Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.
Q: What happened to Bob Pompeani’s daughter who used to always be on Channel 2 news? Did she retire or get another job?
— Bonnie, via Facebook
Rob: Celia Pompeani Mathison remains associated with KDKA but she did have a baby last year.
Per KDKA-TV news director Shawn Hoder, “There’s nothing more important than family — especially to the Pompeanis — so she adjusted/reduced her schedule to focus on being a mother. But she’s on (‘Pittsburgh Today Live’) anytime her schedule permits.”
Q: Have you heard anything as to where Katherine Amenta, formally of WPXI-TV, has landed? I was very surprised when I heard of her exit in April without any explanation.
— Richard, via email
Rob: TV station executives never explain when they cut employees, even those whose presence they have promoted on air for years.
Based on her social media posts, Amenta appears to still reside in Western Pennsylvania. She has not responded to my queries sent via Facebook.
Q: WPXI runs a commercial multiple times throughout the day, detailing weather and traffic every 10 minutes. However, they make sure to not run that commercial when Trisha Pittman is off. They used to have coverage when she took time off, but now they just go without traffic those days. If they are advertising about their traffic coverage, why do they just go without it on days she is off?
— Andrew, via email
Rob: This is a good question and one I’ve heard before. I assume the station just doesn’t want to invest the resources on the days Pittman is off. Channel 11 news director Scott Trabandt did not respond when I sought an answer to Andrew’s question.
Q: Any word on “American Rust’s” future? I know that “Mayor of Kingstown” people wanted to come back to the prison here (Western Penitentiary) before it gets leveled. Word was they were looking at September or October … which I believed to be very quick for a turnaround.
— Thomas, via Facebook
Rob: Given that “Mayor of Kingstown” appeared for the first time in Nielsen’s streaming originals ratings for its third-season premiere (No. 10) — and moved up to No. 9 in its second week — it seems likely that “Kingstown” will film another season. But nothing has been announced.
“American Rust” did not make it into Nielsen’s streaming ratings so it seems less likely to return. Personally, I hope I am wrong and “Rust” will return.
Q: With the demise of the Pac-12 conference and the end of that Pac-12 Network, will Comcast replace that channel with another sports network?
— Tom, Mt. Lebanon
Rob: Pac-12 Network ceased operations June 30 and Comcast’s Xfinity has no plan to offer a direct replacement channel.
Q: What happened to the Defy network, Channel 16.4?
— Ralph, Greensburg
Rob: Scripps shut down Defy a few weeks ago and replaced it with Ion Plus. How come? It seems like the company feels it can make more money from the Ion Plus programming than it did with Defy.
You can reach TV writer Rob Owen at rowen@triblive.com or 412-380-8559. Follow @RobOwenTV on Threads, X, Bluesky and Facebook. Ask TV questions by email or phone. Please include your first name and location.