WABC - 7 Eyewitness News

[IceManNYR 240]

For 8AM WCBS and WNBC have preempted the network morning shows for storm coverage, WABC went to GMA.

[NowBergen 681]

CBS shifted the CBS morning show to WLNY.  NBC did not shift Today to either Cozi or LXNY at 7 or 8. 
 

There is no storm coverage on WYNY or WPIX.  Neither Spanish station has coverage as well this morning. 

Edited January 29, 2022 by NowBergen

[IceManNYR 240]

WABC preempted the second hour of GMA at 10AM for storm coverage.

Brittany Bell and Lee Goldberg are in studio. Lee had been outside earlier.

[wabceyewitness 818]

WNYW and WPIX both broke in several times this morning with weather updates and live reports. 
 

WABC is now pre-empting the second hour of Good Morning America Saturday. 
 

It’s also a weekend when schools and many businesses are already closed. Not much new information to report on for multiple hours except that it is snowing, it will continue snowing, and it will eventually stop snowing. 
 

[MorningNews 1448]

What are the standards for WABC as the flagship O&O and largest market to preempt the national network morning show? I was surprised to see them sort of hastily wrap up the interview with the Suffolk Co. official reporting on the first storm-related death just to toss to a tape-delayed GMA.

[Kenneth Kissel 283]

9 hours ago, MorningNews said:

What are the standards for WABC as the flagship O&O and largest market to preempt the national network morning show? I was surprised to see them sort of hastily wrap up the interview with the Suffolk Co. official reporting on the first storm-related death just to toss to a tape-delayed GMA.

Let's be honest. If Breaking News or Severe Weather is happening in any market (I don't care what/where it is) I would rather see the main station air the Breaking News/Severe Weather and a sister station/ subchannel air the main Network programming for that day. Case closed. 

 

KDKA-TV (for example) aired all of the CBS programming on WPCW Friday due to the Bridge Collapse/President Biden being in town. It can be done right if every station puts it in their contract with supposed network. 

[NowBergen 681]

9 hours ago, MorningNews said:

What are the standards for WABC as the flagship O&O and largest market to preempt the national network morning show? I was surprised to see them sort of hastily wrap up the interview with the Suffolk Co. official reporting on the first storm-related death just to toss to a tape-delayed GMA.

 

I'm sure you are aware this is done often when there is severe weather (hurricanes as well as major snowstorms) and other major news stories by all three big network O&Os in NY as their license is to serve public interests.  Severe weather meets that and causes appropriate network disruptions.  Yes it seems redundant that all three stations stuck with severe weather broadcasts from early morning until noon, but not everyone turns on the coverage at the same time.  

 

It is typical in the midwest for folks to complain when tornado coverage breaks into sports programming.  Thing to remember is severe weather coverage hopefully saves lives and injury.  That supersedes regular programming.  I don't watch WABC but I'm sure they are second guessing the switch to GMAs second hour and they did stay on the air for the rest of the morning.  The good news is there were two other choices for those wanting storm coverage to switch to.  

 

If you go back to the horrendous day of 9/11 and for weeks after, none of the O&Os went to network coverage, as it was a local story/disaster and even when the networks finally resumed entertainment broadcasting, the local stations kept with local coverage for a bit longer.  

[MorningNews 1448]

Yeah I’m not at all complaining about regular programming interruptions. I think they should always supersede whatever else is airing when necessary. I just wasn’t sure what that relationship between ABC and WABC looks like because they seem to avoid pre-empting GMA or WNT or other network programming even when the situation could call for. Back in the summer of 2021 when strong storms moved across the city bringing flooding and the MTA cancelled service leaving New Yorkers scrambling to get home, I was shocked at WABC ending their 11pm newscast to toss to Jimmy Kimmel. It would have been entirely appropriate for them to extend for special coverage especially as they showed pictures of people stranded in Times Square-42nd St.

[civic110 18]

WABC's coverage of breaking news has been lackluster lately.

