Jase

With the advent of streaming, one could argue local tv news ratings don't really matter as much as they once did. WBBM, WMAQ, WLS and WFLD all have streaming channels which serve as revenue generators along with their respective linear channel. Plus, people are pretty set in who they watch that there's not much (if anything) anyone can do to change that.

I agree that there’s opportunity to do something along that back wall. Every inch of space was utilized previously, so there’s no reason why they couldn’t do the same thing now.

I would bet they make some tweaks here and there moving forward, but I like what I see overall.

Not sure what the thought process is here. Why create a massive hole in the mornings just to fill a sports position that you could have lived without (for a couple of months)?

Not surprising given Milwaukee is hosting the RNC convention in a couple of weeks. WFLD ‘may’ bring back ‘The Ten’ or a M-F version of ‘Paris on Politics’ when Chicago hosts the DNC convention.

Too bad he doesn't have the power to shutdown HLN. It will be interesting to see how much he will cut from talent contracts when they come up for renewal.

Unfortunately, you are correct. WBBM will have a smaller version tailored to their space. While I'm not surprised they went this route, I am somewhat disappointed they got yet another station group set instead of something different/unique. The weather center/green screen will block the windows to the south leaving the west facing windows unblocked (the ones that face Daley Plaza). While the green screen 'appears' to be retractable, I'm not sure if they will leave it down 24/7 and allow people to see from those windows. They have removed the black curtain that surrounded the studio and the "coming soon" signage. The cameras have been moved into place and the lighting appears to be set. With that said, the move to the street side studio appears imminent (possibly next week....) .

Given the current state of Chicago professional sports... the 'need' to have more than 2 full-time sports anchors isn't there, so I could see WBBM going without having 3. Maybe they hire a freelancer at some point, but who knows. They could be trimming more people beyond Edwards and Harris too. If Ed isn't in the best of health, probably best for him to step down. Tucker is the last of the old guard, they could cut her and maybe even Savini as well.

They could go the WLS route and have Scott and Jeanes handle 4P, 5P, 6P and 10P with neither having the title of 'Chief'.

Pretty sure Alan was going to retire after 40 years no matter what. As I have said before, he and Cheryl had a good working relationship on-air and 'appeared' to be cordial with each other off the air. Unless someone writes a book, start a podcast, etc..., we will likely never know what issues Mark, Ron, etc.. had with her and vice-versa.

You may be referring to work to renovate the plazas that surround the Illinois Center complex. WFLD modernized/renovated the space (offices, newsroom, etc...) that they occupy within the building as part of signing a new long-term lease. That work and work on the plazas happened around the same time. The weather center is in an area that was once was a conference room/open space within the newsroom, which wouldn't require any of the major work you're suggesting nor would be the responsibility of WFLD.

The weather center has been around since July 2022 and was a part of a larger renovation project WFLD undertook over a 2-3 year period. They ditched the ‘Storm Force’ weather graphic elements (which I liked) for ‘Weather Authority’ a couple of weeks back.

They are back at the desk. The seamless video background is nice.

Wasn’t KCNC previous set more than 10 years old? That would suggest it was time for an upgrade. Nevertheless, I don’t care for the wood treatment on the front of the desk. Maybe if it was darker (like KCAL) it would look better. Overall, the set is okay.

Given the current situation regarding Paramount, I doubt we will see new sets group-wide ...unless it's already in the pipeline.

I figured this (a seamless background) was a possibility. I do wonder if the alcove (see pic) will be redone as well. Such an underutilized area that, if done properly, could provide another opportunity for standups and whatnot.

Looks like some work is being done to part of the main set. They have repositioned the anchors to the interview area and use the nearby (faux windows) and the 'live desk' for standups. Unsure what the scope of work is (a new desk maybe??).

It's simple economics. With NBC locking down the NBA, it's not surprising they decided to pass on the French Open. They don't have an infinite amount of money to spend on sports rights and it's safe to say there's more value in having the NBA than the French Open. Sports rights aren't going to get any cheaper, so tough decisions have to be made.

When you're trying to start a new sports network in an environment in which most RSNs are struggling, the last thing you want to do is pick a generic name. Given that the Bulls, Sox and Blackhawks are pretty bad (and likely will be for some time); a cool/interesting name would at least drum up interest in the network. I see this as a missed opportunity from a marketing pov.

Reinsdorf wouldn't have spent the $$$ to buy NBC Sports Chicago. We all know how cheap this guy is which is why they went with converting Stadium to Chicago Sports Network and bringing in some random company (Standard Media) to help with distribution. And what kind of name is Chicago Sports Network??? That's the best they could come up with???

WBD & Paramount all but gave up on the CW in 2019 when they ended the Netflix deal and stopped selling CW shows oversees. They are the ones that set the CW down it's current path. Had Nexstar (or someone else) not assumed the network's $100 mil. debt in 2022/23, the CW likely wouldn't exist today. I say this to say, that even if all three companies (WBD/Paramount/Nexstar) been equal partners, you still would need all three to be fully invested in the success of CW. It's clear that WBD and Paramount could care less about the network which leaves Nexstar to have to shoulder everything alone. Yes they could have made more of an effort to keep/buy more expensive/higher quality programs, but again, if your main programming suppliers (WBD and Paramount) aren't willing to work with you, what can you do?????

I think they will (use the entire space). Based off the orange signage promoting the street side studio, my guess would be that the morning/streaming newscasts will move here. Plus, if designed properly, there should be enough room for an AR weather center/space as well.

I wouldn't say they don't have a case. I don't think they have the $$$ to fight this. And if WBD were to match NBC's offer, NBC is in a much better position to go higher.

After a long delay… the (reimagined) street side studio will be unveiled soon (tentatively scheduled for July). Not sure if it’s just a state-of-the-art weather center (as previously reported) or something more. Nevertheless, glad to see the studio fully back up and running.

It's not too surprising L&O: OC moved to Peacock. Ratings-wise, it is the weakest of the L&O block and it just doesn't work well as a 22-episode show. I wouldn't be surprised if they move Chicago PD (Season 13) to Peacock as well. As far as slashing the 3rd hr. of primetime, that likely isn't necessary if they get the NBA. Their scripted slate would be greatly reduced and result in cost-savings long term (which is part of the reason why they wanted to cut the hour in the first place).