No more tongue-twisting surname for new NBC5 meteorologist
12/11/12 03:50 PM
By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
In Old Hollywood times, ethnic or just plain dull given names routinely were changed to snappier star monikers.
Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch. Judy Garland used to be Frances Gumm. Tony Curtis entered the world as Bernard Schwartz. Etc.
NBC5's new weekend meteorologist was Lindsay Schwarzwaelder during her previous two-year stay at Lexington, KY's WLEX-TV. The Fort Worth-based station now lists her as Lindsay Riley on its nbcdfw.com website.
There's a little of this going around at NBC5.
In her early days as an on-air reporter, the station's Sara Story went by the name of Sara Loeffelholz. In an earlier email to unclebarky.com, Sara said her middle name is Story, which she decided would be easier on both anchors and viewers.
Early morning NBC5 reporter Kendra Lyn was Kendra Oestreich at her previous stop, Orlando, Florida's WESH-TV.
Former longstanding NBC5 anchor Jane McGarry, who "resigned" earlier this year after pleading no contest to a DWI charge, for awhile had the on-air name of Ann McGarry.
When she arrived at the station in 1982, McGarry rebooted to "Ann" in deference to incumbent Jane Jayroe, who became the 6 and 10 p.m. anchor two years earlier. When Jayroe left in 1984, McGarry reverted back to "Jane" after going by "Jane Ann" for a while during Alyce Caron's early months as Jayroe's replacement.
Or to put it another way, Shirley, Shirley bo Birley Bonana fanna fo Firley -- fee fy mo Mirley. Shirley.
And yes, you can call me Uncle Barky.
unclebarky@verizon.net