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Merri Dee, the trailblazing anchor, reporter, and host, has passed away at 86. https://wgntv.com/news/former-wgn-tv-anchor-reporter-merri-dee-dies-at-86/?fbclid=IwAR2kIFjw8uKd_JvAuITatp_EO07-UlZ8KWe8Fb-hjj3mtcZl3n_U_TqAjI4

Just a scheduling error. The 4pm still exists. As for Ed, his regular car segment hasn't been posted to the station's website since the fall, and I don't believe he's been on the air at all in 2022. He has, however, remained active on Twitter. I don't want to speculate, but he hasn't looked the picture of health, the last several times I'd seen him on-air, but he's also in his mid-60s. Hoping for the best. This appears to be his most recent appearance, based on the station's YouTube page.

It was edited, as a joke, which the original poster should've clarified, when bringing it from the Discord server to the TVNT forum.

Misused as a lukewarm opinion host, I'm going to miss Donlon, but this is an overall positive move for the network. NOT ENOUGH, but going in the right direction, ratings be damned. As for Joe, to be totally honest, there are no immediate vacancies for a 50-something white guy anchor in Chicago, so I'd maybe keep an eye on Portland, where he spent a couple decades at KGW, before his 4-year stint on the northwest side of Chicago.

As much as I like the update, and I know they only had the weekend to do this, but I don't care for how it looks with the video bands obstructed. I know it's not quite this, but it's almost like they just constructed this in front of the existing set wall.

I know Buck to Disney has been gaining a little steam, but the all-but-confirmation of it is still a stunner. The amount of movement this offseason has been insane. Fun and interesting, but insane.

Proxima Nova will be the new font, and the colors are about right, but this promo is more transitional than a sign of things to come. The station logo is still the old one, as they're supposed to be adopting WABC's new model.

Say what you will about the 8am hour it was created for, but that upstairs set has been very versatile for the network. That said, I was surprised to see that it's almost 5.5 years old. It's likely due for a more serious overhaul.

Okay, so after a little poking around, Laura Bannon lost her voice, and I'm assuming he was the easiest to call in, this morning. The weird part, to me, is that Robb Ellis was in for Mary Kay at 4 o'clock, and yet they didn't let him take all the evening shifts, and give Albert the rest of the day.

I know it's come and gone a few times. KFSN just launched a 7pm streaming newscast, so unless it simulcasts on the other station (like KTRK's 9pm show), I'm guessing the off-network OTA newscast is gone.

The post in this thread came first, and the news likely doesn't need its own thread.

That's...not a terrible pick. I'm shocked.

Those are all totally plausible. Potentially serving in multiple roles is kind of what Tim McGill will now be doing.

And isn't Terrence Lee still with Roseanne from 4 to 6? I know he's also Sylvia's sidekick at 9. I know they pretty much established that Blanton would be on weekdays, but that weekend GDC had not had a declared anchor since Sally Schulze moved to 4pm. Maybe someone gets moved there, or did Elizabeth Matthews get formally announced, and I just missed it? She's been filling that role for like 2 years.

Not to sidetrack the sunny, cheery mood of the thread, but WBKB was channel 4 until 1953. When it was split, Channel 4 moved to 2, and became WBBM. The WBKB calls then replaced WENR on channel 7. But anyway... WHAT WILL THE NEW GRAPHICS LOOK LIKE??? /s

Careful what you wish for. This ain't your daddy's Cox. I should reword that.

Her bio remains on WBBM's website, but she isn't featured in promos.

With all due respect, you posted not much more than an Instagram link, saying that something was coming. No details or time slot from you or Anderson, just a semi-cryptic "hey, we're working on something" from the host.

I've always been partial to this one. Similar styles popped up elsewhere, but I maintain that, while not the style of today, these opens have not only held up best, but still look nice now.

From various reports, the Nexstar #2 and #3 stations, plus the latter's adjoining cable network, haven't been the strictest with local protocols, so I'm not surprised that PIX11 is the first in New York to make this move.

Nah, Linda Church.

The WGN B-team has only truly solidified itself in the last 5 years, with Larry, Robin, and company still appearing in the 5 o'clock hour within the last decade, until the 9am hour launched (2013?). The early team has seen 5 different anchors, two meteorologists, and a few traffic anchors, until they finally settled into the current line-up. Until the current team found their footing, they weren't very competitive, but having the A-team on from 6am gave the station an easy win in the hour. Why kick the other stations' butts at 7, when you can also do it at 6? That said, the B-team is now #1, too, but the 6 o'clock switch is well-engrained. No need to change it.

It's not exactly a industry-shaking hire, and it wasn't mentioned on the forum. It flew under my (and apparently others') radar, so I posted it. No offense, but why didn't you, if you knew?

I know the Fox O&O syndicated slate is in bad shape, with up to 3 hours not returning for next fall, but what the what WHAT?