New CBS4News Anchor Lineup - beginning Monday?

[fnxfan]

NEWSBLUES published this story this morning:




Boston's Viacom O&O WBZ-4-CBS, which unexpectedly fired News Director Matt Ellis on Monday, is rumored to be on the verge of shaking up its anchor lineup.

Several insiders claim longtime (30 year) anchor Jack Williams (left), who now does the noon and 4 p.m., will go "solo" at 6 and 11, beginning as early as Monday.

"He brings strength to any newscast," says Station Manager Angie Kucharski.

"We want to try anything," adds General Manager Julio Marenghi.

Current primary co-anchors Josh Binswanger and Lisa Hughes will be moved to the noon and 4 p.m. shows, says the rumor mill.

TV columnist Mark Jurkowitz adds fuel to the rumor in the new issue of The Boston Phoenix.

Jurkowitz also reports that WBZ is on the verge of renewing the contract of Bob Lobel, the longtime sports anchor whose personal peccadilloes have become topics for local gossip columns and a profile in the July issue of Boston magazine.

"You know, I ****ed up," said Lobel of his very public affair with a younger woman. "It's not easy being human. You can print that. And anyone who thinks it [is easy] is making a big mistake."

Despite the unpleasant publicity, GM Marenghi says the station is "very close" to a new deal with Lobel.

"Bob has been going through his own life crisis, which is personal," he adds. "He didn’t violate his contract, and he didn’t do anything illegal."

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: Rumored Changes At WBZ-4 Anchor Desk

Concerning rumored anchor changes at WBZ-4:

I could see Josh Binswanger get demoted (or even terminated). I personally thought WBZ made a big mistake in demoting Joe Shortsleeve and bring-in Binswanger. I actually think Shortsleeve is, in terms of talent, WBZ's second-best news anchor, behind only Jack Williams.

I don't know if Williams would "solo" weeknights at both 6 and 11, but it should be noted that around (or a few years after) The Big Affiliation Change Of 1995, Williams indeed solo-anchored WBZ's Sunday-evening (6:30 and 11 P.M.) local newscasts, and I thought that at the time, they were the only WBZ local newscasts that finished first in their time periods.

And it's my understanding that in the recent May sweeps, the weekday Noon newscast (which Williams currently co-anchors) was WBZ's only local newscast of the entire week that did not finish third in it's time period. That may tell you something about his enduring popularity on a station whose local news is otherwise in third place.

I'm not sure Williams will solo at 11. I could see Jack Williams soloing at 6, and a Jack Williams/Lisa Hughes anchor team at 11, with Hughes' other local newscast being at 4 P.M.

Were I the one in charge of news at WBZ, I would actually demote Binswanger or dump him entirely, bring Shortsleeve back to the anchor desk to pair with Sara Underwood at 12 Noon and with Lisa Hughes at 4, have Williams solo at 6, and pair Williams and Hughes at 11.

I don't think any anchor changes at WBZ will occur as early as Monday (July 25th) unless one or more anchors are fired. I think sometime in late August, a few weeks before the start of the Fall season, might be a more logical time. But I do think that there will be some changes at the WBZ anchor desk, and that Jack Williams will likely be a key beneficiary of such changes.

On Bob Lobel:

Despite Bob Lobel's admission of making mistakes in his personal life, he is still in my opinion one of the two best sports anchors in the history of Boston television, the other being former WCVB-5 sports anchor Don Gillis.

On the air at least, Lobel is and has always been a talented professional.

Thus, WBZ's signing him to a new contract is probably a "no-brainer". I'm not sure how old Lobel is. If he is around 60 years of age (as I think he is), the new deal will likely keep him at WBZ until his retirement.

 

[fnxfan]

Re: Rumored Changes At WBZ-4 Anchor Desk

I don't think bringing back Shortsleeve is the answer, except maybe in the early morning. That is the only time period where he was ever successful (when paired with Suzzanne Bates). Jack Williams may indeed be the answer, as could Sara Underwood, whose position appears unclear in this new structure. If Lisa and Josh are to team at Noon and 4, and Jack is to solo at 6 and 11, where does that leave Sara? Could she be bounced to weekend evenings with Ken MacLeod (returning Pauline Chiou to the field?)

