Posted by Hey Now on August 13, 2009 at 12:30:54:
In Reply to: Pat Tomasulo temporarily away from WGN-TV; Takes on Shaq on ABC posted by chicagomedia.org on August 09, 2009 at 09:56:50:
More on this from Phil Rosenthal at the Tribune:
WGN's Tomasulo gets second national TV gig; this time with Shaquille O'Neal
8/7/9
WGN-Ch. 9 sportscaster Pat Tomasulo didn't mention it when he was co-hosting "Live With Regis and Kelly" this week, but it won't be his only national TV gig this summer.
Tomasulo will be co-host of ABC's "Shaq Vs.," a reality series starring basketball star Shaquille O'Neal that's set to make its debut at 8 p.m. Aug. 18 on ABC-owned WLS-Ch. 7.
The show features occasional adman and actor O'Neal challenging other top athletes, such as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in football, Serena Williams in tennis and Michael Phelps in swimming.
Tomasulo said by e-mail Friday that he locked down the job about three weeks before he made his appearance on "Live" opposite Kelly Ripa Tuesday as one of 10 winners in online voting in the "From Local to 'Live' Co-Host for a Day" contest.
The O'Neal show is produced by Media Rights Capital and Dick Clark Productions, and will air on Disney-owned ABC. "Live" is produced by ABC-owned WABC-TV in New York and syndicated nationally by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, airing locally on Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.'s WGN-TV.
Tomasulo and "WGN Morning Show" colleague Larry Potash were named among 20 contest finalists culled by "Live" producers from hundreds of nominees submitted by viewers on July 27. That's the week after the "Shaq Vs." pilot was taped with Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, according to an ABC spokeswoman.
On the "WGN Morning News" blog, Tomasulo wrote that he has missed some broadcasts of late and would miss some more in the coming days in order to work with O'Neal on "Shaq Vs."
"By 'working with' Shaq, I mean I say 'what's up' when we film our one scene together," Tomasulo wrote, adding that he would "not go into great detail about it, as it is not a WGN show, and this station is graciously allowing me the time off to do it."
A graduate of New Jersey's Trenton State College, Tomasulo has been with WGN for four years, previously working at WKBW-TV in Buffalo, N.Y., and WJFW-TV in Rhinelander, Wis.