24994J

I like it. The coloring doesn't look as muddy or unnatural, and the imagery is sharper. Overall, a much better look, and I kinda like the blue and red trim at the bottom that matches the graphics. Points are lost, though, for that random blue strip running down the right side of the display.

He and Adrienne Bankert have been anchoring with Dan Harris, but no formal announcement has been made. I probably missed it, and only Wikipedia says she's done, but I'm not entirely sure Paula has formally left the show, yet.

*Thanksgiving special.

They do go to the live camera ahead of some weather reports, much like ABC 7, but that's not much consolation.

Month or two? Not too long.

It operated from the GMA playbook, and it certainly fits the one-hour format better. Did it feel a little like 'Live'? Yes, but a cohosted show is always going to walk that line. Besides, I personally like Sarah and Michael more than their 9am counterparts, so it has that going for it. Keeping Carla Hall from 'The Chew' aboard as a contributor is a good move, but that might just be filling out a contract.

Please let it be a holiday special.

WGN's Dean Richards has joked that he and Billy Joel look alike. With the Piano Man in town, Pat Tomasulo took the doppelganger out on the streets of Chicago to introduce "Mr. Joel" to his fans. Spoiler alert: people will fall for anything. Also, the station has debuted the "World's Greatest Newspaper Television Podcast." https://wgntv.com/2018/09/07/listen-worlds-greatest-newspaper-television-podcast-episode-1/

From New York. He taped a little message that aired during the morning news, but Mark Rivera anchored with Tanja.

Something I've never seen before...instead of a correspondent, like normal, ABC News pulled a local anchor of one of their stations to fill in for Kendis Gibson on the network's overnight newscasts. Terrell Brown got the nod, and is anchoring the 2 hours before his normal shift. It's an odd and costly arrangement, but Brown did anchor CBS News' overnight fare before coming to Chicago. It begs the question, after 4.5 years at the local level, is he itching to get back to a national audience?

Michelle left that shift like a year and a half ago to join Dick, but wasn't announced until early this year, and this is the station that took 2 years and 3 months to replace Rob Elgas at 4:30(/4). Nothing surprises me.

Larry Potash is finally getting the co-anchor of his dreams.

@ns8401 @EatNews Could both of you stop puffing out your chests, acting like a couple tough guys? Thanks.

As they look ahead to their 70th anniversary next month, here's the WLS special from their 50th in September '98, featuring the gold standard anchor team in the history of Chicago; Drury, Burns, Magers, Brock, Krashesky, Yu, and Daly. Station history and Oprah: News, daytime, and Oprah: Whoring out for the network's fall schedule...and Oprah:

By my estimation, Inside Edition isn't ready for airing in the 1 CT hour, so Jeopardy! is the odd one out, by default.

A couple months maybe? Not too long.

11am- Art and Melanie 4pm- Erik and Ilona 5pm- Art and Melanie 6pm- Art and Gina 6:30- Erik and Ilona 10pm- the 3-person team of Gina, Ilona and Erik

I don't think the midday anchors would work. I know Melanie Lawson has some health issues (don't know if a third show between the 11 and 5 would be viable), and Art Rascon is already on at 11, 5 and 6. The 4pm team does the 4, 6:30 and 10, so adding the 3 would stretch their schedule, too. The weekend crew that's getting the nod will surely report the rest of the night, so they're not going to be wasted on only 1 show.

Here it is. Whether or not the format is permanent, the open has been updated with the gray ABC logo (which clashes mightily with the blue lettering), which has been creeping into a lot of new season promos. It looks like that might replace the gold/butterscotch version that's been most dominant for the last 5 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=46Qo306Xrc4;t=10