CBS4 once announced Jack Williams would solo the 6pm newscast in the late 1990s. Within weeks, they added Virginia Cha to the desk with him. That pairing worked well enough until Cha left the station a few months later. I feel Jack and Sara have developed enough of a chemistry over the past year that they could be successfully paired at 6 and 11.

Or, if rumors are true that Lisa Hughes is on her way out the door when her contract expires, Sara could wind up co-anchoring the dayside newscasts with Binswanger.

Another wild card is how morning players (Wahle, Ebben, Wayman, and Hamilton) will fit into this mix. The station has tremendous talent in Wayman and Hamilton, but because their UPN morning show is so new, they may not want to mess with it.









> Concerning rumored anchor changes at WBZ-4:
>
> I could see Josh Binswanger get demoted (or even
> terminated). I personally thought WBZ made a big mistake in
> demoting Joe Shortsleeve and bring-in Binswanger. I actually
> think Shortsleeve is, in terms of talent, WBZ's second-best
> news anchor, behind only Jack Williams.
>
> I don't know if Williams would "solo" weeknights at both 6
> and 11, but it should be noted that around (or a few years
> after) The Big Affiliation Change Of 1995, Williams indeed
> solo-anchored WBZ's Sunday-evening (6:30 and 11 P.M.) local
> newscasts, and I thought that at the time, they were the
> only WBZ local newscasts that finished first in their time
> periods.
>
> And it's my understanding that in the recent May sweeps, the
> weekday Noon newscast (which Williams currently co-anchors)
> was WBZ's only local newscast of the entire week that did
> not finish third in it's time period. That may tell you
> something about his enduring popularity on a station whose
> local news is otherwise in third place.
>
> I'm not sure Williams will solo at 11. I could see Jack
> Williams soloing at 6, and a Jack Williams/Lisa Hughes
> anchor team at 11, with Hughes' other local newscast being
> at 4 P.M.
>
> Were I the one in charge of news at WBZ, I would actually
> demote Binswanger or dump him entirely, bring Shortsleeve
> back to the anchor desk to pair with Sara Underwood at 12
> Noon and with Lisa Hughes at 4, have Williams solo at 6, and
> pair Williams and Hughes at 11.
>
> I don't think any anchor changes at WBZ will occur as early
> as Monday (July 25th) unless one or more anchors are fired.
> I think sometime in late August, a few weeks before the
> start of the Fall season, might be a more logical time. But
> I do think that there will be some changes at the WBZ anchor
> desk, and that Jack Williams will likely be a key
> beneficiary of such changes.
>
> On Bob Lobel:
>
> Despite Bob Lobel's admission of making mistakes in his
> personal life, he is still in my opinion one of the two best
> sports anchors in the history of Boston television, the
> other being former WCVB-5 sports anchor Don Gillis.
>
> On the air at least, Lobel is and has always been a talented
> professional.
>
> Thus, WBZ's signing him to a new contract is probably a
> "no-brainer". I'm not sure how old Lobel is. If he is around
> 60 years of age (as I think he is), the new deal will likely
> keep him at WBZ until his retirement.
>

 

[BostonTVMan]

Re: Rumored Changes At WBZ-4 Anchor Desk

Being that it would seem 4 and 5 are using their single most-popular personalities at 6pm (Jack and Nat), do you think it's possible that 7 may go the same route and have Randy Price go solo at 6 to create at true three-horse race?

 

[BostonNews]

Re: Rumored Changes At WBZ-4 Anchor Desk

Isn't Natalie's contract with 'CVB up next month? I'm sure Viacom would throw money her way to sign-her on with Williams.

> Being that it would seem 4 and 5 are using their single
> most-popular personalities at 6pm (Jack and Nat), do you
> think it's possible that 7 may go the same route and have
> Randy Price go solo at 6 to create at true three-horse race?
>

 

[parklane]

Jack Williams adds instant credibility as a sole anchor. May I suggest they go out and find Bruce Schwoegler and bring him back.

I hope Lisa Hughes doesn't leave. I know she just got married to one of the widowers of the September 11'th plane disaster but they could make her anchor of CBS 4'th Worcester Bureau.

Jon Keller started out will guns blazing but he isn't used as much as he could be as well.

One of 4'th problems is that they really have more talent than they have news or programs for.

Wish them good ratings in whatever they do.


