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We should probably shift this to the WNBC thread before the moderators step in. I will say that Sue definately wasn't ready to retire. She said at 10:58 that she hoped to be employed elsewhere, even at least once a week.

April Fools Day fun at the CBS Duopoly

I didn't get to watch the new broadcast, but I found a screengrab from a website video. I must say that backdrop is beautiful.

♪ Boot salad yummy yummy ♪ At least some of the commenters are calling him out on his BS.

Quite the discovery last night in the basement here. I am getting these digitized today and will get some compilations uploaded to YT. A couple notes…the WKMG early 80s image campaigns and what is aka “Tuesday11” is called “Heart of…” and “Action News” is actually called “Look to Us” These reels are the master reels. I had previously found the station dubs that were in fairly poor condition. These reels are in pristine quality.

Danita Harris joining WKYC: https://www.wkyc.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/wkyc-morning-show/danita-harris-joins-wkyc-3news-go-morning-show/95-127f50ab-f61e-4baa-be95-c446f67d102f Also, it seems Matt Wintz is officially replacing Hollie Strano in the AM.

I've had trouble logging in here over the last week but just figured out a way... I was in shock when Dana signed off from the station. Others have already said it better but it felt so abrupt. I've been a fan of Dana's for nearly 28 of her 34 years at WCBS-TV and even had the honor of working with her for a few years. Yes, she is a perfectionist but she makes everyone better and most people really appreciated that. That's exactly the kind of person you'd want as a captain of a news organization. Dana deserved better, as did the viewers. Wild speculation time: Might she somehow end up with WPIX? Their ND is a WCBS veteran and goes way back with Dana. I believe they have a lot of respect for each other. Not sure they'd have the budget but I could see *something* being worked out somehow. Even if it's just weekly Broadway reports and maybe serving as a fill-in. I don't know. The new 6:00 is interesting. Looks like Maurice and Kristine will take turns anchoring it. Tonight was Kristine's turn. Nice use of different areas of the studio. Colors look nice, though weird to go with dark colors and a sunset photo when the sun is now setting well after 7pm. Couldn't tell if they had more sit-downs with reporters, or if they would have done those anyway but at the desk. Maybe a bit of both. Also, there was no sports. I can't help but think Dana would have pulled off this modified format brilliantly, but I guess Paramount really needed those budget cuts. Quite a shame.

Explain….

WCBS debuted an entirely new 6pm newscast tonight, anchored solely by Kristine Johnson. Kristine stood throughout the studio, with an entirely new intro, skyline backdrop, color scheme, and format. Tonight’s broadcast did not include sports. Additionally, Maurice went without a tie and open collar for 5pm today, which was… different.

Don Alhart is retiring on June 6th after 58 years at WHAM: https://13wham.com/news/local/don-alhart-retiring-after-58-years-at-13wham-news#

WMAR is already back to their regular schedule and Scrippscast like features on their livestream (including of the Key bridge story...not the time for this at all!) as WBAL and WJZ haven't left the live air since 2am, and WBFF is doing the best it can. This is about as much of an indictment on how bad Scripps has become and their generational neglect of WMAR as a whole.

I mean... WGN hired a then-newcomer morning meteorologist from Rockford almost eight years ago. She jumped from market #137 to market #3 and I think people criticized that because she wasn't market-ready to go from small market Rockford to big market Chicago. Today, Morgan Kolkmeyer is one of the best home run decisions WGN made to hire for their morning news program within the past decade. I wouldn't have known her otherwise had she not gone to WGN.

Love the dim, warm lighting and the blue/purple gradient of the set. Hope they use it for the 11:00 news. I liked the sit down debreifs with Elle McLogan and Tim. I also like that they're trying the borough *reporter concept such as Elle covering Queens. Not bad changes. They *add a little variety to the standard format. I thought the point of removing Dick and Dana was to have their full A-team on at at six, not just Kristine solo. I still don't see why Dick and Dana couldn't do this? Perhaps to give off a more informal vibe? If they're tweaking wardrobe to affect viewer perception, Nate Burleson does it well! Overall CBS 2 News is a clean cut solid news product. I definitely watch them more than I do Fox 5 or PIX 11. But again their presentation feels stiff minus a few personalities like Lonnie, Marcia and John Elliott.

