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Their performance in Pittsburgh microphone's will be capturing every note every nuance. Paul Johnson here join me Sunday afternoons at 5:00 in the evenings at 10 for MC performance in Pittsburgh with the Bank Foundation. Pretty. Cool. Q Jay. WQED broadcast live on Q magazine is made it possible by grants from the Hollywood hills and down the Eveleen foundation to Ritu King Mellon Foundation the McCuen foundation the foundation the Henry Hilman foundation the Jewish Health Care Foundation degradable foundation. Corporate funding is provided by UPMC health plan. What do you always wish your health plan would be. Quality choice. Access to

specialists without a referral. For more information. 1 8 8 8 3 8 3 UPMC. And by the members of WQED deregulation in other words strikes terror into the hearts of consumers. Tonight on cue we're talking electricity and why deregulation works and why doesn't also denied Pete's. It's a tough business. Well but anyway you slice at one local chain is playing Pittsburgh on the map and live music with Manteuffel still under there sounding indie pop. It's a thriller of a show tonight. So stay with us and look at things differently. On cue starts right now. Hello. I'm Carol. And I'm Chris more Carol. Do you know

what the busiest day of the year is for pizza delivery people. I bet it's the day before Lent. So here Friday was the baby. Well we'll find out a little later. Doing a segment with you. Contributor Betsy Beth. Now this is going to profile a local pizza chain that's going big time. Also tonight live music tonight and they pop from manifold splendor. That's all coming up after tonight's cover story. Here's Stacey Smith. Chris Carol thank you. We begin tonight with a pressing question could we here in Pennsylvania experience an electricity crisis like the one in California while people on the West Coast have been dealing with blackouts and other problems. Is that in our future. Local consumers are asking questions and on cue. Correspondent Michael Bartley set out to get some answers. And they say it makes a whole lot of sense to ask questions about it because Pennsylvania approved electricity deregulation at about the same time California did. The goal of course was a spark competition and eventually lower electric bills.

Did it work. Some experts say Pennsylvania did just about everything right and California did just about everything wrong. It seems to be one of those things we just for grins. Powering up our electrical appliances at home. And outside. We don't think twice about lights being on at stores with the street lights working. We just expect the power to be there and we rarely even look proper. Local transmission lines. Power lines. How electricity is fed into our homes. But they've been wondering and worrying out in California tonight and declaring a state of emergency in California saying where's the power. Send in the power. They've seen street lights resulting car crashes. Stores with no lights rolling blackouts. It's been life without electricity. I Rayton confused Californians

won't soon take power for granted again. I'm confused. I think a lot of us are confused about this crisis. When you hear deregulation reach for your wallet because you're about to be robbed. And their electric bills are skyrocketing. Then $43. I'm sorry. We cannot make some kind of this is hot out. That lady just told me you know you're not good in your life so unless you come up with doing some not so could Pittsburgh area residents ever have to face such a crisis. We went to Duquesne lights operating center in woods run for answers. If your electricity carrier is Duquesne light this is the electrical path to power your home or business technicians monitor the amount of power they're buying in shipping to five hundred and eighty thousand customers. The system's board tracks forty five thousand miles of overhead power lines 250000 utility poles and a hundred and

3000 Transformers delivering live. Ed Neal is the vice president of Duquesne light operation. Can you guarantee electric customers in western Pennsylvania that what's happened in California. Well never happened here and guaranteed is a difficult word and I would never want a guarantee. I mean I would speak from my knowledge of you know being in the electric utility industry for 31 years knowing the situation of our generation availability. Now it's not going to happen here. A big reason is that Pennsylvania produces more power than it consumes. There are plenty of power generating plants in this region as part of deregulation here of Duquesne like for example became an electricity delivery company and sold off its power plants. But those power plants are still running and selling power to local delivery companies like Duquesne like and having plenty of power generating plants in this region

is a big advantage. But in California existing generating plants can't keep up with demand and strict environmental laws there they're made it difficult to construct new power plants in the 90s. There are power plants close by. That's a big difference. Sure. And any other nice thing that we have is we're in the middle we have connections east north south west. We have a much more robust grid. In Eastern Interconnect as we call them than they have out there. Another big difference is the Pennsylvania deregulation plan. Allowed local delivery companies like to pay to purchase long term electricity by signing long term contracts. But. In California delivery companies were forced to buy power on a day to day basis. But here in Pennsylvania companies like Duquesne might have locked in supply until the year 2000.

