Geoffrey

No.

I've seen this idea used before, though I can't remember where (possibly WBBM?). It was either about an empty studio or an empty newsroom. I don't mind it, though the execution seems off. And showing the anchors at the desk at end feels like it undoes the whole premise of the promo.

Page Six has been good with their CBS scoops lately so I think this is likely. My guess is that they have one source, though, and that source really doesn't like Norah for whatever reason. (Perhaps Norah IS bad. Perhaps the source is jealous of her success.) Also, how is Gayle pushing Norah out if CBS was already trying to get Norah to replace Jeff? This is a lot of changes, though. Kind of daring. But it's probably necessary. I do feel bad for Jeff... One day you're getting a big promotion and becoming the face of the network, the next you're being blamed for not being able to fix decades of struggles. But he was not the right pick. (I wish they'd bring Scott Pelley back... He might have been awkward but his writing was good and he had the trust.) I didn't think John Dickerson was good for mornings... Too bad he can't go back to Face The Nation.

Appreciate the update. So weird.

They just didn't do traffic today??

Good catch! As usual in recent years, CBS 2 seems to be doing things in their piecemeal style, which results in a sloppy on-air appearance. Why move the bug but not reconfigure the lower-third banners? I'd imagine that's coming next but what's with the on-air testing? I just went back and checked the noon broadcast. It seems CBS 2 had no idea what they were doing with the bug. They used the "new bug" at the beginning, then reverted back to the original position at 12:01, then moved it back to the new spot at 12:05. But then it was back in the original spot after the first commercial break and seems to have remained there for the rest of the newscast. Oh, and the left side of the lower-thirds haven't been 4:3 safe since this package debuted a few years ago because that's where they stick things like "Breaking News" and story-specific text. But the bug on the right had been 4:3 safe until today. I'm interested to see how long until they make the adjustments to the lower-thirds and if they can use the full screen for the seven-day forecast (that five-plus-two look should have died years ago but was a holdover of John Bolaris' "+2" thing... Yes, it's that old). (And my fingers are crossed for a complete redesign... This package is sloppy all over.) Update: WLNY has moved the bug over to the right as well tonight.

I also noticed the similarity with Fox News' look having the show title on the lower line of the lower-third. I'm really not a fan of the new lower-thirds. Before today, for the last few years, lower-thirds were pretty much only used to identify CBS News correspondents and no one else. Now they're a permanent fixture on the screen, like the other two evening newscasts. And CBS's are huge. They have two different banners for one-line headlines and one us a big red one. I don't understand why they're using two. The red one matches the one used to identify people (which spells out "Senator" for the first time I can remember instead of abbreviating it). It's just really ugly and lacks any design. I'm expecting them to make modifications in the coming days... perhaps either to remove the show title completely or to have it be replaced by the L3 for people when that pops up. We'll see. That "Evening Newsfeed" segment right before the first tease felt gimmicky and reminded me of World News Tonight. Then the first tease was correspondent-driven with no VO from Glor. The open is similar to what it had been but they rearranged the way it looks... the and changing of the pictures no longer seems to "match" the music. The studio has been darkened and Glor sits for most of the broadcast, unlike Pelley, who stood for most of it.

CBS This Morning's graphics changes, particularly the lower-thirds, constantly seem to be an evolution rather than a huge change. Interesting how the elements aren't connected... Reminds me of CNN. Now the text is centered. I'm not a fan of how the angle on the right side of the lower-third, as rkolsen pointed out, seems to be random. It never seems to "go" with the CBS bug at all. (Also, is the bug necessary when it's already in the CBS This Morning logo on the left side?) I do like how the lower-thirds continue to treat names/titles differently than the rest of the text they display, with the colors from the top and bottom elements swapping for people. I also like how they continue to have a different color scheme for politics (and, presumably, breaking news).

I hope the new set uses the correct logo in all places! I'm surprised it's going to take so long.

In case it's not obvious, the part with the drop-down weather monitor is also virtual. Yes, CBS 2 is still using chromakey for weather but does a pretty good job of making it look like part of their studio.

As someone who has worked with Cindy, I'm very happy to see her get this kind of attention. She is one of the kindest people you will meet and I'm pretty sure everyone who has ever met her has the utmost admiration for her.

