Chronicle (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Chronicle is a newsmagazine
show produced at two Hearst Television-owned New England
television stations, WCVB-TV
Ch. 5 in Boston
and WMUR-TV
Ch. 9 in Manchester, New Hampshire
. It airs weeknights at 7:30 PM on both stations, offering an informative lifestyle, cultural, and news-related magazine format, most often covering a single topic per broadcast.
The introductions of each segment and of the program itself are live portions of Chronicle, while on-location material is pre-taped. On October 25, 2006, the WCVB Boston edition of Chronicle began broadcasting in HDTV, converting all story segments to letterbox format. There is no word yet as to whether the WMUR New Hampshire edition will follow suit.
On the Road On the Road is practically an offshoot of Main Streets & Back Roads, with Peter Mehegan driving his Chevy Impala to different locations in Maine. Wherever he travels, Peter meets up with interesting people, looks in local issue—and collects stunning scenery from the area.
economy. His stories have ranged from the “Great Comeback” of 1984-85, through the stock market crash (1987) to the recession of the early 1990s and its subsequent recovery ("the dot com boom"). Chuck Kraemer, of NewsCenter 5, was an on-location correspondent from time to time. On January 28, 2011, NewsCenter 5 EyeOpener anchor Bianca de la Garza cohosted and was also featured in a segment with Professor Lyrical, a master hip-hop rapper and adjunct professor at Northeastern University. Liz Brunner, who was on Chronicles regular reporting staff from 1993 through 2002, has returned to be a frequent contributor as well.
, which, by the early 1980s, was considered by the New York Times to be the best TV station in the country. Up to that time, WCVB produced more local shows than any other network affiliate. Many of the programs received national attention or pickup. Seeing how well their other public affairs and talk programs were doing, management decided that the market was ripe for a five-days-a-week competitor to WBZ-TV
's Evening Magazine
. The new program, with proposed titles including OnLine, Prime Access, Tuning In, Close Up and 5 to You, was to follow the Evening Magazine format; a 30 minute newsmagazine covering a variety of different topics per night, ranging from arts & entertainment to human interest stories.
Chronicle was structured this way when it premiered on Monday, January 25, 1982, at 7:30 PM. Hosted by chief NewsCenter 5 anchor Chet Curtis
, with Donna Downes and Jeanne Blake, the program covered four unrelated topics with local appeal. Among the segments in the premiere was wintertime in Cape Cod
and funny pet tricks. Almost immediately, reviews for Chronicle were mixed. Some thought WCVB's effort to have an Evening of their own paid off and had potential, while one reviewer went so far as to blast the show by comparing it to 60 Minutes
. The review read, "If Mike Wallace
had watched the first 10 Chronicle shows, he would sue the producers for defamation of character, because Chronicle is a "dog-and-pony" show compared with 60 Minutes." Undaunted, the producers went along and continued running the mixed bag of stories until a few months into the show. Possibly due to marginal ratings, if not anything else, Chronicle began to evolve into its current form, a newsmagazine that tackles one single topic per night. The new, longer segment style, including topics listed above, gradually built a substantial audience.
As the producers found the formula that worked, there was a certain turnover of Chronicles on-air staff in the early years. In the fall of 1982, Chet Curtis left the program, and was replaced by new lead anchor/reporter Peter Mehegan. Jeanne Blake would stay on as lead female anchor as well as a reporter, but Donna Downes would depart in 1983. Another original regular, contributor Arnie Reisman, hosted an Andy Rooney-like closing segment that poked fun at life's little foibles. When the show underwent an early revamp beginning in the fall of 1982, Reisman was gone, replaced by Tony Kahn
, who then did similar closing segments. As main Chronicle segments became more involved due to the single-topic format, Kahn and his social commentary segment became occasional until they were phased out entirely in 1985 (WCVB would subsequently produce a number of primetime specials featuring Kahn, which were extended versions of this social commentary segment). However, it was correspondent/contributor Mike Barnicle
, a columnist who had stints at both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald
, who remained in the long run. Known for his hard-biting, "to the point" commentary and unique outlook on whatever story he's covering, Barnicle remained a fixture for many years.