This is such a "Look what we made in PowerPoint" kind of package.

WVLT is going GrayONE later today. Or rather, they already have done so online. Side note: This is NOT an April Fools joke!!

This is such a great point…or points. There is such an intertwined element between technology and business, and you can’t expect business to function like it’s 20, 30 or more years ago while technology jumps ahead in leaps and bounds. Nostalgia has its place, but it’s not a business strategy.

Oh, yeah, I did forget about Texas. Its creation also led to Another World being cut down from 90 minutes back to the then-newly standard one-hour format, after only 17 months in the longer runtime, and contributed to the half-hour Doctors' demise by bumping that soap from its 3:00 p.m. ET slot to 12:30 (where it would be more vulnerable to preemption by some affiliates), putting it in direct competition with Ryan's Hope and (within a year of moving to that slot) The Young and the Restless. Search for Tomorrow's move to NBC soon prompted The Doctors to move up a half-hour to noon ET, dragging down ratings even more in its final year.

I wouldn't put money on B&B going to an hour. Brad Bell has been adamant that that's not going to happen, and I think the actors like the half-hour format because, normally, they can rehearse and tape the show in an eight-hour working day rather than the 12-14-hour days common on the hour soaps. 0p-

I would love to see The Talk go . Let's be cautious about speaking in absolutes when you also absolutely said soaps were done for. You've also questioned wether CBS would actually get rid of The Talk. The fact that they're even entertaining the launch of an hour long soap in 2024 is indication that wildcards are possible at this point.

No no, we need more mock, speculative schedules based on hunches and inklings. Move the local news? 30 minute soaps? Network shows that air at 9am ET? What are rules?

If anything, I think consolidation was a symptom of that technological shift. I suppose an excess of deregulation didn't help, but there's a reason why virtually all of the smaller and/or family owned TV station groups saw the writing on the wall and cashed out when they could. In the long term, it won't be viable to have a small piece of a smaller pie. And forget news for a second; aside from sports and a few other exceptions, the vast majority of my entertainment fix comes from somewhere other than the four (and a half, if we're counting the CW) major networks.

There is zero chance Y&R gets cut. Less than zero. If this new show makes it to air, the Talk is toast.

This would not push the line up into 9am. All this is doing is splitting Y&R in half to fit The Gates. But yes, what confuses things further is that the CBS daytime lineup isn't standardized across timezones. Y&R aires at 11 AM PT, then news, then B&B which screws up the carry over audience method.

And finally, Margret Orr signed off from WDSU last night: https://www.wdsu.com/article/margaret-orrs-final-farewell-wdsu-new-orleans/60346573 Among the tributes was one from NOLA native John Goodman:

*separated posts so it's not one massive paragraph* It's not implausible but----Why do we keep forcing idea that CBS is going to launch an afternoon newscast when they've shown no indications of doing so, and their national news product is not strong outside of 60 Mins and Sunday Morning?

No its sexism and in some way racism also keep in mind this happened to Sue over at 4. It sexism cause an older women can’t be on air as long as a man it gives off those mysoynist vibes, and I’m injecting race into it because I haven’t seen this happen to a Caucasian women. All the white females I’ve seen retire have been given fantastic send-offs. You literally mentioned how the took part of the NYSBA video so they didn’t even do an organic goodbye, that shows there in it for money and could care less. I thought it was disingenuous that one of the bosses at WCBS who should remain unnamed was on that NYSBA video saying how great she was and was one of the bosses that probably green lighted her being taken off the desk.

I hate to say this, but the poster does have a point. Yes, there's alot of ageism goes on in many work industries. Television news is no exception either. Chuck, still might be spry, but Sue Simmons got the boot and he didn't is very telling. Sue a year older than Chuck, and he still get to anchor one newscast where her contract wasn't renewed. Chuck and Sue were an institution together on WNBC and a pillar in NYC area, but he should of been ushered out along with Sue. The question is why? Was it because he was a man? Again, their age only separates them a year apart.

