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Rating the TV Morning Newscasts

M

MediaLover

With all the changes that took place between 2011 and a few weeks ago, I was curious as to what your take on each of the AM newscasts on the local stations.

I will add that I didn't think WKYC was going to change their morning team after they installed their last one in January of last year. In case you didn't know, John Anderson moved from the weekend evening shows to the morning show, while Chris Tye and Erin Kennedy was reassigned to reporting duties (Erin is on 6, and Chris is on at 11).

Kristi Capel as been on maternity leave over at WJW with Jennifer Jordan filling in on their morning show.

Harry Boomer is co-anchoring the morning show on WOIO and WUAB, with Brian Duffy switched to reporting duties. They also have a new traffic reporter as well, and their meteorologist (Jason Handman) has just left too.

Only WEWS seems stable as of now until they hire a new meteorologist.

What is your take on the early offerings?
 
Trent Magill seems to have settled in as the AM weatherman on WEWS, with Jason Nicholas doing (most) weekdays at noon and weekends. The Dunston/Jepson anchor team is OK.

John Anderson was the AM anchor on WKYC from '00-'07 (sharing the desk with his wife Kristin, and then Carole Chandler-Sullivan) and had success in that slot before going to Philly...channel 3 is probably just trying to see if lighting will strike twice with him and AM fixture Hollie Strano as the hybrid co-host/forecaster.

Channel 8 is of course the long dominant AM powerhouse, with institutions Wayne Dawson and Stefani Schaffer. The long time supporting crew of traffic reporter-turned 3rd anchor Kristi Capel, weatherman Scott Sabol, and reporter Kenny Crumpton also keep the train chugging along.

19/43's morning team is always in somewhat of a state of flux. Now they've turned to veterans Harry Boomer (co-anchor) and Jon Loufman (weather) to try to stabilize things with Catherine Bosley. Jamie Sullivan is now at the traffic desk, taking over for Ashley Johncola, who went to WNYW Fox 5 New York.
 
Good observation vjm! It'll be interesting to see Trent gets the AM weather gig on 5 for good, and if there'll be anyone joining John and Hollie on 3. I do see on Cleveland.com's TV message board of people getting sick of Hollie though, but I think she's great. Maybe she might pull a Mark Nolan and become a full-time news anchor with someone else being the meteorologist.

I've also noticed there's more stability on the evening newscasts than on the morning with the exception of a few minor changes.
 
MediaLover said:
I've also noticed there's more stability on the evening newscasts than on the morning with the exception of a few minor changes.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't call the evening newscasts "stable".

In the last 4 years we've had:

The retirement of 2 iconic anchors (Ted Henry, Wilma Smith)
A big free agent switching teams (Romona Robinson going from 3 to 19)
A longtime (and notoriously infamous) anchor leave town (Sharon Reed)
A big network anchor arrive to much balleyhoo (Russ Mitchell)
And 2 out of towners trying to establish themselves here (Chris Flanigan on WEWS coming from Dallas, and Kris Pickel on WKYC coming from Sacremento)

At the weather desk, we've seen Andre Bernier become more of the workhorse in the evenings on WJW, with Dick Goddard now only doing the 6 p.m. news. We've also had longtime sports anchor Tony Rizzo leave to concentrate on his radio show, finally giving John Telich the chance to be #1 at the sports desk after umpteen years as the caddie for first Casey Coleman, then Rizz.

Fair being fair, Betsy King (3), Mark Johnson (5), and Jeff Tancheck (19/43) have become fixtures at their respective weather desks, and the same can be said for Andy Baskin (5) and Tony Zarella (19/43) at the sports desk. Of course it goes without saying Jim Donovan (3) is an institution.
 
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Not to mention WJW bringing back Melissa Mack from Boston and adding a 4pm newscast with her and Gabe Spiegel at the desk.

Speaking of, I wonder how that's doing against 19's 4 o'clock news show?
 
vjm said:
I wouldn't call the evening newscasts "stable".

In the last 4 years we've had:

The retirement of 2 iconic anchors (Ted Henry, Wilma Smith)
A big free agent switching teams (Romona Robinson going from 3 to 19)
A longtime (and notoriously infamous) anchor leave town (Sharon Reed)
A big network anchor arrive to much balleyhoo (Russ Mitchell)
And 2 out of towners trying to establish themselves here (Chris Flanigan on WEWS coming from Dallas, and Kris Pickel on WKYC coming from Sacremento)

At the weather desk, we've seen Andre Bernier become more of the workhorse in the evenings on WJW, with Dick Goddard now only doing the 6 p.m. news. We've also had longtime sports anchor Tony Rizzo leave to concentrate on his radio show, finally giving John Telich the chance to be #1 at the sports desk after umpteen years as the caddie for first Casey Coleman, then Rizz.

Fair being fair, Betsy King (3), Mark Johnson (5), and Jeff Tancheck (19/43) have become fixtures at their respective weather desks, and the same can be said for Andy Baskin (5) and Tony Zarella (19/43) at the sports desk. Of course it goes without saying Jim Donovan (3) is an institution.
Click to expand...


Ted's spot at 5 was hard to fill, that they had to wait two years until Flanagan was brought in. He's since proven to be a good addition at 5 and fits in nicely with the rest of their news team. Wilma's spot will likely take the same amount of time, maybe sooner or later, with 8 taking their time to make a decision.