) at 7:30 weeknights. On the heels of its success came the introduction of special continuing segment series within-the-show. The first, and ultimately most successful was Main Streets & Back Roads, which first aired July 8, 1983. The inaugural edition, with Jeanne Blake on location, was about Mystic, Connecticut.
More on-air talent arrived just as the show was reaching new heights of success; the year 1984 saw a significant change in personnel. First, Jeanne Blake announced her decision to leave WCVB for rival WBZ, and was replaced by another NewsCenter 5 anchor, Mary Richardson. Andria Hall, a new correspondent, joined in 1985, and within a few years she would also serve as fill-in anchor. Richardson, who had been anchoring weekday afternoon and weekend news for WCVB since 1980, joined Peter Mehegan, also a NewsCenter 5 emigre. In time, Richardson and Mehegan became just as dependable and recognizable as the leading NC5 team of Natalie Jacobson
and Chet Curtis. Of course, unlike Curtis during his several months on Chronicle in 1982, both Mehegan and Richardson never returned to NewsCenter 5.
V4 in their backyard garage after inheriting it from an aunt. Rather than have the car decay and get hidden by all the weeds growing in the garage, Peter set about to get it restored, hiring auto body specialists that spent months bringing "the old Chevy" back to life. After a complete overhaul and new engine, Peter decided to share the project in a Main Streets segment, and then took it out for a spin to the show's next destination. Peter fell in love with the Chevy so much that he kept it as the principal vehicle for all Main Streets & Back Roads and On the Road trips. For nearly two decades, through many states and countless miles, the Chevy has been Peter's loyal companion and an institution for viewers.
) cable network, and later had selected runs on the Travel Channel
.
Chronicle won the first of its two duPont-Columbia Awards in 1992. Into the early '90s, the roster of talent remained stable. No further changes occurred on the program until February 1993, when Andria Hall announced her departure. Hall had been chosen to anchor Front Page, a prime-time newsmagazine for the Fox
network. In early March, Hall signed off from Chronicle, and arriving soon after in her place was new reporter Liz Brunner. Brunner, like Hall, became a substitute anchor for Mehegan and/or Richardson whenever she was needed. With Brunner now an official member of the Chronicle family, the role of periodic contributor went to Ted Reinstein, a young Boston-based theatre actor who hosted the Hearst-produced Discover New England, specials which WCVB aired once a month in Chronicles time slot. The new reporters added their own experiences and point of view, sometimes being the subject of stories themselves.
In the fall of 1995, as Chronicle introduced yet another new graphic look and theme song, the show launched a popular ad campaign using the slogan “News You Can Use” (with the lyrics "Chronicle has got the news, the news you can use!"). The melody, developed as a generic tune at Gari Communications with vocals partially supplied by singer-songwriter
Jake Holmes
, was also in use (with different lyrics) at other stations. While this Chronicle campaign lasted a couple of years, the instrumental version of "News You Can Use" (in a different arrangement than what was used in promos) became the new theme song, which remained unchanged from its debut in November 1995 until its retirement in March 2008. This Chronicle theme has the distinction of lasting longer than the NewsCenter 5 theme package that was introduced at the same time (Image News, by Gari Communications, which ran 1995-2003). Since March 2008, an instrumental soft-rock tune, dominated by piano, has been used as the theme music.
Meanwhile, NewsCenter 5 lead anchor Anthony Everett
, who had often been a Chronicle substitute anchor in 2005, was slated to be interim male anchor until the producers found a replacement for Mehegan. After deciding that the person to fill Peter’s shoes needed to be a veteran of WCVB with a strong viewer connection, management let Everett stay as full-time anchor alongside Mary Richardson. He continued his role as lead anchor on NewsCenter 5 while anchoring Chronicle, which in a sense brings the program full circle. Chet Curtis, who had been replaced by Everett at the news department when he defected to NECN
in 2000, was the last lead anchor to hold the distinction of anchoring both Chronicle and NewsCenter 5 at the same time. Liz Brunner was the only non-lead anchor to do both the news and Chronicle simultaneously; in 1995, two years after going full time on Chronicle, she began co-anchoring NewsCenter 5s early morning EyeOpener newscast (Brunner was replaced in 2000 by Heather Unruh).
