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Independence was also the last resort for KTVK after losing ABC. They wanted CBS, didn't get it, and had to settle for going indy. And that was at a much healtheir time for linear TV and certainly a much stronger market for syndicated programming to fill a schedule with. They were able to spend $100 million to get shows people actually wanted to watch. Nowadays, it doesn't even matter how much money you can spend on syndication, it's all the same copy-pasted court shows, game shows, and Big Bang reruns no matter where you look. These stations nowadays who are just shrugging off the loss of their affiliations like it's nothing because they think they can be "CNN, but local" are delusional about their place in the current American media landscape and the way the average American consumes news. I'd argue that the exact opposite is necessary. A new network would have to program a lot more of the day's schedule than MNTV does, given how weak syndication is nowadays. If anything, it'd need to look more like Ion, but with more variety than Ion's endless NCIS and FBI reruns.

Schedule wouldn't be advantageous. Most local PM anchors work 230-1145pm. Network anchors are in the building mid-late morning thru 7:30pm. Plus all of the travel that Maurice would endure when a big story broke would confuse viewers at 11pm.

It boggles my mind why people — especially local anchors — continue accepting anchor jobs at CBS Evening News or CBS Mornings. I’m sure the pay bump and higher profile is nice but there’s zero stability on those shows.. unless you’re Gayle King.

Lack of local news aside, the WUPA schedule is pretty decent. Now do they actually need a news department? Would that be profitable for them?

We've seen it with another WCBS-TV anchor, Chris Wragge. He did that one-year stint on the former CBS Early Show that CBS could never get out of last place and NBC Today and ABC Good Morning America mopping the floor with CBS. CBS switch back to CBS This Morning, and reassigned Wragge to WCBS-TV 6PM news and then later reassigned him to Morning (and Noon) news. Erica Hill was a short-lived holdover from CBSES till she exited CBS some 8 or 9 months later to move to NBC, and Norah O'Donnell replacing her on CBSTM. Jeff Glor, another CBS employee who appeared to us to be loyal to that TV news organization, and him being reassigned numerous times, including his short-lived run as CBS Evening News anchor (2017-19), and CBS reassigned him to CBS Saturday Morning, and he was laid-off last year. Part of me can't fathom Glor giving the CBS management the benefit of the doubt after the way they treated him in not giving him time to prove himself to the CBSEN audience. A thing I'd point out about CBS management is they must really love having an apparent "dysfunctional" work environment, and the management also being dysfunctional, combined with their lack of patience, and being "status quo" oriented. SMH in disbelief.

Chicago Sports Tonight expands to six nights a week this fall.

We have an idea of what will become of ABC’s former HQ. Residential and some mixed used development will replace Disney’s former NYC HQ, including a 1200 ft skyscraper.

There might be a bit of clarification towards the earlier reporting, from Variety. "A person familiar with the matter suggests viewers will in weeks to come see a more frequent reliance on one of the anchors — John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois lead the program — being out on the road at major, breaking events...." "...Making use of both anchors in such fashion would put an authoritative person in the field and the studio, this person suggested, while giving the newscast the ability to deliver breaking news at the top of the broadcast." "The original concept behind this “Evening News” iteration was to emphasize more feature and enterprise reporting..." "...And yet, critics complained that the show was at times giving short shrift to breaking headlines." "The format tweak could potentially give “Evening News” a shot of the latest headlines while still leaving some room for the distinct elements it brings to the mix."

Hmm that would be him leaving home to go so far away. Also he won’t be the face of the station like he was in LA, he will have to face Sade and Mike.

Exactly my thoughts when Maurice got this job. That's why I supported the initial idea of him retaining the 11 PM anchor spot and staying on CBSEN. He had a stable gig as the 5/11pm anchor on an O&O in market 1 and regularly did reports and anchoring for the network versus becoming cohost of a notoriously unstable broadcast.

Brian Williams and Matt Lauer co-hosting Today (2009). What trouble the next few years would bring for the both of them! **apologies this is after 2008.

cbsatlanta dot com now redirects to the CBS News Atlanta landing page.

For preseason at least, out goes the abbreviations, in come the logos.

Interesting note, I looked at the new WUPA schedule, it seems they are opting to air CBS Mornings +, but not CBS Evening News +. The noon, six, and 11 slots are filled in with Family Feud for the time being. Family Feud also airs at 7, which was already on the schedule. Tamron Hall is moving from WSB to WUPA, same time, at 3pm. I don't recall if anything has been said on what the newscast slots will be, but 4pm and 5pm are currently slated to be Judge Mathis and People's Court reruns. Jericka Duncan also wished the station luck during the final minutes of tonight's Weekend News.

ESPN's annual High School Kickoff showcase has revealed ESPN's third different college football graphics package in a year new "main" college football graphics for the upcoming season. As expected, most of the graphics follow elements of both the SEC and CFP graphics we had already seen.

80 or so years in is anybody really confused on where to find what channel or what’s gonna be there when they turn it on? Honestly I think the network names and logos in the local branding is way worse. Most of the people watching are 902 and their dials are rusted on whatever channel they prefer.

Looks almost like "Uncle Ant" one of the lesser-known characters from the short lived "Itchy & Scratchy & Friends" hour....

Kudos to him and Pedro as this is not the first time they’ve filled in on the weekend morning. And can I just say, I think Dani is the star of the weather team! On a separate note, could Elex Michaelson from LA be coming to WABC to replace Pedro on weekend mornings?

Mike Marza proving to be the hardest working man at EWN! He anchored yesterday’s newscast at 5 and 11pm and is filling in on his old stomping ground for the Saturday morning’s newscast.

One of the last original members of WBMA ABC 33/40 is about to hang it up for good. Brenda Ladun will be leaving at the end of the month after nearly 30 years there, obviously when she left WBRC for WBMA because of the whole ABC switch hoopla at the time. Once she leaves, the legendary James Spann will be one of the last originals still left there and THE last from their dream team of Brenda, Dave Baird, James, and Mike Raita. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNZOslhPwls/?igsh=MWFrcmVlczNveHQyNw==

Comparing WPLG to KTVK c. 1994 is deeply flawed. KTVK at least tried to do unique things besides shovelware news when they lost ABC. They actually tried to do things. WPLG isn't trying by adding unsustainable levels of local news and doing a cheap xerox of WNT, and that's because of lazy programming and being owned (for now) by a faceless holding company. WANF isn't even giving the illusion of trying, they're just dumping hours and hours of low-rated news in hopes that a dozen people watch at 2pm or 3am. It won't work. Again, lazy programming is what is causing this, not because of viewer demand.

Sumner never got rid of the name "Viacom," why would David Ellison get rid of the "Skydance" name?

Joe Torres anchored the Saturday 11pm-midnight newscast as he usually does.. and must have got maybe three hours of sleep because he’s filling in on the 6am and 9am newscasts this Sunday morning.

WANF’s first day as an independent off to a great start.

Probably on the last day of sweeps, that's usually how those things go.

Here is KTTV's farewell to Elex piece from GDLA. Not sure if they did something more elaborate on the PM news.

Conjecture at this point. I found it interesting that KTLA reported in the 9:30am news block this morning that Elex is leaving KTLA. Is he joining that station? KTLA did a lot of reporting on the competition when Sam Rubin was around. I haven't seen as much since Melvin Robert took over. I watch KTLA most mornings and did not see them report on Ellen Leyva's retirement as a comparison, so just something to ponder on......