24994J

BREAKING: He's wearing a different shirt and tie (the suit is dark, so I can't tell if that's changed). This is not a drill!

We need to summon SuitSnob.

No, no. I see it, too. And, I'll be damned if those lapels don't look very similar, too. Taking into account that the late news has more blue-ish lighting, I'd guess that's the same suit, too. All kidding aside, hopefully everything is okay. Maybe he had a laundry mishap, messing up today's outfit, forcing him to use yesterday's pieces that might have still been at 190 North...which is airing one of its semi-regular episodes this weekend, BTW. (Great segue, I know.)

Former WFLD anchor Robin Robinson is joining CBS-owned WBBM Newsradio as a fill-in anchor. This comes almost two months after appearing on WBBM for the February municipal elections and CBS2 during a debate. She worked as a weekend anchor at WBBM-TV in the mid-80's alongside Lester Holt. http://www.robertfeder.com/2015/04/16/wbbm-newsradio-hires-robin-robinson/

This is really random, pointless, and a waste of a post, but is he wearing the same tie in both images? I ask because the image on the left is from last night, and the other is from today. It's kind of odd to me that, working in television, (1) the anchor wouldn't notice his tie choice, and (2) someone working with him wouldn't notice. I dunno, call me crazy.

"Ya call those 'cheap hotel' shorts, 'cause there's no ballroom." -Mark Giangreco The less context, the better.

LATE BREAKING: Saturday newscast gets scrubbed. Nobody notices til Tuesday, nor do they care. http://www.robertfeder.com/2015/04/14/technical-glitch-aborts-fox-32-newscast/

Whippersnapper takes 2nd straight week in total viewers and the demo... http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/evening-news-ratings-week-of-april-6-2/260506

Are they going to air any west coast games this season? If they do, this type of schedule won't be too rare. This comes from a regular viewer of the 'WGN News at Nine at Midnight'.

Before tonight, when was the last time Cheryl filled in for Ron at 10? Seriously, it's been that long.

"The NBA is a game of runs...The Diarrhea League." -Mark Giangreco

I knew that they had gotten a new chopper. I think they ran a few promos, though it wasn't as repetitive as some promos and plugs they've aired. I did not realize, also, that the other one was still around. You'd think having two would be something to brag about.

Yeah, I never understood the new paint job. It doesn't match the new graphics, and uses a logo that was retired before this chopper debuted.

That awkward moment when the old ride and the new ride cross paths. No, I don't know if the old one is still in use, though I am curious as to the purpose of the old one retaining branding. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyway, for storm coverage, Terrell was at the storm site this morning, Judy and Linda anchored at 11, and both Cheryls are out there this afternoon. Alan is holding fort downtown for Ron at 5. Of course, that doesn't include the likely half dozen reporters that will spend time out there today.

It sounds like tomorrow's repeat of WCL will be dumped in favor of news, just as was done after the tornado outbreak in November 2013.

Whaaaaaaaaaaat?

NBC 5's coverage is getting painful. Rob and Marion have dialed it back a little, but between reporting and phone-ins, they're still in END OF THE WORLD mode. They keep throwing to Brant in desperation to prop them up, only for him to start preaching teamwork and harmony. They have not yet lit the bonfire to sing Kumbaya. And, to add the frosting to the cake, Marion won't shut up about how they were first on the air, because that's what matters most, am I right? Classy. They finally closed at midnight, and despite having some of the best weather coverage all evening, they really left me with a bad taste in my mouth with how they handled themselves in the last several minutes. Poor Brant has to be back on the radio at 5:30AM, too.

Okay, shows how well I've been paying attention...Demetrius has been out in the field all evening?

Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Ultimately, they managed and got the important information out, even if it was very awkward, at times. I'd deem tonight to be rare miss on the tech side for them. Oh, since we're going deep on the personnel side, I'll mention that Magers was on at 5, but he sounded like crap, so I'm not surprised he wasn't back at any point this evening.

NateinFLA said in the shoutbox said that Stafford and Brooks were pretty bad tonight, and now that I've been watching for several minutes, good Lord he was right. She must have gone to the Cheryl Burton Institute of Broadcasting (CBIB- pronounced C-Bib, for short).

It reminded me of when my dad would help me with homework, reaching over in front of me and doing it himself without really helping me. In terms of things being thrown together and unprepared, everybody in town was caught a little off-guard. Everyone was prepared to handle the storms and even tornado warnings, but the system just blew up when the sun came out and warmed things up this afternoon, leading to the bigger spread of damage and a heavier workload for the weather teams. There may be only 1 life lost (1 is 1 too many), but the conditions were about as bad as they could be, based on what was anticipated. One last thing on tandem; Jerry started the main forecast spot, Cheryl finished it, and both seemed to be back on their game. He wasn't bumbling and slow, and she was very straight-forward and to-the-point. Kudos to them both for picking things back up.

The opens do suck so bad.

Yeah, WMAQ debuted them in December. It's so much better than the bastardized F V.1 they had before.

As always, I think Fox is a victim of limited resources and lack of viewership cutting their coverage capabilities.

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment. I agree with all of your points on the Taft/Scott tandem tonight, but I think we might be being a little harsh. Breaking coverage is not Cheryl's forte, but we need to keep in mind that this is like the first time the two of them have been at the helm of rolling coverage (the February blizzard, maybe, but I don't think Jerry came in that weekend for any extended period of time). None of us can say she isn't trying, and Jerry is definitely not 100%, but I think they have a significant chemistry problem, more than anything else. Krash, Kathy and Jerry have worked side-by-side for 25 years, and have a certain rhythm during such events, and throwing a new voice into the mix can cause a lot of awkwardness. I also don't think he's giving her much of a chance to fully contribute, leaving her to nod in agreement. By holding her back a little, he's picking up the slack and pushing himself a little too hard. It is certainly a disadvantage to have a far more inexperienced member of the team, but with time she should improve due to her surroundings. I already find her more palatable than when she first joined the station, and she should be much improved when Jerry does retire next year. Yes, she's not Mike, but I'm not expecting her to be, and I do think that's added pressure thrown in that certainly wouldn't help her. I still don't like the arrangement, but it is what it is, and I'm trying my best to give a chance. We also need to remember that even after Jerry leaves, she'll have Phil and Tracy to hopefully have her back when she needs it. She's gotten a bit of bum deal over the last few months being branded as both a professional and personal homewrecker, and for grinning and bearing it, I'm rooting for her to rise to the challenge and succeed. Through it all, I think their real star tonight has been Troy. He hasn't been on much (more than Phil), but he's been very solid, despite few opportunities to appear on the big stage. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...And the green screen clicker just fried again.