With the new anchor team in place, Chronicle went several more months will a smaller group of regulars. In April 2006, new talent finally arrived; reporter Shayna Seymour was hired away from ABC affiliate WGGB-TV
in Springfield, Massachusetts
. Seymour currently covers general interest stories, but has also garnered a producer credit.
As of March 26, 2007, Anthony Everett's total weekday airtime on WCVB became exclusively on Chronicle. In the time since Everett became a full-fledged member of the Chronicle team, it was station management's plan to phase him out of his demanding news duties and have him focus solely on Chronicle. This way, he could better display his talents and versatility within the newsmagazine format. Like Peter Mehegan before him, left a permanent anchor post at NewsCenter 5. His position was filled by Ed Harding
, who thus became WCVB's new lead anchor beside Natalie Jacobson
(before Jacobson retired from her post in July 2007). Harding immediately took Everett's place while meteorologist David Brown became Harding's replacement on the EyeOpener newscast. Currently, the EyeOpener is anchored by WFXT
alum Bianca de la Garza and WHDH
refugee Randy Price
(Brown has since become a fill-in meteorologist, working in various dayparts).
On March 25, 2010, it was announced that after 26 years, Mary Richardson would leave Chronicle and WCVB on May 21, 2010.http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/mediaBiz/?p=975&srvc=home&position=recent After her finale aired on that date, Everett began anchoring the show alone.
Ch. 9 the previous December, a second local edition of Chronicle premiered. Titled New Hampshire Chronicle, as a co-production between WMUR and originator WCVB, it was basically the same show and format, only tailor-made for New Hampshire-area viewers. The unique lifestyles, inspirational stories, flavor and quirks of the Granite State are all featured weeknights. The program is currently anchored by lead WMUR News 9 anchors Tom Griffith and Tiffany Eddy, who also serve as contributors. WMUR anchor Sean McDonald
sometimes fills in for Griffith. Another regular is Fritz Wetherbee
, a legendary local storyteller who puts topics in his own perspective, and shares his own stories with the home viewer. Recently, an expanded group of reporters have been added to the show including veteran NH producers Jennifer Crompton and Cindy Jones.
New Hampshire Chronicle has won numerous New England Emmys.
Company (with facilities based in Arlington, Massachusetts
) introduced a special new flavor in honor of the show. Called "Chronicle Coffee Crunch", it was coffee ice cream loaded with chocolate-covered espresso
pieces and nuggets of chocolate-covered honeycomb
. The new Brigham's flavor was briefly mentioned in the hour-long anniversary special that aired Monday, January 22, 2007. Proceeds from the product's sales went to benefit many New England-area charities. For several months following the anniversary, Brigham's Chronicle Coffee Crunch was available in many New England supermarket locations, as well at remaining Brigham's restaurants.
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
show produced at two Hearst Television-owned New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
television stations, WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV
WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
Ch. 5 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and WMUR-TV
WMUR-TV
WMUR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the state of New Hampshire that is licensed to Manchester. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter on the south peak of Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios...
Ch. 9 in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
. It airs weeknights at 7:30 PM on both stations, offering an informative lifestyle, cultural, and news-related magazine format, most often covering a single topic per broadcast.
The introductions of each segment and of the program itself are live portions of Chronicle, while on-location material is pre-taped. On October 25, 2006, the WCVB Boston edition of Chronicle began broadcasting in HDTV, converting all story segments to letterbox format. There is no word yet as to whether the WMUR New Hampshire edition will follow suit.
