Matt Buckler: TV Channel 30 all over story about death in Derby

Matt Buckler, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·3 min read

Aug. 26—It was a bizarre story that always makes for a compelling news report.

A dead body was found in a Derby apartment this week and the Associated Press has identified the person as Steven Hoffenberg, who is a person of interest for two reasons. Hoffenberg spent 18 years in prison after being accused of swindling $465 million from investors in a Ponzi scheme.

And he was also considered to be a mentor to Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019.

WVIT-TV30 went the extra mile in reporting the details. Matt Austin talked to a Derby neighbor, Brayan Belizaire, who had no idea that the person he knew as a neighbor had rung up a $465 million bill for a Ponzi scheme.

Then investigative reporter Len Besthoff took over and talked to Hoffenberg's landlady via a phone interview.

Here was the shocker — the body was so badly decomposed that it could not be positively identified.

It was one of those local stories that caused you to take notice. And Channel 30 gave us a lot to notice.

In sports

The hustle play of the night in sports reporting went to WTNH-TV8, the only station that had the highlight of George Springer's go-ahead RBI in the 10th inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox.

—Sports anchor Erik Dobratz also reported on the death of a high school coaching legend, Bill Regan, who coached at the now- defunct St. Thomas Aquinas of New Britain.

He moved on to Old Lyme, where he coached boys basketball and girls basketball during the same season. Channel 8 went the extra mile to report on his death.

—Speaking of extra miles, no one puts in the mileage that a triathlete does. Channel 8 presented a profile on Luke Anthony, an athlete who is eyeing the 2028 or 2032 Olympics. He is currently on the cross country team at Providence College, but his long-range goal includes the Olympic triathlon.

So viewers may see Anthony again — except on a bigger stage.

Double whammy

You have to give "Big Brother" credit for coming up with new wrinkles every season. The game really doesn't change that much, but there's always a plot twist to maintain our interest.,

This week the innovation was to split the remaining contestants into two teams. And two people would be getting thrown out on Thursday's show.

Jasmine and Joseph were the players who were voted out of the house in the first double elimination of the season.

It's probably good that two players were booted on the same show — the evicted players at least have a shoulder on which to cry.

Forced exit

More details are coming out on the departure of Kelli Giddish from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" after 12 seasons.

It turns out the exit was not her idea — TV Line is reporting that the people in charge wanted Giddish out, even though the show's star, Mariska Hargitay, wanted her to stay.

Apparently the producers want to keep the show fresh and a casting change is an easy way of doing. After all, the show has been on for 23 years — they have had plenty of practice is doing that.

Positive 'Popper'

This show can be too gross for many people to watch, but TLC's "Pimple Popper" has found an audience. It finished sixth Wednesday in the cable Nielsen ratings, one notch ahead of Sean Hannity.

Some of the scenes are bizarre and some of the patients are bizarre, but in this case, it's a recipe for success.

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