Speaking of Jennifer McLogan, she recently also celebrated 35 years at WCBS, and I'd say they gave her a pretty nice tribute here (alongside her daughter who is also now a reporter there): Also note at the end all of her colleagues and production crew (Dana front and center) came out and clapped at the end. It's possible Dana really didn't want that (Dick mentioned she didn't want a big send off), but it's still surprising (as noted above) more of her longtime colleagues were not involved.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to describe what I think and how I feel with regards to Dana and WCBS at this moment. The nearest comparison I’ve settled on is that this has been like seeing a friend be grievously and irreparably wronged and there is nothing you can do. Dana was pushed out the door, whether it be because of budget cuts or age or whatever else. I understand why she decided to fully exit the station at this time, but the abruptness of her complete departure was a shock. Reflecting on it, WCBS has rarely ever ‘sent someone off.’ The constant turnover and abrupt dismissals of icons and legends meant that personalities never had an on air goodbye— even if they deserved one. The bare minimum that was done for Dana— a hastily recut video tribute from her NYSBA Hall of Fame induction— is the most I can remember ever seeing on their air. (Although I vaguely remember a few minutes on air acknowledging Stephen Clark’s last day.) Dana was a survivor— somehow making it through the darkest years of WCBS. Think about all of the times that Dana had to put up a strong appearance while the station was in chaos (the massacre, dismissing Stephen, dismissing Jim Rosenfield, dismissing Jim Jensen, tossing Warner aside, the times when Angela, Roz, and Kristine replaced her at 11, and so many more). Dana continued to be the familiar face to us, after all of the ups and many, many downs she went through at WCBS. We all consume local news differently now. Local newscasts are no longer packed with stories impacting the local communities and viewing area, with more and more time being used for filler national stories (or worse, appalling in newscast product ad segments). Many no longer turn on the 5/6 news while making dinner, or the 11 before drifting off. Most people now read a jumble of stories from a variety of sources on our phones throughout the day. What that means, as everyone here knows, is that the local anchor is less important than ever. Those left watching local news (and television as a whole) are an older and older audience— audiences that are comfortable with the faces they recognize. We are witnessing the last generation of legendary news anchors. Losing Dana isn’t going to push most people to change the channel; Maurice and Kristine are also familiar and trusted faces who are good anchors. But Dana was the heart and soul of the WCBS product. She always exuded warmth and the constant through all of the years of change. After the recent passings of Pablo Guzman, Max Gomez, and Frank Field, I didn’t tune in to see what Kristine or Dick or Chris would say— I wanted to hear how Dana would remember them. Because more than any other anchor, honestly in the whole New York market, Dana came across as the one who cared about people. We focus a lot on the on air product, but if were to glance today at the posts of current and former colleagues of Dana online, you would see a lot of gratitude for what she did off camera too. So many credit her with making them better, investing in their success, sending notes of praise or offering a helping hand or open ear. All of it summed up by saying: Dana truly cared. It is understandable why she decided to leave now, after being told there was no longer a regular space for her at a station that produces nine hours of daily news. Throwing up the most recent prepared montage of her— a rushed, re-cut version of her 2022 NYSBA Hall of Fame tribute— didn’t really capture the fact that they were saying goodbye to someone so important to that news organization. What she deserved is similar to what Chuck is receiving now: a celebration leading up to her departure. She deserved to have some of her favorite stories reaired, to have tributes from current and past colleagues (the likes of Jim Rosenfield, Ernie Anastos, Ira Joe Fisher, Warner Wolf, Don Dahler, and Stephen Clark— who she was part of a tribute video for a few years ago when he retired from his station in Detroit), and even tributes from her competitors (who she graciously took time to thank in her final words). We should have seen her sit down with Cindy for an extended conversation at 9am about her career and the stories she has covered. All of that (and more) is what Dana deserved. She deserved better. And we deserved better.

Marcia Kramer, Cindy Hsu, and Jennifer McLogan are the only links remaining from the Jim Jensen era or the 90s itself at WCBS-TV following the departure of Dana Tyler. Kramer joined the station in 1990 and Hsu and McLogan came on board in 1993. If I'm not mistaken, the next longest tenured member of the news department after that is Mary Calvi.

