WABC - 7 Eyewitness News

[MediaZone4K 1872]

11 hours ago, mountainave said:

Stacey Sager has been off the air while receiving treatment for breast cancer.  Boy, she's been through a lot over the years.  She'll start returning intermittently when she feels up to it, she recently posted.

Sad to hear that she's battling this again. Hate to see these things happen.

[MediaZone4K 1872]

On 9/27/2023 at 9:43 AM, mountainave said:

Derick Waller is leaving WABC.  He attributes it to the difficulties of working the early shift.

 

 

 

EDIT: Waller is the latest reporter I've seen cite early start times as a reason for leaving the industry. But what is the alternative to live news at 4:30 in the morning?

 

I've seen WMAR go without anchors and reporters for that half hour, just packages ran successively with reporters introducing them. The talent comes in live at 5am. Is this a viable alternative?

Edited November 19, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[MorningNews 1361]

WABC never formally announces these things but Sandra Bookman is appearing with David in promos featuring the noon team. 
 

[MD TV 219]

9 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

Not to stray far from WABC...On the topic of the grueling morning shift, I recently saw a 4:30 am news cast from WMAR 2 Baltimore. They were no anchors, just packages one after the other, with the reporters introducing their packages.

 

Only weather appeared to be live. The anchors began at 5 AM. What do you all think of this format, and could it work in a city like NY, on a station like 7?

WMAR is a perennial bottom-feeder and Scripps seems to be making cuts here and there. Not to mention WMAR's standing is so bad that they don't even bother with any Saturday newscasts.

 

On the flip side, I've never heard of any mass budget cuts/layoffs with the ABC O&Os throughout it's history.

[TheNewsTV 189]

58 minutes ago, MorningNews said:

WABC never formally announces these things but Sandra Bookman is appearing with David in promos featuring the noon team. 
 

 

And Joe is still only on the news, but they still open announcing him with Sandra.

[MediaZone4K 1872]

4 hours ago, MorningNews said:

WABC never formally announces these things but Sandra Bookman is appearing with David in promos featuring the noon team. 
 

As deserving as Sandra is of a weekday slot, I would hate for them to break up her and Joe for this. Is Liz Cho not an option?

Edited November 18, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[MorningNews 1361]

4 hours ago, TheNewsTV said:

 

And Joe is still only on the news, but they still open announcing him with Sandra.

Interesting. I haven’t caught the weekend news in a few weeks.

 

40 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

As deserving as Sandra is of a weekday slot, I would hate for them to break up her and Joe for this. Is Liz Cho not an option?

Sandra is great but would agree that adding another anchor for 1 hour is interesting but no unconventional.

[24994J 5443]

If the worst-kept secret of Bill scaling back is true and coming soon, Sandra could slot in at 4 or 5 or wherever they chose, in addition to the noon. IF she's officially moving to weekdays, this is only the first step, as they plan for a post-Ritter future.

Edited November 18, 2023 by 24994J

[MediaZone4K 1872]

 

46 minutes ago, 24994J said:

If the worst-kept secret of Bill scaling back is true and coming soon, Sandra could slot in at 4 or 5 or wherever they chose, in addition to the noon. IF she's officially moving to weekdays, this is only the first step, as they plan for a post-Ritter future.

When that day comes, a Joe & Sandra team would fit perfectly on the weekday. But what about Sade?

 

Noon David & Liz

4 David & Sade

5 Liz & Sade (dual female like when Diana was there)

6/11 Joe & Sandra

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[24994J 5443]

30 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

When that day comes, a Joe & Sandra team would fit perfectly on the weekday. But what about Sade?

 

Noon David & Liz

4 David & Sade

5 Liz & Sade (dual female like when Diana was there)

6/11 Joe & Sandra

 

I'm not dealing in fantasy line-ups. Sandra is 64. Joe is 60. They're not gonna be installed at the #1 team, just because of some precious belief that longtime co-anchors can't be broken up. But what about Sade? Keep her at 5 & 11, unless that evolves into something she doesn't want.

[JoseRM303 169]

38 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

 

When that day comes, a Joe & Sandra team would fit perfectly on the weekday. But what about Sade?

 

Noon David & Liz

4 David & Sade

5 Liz & Sade (dual female like when Diana was there)

6/11 Joe & Sandra

 

They absolutely will not pull Sade from the 11 pm unless she wants to stop doing the 11 pm, and I don’t see that happening for several years. 

[MediaZone4K 1872]

3 hours ago, 24994J said:

 

I'm not dealing in fantasy line-ups. Sandra is 64. Joe is 60. They're not gonna be installed at the #1 team, just because of some precious belief that longtime co-anchors can't be broken up. But what about Sade? Keep her at 5 & 11, unless that evolves into something she doesn't want.

