WCBS - CBS2 News

[Colortini 76]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:07 PM, MD TV said:

And Dr. Frank Field July 1st.

Oh yes, definitely, good catch! It’s so eerie, I sent a weather watchers post the morning when Dr. Frank Field turned 100, so he would get a proper shoutout for such a milestone, and Elise was on that morning and read it…and not even 4 months later she was gone, at almost half his age. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Colortini
Typo

[Georgie56 3292]

Don’t know when it premiered, but WCBS has added an 8am half-hour streaming newscast. It is also simulcast on WLNY and repeats at 8:30am.

 

 

[NYNewsCoverage 300]

2 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

Don’t know when it premiered, but WCBS has added an 8am half-hour streaming newscast. It is also simulcast on WLNY and repeats at 8:30am.

 

 

Just checked the guides and yes, it appears WLNY now carries news from 7-9am; as it did in the 'Live from the Couch' days. 

[Colortini 76]

3 hours ago, Georgie56 said:

Don’t know when it premiered, but WCBS has added an 8am half-hour streaming newscast. It is also simulcast on WLNY and repeats at 8:30am.

 

 

I think it’s been on at least a month. I saw it the one day randomly while waiting for the news at 9am to begin. Honestly, the morning crew works the worst hours. At this point they really need to be excused altogether from the news at noon because their day is too long—I mean, unless they enjoy doing it. They really could just replay the morning news instead of the 7/8am news because it’s all the same information, unless something serious breaks after the morning news is over. 

[NYNewsCoverage 300]

They could give the News at noon to Cindy, so her hours would be 9am and 12pm, and Mary and Chris 4:30-8:30 (although that still is long)

[Georgie56 3292]

The half-hour gap between the 8am and 9am newscast is weird. They should just make the 8am a full hour and go nonstop from 4:30-10am between WCBS, WLNY and streaming.

[Georgie56 3292]

On 11/30/2023 at 2:09 PM, Georgie56 said:

The half-hour gap between the 8am and 9am newscast is weird. They should just make the 8am a full hour and go nonstop from 4:30-10am between WCBS, WLNY and streaming.

Well, I had a feeling that weird half-hour gap at 8:30am wouldn’t last long. The 8am newscast will become an hour-long later this month. 

 

So, WCBS will now go head-to-head against WNYW and WPIX from 4:30-10am.

[MediaZone4K 2158]

On 11/30/2023 at 1:22 AM, Colortini said:

I think it’s been on at least a month. I saw it the one day randomly while waiting for the news at 9am to begin. Honestly, the morning crew works the worst hours. At this point they really need to be excused altogether from the news at noon because their day is too long—I mean, unless they enjoy doing it. They really could just replay the morning news instead of the 7/8am news because it’s all the same information, unless something serious breaks after the morning news is over. 

Totaly agress, but I suppose they want that live factor for weather and traffic.

 

Since The Couch didn't work, and I don't recall seeing any promos for morning news on WLNY, I wonder how long this will last.

On 11/30/2023 at 10:50 AM, NYNewsCoverage said:

They could give the News at noon to Cindy, so her hours would be 9am and 12pm, and Mary and Chris 4:30-8:30 (although that still is long)

Agreed. Cindy is great and only doing one newscast, they might as well utilize her for both.  They can also have John handle some segments in the 7-9, Sam Champion style, to lighten the load off of Chris and Mary.

Edited December 3, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[TheNewsTV 251]

1 hour ago, Georgie56 said:

Well, I had a feeling that weird half-hour gap at 8:30am wouldn’t last long. The 8am newscast will become an hour-long later this month. 

 

So, WCBS will now go head-to-head against WNYW and WPIX from 4:30-10am.

 

I don't know how they haven't thought of launching a newscast at 4pm yet.

[MediaZone4K 2158]

32 minutes ago, TheNewsTV said:

 

I don't know how they haven't thought of launching a newscast at 4pm yet.

On Ch 2 or 55? If you mean Ch 2, hopefully not. Judge Judy would probably do better in the ratings. I'm surprised they put Hot Bench in that slot and pushed Judy back to 3 rather than leaving Judy at 4 and Hot Bench at 3.

