Nancy Loo out at FOX Chicago

[lazynetjunkie 34]

According to today's Feder blog ( http://blogs.vocalo.org/feder/2010/03/fox-chicago-plays-fast-and-loose-with-nancy-loo/17100 ), Nancy Loo is pretty much out at FOX Chicago when her contract expires next month or even before then..

 

 

This is bad.. She's one of the best talent at WFLD. It's sad that Carol Fowler brought her bad ways from WBBM to WFLD. Her whole idea of "it's all about on-air talent" is old and uneffective. Personally, I think it's just her cover to hide the fact that she doesn't know how to run a news operation. I really wonder who's idea it was to hire Fowler as ND at WFLD. The station is going to be laying off another 25 behind the scenes personnel and most of those jobs could have been saved if Fowler didn't go on an unnecessary talent spending spree.

Lately, Fowler has been dumping many of WFLD's long time talent in favor new hires including one hefty costing one for Anna Devlantes. She's dumped political editor Jack Connaty and reporter Anne Kavanagh.. Now it's Nancy Loo. I'm sure more of WFLD's long time on-air talent will be out the door.

The station is already loaded with alot of on-air talent, some which are really unnecessary too. For example, Kori Chambers.. Someone please tell me what he exactly does? He sits in the studio during Good Day Chicago reading half the stories off the teleprompter that the normal anchors could do just by themselves. He also does the little job shop corner segment which the anchors could easily read themselves too. All I can see out of him is that he's the token black guy in the morning show. Fowler hired in Dawn Hasbrouck who's not bad but I don't see anything spectacular about her.. Her anchoring and reporting is about the same as Nancy Loo (who she replaces).. All I can think of is that she was hired to fill in the black void on the Noon newscast.

However, the way the station is going now, it's filling up with alot of on-air studio talent but losing good actual reporters. The studio is just too crowded these days with too many unnecessary talent. What's their plan? Only having 4 or 5 actual reporters and an anchor desk with 8 anchors on a single newscast?!? All their "asking the questions" promos are getting really stupid and old too.. (Another Fowler idea from what I heard). It's just stupid that reporters are asked to purposely ask certain questions when interviewing certain people just to use for promo purposes.

The only good that came out of Fowler was putting David Novarro back on Good Day Chicago. However, Good Day Chicago has become pretty dry these days. Back during the Mike Barz time, Good Day Chicago got a little too wacky but now, it's a bit too newsy like with serious interviews with Chicago political figures, etc. Honestly, the majority of the Chicago market viewing public could care less about Chicago city aldermen. They need to have a little fun (but not too wacky) again in the mornings like the show was before Mike Barz. Bring back some cooking guests and music bands, have a little chit chat, go to local schools and events, etc.. Fowler needs to bring back a little balance.. Oh wait, I forgot. She doesn't know how to do that. lol..

[Jase 1047]

It's sad to see Nancy go. I don't know why they're pushing her out the door. There has to be something internal we, the viewing public, don't know about. How else can anyone explain this situation?

 

I wasn't surprised when Jack left. They seemed to have been grooming Dane to handle the political beat the past couple of years, plus he (Jack) didn't want to take a pay cut from what I understand. GDC has never been the same since both Mike and Tammie left. Plus, with 5 hrs to fill, you need another "contributing" anchor (Kori) to carry the load. The show is now a shell of what it once was (watchable/enjoyable).

 

WFLD is in the same position WBBM once was in. Not being able to maintain a consistent anchor line-up and overall news presentation. Nothing they have done in the past 2 yrs. has helped their ratings. In fact, their ratings have gotten worse in the past 1 yr.. I too am tired of the "asking the questions" promos, but I thought that started before Fowler got there.

 

Mullen (former GM, Tribune Broadcasting guy) hired Fowler largely because she once worked at WGN. Once he saw she had no clue what she was doing, he left. Not sure why the current GM has kept her around. We will see if she makes it to year three at WFLD.