I predicted this testy responce from you but I went for it anyway, lol. To be fair,  you are also dealing in fantasy line ups if you are theorizing quote: "Sandra could slot in at 4 or 5 or wherever they chose".

 

Whenever moves and shifts are being discussed, it's natural to think about who could fit where . So aversion anchor line up sorting is unwarranted.

 

I don't share this supposed "precious belief that long term co-anchors can't be broken up". I say move them to the weekdays because they are a strong well known team to replace Ritter, not simply because they have been together long.

 

You have a valid point about age, BUT If that is a factor, why not just leave Sandra on weekends? 

Edited November 19, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[TheNewsTV 189]

 

 

[Nynewslover2 11]

On 11/18/2023 at 4:20 PM, JoseRM303 said:

They absolutely will not pull Sade from the 11 pm unless she wants to stop doing the 11 pm, and I don’t see that happening for several years. 

 

Exactly, if anything it’ll be Joe and Sade or David and Sade at 11pm post Bill Ritter. 

 

Sade has YEARS before retirement so I don’t even know why her exiting 11p would come up. She’s only in her early to mid 50s. 

[MediaZone4K 1872]

6 hours ago, Nynewslover2 said:

 

Exactly, if anything it’ll be Joe and Sade or David and Sade at 11pm post Bill Ritter. 

 

Sade has YEARS before retirement so I don’t even know why her exiting 11p would come up. She’s only in her early to mid 50s. 

Which goes to the point that if they are willing to put either Joe or Sandra on a weekday slot, age is not a factor.

 

Sade moving --not that it's going to happen--is not implausible because didn't Liz Cho get moved from the 11 years ago?

 

My line of thinking was, if Bill goes, who will be Sade's co anchor. Do they keep Sade on at 5&11 and add Joe as you suggest, or would they keep a Sandra and Joe pairing intact, or do they get someone different all together.

 

Your suggestion seems to be more likely than mine as Sandra is apparently on the noon now. Anyway, it's all speculation. Time will tell what the station will do.

Edited November 20, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[RealNews18 142]

2 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

Which goes to the point that if they are willing to put either Joe or Sandra on a weekday slot, age is not a factor.

 

Sade moving --not that it's going to happen--is not implausible because didn't Liz Cho get moved from the 11 years ago?

 

My line of thinking was, if Bill goes, who will be Sade's co anchor. Do they keep Sade on at 5&11 and add Joe as you suggest, or would they keep a Sandra and Joe pairing intact, or do they get someone different all together.

 

Your suggestion seems to be more likely than mine as Sandra is apparently on the noon now. Anyway, it's all speculation. Time will what the station will do.

Liz wanted off the 11 so she could be home earlier 

[TheNewsTV 189]

I believe that the only way to keep the Joe and Sandra duo would be to have them both at noon. David would do 4pm and 11pm (if Bill had only left at 11pm in the first place).

 

 

[MorningNews 1361]

How long has the 10am been in the main desk instead of the circular one? Passed by the studio yesterday before the thanksgiving day parade (they had the curtains up) and the circular desk is tucked away in the corner of the studio.

[Muppetman03 30]

They used the circular desk yesterday

[MorningNews 1361]

4 hours ago, Muppetman03 said:

They used the circular desk yesterday

Interesting. When I passed by it was about 20 minutes to 10 and Shirleen and Dani were sitting at the main desk.

[RealNews18 142]

1 hour ago, MorningNews said:

Interesting. When I passed by it was about 20 minutes to 10 and Shirleen and Dani were sitting at the main desk.

Looks like they could be shooting a promo. I’m sure it doesn’t take much to set up the small desk 

[24994J 5443]

I'm guessing it was a holiday staffing thing, not bothering to move furniture. I wouldn't think too much about it.

 

 

[Muppetman03 30]

12 hours ago, MorningNews said:

Interesting. When I passed by it was about 20 minutes to 10 and Shirleen and Dani were sitting at the main desk.

Oh I guess I mistook it as the desk they normally used

[Vlad 299]

Even though they didn't use the little Circle 7 desk, they managed to keep the backdrop in place and changed the graphic a bit, which was nice. Still a great show nonetheless. Overall it's just the right type of show for this hour, and I am so glad they brought back the neighborhood eats segment! Such an amazing production by that team. Now, the one and only criticism, I have at this point with the show is the music. It pretty much sucks. The intro has that nice authoritative sound which is great. But the cut to break and closing bumper just seems out of place and sounds like a broken record haha. They gotta do better in that department and use more of their package. Anyway, I hope with the new graphics package they get better music cuts. Is that even an Eyewitness News cut?

Edited November 26, 2023 by Vlad

[TheNewsTV 189]

It must have been because of the holiday that they stayed at the main desk. So much so that the editions of the 23rd and 24th only lasted half an hour.

 

(The noon edition was also in a very different position and with dark graphics)

Edited November 26, 2023 by TheNewsTV