And not to say California did it wrong. But you know I think we have to play. And we're doing the right things with long term contracts. Think it's very critical and I think the people in at least two cane service territory are going to be very happy especially next year when they see their building for the delivery part of the. Bill by 20 percent. So in 2004 when your long term. Contracts are up. Right. Should we be worried. Well I don't think you should because I think if the market isn't there who will go right in and we'll try to get a long term extension or we'll do it longer. But what if what if the price. Of the generation skyrockets are we going to see $300 a month electric bills. Like I said before I think you know in any kind of market supply and demand. What I'm saying to you by 2004 if all this generation is planned comes on should be the situation because there should be a lot more generation out there. So while there are no guarantees. Pennsylvania is being touted as a model deregulation state plenty of generating power plants and

long term contracts to buy power. And that say experts should keep the lights on. Not fear of California's problems. Happening he. Told you it was complicated. And those are just a few differences just a couple of differences in the California versus Pennsylvania power deregulation situation pretty much just scratched the surface. It's a big complicated thing. Now one of the issues really Michael isn't it about the way the involves the way the delivery. Let me get this right here. The way delivery companies buy the power. Right. Absolutely no question about it. In California recently allowed there and Sacramento there they allowed electricity delivery companies to enter into those long term contracts to buy power rather than buying it. Day to Day and that was one of the things that got them into big time trouble in the first place. Well let us bring in tonight's live guests. Trevor Lauer is vice president of business development with strategic energy and energy supplier and David Hughes is the executive director of citizen power a group opposed to

deregulation. Gentlemen thank you so much for being with us. A question that Michael asked in that piece of Duquesne. Well I have to ask here is could it happen here. Are we protected. Well no I think you have distinct differences between California and Pennsylvania. We don't have the supply demand imbalance that you have in California to the extent that clearly can you see rising prices in the Duquesne light in all Pennsylvania. Sure. And we've seen that over the past year you've seen significant increases in the cost of electricity in Pennsylvania. David you agree. I think I basically agree I think what we have to remember is that though even though there are differences in the law in California and Pennsylvania the fundamental sort of problems that are occurring in California could occur here because what deregulation means is that government gives up its power to control or restrain prices. And eventually in Pennsylvania the government will be doing that. You have to remember that right now in Pennsylvania we're still sort of regulated prices are controlled or price caps

in several years from now who knows what's going to happen. You know the bottom line it seems if you talk to consumers not the experts in this industry talk to consumers you saw that guy paying his electric bill in California $400 for one month. Next Thursday we're going to do a thing on the gas bills the high gas bills so that's going to be a big deal. However talk to consumers the bottom line. Are they ever going to see that. And do you think there's potential there is a possibility. Here's here's the thing to keep in mind. You hear all the time in California things like the utilities had to sell all their generation. They were not ordered to sell their generation number one. Number two last summer and the hottest days of the year the there were no blackouts no brownouts in California. They were using about 55000 megawatts of electricity. Here we are in December and January they're only using about 36000 megawatts and we have blackouts and brownouts 461 percent more generators are out of power right now they're shut down for maintenance more than normal.

More than last year over what are the safeguards so we don't have $400 a month bill. Well I think there's there's a couple of things that are important first in Pennsylvania since we've introduced electric. You've seen $3 billion worth of savings for the Pennsylvania consumer So clearly the experience here has been a lot different. But when you also look at the safeguards the fundamental way the market was structured in California is much different. Here in Pennsylvania you're allowed to enter into long term contracts. That's exactly what strategic energy does is enter into long term contracts so that we can lower the overall cost of power for our customers. Gentlemen thank you so much for being with us tonight on to you. We appreciate your input on this because what I think about this for another hour. Yes I think so. Michael thank you as always. Coming up next a local pizza chain does Pittsburgh proud after this look at tomorrow on cue. It's the Friday for some for some but our guest chair is. No no it's blank as the film critic over at the Tribune-Review Oh and tomorrow he'll join Friday regulars Ruth and Baker Alan Cox and Fred Hines.

