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I'd like to see you fill 40 hours of airtime. The first hour was like 50 minutes of straight news, and the second hour started similarly. Also, with how gloom and doom the last week has been, some fluff on a commercial-free online stream is no way to judge an entire news organization.

WLS has it, so it's safe to assume all 8 stations have it.

Then why post it here?

I've forgotten how good a team Robin and George are together, without 12 other voices around them.

I didn't realize that Good Morning Tunisia started the same year. Maybe not in that symbolic image of them all standing together, but everybody will be there, except for Chris Cuomo.

I still hate GMA's new desk with a passion. The wood tends to be a little over the top in parts, but it's okay enough. This era of the set (not used very long, about two years ago) is still my favorite version of the first floor set. That said, the the second Times Square set that debuted for their 30th in '05 is my all-time favorite, with its two anchor sets (this and the classic REAL window backdrop).

I think the update over the weekend is even more substantial than what was done to the anchor base and weather board. Having a full video wall over the old "couch backdrop" (so to speak) is a big change, and the area separating the studio from the social square has gone from a bunch of screens that could rotate to open the gap to just the two sliding screens. The social square appears to be completely redone in the wood motif with a table and stools, much like the Orange Room's update. The touch screen area between the studio/square doorway and the windows has also been redone.

Their streaming broadcast begins Tuesday evening, so while they'll do stuff tomorrow and Tuesday morning (a bus tour beginning in Chicago), I'd imagine it will be mostly relegated to the second hour, or even the last half hour. Heck, this morning they moved onto other news (not fluff and stuff), in the second half hour.

New reporter...Will Jones, '06 Northwestern grad from WDIV Detroit. I've lost track of who he technically succeeds, but he appears to be full-time, unlike Thoren and Hernandez. http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/7780-abc-7-hires-will-jones-as-newest-reporter This article on Jones' hire hints that ABC 7 is still leading through the first 2 weeks of sweeps.

The original version of that theme was soooooo much better.

Yeah, the weekend staff seems to know what they're doing. It's really not that hard. The open has been fixed, but the headline cue, like 'World News Tonight', doesn't flow well into the intro.

I can't. This is too fantastic. A fan of the ESPN radio show decided to add visuals to one of Mark's great commentaries... [MEDIA=vimeo]145106350[/MEDIA]

Giangreco's ready for the weekend... "We should do shots on the air, in the studio. Limoncello before weather."

FOUND IT! I'm only going to give the numbers at 10pm for this year and the two prior Novembers. 2013: WLS- 8.9, WMAQ- 5.9, WBBM- 5.5, Combined- 20.3 2014: WLS- 9.3, WMAQ- 6.6, WBBM- 4.6, Combined- 20.5 2015: WLS- 8.4, WMAQ- 6.2, WBBM- 3.2, WGN- 2.6, Combined- 20.4 (In-progress) I like when I'm right.

How much everyone is down, though, is unclear, but the hemorrhaging isn't likely as strong as the writer implies, considering he doesn't include WGN in that stat, but fails to realize that much, if not most of 9's 2.6 came from the other three channels.

One week into sweeps, WLS has opened up a surprising 2.2 point lead in total viewers at 10 (8.4 to 6.2). ABC 7 and NBC 5 both improved on their lead-ins (5.8 and 5.0, respectively). Of course, it is only based on 5-7 nights of competition (I don't know if Saturday and Sunday nights count, where the two leaders don't compete head-to-head, anyway), but considering they only had a 1 point lead and were down a fraction in the demo last month, the folks at 190 North must be confident. No word on the demo numbers, but I'd imagine that, with this recent boost, they've at least tied WMAQ. WBBM was also "up" about a point this first week, notching a 3.2. WGN, meanwhile, has essentially remained steady at a very disappointing 2.6. "Channel 9's poor showing suggests its star weatherman Tom Skilling [...] doesn't automatically ensure strong ratings results." http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2015/11/06/wls-channel-7-evening-news-pulling-ahead-as.html?ana=twt

It's late, so I ask, they're alleged typo or did I make one?

I DVR'd Jimmy Kimmel last night, am watching it right now, and noticed that ABC 7 ran a promo for the morning news. By itself, that's something they haven't done in a few years, but the notable part is that the lower third said "TOMORROW AT 4AM". No announcement been made, they made no verbal mention in the spot, and my cable guide has not been changed.

Keep it in the second hour. Personally, I don't mind Lara being on the show, but getting equal billing as George and Robin has made her presence too strong. She can be entertaining and charming, but in small doses.

Here ya go. It is a lot better, though I still prefer the last theme (and the '09 theme, most of all).

Hell, I captured it this morning in case they'd change it. I'll upload it.

Chris Cato is leaving for Florida. http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/chris-cato-joins-wtvt-in-tampa/158132

Nothing important in the package is 16:9. All relevant text is in the safe zone. As for the time and temp, it never left if your local affiliate was made aware of the change/knew what they were doing.

It's better than I thought, but I think the theme is still a downgrade, and it doesn't help that they're not using it particularly well.

God, I used to hate that desk. Still do.