There was once a TV station located west of us in Menands, New York, not too far from Albany where watching a local newscast with familiar faces gracing the camera was a ritual for those who tuned in. We miss them each and every day:

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(Photo of Jim Kambrich and company courtesy of Twitter)

It was appointment television to watch Benita Zahn sharing the anchor desk with Jim Kambrich. Both were deemed as an unbeatable team and have since retired from ther elm of television. Jerry Gretzinger migrated from channel 6 to be a part of this team before pursuing other options. Benita and Jerry also made a terrific combination while anchoring the 4 pm newscast on North Pearl Street (now known as Bob Kovachick Way).

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(Photos of Bob Kovachick and Neal Estano courtesy of their Facebook pages)

Plus two of the most identifiable meteorologists at NewsChannel 13, Bob Kovachick retired and Neal Estano has also moved on to pursued other interests. As a bonus blast from the past, I remember the good ol' days when living in the capital region, this TRUE gentleman graced the airwaves at 6 and 11pm. The ONE & ONLY Ed Dague was the epitome of a professional anchorman who delivered the news with authority plus I can tell you he was a kind, polite and gentle man off the air. A joy to watch him work, for sure! His memory ALWAYS remains eternal and everlasting!

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The end result: WNYT-TV is NOT the station that dominated our coverage area and if you did not know, Berkshire county is considered a part of the Albany television market. This station has brought new faces and some veteran alumni including Elaine Houston, Kumi Tucker, Rodger Wyland, Mark Mulholland and Kovachick's successor, Paul Caiano have remained. But the all-important pioneers pictured above have moved on as their daily presence is sorely missed by many loyal and true viewers of the NBC affiliate.

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Fortunately viewers have another NBC affiliate as an option. Massachusetts based WWLP TV in Springfield also brings heavy emphasis to happenings throughout the Berkshires and is focused on Bay State news including updates from Boston as residents can rely on government based stories that affect their lives. Statistics show they would watch a newscast that is state based as they can also tune in to Western Mass News (channel 3) which is a CBS based affiliate in our area.

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The aim of this article is nostalgic in nature. People are comfortable with identifying familiar faces that present the news on a daily basis. Give credit where it's due to channel 13 as their audience is still in a period of adjustment without those who have been performing their daily tasks at hand on camera has truly left a void in their viewing habits and it shows through various aspects in social media.

BOTTOM LINE: These days, change has been a constant in our daily lives, but are we strong enough to embrace it? It's up to YOU in making the call!

(Featured image courtesy of WNYT's Facebook page)

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