Synopsis
Many of the stories on Chronicle involve those that are of interest to New Englanders, from landmarks, vacation getaways, and the fine arts, to inspiring stories of people who overcame adversity, made an important contribution to society or, those who are currently in the news. However, Chronicle tends to avoid sensational tabloid topics and, since day one, has never underestimated the intellect of its audience. The program has been highly regarded for most of its years, and its long-running segment series, most notably The Main Streets & Back Roads, have become institutions.Main Streets & Back Roads
Main Streets & Back Roads is Chronicles longest-lasting segment series; it gives New Englanders a view of a different quaint, rural town from around the region in each installment. Interviews with residents, business owners, and anyone else who has significance to the location are featured. Often, the basic lifestyles of the area are covered, but sometimes the legends or famous myths of the city or town are investigated.Special topics
The program's segment series are not the only attraction. Other general subjects have included people diagnosed with rare forms of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. The early stages, treatment, and the effects their illnesses have on their overall life and mental well-being are all depicted. Similar stories even follow people, young or old, who had been unfortunate victims to life-threatening accidents, who survived and now had to deal with permanent handicaps or altered appearances. While these stories are in no way meant to depress the viewers, they often do not flinch from their subjects' grim realities; at the same time, they educate and inspire the audience. Certain people who have been profiled over the years have connected with viewers to indirectly teach lessons about the human spirit.Pop Chron
Chronicle has a few other continuing segment series running besides the venerable Main Streets & Back Roads. A monthly continuing segment was Pop Chron, an episode devoted to scoping the latest happenings in pop culture, from the fine arts to movies, TV, literature, fashion, music and more. Nearly all Chronicle regulars have been involved with Pop Chron since its inception in 1997.On the Road On the Road is practically an offshoot of Main Streets & Back Roads, with Peter Mehegan driving his Chevy Impala to different locations in Maine. Wherever he travels, Peter meets up with interesting people, looks in local issue—and collects stunning scenery from the area.
Guest contributors
Guest contributors over the years, mostly on-air talent from NewsCenter 5 and other WCVB programs, have included financial reporter/analyst Mark Mills, who contributed to stories involving the MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
economy. His stories have ranged from the “Great Comeback” of 1984-85, through the stock market crash (1987) to the recession of the early 1990s and its subsequent recovery ("the dot com boom"). Chuck Kraemer, of NewsCenter 5, was an on-location correspondent from time to time. On January 28, 2011, NewsCenter 5 EyeOpener anchor Bianca de la Garza cohosted and was also featured in a segment with Professor Lyrical, a master hip-hop rapper and adjunct professor at Northeastern University. Liz Brunner, who was on Chronicles regular reporting staff from 1993 through 2002, has returned to be a frequent contributor as well.
Development and original format
Chronicle was conceived as the latest in a long line of original local programming produced by WCVB-TVWCVB-TV
WCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
, which, by the early 1980s, was considered by the New York Times to be the best TV station in the country. Up to that time, WCVB produced more local shows than any other network affiliate. Many of the programs received national attention or pickup. Seeing how well their other public affairs and talk programs were doing, management decided that the market was ripe for a five-days-a-week competitor to WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
's Evening Magazine
Evening Magazine
Evening Magazine is the name of various news and entertainment style local television shows in different markets.-The original concept:...
. The new program, with proposed titles including OnLine, Prime Access, Tuning In, Close Up and 5 to You, was to follow the Evening Magazine format; a 30 minute newsmagazine covering a variety of different topics per night, ranging from arts & entertainment to human interest stories.
Chronicle was structured this way when it premiered on Monday, January 25, 1982, at 7:30 PM. Hosted by chief NewsCenter 5 anchor Chet Curtis
Chet Curtis
Chet Curtis is best known as the former husband and co-anchor of Natalie Jacobson, both Boston newscasters.Chet Curtis is a primetime anchor at NECN. He anchors The Chet Curtis Report and co-anchors New England Business Day. Before joining NECN in the spring of 2001, Curtis was an anchor and...
, with Donna Downes and Jeanne Blake, the program covered four unrelated topics with local appeal. Among the segments in the premiere was wintertime in Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
and funny pet tricks. Almost immediately, reviews for Chronicle were mixed. Some thought WCVB's effort to have an Evening of their own paid off and had potential, while one reviewer went so far as to blast the show by comparing it to 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. The review read, "If Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
had watched the first 10 Chronicle shows, he would sue the producers for defamation of character, because Chronicle is a "dog-and-pony" show compared with 60 Minutes." Undaunted, the producers went along and continued running the mixed bag of stories until a few months into the show. Possibly due to marginal ratings, if not anything else, Chronicle began to evolve into its current form, a newsmagazine that tackles one single topic per night. The new, longer segment style, including topics listed above, gradually built a substantial audience.