Romona has been a HUGE boost at 19, especially at 11. I didn't think she and Denise Dufala would click as a news team, but they have, and I think they're creaming 3 as often as they can. I'm not sure if I buy money being the main issue Romona left 3.

Sharon's not much of a loss since a lot of viewers remember her more for her "Body of Art" piece than anything she's done in her near decade in town. Yet, she left on a low-key note since she was on maternity leave. I think though she's doing well in St. Louis.

Speaking of 19, Paul Joncich had left last year for Las Vegas, and George Smith from ESPN has taken his spot next to Danielle Serino on the 4:30 and 5:30 pm newscasts.

Not sure how Russ has helped 3. He might have at the beginning before Pickel came to join him. There might have been times 3 lost out to 19 and 5 in the 11 pm ratings, though Dr. Phil continues to help the 6 pm newscast a lot. I do think that 3 is doing the right thing by sticking with the two as their weeknight anchor team. They are a good pair and compliment each other well.

Plus, Jim Donovan's co-anchoring the 7 pm news with Robin Swoboda too. I do think they should put Chris Tye back with her on the 7pm news since I thought they were a good team, so that Jim can focus on sports.

I think having Dick on the 6 pm news only is the right move. My guess is if he ever retires, it could be Melissa and Andre as the weeknight meteorologists, freeing up 8 to add another reporter or two, maybe even an anchor.
 
I think there's a method to the madness of having Jim Donovan doing the 7 p.m. news.

They're setting up for the future should Russ Mitchell leave for a national gig.

This way, they slide Donovan over to the main anchor chair, and have someone else (weekend guy Dave Chudowski? STO host/part time WKYC fill-in Al Pawlowski?) do sports full time.

Jim has done sports for close to 30 years while umpteen anchors have come and gone at 3 (especially early in his tenure)...I think he's chomping at the bit to have a shot at the big anchor chair before he hangs them up eventually.
 
MediaLover said:
Not to mention WJW bringing back Melissa Mack from Boston and adding a 4pm newscast with her and Gabe Spiegel at the desk.

Speaking of, I wonder how that's doing against 19's 4 o'clock news show?
Click to expand...

Melissa is essentially taking on a Hollie Strano-esque co-host/forecaster hybrid role at 4 p.m.

She also quietly has taken over the weather desk at 7 p.m.

So all totaled, we have Mack at 4 and 7, Andre Bernier at 5 and 10, and Dick Goddard at 6 manning the "Storm Fox" fort during the afternoons/evenings.
 
If and when Dick Goddard retires, do you think someone will actually replace him, or will the station wait and see, a la Wilma.

ALSO: Kristin Anderson, wife of John Anderson, has returned to WKYC as a reporter. Perhaps she'll anchor again. Jack Marshall is also filling-in as a reporter at 3 as well.
 
MediaLover said:
If and when Dick Goddard retires, do you think someone will actually replace him, or will the station wait and see, a la Wilma.

ALSO: Kristin Anderson, wife of John Anderson, has returned to WKYC as a reporter. Perhaps she'll anchor again. Jack Marshall is also filling-in as a reporter at 3 as well.
Click to expand...


Andre Bernier has been the actual evening workhorse for the past few years, with Dick Goddard only doing the 6 p.m. news.

If/when the legend hangs 'em up, more than likely Bernier would just add 6 p.m. to his plate.

Believe me...if they put a newbie in there, he'd have no prayer.
 
It looks like November sweeps has started. Interesting to see how each of the stations fare.

How will 3 fare with all those changes in the mornings? Can 5 pull ahead even dispite the flip-flopping of Dr. Oz and Right This Minute? Will 19 find some bright spots in their newscasts? I know 8 will still be tops. There's pretty much no stopping the FOX giant...except for Noon.
 
OMW reports on its Twitter feed that at WEWS, Josh Boose will become Macie Jepson's co-anchor on "GMC," with Mike Dunston remaining on the show as their "Live Center" anchor. The station has also added Tera Blake from WCCB in Charlotte, NC. Boose's new assignment starts in December, while Blake starts in January.

Boose currently anchors the Saturday morning edition of "GMC." I bet Terrence Lee will take over that newscast, with 5 possibly adding another reporter in mornings to help out.
 
I've seen some of Tera Blake's work on You Tube...not bad.

Trent Magill I assume goes back to mixing and matching with Jason Nicholas weekdays at noon and weekends.

You notice over the last few months, Dunston has mostly been stationed by the big flat screen on the side of the set, with Jepson at the anchor desk. A little friction perhaps, requiring the need for separation?
 
vjm said:
I've seen some of Tera Blake's work on You Tube...not bad.

Trent Magill I assume goes back to mixing and matching with Jason Nicholas weekdays at noon and weekends.

You notice over the last few months, Dunston has mostly been stationed by the big flat screen on the side of the set, with Jepson at the anchor desk. A little friction perhaps, requiring the need for separation?
Click to expand...

I doubt there's any friction between Dunston and Jepson. They were standing together a few at the top of the hour and even half-hour, and they were at the anchor desk together a few times too. My guess is Boose might have more chemistry with Jepson than Dunston, but I think three anchors could work. Maybe they should anchor the last half-hour together on a couch like on FOX 8. I think also WEWS is looking to spice up ratings, but at least Dunston is staying on the morning show and not demoted to reporter only.
 
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