 

Not surprised by the job cuts. Since they're not bringing in a decent amount of revenue, cuts will continue. With the never-ending newsroom renovation still going on and both a state-of-the art control room and studio, they're probably still having to pay for that stuff.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

Nancy probably gotten into a disagreement with Fowler about something.. Fowler's one of those that if you disagree with her about something, you can count on your butt being out the door. Rumors have been flying around a few days that Fowler is trying to get Joanie Lum in as WFLD's new token Asian reporter. I just know that Nancy Loo's cut has nothing to do with "budget cuts".

 

 

Mullen should have known better.. It showed so clearly with WBBM that Fowler did nothing in the WBBM newsroom. She relied on the anchors alone to make the newscasts. She didn't have any real formulas or real direction. Hell, GM Ahern himself was making alot of the decisions that the ND should be making. Maybe Fowler should go join Ahern at Rosebud Restaurants. She can be their menu director.

 

 

I have to give WBBM's current ND, Jeff Kiernan, alot of credit. I have not seen a news director at WBBM spend as much time in the newsroom (or show up even so early to work) as much as Kiernan has. He's not locked up in his office all day long only coming out for meetings. He stops off at people's desks/cubicles and works along with people as any good manager should, he offers words of encouragement, he has an upbeatness to him that brings some needed positive motivation to their newsroom these days.

 

 

I can't believe WFLD is still working on their newsroom.. They've been working on that for how long? Since 2008?

[Jase 1047]

I don't think they kicked the renovation into high gear until after they moved back into the studio last May. The last pictures I saw showed that the old control room is now an office (likely the ND) and the old ND office is now a bathroom, but a good chunk of the newsroom appears to be empty.

 

The Assignment Desk, the Big Clock and web center (or where the web site producers work ) is still there. I know they wanted (needed) to expand the newsroom, but who knows what's going on.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

According to today's Feder, BIG changes are coming to FOX Chicago's 9PM newscast.. (http://blogs.vocalo.org/feder/2010/03/we-report-you-decide-fox-chicago%e2%80%99s-fix-for-local-news/18273)

 

 

I actually heard about these "changes" a few days back. What they pretty much plan on doing is taking what they do on their morning news with the interviews and bringing it to the 9PM newscast. I can really see this working (sarcasm). I'm really sure that people (especially people that live outside Chicago/Cook County limits) wanna hear more poop coming out of various Chicago and Cook County politicians' mouths. But like Feder says, what more do they have to lose? I'm sure Mark Suppelsa is glad he jumped ship when he did.

 

 

I also heard someone wasn't happy about an earlier post I made in this thread. haha! Sucks for her..

 

 

As expected, Lauren Cohn is out at WFLD. Didn't surprise me.. However, she just wasn't the same Lauren Cohn that was here before Philly.. She had personality back then. Now, she comes across as a robot and/or stuck up snobbish b*tch that only wants to anchor. Philly did something to her.. Well, they can have her back now.

[Jase 1047]

They have already started having interviews and such, but it makes NO SENSE to have one interviewee in the newsroom, another one at the studio's interview area and the anchor/reporter asking them questions from either the anchor desk or while standing at the plasma wall. Trying to do something like this Mon-Fri will no doubt be tough (especially on slow news days).

 

Nevertheless, their ratings will continue to head south and the question now is just how fast that will happen. Why is it so hard to just stick with the basics and forget about trying to re-invent anything and everything? People respond to a newscast's overall substance over style and flashy-ness ALWAYS. WLS is the perfect example no one wants to follow it seems.

[Spring Rubber 703]

Yeah, I noticed them having a interview after their first story every night this past week, and for the most part. it seems like a waste of time. I can understand having an interview regarding important issues when they happen, but there's no reason to force an interview into the newscast on slow news days. I think a lot of viewers will find themselves asking, "WHY exactly are they interviewing someone about THIS?" several days a week, and it might very well lead them to change the channel. I guess we'll see how long this concept holds up.

[lazynetjunkie 34]

It's official according to today's Feder.. Joanie Lum is in at FOX Chicago. She's going to be taking over the morning reporter duties of Nancy Loo.