24994J

He just signed an extension with CNN.

Forget the 65th. They'll mention it, but it's not that noteworthy. That said, it'll be Matt's 20th anniversary on like January 3rd-ish. They'd be smart to make a big deal out of it, and even smarter to announce a transition and successor. Play it off like he's calling it at even 20, give him a big send-off, destroy his alarm clock and mug, and announce his new role. The unaware, aloof viewers that do like him and don't follow the behind the scenes drama will eat it up. Personally, I'm indifferent on Lauer. He doesn't bother me but I'm no fan, either. However, he's nothing if not lucky and smart. No matter the changes and criticism, he has survived it all. If that's not a sign of a tough, resilient veteran (who has stepped on the bodies of others), I don't know who is. Also, not having an obvious successor continues to help him retain some value, no matter the salary.

WMAQ went a solid hour. Meh, that's okay enough. WLS, on the other hand, must've been told by the network to return for the end of the Penn State/Ohio State game, going online-only for like 15 minutes for postgame. They gave the football viewers a ton of warning to switch to 7.2, but then brought it back to 7.1, leaving the game on 2 channels (plus ESPN3), and giving the Cubs fans NO OTA option. That borders on inexcusable, to me.

It's totally counterintuitive, but I think the 2-tiered ticker actually works and is more effective than its predecessor. Removing the weather info from the main leaves just news and sports, and makes it flow better. I also never liked how little of the space actually showed info in the departed ticker, with the headline tab taking up the left quarter of the screen and the whole thing ending off the right third of the screen. There's more bulk to it now, but it uses the space fairly well without being too overbearing. Also, I noticed last night that the blue within the circle 7 is now slightly transparent. Kind of an odd detail, considering it will only be noticed like morons like me... Finally, unrelated: follow your dreams, kids... https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1822233474721842

But why Lauren at 6? That's the real confusing sub.

Here's some other odds and ends from later on this evening...

The ABC stations have been promoting the hell out of their apps lately, so I'd imagine that led to the bar versus keeping it contained under the bug. Doesn't make it right, but it probably could've been worse. There were subtle signs that a change was coming, and I'm just thrilled they didn't get anything like WABC. Really, I'm surprised at how much this update spits in the face of modern trends, and that's mostly a good thing.

Again, not a fan of the Look N ticker, though it is removed during weather and sports. Without it, I'm kind of in love with the minimalism of the update, as seen in the solo shot of Linda Yu. Also, at least for the first 2 newscasts, the anchors are seated slightly closer to each other, and I think that frames the 2-shot much better.

Debuting at 4, the lower thirds have been completely revamped. A new ticker rips off NBC's Look N, though includes weather info, in addition to web/social media plugs. The bug is horizontal like WABC (with poorly sized and alligned text), and everything is 16:9 ready. All new elements fade off to the right, making the updated look is much lighter, even with the ticker. All opens and full screens are the same. It's not perfect, but it is a nice refresh of a good look.

Well, that was quick. The revolving door keeps spinning.

Larry did the 4 and 5, but was in for Tracy this morning. Perhaps they bring in Phil, or Cheryl was only off yesterday, but there's an outside chance Jerry might actually do the full slate tonight.

Still yet to launch, Anthony Ponce's podcast has received a one year distribution deal. http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/anchor-who-quit-to-start-driving-podcast-gets-deal/179908

Yeah, one could argue this is a heavy refresh of the old look (really only retaining the color scheme), but it's executed beautifully. I'm not a huge fan of the semi-constant L3, but this is very well done. It's also one of the best applications of Gotham I've seen. While the WNT and CBS evening looks are nice, NBC is clearly well trained in text allignment and general proportions. Solid A work.

It reminds me of the classic 80's open. Even without that perceived influence, I still really like it.

I'm not defending Bush (there are definitely grounds for dismissal/suspension), but last time I checked, there's no rule saying you shouldn't/can't be hired or fired for being a douche. Lord knows many have made a lot of money being one.

I don't know if I'd go that far, but the fact that there are 3 seating areas in there makes you wonder if they have other ideas beyond New York Live.