As the producers found the formula that worked, there was a certain turnover of Chronicles on-air staff in the early years. In the fall of 1982, Chet Curtis left the program, and was replaced by new lead anchor/reporter Peter Mehegan. Jeanne Blake would stay on as lead female anchor as well as a reporter, but Donna Downes would depart in 1983. Another original regular, contributor Arnie Reisman, hosted an Andy Rooney-like closing segment that poked fun at life's little foibles. When the show underwent an early revamp beginning in the fall of 1982, Reisman was gone, replaced by Tony Kahn
Tony Kahn
Tony Kahn is an American award-winning broadcaster, published author, scholar and son of the blacklisted screenwriter Gordon Kahn.- Life :Kahn grew up in Los Angeles, the son of Hollywood screenwriter Gordon Kahn and Barbara Brodie Kahn. He joined his family in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where his father...
, who then did similar closing segments. As main Chronicle segments became more involved due to the single-topic format, Kahn and his social commentary segment became occasional until they were phased out entirely in 1985 (WCVB would subsequently produce a number of primetime specials featuring Kahn, which were extended versions of this social commentary segment). However, it was correspondent/contributor Mike Barnicle
Mike Barnicle
Michael "Mike" Barnicle is an award-winning American print and broadcast journalist as well as a social and political commentator. He is a frequent contributor and occasional guest host on MSNBC's Morning Joe and Hardball with Chris Matthews and is frequently seen on NBC's Today Show with...
, a columnist who had stints at both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
, who remained in the long run. Known for his hard-biting, "to the point" commentary and unique outlook on whatever story he's covering, Barnicle remained a fixture for many years.
Formula for success
As Chronicle flourished, it soon rose to the top of the ratings, beating out the array of competition (from off-network reruns, to Evening Magazine and Entertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
) at 7:30 weeknights. On the heels of its success came the introduction of special continuing segment series within-the-show. The first, and ultimately most successful was Main Streets & Back Roads, which first aired July 8, 1983. The inaugural edition, with Jeanne Blake on location, was about Mystic, Connecticut.
More on-air talent arrived just as the show was reaching new heights of success; the year 1984 saw a significant change in personnel. First, Jeanne Blake announced her decision to leave WCVB for rival WBZ, and was replaced by another NewsCenter 5 anchor, Mary Richardson. Andria Hall, a new correspondent, joined in 1985, and within a few years she would also serve as fill-in anchor. Richardson, who had been anchoring weekday afternoon and weekend news for WCVB since 1980, joined Peter Mehegan, also a NewsCenter 5 emigre. In time, Richardson and Mehegan became just as dependable and recognizable as the leading NC5 team of Natalie Jacobson
Natalie Jacobson
Natalie Jacobson was for a quarter-century a well-regarded and popular television newscaster with WCVB-TV in Boston, Massachusetts....
and Chet Curtis. Of course, unlike Curtis during his several months on Chronicle in 1982, both Mehegan and Richardson never returned to NewsCenter 5.
Peter Mehegan debuts "The Old Chevy"
In 1987, Mehegan introduced a tradition that to this day has become a symbol of this series. Mehegan and his wife kept a rotting, decrepit old 1969 Chevrolet ImpalaChevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
V4 in their backyard garage after inheriting it from an aunt. Rather than have the car decay and get hidden by all the weeds growing in the garage, Peter set about to get it restored, hiring auto body specialists that spent months bringing "the old Chevy" back to life. After a complete overhaul and new engine, Peter decided to share the project in a Main Streets segment, and then took it out for a spin to the show's next destination. Peter fell in love with the Chevy so much that he kept it as the principal vehicle for all Main Streets & Back Roads and On the Road trips. For nearly two decades, through many states and countless miles, the Chevy has been Peter's loyal companion and an institution for viewers.
