Ernie Schimizzi When brothers Greg (ED '76) and Ernie (STERN '74) Schimizzi were in grade school, their dad would often take them on a pilgrimage from Brooklyn to midtown Manhattan. They would walk into the NBC production facilities in Rockefeller Center and stroll into a studio where the original host of the Today Show, Dave Garroway, was broadcasting live. The boys were utterly amazed that they could casually walk in and watch television being made, and it made a huge impression on them. They saw television not only as a magical medium, but as an art form. They loved watching Uncle Miltie, Ernie Kovaks, Steve Allen and Jackie Gleason on television in the 50's, known now as the Golden Age of Television. Four decades and a pair of NYU degrees later, the brothers started WVVH-TV, Hamptons Television. Operating from studios located near the East Hampton airport, WVVH-TV began 24 hour a day operations in September 1994. WVVH is the last FCC licensed TV station for all of Long Island, and can be seen on broadcast channel 50 and East End Cablevision channel 78. The programming schedule is a freewheeling mix of quality family movies, news and sports, but VVH-TV's signature programming is local events. The brothers plan to continue to produce quality television for many years to come. Greg is Chairman and Founder of WVVH-TV, and Ernie currently holds the position of President. In addition to working together at the station, the brothers have also written a book together, established a television and motion picture production company, and hold a U.S. patent on a device for automobiles. Greg's wife Francine is also an NYU alumna from the School of Education, having received an MA in 1978. She is also an award-winning video editor at WVVH-TV, providing local programming to the station's 600,000 viewers on Long Island. The couple has two children, Joseph, 19, and Gregory, 17. Joseph is a freshman at the Tisch School at NYU (Film & Video) and Gregory is a junior in high school and is proud to say that he has NYU in his future plans. Pictured are Greg and Ernie Schimizzi in their WVVH-TV studio. back to our guests ... Print-Version