this month detailed how former PG-reporter Pittsburgh Newspaper Guild head Michael Fuoco got a 22-year-old college student pregnant. It also featured on-the-record comments from former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette female reporters who spoke on his alleged proclivity for sexual harassment and a culture at the P-G that seemingly enabled such behavior.

In other developments:

• Former KDKA-TV reporter Dave Crawley filed a lawsuit against the station and parent company CBS alleging age discrimination and retaliation. It was the second lawsuit Crawley has filed related to injuries he suffered in 2017 at the Three Rivers Regatta after plunging into the Allegheny River while doing a story on the Red Bull Flugtag event.
• Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers radio announcer Bill Hillgrove was suspended by both teams for two games following a DUI incident.
• WPXI reporter Cara Sapida announced she was battling breast cancer.
• Longtime Pittsburgh radio personality Eddy Crow became the host of a morning talk show in WBVP-AM and WMBA-FM, both in Beaver Falls.
• Kevin Battle joined the KDKA-AM morning show as Larry Richert's co-host.

In addition to her daily show on 96.1 FM (WKST-FM), Tall Cathy became the midday host at 3WS.

On-air departures

• Lisa Washington, KDKA-TV anchor.
• Sherri Van Dyke, 3WS midday host.
• Cris Winter, WSHH-FM morning host.
• Susan Koeppen and Rick Dayton, KDKA-TV news anchors.

Retirements

• Peggy Finnigan, WPXI anchor.
• Brenda Waters, KDKA-TV reporter.
• Bob Allen, KDKA-TV reporter.
• Joe DeStio, KDKA-AM news anchor.
• "Banana" Don Jefferson, former B-94 morning host.

In memoriam

• Jack Wheeler, former KDKA-AM talk show host.
• Eleanor Schano, pioneering Pittsburgh broadcaster.
• Stephen Chatman, former WYEP-FM host.
• Bob Harvey, former KQV-AM on-air personality.
• Bob Bartolomeo, former KQV-AM on-air personality.

Additionally, the in-laws of WPXI anchor David Johnson both died of cororavirus complications.