Of all the beautiful, talented, intelligent and diligent women I’ve had the pleasure to work with, none had more instant grab over an audience than Janet Peckinpaugh. And believe me, I’m not shorting anyone by saying that. He power was magical.
Whatever “it” is, Janet was dealt an extra portion. Apple pie attractive and extremely approachable, men and women found her appealing.
It wasn’t supposed to be Al and Janet. The other guy just didn’t work out. Al and Janet were much bigger as a team than apart.
In the mid 80s local television was at its peak. I remember Channel 8 getting 50 shares in the New Haven metro. Our audiences then dwarf anything stations get today. Cable was in its infancy. There was no Internet outside labs and universities.
If you grew up on Connecticut’s shoreline in the 80s we were in your house nearly every day as the entire family watched ‘the’ TV! No one gets that kind of exposure anymore.
Was Janet the only reason Channel 8 got hot? Nah. A lot of things came together. Producers, reporters, smarter managers. Better corporate support. Lots of luck — lots.
But for a time in the mid 80s Janet Peckinpaugh’s mere presence made people switch and stay.
I like Janet a lot. We always got along. We were good friends. I went to her spectacular wedding.
It was cool to be there. In Connecticut Janet was Doris Day.
You are right–Ch.8 was the Only Channel we could get, before Cable became available. And even after Cable, I think there was a switch on the back that enabled us to get channels out of NYC. Ch 8 was it for local.
Didn’t Janet go over to Ch 4 (Hartford)a few years back??
Was this wedding you speak of recent? or just something that memory brought up?
I think Janet Peckinpaugh is now selling real estate in Essex.
I think Janet Peckinpaugh is now selling real estate in Essex.