Edited December 3, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[wabceyewitness 818]

46 minutes ago, TheNewsTV said:

 

I don't know how they haven't thought of launching a newscast at 4pm yet.

They had a 4pm long ago — “From the heart of the tri-state area, street level on 5th Avenue, with Dana Tyler and Stephen Clark…” — that was replaced by Judge Judy. 
 

 

[NYNewsCoverage 300]

6 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

  They can also have John handle some segments in the 7-9, Sam Champion style, to lighten the load off of Chris and Mary.

I think they are doing that to some extent, at least I've noticed John (and formely Elise) signs off with the anchor on the 8am/9am shows as a sort of 'cohost'. Although it would be cool to assign him to different interviews too. Also given the press release it seems the 8am will be permanently hosted by Chris and not Mary? 

[CircleSeven 1955]

On 12/3/2023 at 9:18 AM, wabceyewitness said:

They had a 4pm long ago — “From the heart of the tri-state area, street level on 5th Avenue, with Dana Tyler and Stephen Clark…” — that was replaced by Judge Judy. 

 

WCBS actually had The People's Court at 4pm before Judy's return to Channel 2 in 2006 (after 7 years on WNBC). 

 

Before that newscast ended completely in 2003, it was truncated to a half-hour at 4:30pm.

 

Filling that first half hour in Jan. 2002 was the Weakest Link. And that got replaced the following fall by Millionaire.

 

[MediaZone4K 2158]

On 12/5/2023 at 1:03 AM, CircleSeven said:

 

WCBS actually had The People's Court at 4pm before Judy's return to Channel 2 in 2006 (after 7 years on WNBC). 

 

Before that newscast ended completely in 2003, it was truncated to a half-hour at 4:30pm.

 

Filling that first half hour in Jan. 2002 was the Weakest Link. And that got replaced the following fall by Millionaire.

 

CBS 2 was ahead of its time with a 4 PM newscast, which really became common place post Oprah.

 

If WCBS wanted to try another attempt at four --hopefully not-- it might work nowadays.

Edited December 13, 2023 by MediaZone4K

[Geoffrey 856]

I believe WCBS had a 4 p.m. even before that, around 1992. I think Brian Williams and Reggie Harris anchored.

[MD TV 253]

20 minutes ago, Geoffrey said:

I believe WCBS had a 4 p.m. even before that, around 1992. I think Brian Williams and Reggie Harris anchored.

Yeah, they had one around then. I think Inside Edition aired between the newscasts.

[KShow2 3]

Looks like CBS 2 is having some tech difficulties. The 5PM newscast is now showing CBS News Streaming. 

[NYNewsCoverage 300]

3 hours ago, KShow2 said:

Looks like CBS 2 is having some tech difficulties. The 5PM newscast is now showing CBS News Streaming. 

Did that show on air or just online? I know they took a network special report about 5 minutes into the 5pm news due to Zelensky's news conference. WABC (and I assume WNBC) did the same thing

[MisterBill 99]

Did CBS have some sort of buyout or retirement incentive? Lisa Rozner just posted that nine people from CBS2 were retiring.  Four photojournalists, director, editor and three from engineering.

Edited December 16, 2023 by MisterBill

[Geoffrey 856]

12 hours ago, MisterBill said:

Did CBS have some sort of buyout or retirement incentive? Lisa Rozner just posted that nine people from CBS2 were retiring.  Four photojournalists, director, editor and three from engineering.

 

I would have to imagine there was certainly some incentive. Lots of excellent people in this group. A combined 325 years at WCBS-TV among these nine. 

 

 

[badabing 29]

John Elliott announced this morning that the team will be on early tomorrow morning covering the storm, with him in the studio and new meteorologist Tony Sadiku joining from the Mobile Weather Lab.
 

It appears Tony signed off from Fox 13 Tampa Bay in early November, with the anchors announcing he was headed for NYC. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/tonysadikuwx/videos/last-day-at-fox-13/1493233278208256/

 

Unclear if WCBS is expanding the size of the weather department or if Tony is replacing Craig or someone else.

 

On related note: I have grown to consider John Elliott the hardest working on air personality in NYC. When he first came and replaced Audrey Puente, I was annoyed thinking WCBS was replacing a true New Yorker and doing what they were best at in the late 90s and early aughts— bringing outsiders in for a year or two before replacing them.
 

