Television executives normally hate to see their numbers go down. Ted Swanson and John Stroh were thrilled.
Swanson, the general manager of WHVLTV, and Stroh, its director of programming,
had a party when Comcast notified them their station would move from channel 235 to channel 14.
“This will lead to a considerable increase in viewership,” said Swanson.
WHVL will now be a lot easier to find for the 200,000 or so Comcast viewers in the Johnstown- Altoona-State College designated market area. That will be helpful in attracting advertisers and likely means expansion for the station, Swanson said.
“Anybody who gets the basic cable package will now be able to watch us,” he said.
With its headquarters opposite the Nittany Mall, WHVL-TV prides itself on its State College-centric coverage.
“We want to serve the region from State College out,” said Stroh.
The station’s programming features original shows like The Centre of it All, a lifestyles and entertainment program, the BlueWhite Tailgate Show with Steve Jones and Phil Grosz, and coverage of local high school football with its Game of the Week. Stroh plans to build out that base, starting with a showing on Dec. 24 of the high school wrestling match between Bellefonte and Bald Eagle high schools.
“Expanding our local programming is a priority,” Stroh said.
The station, owned by Channel Communications, has 16 employees, but will likely do some hiring soon, Swanson said.
“This is a big step,” he said. “We expect to grow.”
Muscle relaxer
It’s been a stressful time in Bellefonte. The normally sleepy town has become the center of national attention as it hosts the trial of Jerry Sandusky.
It could be all that stress is creating a business opportunity for Nate Thomas.
Thomas and his wife, Jill, opened Body Solutions Massage Therapy on Dec. 1 at 221 W. High St.
“I’ve always done amateur massage, and I decided to go into business for myself,” Thomas said.
The 24-year-old entrepreneur-to-be took a 640-hour program to become a licensed masseur. He said he can now do “just about every kind of massage.”
“I focus in sports massage, but I do Thai, hot stone, pregnancy and infant massage — a variety of techniques I learned through school,” he said. “Whether it be something small like a muscle cramp or pulled muscle to (multiple sclerosis), I’m able to help them out with that.”
The business has gotten off to a slow start, he said, but Thomas is hopeful it will pick up soon. For now, though, he’s just happy that instead of using his hands to fill out papers and apply for permits, he’s helping people feel better.
Good ribbin'
Residents of the Seven Mountains area and barbecue fans from across the central Pennsylvania have a new restaurant to try out: Billy’s BBQ in Reedsville.
Owner Bill Alford opened in October and has quickly become a favorite with his slow-smoked ribs, pulled pork, brisket and catfish.
“We have a smoker in house and everything gets smoked,” he said. “Everything is cooked here in-house and all our recipes are from scratch.”
Alford, a Penn State graduate, worked as an electrical engineer for the past 10 years, but decided he wanted to follow his passion for the grill.
“I grew up in Louisiana,” he said. “I know the job real well.”
The restaurant is at 7776 state Route 655, in the Super Shoes building. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday and from noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit BillysBBQ.com or call 717-667-1111.
Cliff White can be reached at 235-3928.