We're going to talk about Oscars movies even a local video drama that made news this week. Plus the girls of Oaklawn Catholic may have to vote over hurdles in the hallway but that doesn't stop them from leaving the head of the competition. We'll have the story tomorrow. Plus we'll tell you who the bands to beat are at this weekend's graffiti Rock Challenge. That's all on cue. Pittsburgh is certainly proud of its local businesses but especially proud when those properties take off. Tonight a success story from Betsy Benson She's editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times and also an on cue contributor Betsy cresc Tonight we're talking about a pizza powerhouse. How does a family from Upper St. Clair start with one shop and end up with a pizza empire spanning six states. The black family did it by developing a recipe for success and duplicating it over and over with their pizza outlet. First a look at how the dough keeps rising. Starting in 1996 you see pizza outlet had Ravinet revenue of $24 million a year. Then

onward and upward. Thirty two million dollars the next year then 42 then 48. And finally the year 2000 a benchmark year with revenue of $50 billion. Now let's turn back the clock. About 15 years ago black took a break from engineering studies at Pitt to see the world. He ended up living in New Orleans and washing dishes at a pizza shop to get by. Thank. You for calling. This is pizza outlet a franchise that first opened in Mount Lebanon 13 years ago today. It's a pizza empire created by the black family of Upper St. Clair. Their All Blacks beginnings in the tomato pie business were really

quite humble washing dishes in a pizza shop in New Orleans dealing with the public in general. I thought a lot of fun. And I just decided to pursue it to stick with it and it wasn't long before Black purchased a pizza franchise. And then with the help of his father they decided the future in pizza was the growing demand for home delivery. We looked at different markets we looked at the financial markets we looked at. We looked at Will market. We looked at the Pittsburgh market too and we found that Pittsburgh was probably the toughest markets because of all the mobile pops on paper. Pittsburgh was the most competitive market and probably the worst place to set up shop. Yet the blacks returned to Pittsburgh in 1988. Now pizza outlet has over 100 stores including corporate owned and franchised generating over $50 billion a year in revenue and employing more than 2000 people in six states. There must be a secret ingredient in this

recipe for success. Major. Received. A. Good day. Thank you. And the pizza business has got three main raw materials. Up to the flour sausages and we want to go out and get the best products. Probably everyone will say that they're going to do this and a lot of people do. But we were really really for quality. Exactly we we're very particular. The hardest thing is we have to do it in multiple stores. So that's the challenge duplicating the quality formula in dozens of stores simultaneously. It's a distribution issue. It's it's a training issue. It's it's something you need to talk about every day every week to make sure that everybody understands. That. This is the way we're going to do it. But can this business philosophy and door in an industry where consumers seem so fickle brick oven pizza gourmet frozen pizza pizza by the slice. They all seem to be grabbing a piece of the pie.

Well I think the more the merrier. I mean it's you know there's enough money for everybody pizza outlet has added gourmet pizzas hot Italian and steak subs. And later this month a spinach and artichoke dip with breadsticks. The blacks are clearly hungry to increase their share of the market. We're looking to go nationwide. Our goal is to hit a thousand stores. In the next five six years. Those are pretty lofty goals. When you have competitors like papa johns at two thousand stores dominoes at 5000 and Pizza Hut topping out at nearly 8000 stores will be starting our next month to become God 11:55 for delivery. But the black family has already proven they can rise above the rest. Though pizza outlet is looking beyond Pittsburgh for growth these days the city remains a competitive market for them. Vero black now is it and we know it. There are lots of mom and pop pizzerias around here take many shows for example. Dominic and John Mineo have only two locations Squirrel Hill in Mount Lebanon but they have loads of name