But John has grown on me over the years. He is always a versatile, happy warrior. From the “Live from the Couch” days, when he did 4.5 hours straight, to WCBS-FM after ‘Couch’ ended, to being pushed to weekends where he would somewhat regularly work mornings and nights, he is always there doing it. 
 

Since Elise’s passing, he has really shown how hard he works. There was one period when he did 10 days straight, including a Thursday where he did weather on every broadcast from 4:30am until 11:35pm and then back on air Friday at 4:30. He has filled in on weekend mornings for Craig (including today), he has done on the road hits on weekend mornings even when he isn’t doing weather. Last week he did 7 in a row, including filling in for Craig from the food bank with Dana and Johnny Green, back in the studio for a 12pm digital update, then doing the evening forecasts on Saturday and Sunday. And this is on top of the 6 live hours of television he plays a substantive role in every weekday. 
 

And… he isn’t bad! We’ve seen him save awkward interviews and he transitions seamlessly with ANY anchor he is working with. While he may be goofy sometimes, I think he generally makes anyone he is on air with appear stronger.

[NYNewsCoverage 300]

Here's the video John mentions this in, cut to the last part: 

 

And totally agreed. Analyzing his schedule, John is totally overworked but it seems like he requests it maybe? Just seems like a genuinely cool guy who's knowledgeable about weather but likes to work hard and will cover for anyone when needed. But yes I noticed that Lonnie and Vanessa don't work nearly as hard as he does (or at least to what's shown to the viewer of course, not counting behind the scenes prep).

[MediaZone4K 2158]

9 hours ago, badabing said:

John Elliott announced this morning that the team will be on early tomorrow morning covering the storm, with him in the studio and new meteorologist Tony Sadiku joining from the Mobile Weather Lab.
 

It appears Tony signed off from Fox 13 Tampa Bay in early November, with the anchors announcing he was headed for NYC. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/tonysadikuwx/videos/last-day-at-fox-13/1493233278208256/

 

Unclear if WCBS is expanding the size of the weather department or if Tony is replacing Craig or someone else.

 

On related note: I have grown to consider John Elliott the hardest working on air personality in NYC. When he first came and replaced Audrey Puente, I was annoyed thinking WCBS was replacing a true New Yorker and doing what they were best at in the late 90s and early aughts— bringing outsiders in for a year or two before replacing them.
 

But John has grown on me over the years. He is always a versatile, happy warrior. From the “Live from the Couch” days, when he did 4.5 hours straight, to WCBS-FM after ‘Couch’ ended, to being pushed to weekends where he would somewhat regularly work mornings and nights, he is always there doing it. 
 

Since Elise’s passing, he has really shown how hard he works. There was one period when he did 10 days straight, including a Thursday where he did weather on every broadcast from 4:30am until 11:35pm and then back on air Friday at 4:30. He has filled in on weekend mornings for Craig (including today), he has done on the road hits on weekend mornings even when he isn’t doing weather. Last week he did 7 in a row, including filling in for Craig from the food bank with Dana and Johnny Green, back in the studio for a 12pm digital update, then doing the evening forecasts on Saturday and Sunday. And this is on top of the 6 live hours of television he plays a substantive role in every weekday. 
 

And… he isn’t bad! We’ve seen him save awkward interviews and he transitions seamlessly with ANY anchor he is working with. While he may be goofy sometimes, I think he generally makes anyone he is on air with appear stronger.

John just like Marcia Kramer and a few others have what CBS o&o's need more of...uniqueness and personality. This in contrast to the the clean corperate Spectrum News feel that they're going for.

[Geoffrey 856]

It's early but so far Tony Sadiku seems like a good hire. He was out in the rain and wind all morning as a third live reporter. 

 

Unless I missed it, they haven't made clear mention of his shift. At 5 p.m., Kristine Johnson read a quick story about his first day, then said of both John and Tony: "Look for them weekdays at 4:30." I wonder if he'll be doing weekends, and a weekday morning backup two or three days a week.

[MediaZone4K 2158]

It's always cool to see field reporters like Tony Aiello and Dave Carlin anchor over the holidays.