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No joke, Giangreco had cargo shorts on at 5 during one of the last shows on State Street, the far stage right angle exposing his choice of pants. He then waved his leg to make sure viewers saw. Anyway, while this may have been just for today's season premiere, the WCL news updates were done in new format. The show started right at 11, with the first news and weather update coming at 11:28, and the full forecast at 11:57, after the show's completion and a quick break, and leading right into The Chew.

I will ask, is the station seemingly content with the solo anchor setup on weekends?

I didn't think I'd like a smaller desk, but this one is very well-done, and a fixed camera angle on the anchors is so much better, too. I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I think the Orange Room could've maintained a little more of its namesake, and, whether orange, blue, something neutral, or some other color, I think the couch area would be even better with another pop of color.

No one is taking the bait. It's not necessarily that nobody believes you, but many of us on TVNT avoid in-fighting rumors like this. Yes, we may speculate about station sales, sets, graphics, and even personnel moves, gossip (with all due respect, your story is) is something we try to brush off. I don't want to speak for the moderators, but if you are serious about contributing on here, you'll drop the Tracy thing and move on. Oh, and the hashtag at the end of each post is a little tacky, in my opinion, and you're probably not helping your credibility with it.

As far as I know, she's staying on as a regular political analyst for ABC News and frequent This Week panelist.

The station's having fun with it. The full description on the pic says that he accidentally left his shoes at the gym. Besides, his feet will be behind the table for the segment on Sunday, and under the desk at 5.

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Okay, maybe I'm missing something, but are they actually considering putting you-know-who in the only known hole right up against his old program? Yes, I get that nothing's confirmed, but...

Just when you thought WFLD couldn't sink to any new lows, they briefly employed Jon Lovitz. http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/jon-lovitz-pitches-in-to-help-short-staffed-wfld/154835

They left out a picture of Gardner... (Please don't think I'm being serious.)

At least they get through it quickly. Channel 5's sometimes last as long as the headline cues on the network newscasts. One gripe about 7's, though. With this change, I hope they'll stick to one cut of the theme, as they've used two, pretty much on alternating nights.

There's some new graphics on the 10 o'clock news. Some much better-looking titles are being used during the cold open, sleeker and less cluttered compared to the promo bar they were using before. Video removed. Updated version below.

Giangreco being himself. Forgot to give a name to the quote. It makes more sense knowing who said it.

"I'm thick and flexible...I'm Gumby, dammit!"

Rumor going around is that Steve Kornacki is getting a weekday slot, so UP just might be canned in favor of Sharpie.

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So, I remember complaining awhile ago how there seems to be very little predictability in ABC 7's substitution hierarchy, but I'm now warming up the way they play around with the anchor teams. Honestly, I don't know why I'm addressing the issue, but when Krashesky and Babich co-anchor a day after Sanders and Brock in the same time slot, I recall my original stance.

Since Paula's sticking with GMA, she'll likely only be on 3 or 4 days a week, leaving the 5-woman panel on the other day/s, and I could totally see Joy's schedule being reduced by design, as sort of a semi-retirement deal. Add in Candace's comeback schedule, and I think they'll keep the standard 5, with someone always off.

Let's see...42.5 hours per week are divided as such... Jerry: 10 broadcasts per week, 5 hours on-air per week Cheryl: 15 broadcasts, 12.5 hours Tracy: 10 broadcasts, 15 hours Phil: 6 broadcasts, 6 hours Troy: 3 broadcasts, 5 hours Now, Tracy's is weighted due the morning show, and her role on WCL is minimal, so her numbers are a little fluky. Cheryl's stats include the 7pm news, and who knows the shelf life there? I also broke the weekend morning shows into 2 parts, versus the 4-5 hour marathon, and did not include the GMA updates for any of the applicable three.

WMAQ has 5. WGN has 5/6/7/8. The market's too competitive. Weather is the hot commodity for the locals in Chicago right now, and the top stations are well-staffed. On the other hand, the bottom feeders aren't (WBBM: 4, WFLD:3). So, even if they don't NEED 5, it's something to pad their status. That said, it should be noted that 7 doesn't include Troy in promos, but they didn't tout the fifth when it was Mark Bishop or Larry Mowry (I'm dating myself on that one), either. Unlike the others before him, Troy does not have a bio on the station's website (none of the part-timers do), but they aren't afraid to use him on evenings and weekdays in various weather-related roles, a perk that Mark (who was a full-time professor) and Larry weren't allowed.

I'm not saying they won't. He's included him in 5 they currently have. Take Jerry away, and they're left with Cheryl, Tracy, Phil, Troy, and a vacancy.

Well, to stay competitive, they're going to need a fifth person once Jerry retires.

I always thought that it was the other way around. I recall ratings (generally) increasing whenever Diane was off, no matter if David or George filled in.

What's he thinking? He's got weekly appearances on 'Windy City Live' and WGN Radio, in addition to whatever his role is on whatever cable film channel, AND his columns and reviews in the Sun-Times. I couldn't possibly imagine what WFLD has to offer that would (presumably) pull him away from at least one of his existing jobs. Also, expanding how? I mean, since they already go til 10, 4AM is definitely the logical addition, but that doesn't sound like a big enough deal to make such a hiring move.