Late 1980s/1990s
By the end of the decade, Chronicle had already won several New England Emmys and countless other accolades. Its critical acclaim got the show picked up for a few national runs, although on a limited basis. In the late 1980s, Chronicle was seen on Arts & Entertainment (A&EA&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
) cable network, and later had selected runs on the Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
.
Chronicle won the first of its two duPont-Columbia Awards in 1992. Into the early '90s, the roster of talent remained stable. No further changes occurred on the program until February 1993, when Andria Hall announced her departure. Hall had been chosen to anchor Front Page, a prime-time newsmagazine for the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network. In early March, Hall signed off from Chronicle, and arriving soon after in her place was new reporter Liz Brunner. Brunner, like Hall, became a substitute anchor for Mehegan and/or Richardson whenever she was needed. With Brunner now an official member of the Chronicle family, the role of periodic contributor went to Ted Reinstein, a young Boston-based theatre actor who hosted the Hearst-produced Discover New England, specials which WCVB aired once a month in Chronicles time slot. The new reporters added their own experiences and point of view, sometimes being the subject of stories themselves.
In the fall of 1995, as Chronicle introduced yet another new graphic look and theme song, the show launched a popular ad campaign using the slogan “News You Can Use” (with the lyrics "Chronicle has got the news, the news you can use!"). The melody, developed as a generic tune at Gari Communications with vocals partially supplied by singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s...
, was also in use (with different lyrics) at other stations. While this Chronicle campaign lasted a couple of years, the instrumental version of "News You Can Use" (in a different arrangement than what was used in promos) became the new theme song, which remained unchanged from its debut in November 1995 until its retirement in March 2008. This Chronicle theme has the distinction of lasting longer than the NewsCenter 5 theme package that was introduced at the same time (Image News, by Gari Communications, which ran 1995-2003). Since March 2008, an instrumental soft-rock tune, dominated by piano, has been used as the theme music.
The new millennium
Chronicles ability to maintain a stable roster of talent continued. After the permanent addition of Liz Brunner and Ted Reinstein, the team saw no more changes for the rest of the ‘90s. After 2000, there would be shakeups, as WCVB as a whole saw many prominent personalities leave the station or switch positions. With the departure of Heather Kahn from NewsCenter 5 in 2000, Liz Brunner expanded her news duties by taking over the 5:30pm position that Kahn had left. Later that same year, she also began co-anchoring the 11pm news. However, for a couple years more, she would occasionally still turn up on Chronicle. She would not have a permanent replacement until 2002, when Karen Holmes Ward, host of WCVB’s weekend public affairs show CityLine, assumed the position. Then in 2005, there were two farewells. That spring, after nearly 23 years with the program, Peter Mehegan announced he was stepping down as lead Chronicle anchor and correspondent, although he would still do periodic On the Road segments. Mehegan’s final telecast as a regular aired in September 2005. Shortly thereafter, Ward was dropped as a correspondent and fill-in anchor.Meanwhile, NewsCenter 5 lead anchor Anthony Everett
Anthony Everett
Anthony Everett is a news anchor for WCVB-TV, the ABC affiliate of Boston, Massachusetts.Since September 2005, Everett has been a co-host of the channel's news magazine Chronicle. Everett is a fill-in anchor of the channel's local news at 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:00PM and 11pm weekday newscasts...
, who had often been a Chronicle substitute anchor in 2005, was slated to be interim male anchor until the producers found a replacement for Mehegan. After deciding that the person to fill Peter’s shoes needed to be a veteran of WCVB with a strong viewer connection, management let Everett stay as full-time anchor alongside Mary Richardson. He continued his role as lead anchor on NewsCenter 5 while anchoring Chronicle, which in a sense brings the program full circle. Chet Curtis, who had been replaced by Everett at the news department when he defected to NECN
New England Cable News
New England Cable News is a regional 24-hour cable news television network owned and operated by NBCUniversal serving the New England region of the United States. It is very similar to CNN in structure and style, but focuses more on regional news. The channel is also similar to Northwest Cable...
in 2000, was the last lead anchor to hold the distinction of anchoring both Chronicle and NewsCenter 5 at the same time. Liz Brunner was the only non-lead anchor to do both the news and Chronicle simultaneously; in 1995, two years after going full time on Chronicle, she began co-anchoring NewsCenter 5s early morning EyeOpener newscast (Brunner was replaced in 2000 by Heather Unruh).
