Random WBBM Thread

[Jase 823]

They should have moved Mary Kay to weekends and promoted Robb to weekdays (at 4P) given her current semi-retired status. I can't see many people being interested in taking on double-duty on weekends (WFLD's Mark Strehl being the exception).

[K77 6]

On 2/5/2024 at 6:12 PM, Jase said:

They should have moved Mary Kay to weekends and promoted Robb to weekdays (at 4P) given her current semi-retired status. I can't see many people being interested in taking on double-duty on weekends (WFLD's Mark Strehl being the exception).

Mary Kay is at "work whenever she feels like it" status now. Her filling-in is even becoming much more rare now. She very rarely comes in to the station anymore. She's been doing the weather remotely from her Florida home (or some other location down there) the past few months. You can easily tell by the chroma key and lighting quality during her weather segments in addition to her being absent from the CBS 2 studio itself. I can't believe she's been at the station for 22 years now.. Time flies..

 

Albert Ramon has to be the most absent "chief meteorologist" I've ever seen at a local station here in Chicago. Did his contract include two-thirds or three-quarters of the year off? He seems to always be off or absent from the newscasts. For most bad weather events we've had this year, he's been absent too. They may as well have given the evening chief position to Ed Curran..

 

The one who's been getting the most screen time lately is their new meteorologist, David Yeomans who came to the station in March.. I'm just not liking him. He comes across too much like a salesman at a car dealership.

 

There's just no "connection" or "chemistry" between the new talent being hired at WBBM and the station veterans and even the viewer at home.. Their newscasts feel so mis-matched now with no flow between talent. But what do I know.. My local TV station days are long over as it just doesn't pay what it once did.

[R.R. 64]

5 hours ago, K77 said:

Mary Kay is at "work whenever she feels like it" status now. Her filling-in is even becoming much more rare now.

It was her choice to downshift. She has done just about every shift there when she was alongside Cynthia Santana and John Davis since she got back to Chicago. She wanted more time with family. I agree that Ed should have more (but it’s his call if another promotion was in the books). 
 

When it comes to anchor talent, I’ll give Jen some credit for at least having a few Local native roots pairs anchoring. Jim, Marie, Ryan, Dana, etc.

[K77 6]

5 hours ago, R.R. said:

It was her choice to downshift. She has done just about every shift there when she was alongside Cynthia Santana and John Davis since she got back to Chicago. She wanted more time with family. I agree that Ed should have more (but it’s his call if another promotion was in the books). 
 

When it comes to anchor talent, I’ll give Jen some credit for at least having a few Local native roots pairs anchoring. Jim, Marie, Ryan, Dana, etc.

I'm sure Ed is looking towards winding down and retiring too. The reality is CBS (top level, not local level management) wants old talent out. Many local levels are just keeping them on payroll to avoid age discrimination lawsuits.