 

Even the police shooting, they broke away after Wheel of Fortune for less than a minute approaching the 8pm hour; NewsCopter 7 was never in the air that night. They seemed very short staffed that night, which is shocking for NYC where newsrooms should be prepared for breaking news.

 

Even WNBC did break away from Dateline NBC for a few minutes to cover the mayor's remarks.

 

WCBS and WNBC have had much better breaking news and weather coverage.

 

As stupid as it may sound, I really think the hesitancy to utilize their alternate channels has to do with DVR recordings.

[mountainave 606]

Not a new development, but Sam’s obviously been given quite a bit of latitude in the on-air dress code. 

[DMA 135]

Ratings question - I see that WABC is #1 in the mornings, 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm as listed here: https://www.nexttv.com/features/local-news-start-spreading-the-news-and-theres-lots-of-it

4pm is omitted - is WNBC leading then?

 

 

[IceManNYR 240]

ABC Owned Television Stations' 24/7 streaming channels include the following:

ABC7 New York launched with a 6:30 p.m. newscast, anchored by Bill Ritter and Sade Baderinwa, and the premiere of "Inside Rikers," an Eyewitness News Investigation. The 24/7 news programming will also include live breaking news, weather and the tri-state's favorite segments, such as "Newsmakers," "The Vault" and "Weather or Not with Lee Goldberg."

https://abc30.com/watch-breaking-news-live-channel-local-streaming/11511338/

[WheelWarrior 92]

18 hours ago, civic110 said:

As stupid as it may sound, I really think the hesitancy to utilize their alternate channels has to do with DVR recordings.

 

Could be. For the previous two seasons, any time Wheel of Fortune was pre-empted by a planned special (which the O&O's have been churning out a lot more of lately), it would either air on 7.2 Localish or be delayed by a day for the rest of the week, but the TV guides would never list it, so I would always have to call WABC and confirm it would indeed air on Localish and manually schedule that network to record at 7:30. When they slide the eps by a day, it results in a new ep airing on Saturday instead of a rerun, but the guides would often list it as the rerun still, so fans who automatically DVR new eps only would be missing one. This season, Wheel has been pre-empted several times by specials or local debates, and it would always air overnight instead of a day late or on Localish (and it often started a few minutes earlier than when the guide said it would). I was told by WABC that they no longer use Localish for WABC programming makeups because they no longer want to sacrifice the Localish programming and its ad revenue for ABC. I was surprised to know that WABC waited for Wheel to finish airing, credits and all, before reporting the NYPD shooting. I don't think anyone would have complained if they flipped the switch the moment the Bonus Round was declared a win or loss.

 

By the way, Bill and Sade will be making an appearance in the intro of today's (1/31) episode of Wheel. All five episodes this week are saluting a particular city with all local contestants and intros with the affiliates' anchors. Monday is NYC. Promos for this have been airing since last Friday.

[brianpr3 178]

Former reporter Gloria Rojas died 

https://abc7ny.com/eyewitness-news-reporter-gloria-rojas-death/11535699/?ex_cid=TA_WABC_FB&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

 

[ABC 7 Denver 1715]

On 1/31/2022 at 7:26 AM, mountainave said:

Not a new development, but Sam’s obviously been given quite a bit of latitude in the on-air dress code. 

 

I mean, Sam is the former Chief Met for the top-rated station in the country and he's working early AM. I'd be thankful for him if I were ABC. Who get's someone of this caliber to do mornings? Hell, who get's someone of Lee Goldberg's and Sam Champion's caliber on the same airwaves. Nuts.

[Gavin M. 94]

On 1/27/2022 at 8:55 PM, RGSJenkins said:

Another national appearance for Brittany Bell, this time on Live with Kelly and Ryan.

 

I can see her going to network but you know I've noticed very few WABC personalities gave gone national or to the parent news organization. Do they have to get boss approval even Bill Ritter approval I wonder how that happens. It happened recently with Cefaan Kim getting a network job part-time but I wonder how can you make it national is it hard to.