With the new anchor team in place, Chronicle went several more months will a smaller group of regulars. In April 2006, new talent finally arrived; reporter Shayna Seymour was hired away from ABC affiliate WGGB-TV
WGGB-TV
WGGB-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts licensed to Springfield. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter on Mount Tom in Holyoke. The station can also be seen on Charter and Comcast channel 4...
in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
. Seymour currently covers general interest stories, but has also garnered a producer credit.
As of March 26, 2007, Anthony Everett's total weekday airtime on WCVB became exclusively on Chronicle. In the time since Everett became a full-fledged member of the Chronicle team, it was station management's plan to phase him out of his demanding news duties and have him focus solely on Chronicle. This way, he could better display his talents and versatility within the newsmagazine format. Like Peter Mehegan before him, left a permanent anchor post at NewsCenter 5. His position was filled by Ed Harding
Ed Harding
Ed Harding is the principal anchor on WCVB-TV in Boston, anchoring the 5, 6, and 11 PM editions of NewsCenter 5. He is a native of Newton, Massachusetts and lives in Wellesley with his wife and two children...
, who thus became WCVB's new lead anchor beside Natalie Jacobson
Natalie Jacobson
Natalie Jacobson was for a quarter-century a well-regarded and popular television newscaster with WCVB-TV in Boston, Massachusetts....
(before Jacobson retired from her post in July 2007). Harding immediately took Everett's place while meteorologist David Brown became Harding's replacement on the EyeOpener newscast. Currently, the EyeOpener is anchored by WFXT
WFXT
WFXT is a television station owned and operated by the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station's studio and office facility is in Dedham, Massachusetts, and its transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts...
alum Bianca de la Garza and WHDH
WHDH
The call letters WHDH may represent:* WHDH : a television station in Boston, Massachusetts that currently exists...
refugee Randy Price
Randy Price
Randy Price is a television newscaster with WCVB-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, after being the lead anchor at WHDH-TV from 1998 to 2009. He is considered the U.S.'s first openly gay newscaster....
(Brown has since become a fill-in meteorologist, working in various dayparts).
On March 25, 2010, it was announced that after 26 years, Mary Richardson would leave Chronicle and WCVB on May 21, 2010.http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/news/mediaBiz/?p=975&srvc=home&position=recent After her finale aired on that date, Everett began anchoring the show alone.
The expansion: New Hampshire Chronicle
In September 2001, following Hearst-Argyle's purchase of Manchester, NH ABC affiliate WMUR-TVWMUR-TV
WMUR-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for the state of New Hampshire that is licensed to Manchester. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 9 from a transmitter on the south peak of Mount Uncanoonuc in Goffstown. Owned by Hearst Television, the station has studios...
Ch. 9 the previous December, a second local edition of Chronicle premiered. Titled New Hampshire Chronicle, as a co-production between WMUR and originator WCVB, it was basically the same show and format, only tailor-made for New Hampshire-area viewers. The unique lifestyles, inspirational stories, flavor and quirks of the Granite State are all featured weeknights. The program is currently anchored by lead WMUR News 9 anchors Tom Griffith and Tiffany Eddy, who also serve as contributors. WMUR anchor Sean McDonald
Sean McDonald
Sean McDonald is Executive Editor and Vice President of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.Authors he has edited include Sloane Crosley, Junot Díaz, Nuruddin Farah, James Frey, Gorillaz, Aleksandar Hemon, John Hodgman, Steven Berlin Johnson, Walter Mosley, Tyler Perry, Erik Reece, David Rees, the RZA,...
sometimes fills in for Griffith. Another regular is Fritz Wetherbee
Fritz Wetherbee
Fred "Fritz" Wetherbee is a New Hampshire writer, and television host. Fritz has been honored with five Emmy Awards. He was born July 3, 1936, and named for his grandfather Fred Minot Wetherbee II. For 10 years he was news director and general manager of radio stations WSCV/WSLE-FM in Peterborough...