With Dana Tyler's time at CBS2 coming to a close. Hopefully this isn't goodbye for Dana, assuming she decides to show up at one of the competing NYC stations (NBC4, FOX5, ABC7, or PIX11) for I believe she's got a few more years left in reporting news. Wishing Dana all the best.

almost poetic that this comes the same week as Chuck's 50th anniversary over on 4. Two legends being treated very differently by their stations. Wishing Dana all the best.

Just watched the video- she noted her goodbye at the end was pre-taped which is understandable because she seemed quite emotional and this is clearly not what she wants- but it is the super harsh reality of the business. I do think Channel 2 could have done a better job saluting her and not a rushed piece for 8 minutes at the end of one newscast. She deserves better, but I think the reason she didn't get a longer send off is because she's being forced out and likely made this decision more last minute than expected. It also seems like she is not staying with the station in any capacity (unlike previous reports) which I really respect. She will go out with dignity and on a high note. I'm still in shock about all of this, though (as I'm sure Dana is too); and it is all quite unfortunate. I really wish Dana happiness in whatever she choses to do next.

This was a very nicely done tribute, but I am in shock that this was Dana's last day. We knew Dana (and Dick Brennan) were leaving the 6pm newscast, but she was supposed to remain with the station as a fill-in anchor and contributor. However, per an article in Newsday.com (paywalled), which cited a memo from GM Johnny Green, Dana thought about it and decided that today would be her last day. The Newsday.com article goes on to mention that several in the news industry believe this move is directly related to budget cuts at Paramount Global. Regardless of the reason, this feels like a pretty abrupt ending for someone who devoted nearly 34 years of her life and career to this station. The entire process, starting with a leaked internal memo announcing that Dana and DIck would be "transitioning" off the 6pm newscast, seems like it was completely mishandled.

During the bridge collapse I found myself looking at Hearst's WBAL or turning to DC stations like WRC & WTTG because of the quality issues with the other three stations in Baltimore (CBS O&O, Scripps, Sinclair). It's crazy how much Scripps has fallen in such a short time that we could put them in the same sentence as Sinclair. Again, just looking at WPTV in the last 4-5 years is evidence. Scripps is quickly becoming a cheaper version what CBS O&Os often are --- coorperate and lacking local flavor.

2 Pac After Dark

The best stations seem to thrive in spite of their networks, bad syndication breaks, and ownership initiatives, which is certainly being proven by the Coxpollo and Hearst ABC'ers, but it certainly helps if your station builds around the community first rather than the network that carries it, which WDJT and WANF have found out and WWJ is learning to do now. Meanwhile in reverse WWL-TV seemed to turn their back on NOLA when Gannett/Tegna took over (including the inexplicable "CBS This Morning" set emulation which backfired the moment they had to move the local morning show to WUPL) and WVUE is thriving on what used to be 4's bread and butter by just embracing the city and the Saints. And even though it has to deal with Sinclair, KUTV still manages to put out a good product which is strong against KSL and KSTU, while KTVX never seemed to find its way once non-local ownership muddled and meddled it to death; it certainly didn't help that its ownership pre-Nexstar was more used to running independent/UPN stations than a network affiliate.

Oh they've been dropped Eyewitness News back in 2007, but WWL did dropped it under TEGNA but not WBNS-they were still family owned.

FWIW, WBNS dropped “Eyewitness News” around 2007, when its newscasts went HD. More obvious is the exodus of well-known and experienced talent from these stations, plus a decline in production values.

Welcome to TEGNA -- They've screwed a slew of legacy stations over, including WTHR and WBNS to name a few...

Henry Jessel has editorialized about WPIX; the short of it is 'how dare the FCC actually enforce its market cap rules instead of brushing them aside like they did under 45 and GWB and they should be PAYING Nexstar to run the market's lowest-rated news operation, which cannot survive any other way. Also Jessica Rosenworcel should be giving a medal to Perry Sook for trying to save wireline TV with NewsNation and saving the CW, rather than fining him', which is certainly...a view.

Dana Tyler just signed off WCBS for the last time, after an 8 minute tribute at the end of the 6pm where she said it was her last day at channel 2.