[24994J 5577]

35 minutes ago, Gavin M. said:

I can see her going to network but you know I've noticed very few WABC personalities gave gone national or to the parent news organization. Do they have to get boss approval even Bill Ritter approval I wonder how that happens. It happened recently with Cefaan Kim getting a network job part-time but I wonder how can you make it national is it hard to.

 

Don't confuse "network" with "national." Yes, she's filled in at ABC News, but so have many from the O&O's. And yes, anything can happen, down the line.

 

BUT...Kelly & Ryan is a WABC production, with a national audience. Whoever is on morning duty at channel 7 can pop up on Live. If Sam was there, it would've been him. He was a fixture on the program in the Regis days, too.

[Yankees4life 559]

5 hours ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

I mean, Sam is the former Chief Met for the top-rated station in the country and he's working early AM. I'd be thankful for him if I were ABC. Who get's someone of this caliber to do mornings? Hell, who get's someone of Lee Goldberg's and Sam Champion's caliber on the same airwaves. Nuts.

They had the Big Three one time either. Evans, Champion and Goldberg all in one station

[NYTV 121]

1 hour ago, Gavin M. said:

I can see her going to network but you know I've noticed very few WABC personalities gave gone national or to the parent news organization. Do they have to get boss approval even Bill Ritter approval I wonder how that happens. It happened recently with Cefaan Kim getting a network job part-time but I wonder how can you make it national is it hard to.

It's not hard for WABC-TV talent to make appearances on the national network, as they're based in the same building (save for GMA) and some time back, Lauren Glassberg did a cameo on General Hospital (the show is set in New York)

Also, remember, the staff at the network O&Os are ABC employees.

[MorningNews 1448]

He’s back here after leaving ABC over a pay dispute and a failed stint at NBCU. He was filling in for Rob on weekend GMA iirc and filing reports for GMA3 before the WABC reunion. ABC handed him just as much of a lifeline if you ask me. 

[Vlad 325]

21 hours ago, ABC 7 Denver said:

 

I mean, Sam is the former Chief Met for the top-rated station in the country and he's working early AM. I'd be thankful for him if I were ABC. Who get's someone of this caliber to do mornings? Hell, who get's someone of Lee Goldberg's and Sam Champion's caliber on the same airwaves. Nuts.

 

He's earned it. The man has worked very hard throughout his life. Starting at WABC and probably retiring at WABC. He's come full circle. 

[NowBergen 681]

11 hours ago, MorningNews said:

He’s back here after leaving ABC over a pay dispute and a failed stint at NBCU. He was filling in for Rob on weekend GMA iirc and filing reports for GMA3 before the WABC reunion. ABC handed him just as much of a lifeline if you ask me. 

He also got upset with ABC just before he left because he wanted to lighten his schedule and spend more time with his husband in Miami.  It's why his deal with WABC allows him to take Friday's off.

[nynewslover 277]

Liz Cho posted on Twitter that’s “she’s ok but will be out for a bit” seems like something going on with the family. Hoping everything/everyone is ok.. 

[wabceyewitness 818]

WABC-TV appears to be suffering some technical difficulties. Viewers saw rare color bars and test patterns for the first 5 minutes of the 11pm news. It appears, however, that the newscast started as usual. When the test pattern ended, the newscast was joined in progress during the middle of an A block weather report. 

During regular weather around 11:20, the forecast segment was interrupted by a station promo that then  aired again right after the weathercast finished up and Bill Ritter tossed to a break without any bumper headlines. The first commercials didn’t air until 11:21. 

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by wabceyewitness

[MorningNews 1448]

The A-block went 20 minutes straight as a result as well. The first ad break came right in the middle of Lee’s weather forecast. Yikes.

 

The city’s news leader is struggling tonight.

Edited February 22, 2022 by MorningNews