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WBBM morning anchor Kris Gutierrez will be leaving the CBS-owned station in February after almost 3 years. He will be moving back to Texas, where he was previously a Fox News correspondent. (Behind Paywall) http://www.robertfeder.com/2014/12/10/morning-anchor-kris-gutierrez-leaving-cbs-2/#more-5932

And Llamas is back on the air.

Okay, so tonight Ravi said that Phil is far away, some place warmer.

Dan Harris tonight.

Yeah, I'm really warming up to him, too. He was a little stiff when he first joined the station last year, but has improved in his delivery and demeanor since then.

"Phil will be off for a couple of weeks." I wouldn't be shocked if Phil has some personal days stocked up, and the station wants him to burn them off by the end of the year, before he will work a few holiday shifts, himself.

With college football winding down, ABC stations across the eastern U.S. are moving their Saturday evening newscasts back an hour. Two minutes ago..."From Chicago's #1 News, ABC 7 Eyewitness News at 6 starts right now." Someone didn't get the memo.

Maybe he's doing his taxes early.

Yeah. Yeah. I'd say so. That's how it usually works.

According to Linda Yu, Sylvia Perez was a panelist on WYCC's 'In the Loop' news/talk show last night. I haven't looked for it online, but I can't imagine that it would be hard to find. Update: WYCC is God-awful at posting video to their website, but the episode is airing again Saturday morning (12/6) at 1AM and Sunday evening (12/7) at 6:30PM.

She's fresh from Florida, and seemingly just freelancing at this point... http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/tv/tv-guy/os-renee-stoll-departing-wftv-20141002-post.html

I've met Mike a couple times, but I've always found him to be more than pleasant. But, you never know.

I'm guessing that NBC 5 has formally passed on rehiring her since the initial Feder report. At this point, the ball is officially in ABC 7's court, as WMAQ's refusal was the only potential hiccup.

I do recall that the 'World News Webcast' was regularly posted at like 3 o'clock (Eastern). Ultimately, like the old webcast and the later years of the on-air news briefs, the 'Facecast' will largely serve as a promotional vehicle for the flagship.

It looks like the 'WN Webcast' of the Gibson era is being reincarnated under the Muir administration, albeit on a different forum... http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/world-news-tonight-launches-facebook-newscast_b247406

Eh, I'm not overly impressed. I like him as a correspondent, but like Cecilia Vega, there's something a little too dramatic and rehearsed in Llamas' delivery. Yes, David Muir does it, too, but he's mastered the art. I'd still rather see Jarvis or Pitts in the permanent role, but that seems increasingly unlikely.

It just dawned on me. Ron did the studio tour on Black Friday last year, in addition to the holiday, so you might want to check out the late news tonight.

I don't have it. Too fat, stuffed, and sleep-deprived to bother capturing it. I will say, though, I was a wee bit disappointed in the lack of positions for Ron. Only 5 this year (desk, both stand-ups, weather center, in front of the desk next to a sitting Dionne Miller), compared to doing 6-8 the previous two years. No touch screen, no window stand-up, and Jerry said Ron would've gone outside if it wasn't so cold.

"Pass the pie. How did grandpa die?" Classic.

I'm just shocked that the sports ticker along the top of the back of the set still works.

If they don't come up with anything, I can bet you that they'll just dump a second run of Judge Judy, like they've done many times before. I also wouldn't rule out a return of 'Rachael Ray', as ABC 7 needs to free up an hour for 'The Fab' (God help us), and has already stated that 'Windy City Live' and the IE/J! combo are safe.

I think he kind of already is on the four day plan, or like 7 days out of 8, but the idea is certainly viable.

See, in recent years, I've thought of Matt as a double-edged sword; they're screwed with him, but they'd likely be somewhat screwed without him. For some, he still is the draw to the show. Frankly, as much as his image has been tarnished, NBC just doesn't have a successor that could easily fill the void. Installing Josh would come across to many as the show being desperate (which it would be). Carson is the poor man's Seacrest, and to think we thought HE might get hired, you can forget Daly. Personally, I think Lester is better than the weekday show. The slower-paced weekend show fits him well, and it could be argued that much of it has been shaped around him. Honestly, their best bet right now is Willie, but flat out dumping Lauer for ANYONE would likely cause some short-term damage. And with how NBC is being run these days, Matt's successor would likely be vilified by many, and the new guy wouldn't stand a chance against management. Matt would have to be given a really good deal (yes, maybe even pricier than his current contract) to leave voluntarily, or maybe he just wakes up one day and resigns, but his exit would have to be his own (possibly provoked) choice. Frankly, they're stuck.

I kinda thought you meant Thanksgiving, but I opted for the extreme.

Are you implying that they'd want to leave the station? I HIGHLY doubt it. They've got too good of a thing going there to leave. When it comes down to it, I'm guessing that since the morning show's ratings are solidly ahead of all competitors, they're trying to introduce prospective viewers to the weeknight team of Suppelsa and Materre. Yes, they've been doing the 9 o'clock news for 5 years, but the station is putting a lot of stock in them with the expanded 'Evening News'.