Chronicle is an American newsmagazine television program that is produced by two New England television stations owned by Hearst Television: WCVB-TV (channel 5) in Boston, Massachusetts and WMUR-TV (channel 9) in Manchester, New Hampshire. The program premiered on WCVB on January 25, 1982, and the WMUR version premiered in September 2001. It airs weeknights at 7:00 p.m. on WMUR and 7:30 p.m. on WCVB, offering an informative lifestyle, cultural and news-related magazine format, most often covering a single topic within each broadcast.
The introductions of each segment and of the program itself are broadcast live, while on-location material is pre-recorded. On October 25, 2006, the WCVB edition of Chronicle began broadcasting in high definition, converting all story segments to a letterboxed format. It is unknown as to whether the WMUR New Hampshire edition will follow suit. In addition, WTAE-TV (channel 4) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, also owned by Hearst, has produced a series of specials based on the Chronicle format since 2013. Other Hearst stations have since done specials under the Chronicle format including WESH (channel 2) in Daytona Beach, Florida; WXII-TV (channel 12) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and WVTM-TV (channel 13) in Birmingham, Alabama (the latter of which will start in fall 2018).
Synopsis
Many of the stories on Chronicle involve those that are of interest to New Englanders, from landmarks, vacation getaways, and the fine arts, to inspirational stories of people who overcame adversity, made an important contribution to society or, those who are currently in the news. However, Chronicle tends to avoid sensational tabloid topics and, since its premiere, has never featured story content that underestimates the intellect of its audience. The program has been highly regarded for most of its existence, and its long-running segments, most notably The Main Streets & Back Roads, have become institutions.
Main Streets and Back Roads
Main Streets & Back Roads is Chronicles longest-lasting regular segment; each installment profiles a different rural town from around the region. Interviews with residents, business owners, and anyone else who has significance to the location are featured. Often, the basic lifestyles of the area are covered, but sometimes the legends or famous myths of the city or town are investigated. In 1987, it started featuring correspondent Peter Mehegan's travels in a restored 1969 Chevrolet Impala coupe, which became the most recognizable aspect of the Main Streets episodes.
Special topics
In addition to the program's regular segments, other general subjects discussed on Chronicle have included people diagnosed with rare forms of cancer, and other life-threatening diseases. The early stages, treatment, and the effects their illnesses have on their overall life and mental well-being are all depicted. Similar stories even follow people, young or old, who had survived life-threatening accidents and now had to deal with permanent handicaps or altered appearances. While these stories are in no way meant to depress the viewers, they often do not flinch from their subjects' grim realities; at the same time, they are intended to educate and inspire the audience. Certain people who have been profiled over the years have connected with viewers to indirectly teach lessons about the human spirit.
Pop Chron
Chronicle has a few other continuing segments running besides the venerable Main Streets & Back Roads. A monthly continuing segment was Pop Chron, an episode devoted to covering the latest happenings in pop culture, from the fine arts to movies; television; literature; fashion and music, among other topics. Nearly all Chronicle regulars had been involved with Pop Chron since its inception in 1997. This recurring episode theme was discontinued in the late 2000s.
On the Road
On the Road was a de facto offshoot of Main Streets & Back Roads, with Peter Mehegan driving his Chevrolet Impala to different locations in Maine – where in each segment, Mehegan met up with interesting people, looks in on local issues – and collects stunning scenery from the area. This episode theme was launched shortly before Mehegan's retirement from Chronicle in 2005, but continued as an occasional piece for several years more (with Mehegan returning as a guest contributor).