6pm is become Cubs time for Chicago TV. WFLD is going head-to-head with WGN with their own postseason show starting Friday, ahead of game 1. http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/blue-october-wfld-to-debut-cubs-playoff-show/179397

Looks like one of the 4 nightly Two and a Half Men airings is getting bumped starting Monday (hopefully for a full month), as Dan Roan will be hosting the 30 minute "Cubs Nightly" at 6pm (also simulcast on CLTV, but not using the SportsFeed hosts). The show will be preempted, though, if a Cubs game is in-progress. http://wgntv.com/2016/09/28/wgn-tv-presents-cubs-nightly-starting-monday-october-3/

The first speculation I've seen outside of this forum is throwing Tahman Bradley out there as Bob's potential replacement (take it for what it's worth, considering the spotty track record). In the meantime, there will be rotating fill-in anchors. No announcement is expected for at least a couple weeks. http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/8474-news-notes-cbs-radio-wscr-tone-kapone-jax-wciu-robert-jordan-tahman-bradley-anthony-ponce-jane-pauley-more

BREAKING: Sylvia Perez is joining Fox 32 as weekend morning anchor and special report contributor on the "surging" 9 o'clock news. Feder: http://www.robertfeder.com/2016/09/26/sylvia-perez-joins-fox-32-weekend-anchor/

She was on the news at 5. Like a 3 hour school day or a 5 inning baseball game, it counts.

Yeah, I only got the impression that the weeknight shows are suffering. Don't most ratings reports exclude weekend, unless otherwise noted?

I really do like Paula, but she's just trying too hard. Stick to GMA, maybe negotiate some fill-ins for Robin, and play to her strengths. As for Whoopi, she's getting out on her own terms (that we know of, anyway) in case the whole show gets canned, but it's obviously way too early to make that call...which by network logic means we'll know the show's fate by like Thanksgiving.

To me, this isn't the story of Fox 32's ascension, but the fall of WGN. A combination of independence on 9, and a few good lead-ins on Fox makes for bad news for Chicago's Very Own, but it really goes beyond that. Granted, it's early, but WGN's primetime schedule isn't getting any better as the baseball season ends. But again, not that's not necessarily their biggest problem. I'm going to suggest something I never thought I'd ever say...Frankly, one could make the legitimate argument that Fox is putting out the superior product at 9pm right now, and that's why WGN needs to be afraid. Sure, there are those annoying Fox-y things that will never go away, but I can't help but think that viewer fatigue is finally setting in on WGN. Instead of trying something unique with the well-deserved right, the expansion to 10 o'clock just dragged down the quality of the 9, robbing segments and features from the big show to feed the baby, moving around some longtime fixtures (i.e. sports, shifting from the end of the hour to 9:40), and filling in the gaps with more Skilling and useless filler. The last 10-15 minutes of the 9 o'clock news are a virtual throwaway. To a broader extent, opting for a single team across all nighttime shows is what really kills it, for me. I'm not the biggest Micah Materre fan, and I generally lose any interest in watching more than a few minutes of their 3.5 hour PM on-air shift when she's on. I'm sure others feel that way about any of the 4 lead personalities. The WGN News at Nine used to be appointment television, but when I have the option to watch the same product at 4, 5, 10, or not at all, the luster fades for the flagship. Heck the morning show is divided into 3 different blocks, and the midday news is comfortably formatted 2 ways. The one hour morning news adapted and thrived as it ballooned to 6 hours, and I never felt like the news at noon suffered by adding an hour at 11 (with a pit stop at 11:30). Why can't the evening shows figure that out? As for WFLD, 9 o'clock is certainly attainable right now. They should focus on that, and string a few months or even a year of gains/victories together before we declare it to be more than just a fluke. They're going to need older viewers to truly get over the hump (and go against the cardinal rule of television demography), since the demo really isn't an issue. Get that together, then you can set your sights on other dayparts. Unless the proverbial bomb drops only on Bradley Place, #1 in the mornings ain't happening anytime soon. Besides, they need to jump 4 stations in the morning, not just 1. I'll repost the relevant parts in the WGN thread tomorrow with a few unoriginal, familiar, but reasonable suggestions of my own. And one more item for my incoherent rant...Would it kill Dan Roan to wear a gosh darn pair of real life, big boy suit pants? I seriously can't be the only person than can see his bare knees and cargo shorts through the desk. Get a new desk...and set, and then you can sit there in a thong, for all I care. G'night, e'rybody.