, a legendary local storyteller who puts topics in his own perspective, and shares his own stories with the home viewer. Recently, an expanded group of reporters have been added to the show including veteran NH producers Jennifer Crompton and Cindy Jones.
New Hampshire Chronicle has won numerous New England Emmys.
Chronicle immortalized for its 25th anniversary
For Chronicle's 25th anniversary on January 25, 2007, the Brigham's Ice CreamBrigham's Ice Cream
Brigham's Ice Cream is an ice cream manufacturer and franchised restaurants. Brigham's is sold in quart cartons throughout New England, and served at franchised restaurants located in Massachusetts. It was founded in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts. Since the purchase by HP Hood, its offices are...
Company (with facilities based in Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington, Massachusetts
Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, six miles northwest of Boston. The population was 42,844 at the 2010 census.-History:...
) introduced a special new flavor in honor of the show. Called "Chronicle Coffee Crunch", it was coffee ice cream loaded with chocolate-covered espresso
Espresso
Espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world....
pieces and nuggets of chocolate-covered honeycomb
Honeycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
. The new Brigham's flavor was briefly mentioned in the hour-long anniversary special that aired Monday, January 22, 2007. Proceeds from the product's sales went to benefit many New England-area charities. For several months following the anniversary, Brigham's Chronicle Coffee Crunch was available in many New England supermarket locations, as well at remaining Brigham's restaurants.
First-generation HD-oriented set
Chronicle received a new in-studio set which debuted Monday May 14, 2007, as a part of WCVB's total conversion to high definition TV on "Boston's Media Day". This new set is adjacent to the new set for NewsCenter 5, thus giving Chronicle its own unique set for the first time in about 14 years. (Prior to 1993, when Chronicle began sharing a set with NewsCenter 5, the show did have a separate set, noticeably away from the news department). The set contains brick and stucco-like features, with large multi-paned windows containing a "faux view". Anthony Everett described the look on the first night of the set as "if you are in an urban, uptown setting, like a cozy loft". A large HD monitor screen is on the other side of the set, encased in a polished-wood panel.Current staff: New Hampshire edition
- Fritz WetherbeeFritz WetherbeeFred "Fritz" Wetherbee is a New Hampshire writer, and television host. Fritz has been honored with five Emmy Awards. He was born July 3, 1936, and named for his grandfather Fred Minot Wetherbee II. For 10 years he was news director and general manager of radio stations WSCV/WSLE-FM in Peterborough...
- Tiffany Eddy
- Tom Griffith
- Maryann Mroczka
- Donna Smith
- Todd DiOrio
- Cindy Jones
- Jennifer Crompton
- Ryan Murphy
- Chris McDevitt
- Paul Falco
- Chris Shepherd
- Chris Orr
- Scott Hazzard
- Brendan Cahoon
- Binky Sears
List of WCVB Chronicle alumni (in order they joined)
- Chet CurtisChet CurtisChet Curtis is best known as the former husband and co-anchor of Natalie Jacobson, both Boston newscasters.Chet Curtis is a primetime anchor at NECN. He anchors The Chet Curtis Report and co-anchors New England Business Day. Before joining NECN in the spring of 2001, Curtis was an anchor and...
(January–September 1982, original member) - Donna Downes (1982–1983, original member)
- Jeanne Blake (1982–1984, original member)
- Arnie Reisman (January–September 1982, original member)
- Peter Mehegan (September 1982-September 2005; remains a guest contributor)
- Tony Kahn (September 1982-?? 1985)
- Chuck Kraemer (occasional, 1982–1999)
- Mark Mills (occasional, 1983–2001)
- Mary Richardson (1984–2010)
- Andria Hall (1985–1993)
- Liz BrunnerLiz BrunnerLiz Brunner is an American journalist in the Boston area. Currently, she is a co-anchor with WCVB-TV in Boston on News Center 5 at 6p.m.. She also co-anchors the Friday edition of the 5pm and 11pm newscasts and serves as an on-scene reporter and anchor for WCVB-TV's coverage of major news events.-...
(1992–2002) - Karen Holmes Ward (2002–2005)