> NEWSBLUES published this story this morning:
>
>
>
>
> Boston's Viacom O&O WBZ-4-CBS, which unexpectedly fired News
> Director Matt Ellis on Monday, is rumored to be on the verge
> of shaking up its anchor lineup.
>
> Several insiders claim longtime (30 year) anchor Jack
> Williams (left), who now does the noon and 4 p.m., will go
> "solo" at 6 and 11, beginning as early as Monday.
>
> "He brings strength to any newscast," says Station Manager
> Angie Kucharski.
>
> "We want to try anything," adds General Manager Julio
> Marenghi.
>
> Current primary co-anchors Josh Binswanger and Lisa Hughes
> will be moved to the noon and 4 p.m. shows, says the rumor
> mill.
>
> TV columnist Mark Jurkowitz adds fuel to the rumor in the
> new issue of The Boston Phoenix.
>
> Jurkowitz also reports that WBZ is on the verge of renewing
> the contract of Bob Lobel, the longtime sports anchor whose
> personal peccadilloes have become topics for local gossip
> columns and a profile in the July issue of Boston magazine.
>
> "You know, I ****ed up," said Lobel of his very public
> affair with a younger woman. "It's not easy being human. You
> can print that. And anyone who thinks it [is easy] is making
> a big mistake."
>
> Despite the unpleasant publicity, GM Marenghi says the
> station is "very close" to a new deal with Lobel.
>
> "Bob has been going through his own life crisis, which is
> personal," he adds. "He didn’t violate his contract, and he
> didn’t do anything illegal."
>

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: Rumored Changes At WBZ-4 Anchor Desk

I thought Natalie Jacobson's contract with WCVB-5 still had some ways to go.

If her contract with WCVB is indeed about to end, I would think renewing it is Priority Number One at 'CVB....along with convincing her to return to the 11 P.M. news. I'm sure WCVB would want Natalie on at both 6 and 11.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: Rumored Changes At WBZ-4 Anchor Desk

Boston TV Man suggested:

> Being that it would seem 4 and 5 are using their single
> most-popular personalities at 6pm (Jack Williams at WBZ, Natalie
> Jacobson at WCVB), do you think it's possible that (WHDH-)7 may go
> the same route and have Randy Price go solo at 6 to create
> a true three-horse race?

Possible, but I doubt it, given that WHDH's priority seems to be building up the content, style, and format of their newscasts as opposed to building up the personalities of the anchors. But I feel Randy Price, if told to solo for the station weeknights at 6, can successfully do it.

In my opinion, there are only three anchors currently working in Boston television who could successfully solo-anchor weeknight 6 and 11 P.M. newscasts: Williams, Jacobson, and Price.

Prior to leaving the anchor desk to cut back her workload (and host a Sunday-morning interview program), I would have also put WBZ-4's Liz Walker in the same category as Williams, Jacobson, and Price.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

> I hope Lisa Hughes doesn't leave. I know she just got
> married to one of the widowers of the September 11'th plane
> disaster but they could make her anchor of CBS 4'th
> Worcester Bureau.

As posted later on in this thread, I think you may see her at 4 P.M. with Josh Binswanger (if he stays) or another male co-anchor, and at 11 with Jack Williams.

If indeed changes are coming soon to WBZ-4's anchor desk, I think Binswanger will be the big loser, Williams the big beneficiary, and Hughes may have a slightly-amended schedule, but I think she'll still play a major part on their anchor team.

 

[fnxfan]

I'd like to see more of Sara Underwood than Hughes. She has more name recognition and positive feeling in the market than Hughes. I like the idea of Binswanger and Hughes at noon and 4:00... and then Williams and Underwood at 6 and 11...

Does anyone think this "shuffle" will also swap Barry Burbank and Ed Carroll, making Barry the Chief Meteorologist?




> > I hope Lisa Hughes doesn't leave. I know she just got
> > married to one of the widowers of the September 11'th
> plane
> > disaster but they could make her anchor of CBS 4'th
> > Worcester Bureau.
>
> As posted later on in this thread, I think you may see her
> at 4 P.M. with Josh Binswanger (if he stays) or another male
> co-anchor, and at 11 with Jack Williams.
>
> If indeed changes are coming soon to WBZ-4's anchor desk, I
> think Binswanger will be the big loser, Williams the big
> beneficiary, and Hughes may have a slightly-amended
> schedule, but I think she'll still play a major part on
> their anchor team.
>