recognition and they consistently win Best pizza awards year after year. Mineo has built its reputation on the fact that they make everything themselves. They also feature pasta salads and other items from a pretty expense extensive menu. In fact they have such a good reputation that they at this moment are poised to beat out pizza outlet for the concession at PNC Park and Chris. That would be quite a feat for a mom and pop here with two stores. When will that decision be announced. It should be any day. I talked to Dominic Mineo this evening and he said it's still in negotiations but it seems like they're there within a few days maybe a week of a decision. How many of these pizza outlet shops have franchises and why did they make the decision a franchise is pretty popular nowadays. It is. They have 100 about 110 shops 70 of them are our franchises and it's really a way for them to grow very fast. The blacks are not your typical pizza shop owners. They're all of them have engineering

backgrounds. And I think they looked real analytically at the market and decided they wanted to grow fast. You heard Verrill talk about raw materials. They talk about the systems and manuals. And they have a very kind of scientific way of looking at the business which enables them to make a system that can be duplicated over and over again with the rapid rate of small business failures is probably good. They looked at it so analytically. Now you said that this is a tough market for pizza. How many new shops can come into the Pittsburgher as verlo adblock says in a lot of pizza. Entrepreneurs say there's always room for another pizza shop it seems the appetizer and say exactly pizza is so popular and doesn't seem to wane. Our restaurants reporter Tim schoolie not too long ago reported that a mama dose is coming to town and it has a whole new niche. It sells pizza by the slice kind of retro concept and so they should be opening a shop probably several shops in Pittsburgh sometime this year.

Okay a bit of pizza trivia What is that business day that Carol alluded to. All right. Well the busiest day of the year for pizza is Friday. Friday rocks between five and eight o'clock all the pizza shops are hit really hard with delivery orders. OK. And something about Halloween is right. Right. You guessed it the busiest day of the year yeah. Is Halloween right. The busiest day of the night and around Thanksgiving as well. Popular with pizza in Pittsburgh. What do you think it is about Joe. That is pretty good right. Thank you. We appreciate it. Sure. And up next the Thursday live performance from Bountiful splendor after this look at the PNC past community calendar. The. We.

Will hear every Tuesday and Thursday night on cue offer something you don't see much on Pittsburgh TV stations live music. It's our way of showcasing local musicians because there really isn't much of a television venue for Pittsburgh talent anymore. Now in the past few weeks we've presented jazz rock Dixieland. Well tonight we have the sounds of indie pop. Here is manifold splendor performing. Fill it up the drama. On. The. Line. You know me and the gang was. On the

line. Soon to see. To be on. So. You can see. She can see me in

the city. So is she going to. Get. Me to. Join me for an

hour on

the phone. You must be Emily born and Emily. Unless someone else's name. Emily and what a beautiful voice you have. Thank you. Was can you introduce the rest of them. Sure. Over on rhythm guitar as is Craig Sweetback. On drums is Sean fan. Base guitars David Horn and other guitar wizard. Is

Alex better. This is kind of a guitar band. Yes yes yes. That we called you into pop is that. That's correct. OK. Accurate much what we are. We have a CD out now. Yes we do. OK. Our new CD is called My nighttime career. And a Web site w w w dot manifold Splender one word. Oh you are spelling dot com. And how'd you get that name. Because a manifolds like I was is something in my car. You know there's an animal there. We had tons of jokes about that. Actually it's the title of a book of poetry by a Belgian poet. I can't even pronounce his name but that's that's where we got the title. Good old days. Now what song you place. I wonder boy wonder boys new sound familiar. And while manifold splendor gets ready These are some of the upcoming live musical guests next Tuesday on q presents a soda jerk. Now this is a local band whose sound can be described as alternative country and then a week from tonight bluesy rock from Sherry Richards. She is our Thursday

live musical performer. Sounds good to me. Well we're all out of time. All four of our Friday prayers on for some I'm the guest chair will be Tribune-Review film critic at blank. Now if you tuned in to see an interview with novelist Martin Smith We apologize. That segment will air next week. Now back to Bountiful splendor performing one the. Good night. Good night. He. Is. Saying. You. Are. Lazy. But. There.

Should be. More. I know. I'll. Get. To. Your. Side. Shuffling shoes. Trust. Me.

Or I know you're mad. She said she feels a. Lot more WQED broadcast of Q magazine is made possible by grants from the hills in Dallas. The elderly foundation the Richard Mellon Foundation Foundation the foundation to