The open looks very nice... but isn't it too focused on New York? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to feature the country or even the world? Anyone want to place bets as to whether they include the tree, maybe with some snowflakes in the air, come December? The lower-thirds graphics, particularly the "coming up" set, feel very "local news" to me.

How strange it was turning on CBS 2 News at Noon and seeing so many unfamiliar faces: Jessica Moore anchoring the newscast solo and Nicole Mitchell doing the weather. (This was even stranger considering that they sent weekend morning meteorologist Vanessa Murdock outside to report on the heat... They couldn't have used a familiar face to do the weather and maybe a reporter outside?) This comes as the station seems to be experimenting with a bunch of different new reporters, all female. It makes CBS 2 feel unfamiliar with amateur.

I think Cindy stated on Facebook recently that she prefers working evenings to mornings. It's easier to have a more normal sleep/life schedule that way. But she always just goes with the flow and smiles while doing whatever is asked of her. There was a brief time years ago (around 2007) when it seemed like they'd let anyone other than Cindy anchor. Seemed like she was on her way out. But then they put her on weekends and she's back to filling in on weekday mornings. You can tell from both on-air and social media comments that the other anchors love having her there.

Don Dahler is filling in for Maurice DuBois tonight at 5:00. He used to be the 6:00 co-anchor before moving to CBS News a few years ago to report. Interesting that they have him back to fill in.

Hmm, I missed the beginning of 12 Nightside but I think I watched from around 7:20 through 8:00. It seemed like the same newscast to me. I didn't notice any format change. But maybe it was all at the top?

WNYT Albany's Jessica Layton says she will be joining WCBS to report at the end of June: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1017144121706442

Many companies allow for leave of absence. Anyone judging Dana without knowing the full story is a fool.

Unsure of the new graphics. This is much more in line with how I expected the show to look when I heard it was going to be called "CBS This Morning": White and yellow. The CBS This Morning logo (which has been altered... "CBS THIS" on top and "MORNING" on the bottom) is much closer to the left side edge, as if they're airing in 16:9 everywhere. But the CBS Eye bug on the right has not been moved, looking like a 4:3 broadcast. The time/temp section of the ticker no longer matches the angles. I liked how the previous lower-thirds seemed more dynamic, with the top bar re-sizing, depending on the length of the words/name.

Disappointed in that article. An unnamed source is cited as believing something. Not only does it sound like it could be something someone told him to stop asking questions, but it sounds like it could be a very personal issue and now her business is out there in the open. I know Cindy Hsu is a public figure but she is due some privacy and publishing speculation like this just seems lousy to me. Either way, I wish Cindy a speedy resolution to whatever is going on as she is an awesome person and deserves only the very best. I look forward to seeing her back on CBS 2 very soon.

CBS This Morning is broadcasting from the observation deck of 1 World Trade Center this morning ahead of its opening next week. Norah, Charlie and Gayle are on the 102nd floor with a very nice view behind them. The photos to the left of the CTM logo in the bug are also WTC-focused.

WFAA in Dallas has hired Mike Leslie as a sports reporter: https://twitter.com/wfaasports/status/581131542451326976 He'll begin April 6th and will be taking over for the recently retired George Riba. https://twitter.com/MikeLeslieTV/status/581126753428463616 / He was most recently in Charlotte, where he was a host on ESPN 730. Before that, he was a sports anchor at Fox 46 Charlotte. He's also done sports on 7 News in Boston.

Actually, I believe CBS 2 was one of the first stations to stream its newscasts, especially in New York. But not too long after the website merged with the radio stations', they dropped it.

I noticed the morning newscast also streamed this morning. Hope they don't get lazy and give up on the live streams like they did a few years ago. (The website is run by the radio stations and TV always seems to be an afterthought for them. This is very backward to me.)

On WCBS this morning, the local ticker has been updated to reflect the new graphics. (I didn't notice it previously and they had their snow delays ticker yesterday when I watched). Like the updated bottom line of the lower-third, the ticker no longer "curves"/"wraps" next to the CBS eye bug. And for the first time in years, WCBS displays it correctly. (It's hard to explain but the angle that divided the time/temp and the rest of the text seemed strangely difficult for WCBS to handle while other affiliates had no problem with it.)