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Just as we predicted. The local Fox forecasters will help prop this up...

Check the brief flash of the logo on the desk. It's a mirrored video.

That certainly explains why they were using the green screen as the backdrop for sports and other standups. This should give them plenty of space to work on introducing AR weather effects. WLS had that cornered in the market (quality notwithstanding), until abandoning it during the pandemic.

Larry was off today, and with threats like these, he might never come back.

Ben Bradley posted to social media that WGN anchors have been given the all-clear, starting with the midday news today. And then there's this way to announce it...

Yes, he's no spring chicken, but Schanowski is easily the best available sports anchor in Chicago, so this is an excellent pickup, even if it's just for a slot here and there.

According to a quick, and presumably accurate Google search, Ritter is 71. Joe is 13 years younger. Hardly close. Heck, David Novarro is listed as being a 1959 birthday.

Last month, GMA senior EP Michael Corn abruptly left ABC after getting passed over for the top job in the news division. Instead, he'll be the new leader at Nexstar's Chicago-based NewsNation network. https://www.robertfeder.com/2021/05/17/nexstar-hires-former-abc-news-exec-michael-corn-run-newsnation/

GMA's recently-departed EP will be taking over the top job at NewsNation. https://www.robertfeder.com/2021/05/17/nexstar-hires-former-abc-news-exec-michael-corn-run-newsnation/

Is this specifically "news"? Not really. Is it a clip from just this week? Technically. Is it funny and less than 2 minutes of your life you won't mind not getting back? Yes.

WGN quietly launched afternoon digital newscasts last week. Anchored from newsroom flashcams by newbies Chip Brewster (at 1pm) and Christine Flores (at 2pm), they then appear together for a 10-20 minute update at 3pm that gets uploaded to YouTube and other forums for later viewing. The show uses the same station graphics, with minor updates for mobile consumption. After a headline rundown and weather update, most of it is prime social media material, plus occasional live interviews. WGN isn't the first in the market with a digital-only product, but this feels like a blend of the online show KTLA has had for awhile, with a similar presentation to NewsNation's morning non-evening content. The announcement of the launch, plus today's show, with likely a better open than the YouTube post below: https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/watch-wgn-news-now-wgns-digital-only-newscast/ The debut edition from May 4th: A segment from the Spanish edition:

Not who I expected to make the first move, but let's see if this gets the ball rolling for other networks and stations.

Local morning opens from the 90's are typical hard to find, but here's 2 from Chicago (1998). Robin Meade on WMAQ: Mary Ann Childers (and Dave Price) on WBBM: Meanwhile, back to nightside opens (1997). WMAQ: WFLD:

Does anyone know where the rest of their weather roster settles in, these days? Steve Stewart does weekend mornings, last I checked, and they hired Robert Johnson as weekend evening meteorologist, which seemingly displaced Brittany Bell, but she's very visible on their social media, website, and in a recent Local-ish/O&O weather special. She's filled in at WABC and ABC News, but doesn't appear to have a set show assignment.

Speaking from a positive experience, I wish more stations/companies would just claim the copyright of the content, and monetize it for them. My effort remains up, and they make a few pennies off of it. Fine by me, since 99% of us aren't in it for money and would never think of trying to profit of our uploads.

What?

But he's not wrong, here. That makes the difference, in this case.

Do with this info what you will. They usually have solid sourcing (even when they aren't lifting scoops from us. )

All together like this, you could call this a compilation of their Greatest sHits.

These are, to my knowledge, all the male anchors that might've been around in the late 90's/early 2000's. This list doesn't include general reporters, but this is about all I've got.... Jack Conaty, Darryl Dennard, Maurice Dubois, Jon Duncanson, Patrick Elwood, Byron Harlan,Walter Jacobson, David Novarro, Michael Pomeranz, David Rose, Larry Yellen. Many of these obviously don't fit your description. That said, the ONLY guy here that seems to fit your description would be David Novarro, previously and currently of WABC, spending about a decade at FOX32. No beard, but I know he had a mustache, at one point.

Continuing with Carol Marin's archives, here's her appearance on-set with Dan Rather on 9/11, plus reports from the following days. She's clearly in shock in that first spot. And then there's this. Carol was interviewed on many broadcasts, post-resignation, Good Morning America Sunday with Bill Ritter, followed by CNN's Reliable Sources, and Tom Snyder's Late Late Show.

I know Springer's first commentary surfaced, recently, before Ron walked, with Jerry introduced by a newly-installed Allison Rosati, but I can't see I've seen Ron's last show, either.

Hosea Sanders is receiving treatment for a recurrence of cancer. He dealt with prostate cancer in 2017, and a series of unrelated intestinal surgeries that followed. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10221530040015206&id=1078072129

And the Ron-a-thon continues, with Carol Marin's farewell speech, as she (and later Magers) famously left WMAQ in protest (May 1997). This Vimeo channel has digitized much of Carol's personal archives, and is on a bit of a posting spree this week.