I would assume Rob Johnson just went solo for those months, with maybe some time with Stacey or someone lower on the ladder it was Leah Hope serving as interim anchor, 2 years removed from her demotion from the morning show. I'm not entirely sure if it's what you mean, but Karen debuted as weekend anchor. She may have spent a week or 2 behind the scenes after arriving, but there was no other buffer. June 5: "Karen Jordan, a weekend news anchor at WPHL-TV in Philadelphia, has been hired as weekend anchor and reporter at WLS-Channel 7, starting in July. The move confirms a report here last Friday. Jordan, 30, a Chicago native and daughter of WGN-Channel 9 weekend anchor Robert Jordan, succeeds Cheryl Burton, who was promoted to 5 p.m. weekday anchor and 10 p.m. weekday contributing anchor at the ABC-owned station. Karen Jordan, a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and Spellman College, joined WPHL in 2000 after working for stations in Dayton, Ohio, and Rockford. The anchor post alongside Rob Johnson has been vacant since February, when Cheryl Burton was promoted to 5 p.m. weekday news anchor and 10 p.m. weekday contributing anchor at the ABC-owned station. Leah Hope, a reporter and former morning news anchor at Channel 7, has been filling in." As a little follow-up, Burton's move gave Rob some aspirations of his own, and he'd sign a new contract later in '03. That contract was for 3 more years, and increased his anchoring opportunities, but getting passed over after Joel's retirement sealed his fate, and that opened him up for leaving for CBS.

I looked up some old Feder archives from 2003, and it looks like we're all kind of right. February 27: "Now that weekend news anchor Cheryl Burton has signed a long-term renewal with WLS-Channel 7, all eyes are on the ABC-owned station's No. 1 news star, Diann Burns. Both Burton and Burns were believed to have topped the "wish list" of Joe Ahern, president and general manager of WBBM-Channel 2. With Burton staying put at Channel 7, Burns could be poised to join Ahern after her current $2 million-a-year contract expires on June 30. Burns, 45, who's been Chicago's top-rated and highest-paid news anchor for years, would be a prize catch for Channel 2, alongside 5 and 10 p.m. anchor Antonio Mora. Coincidentally, Linda MacLennan stepped down Wednesday after 16 years at the CBS-owned station, creating an obvious opening for Burns. Tracy Townsend has the 10 p.m. slot for the time being. Emily Barr, president and general manager of Channel 7, reportedly has been pressing Burns to sign an early renewal with the station. Barr declined to comment Wednesday. The only certainty Wednesday was that Burton, 40, had signed a new five-year deal, negotiated by her agent, Joel Weisman. After more than 10 years as weekend news anchor, Burton is expected to expand her role and raise her visibility considerably under the new contract." February 28: "In a coincidence of cosmic proportions, Linda MacLennan's last night on the air at WBBM-Channel 2 also turned out to be Diann Burns' last night on the air at WLS-Channel 7. The big difference between the two sign-offs Wednesday night was that Burns didn't know at the time that her 18-year career at the ABC- owned station was over. So she never got to say goodbye. Emily Barr, president and general manager of Channel 7, told Burns Thursday that she was being removed as news anchor of the station's 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, effective immediately, and that she would be paid for the remainder of her contract through June 30. Barr wasted no time Thursday replacing her No. 1 news star. Kathy Brock, a 13-year veteran of the station, succeeds Burns alongside Ron Magers at 10 p.m., while continuing to co-anchor at 6 p.m. with Alan Krashesky. Cheryl Burton, who has been weekend news anchor for more than 10 years, replaces Burns alongside Magers at 5 p.m."

So, I totally fell asleep on this, but here's a quick, irrelevant story. I was at a minor league baseball game the other night, the new Chicago Dogs independent team out in suburban Rosemont. ABC 7 has been a sponsor of theirs all season, with digital billboards facing the expressway on the backside of the scoreboard (as seen below, from the outfield concourse), and they've run ticket commercials, produced by the graphics department. Early in each game, a local celebrity appears on the scoreboard saying how they like their hot dogs (shocker, no one says ketchup ). A lot of athletes have been featured, and even some real celebs, but I nearly spit out my drink when none other but DIANN BURNS shows up on the board. She even referred to herself as being "from ABC 7 News." A guy next to me, complete stranger, said exactly what I was thinking..."Getting fired 15 years ago hardly makes her part of the station," as she said it as if she still worked there now. We all had a good laugh.

The Instagram video was the on-air message, but this'll do... https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10214074615954264

[MEDIA=instagram]BmWOFSigTax[/MEDIA]

Agreed that Good Afternoon America is the superior name. I don't know what the ratings were, but that run in 2012, after OLTL replacement The Revolution was canned after 6 months and before Katie premiered in the fall, was intended as a summer replacement. I don't know that there was immediate need for it to succeed.