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And today she posted on IG that she is full time at CBS2.

I don't think it's a dumb move at all. Comparing CBS 2's and KCAL's brands, KCAL is the more recognizable and more local brand and really they should've always been making KCAL the more dominant brand since the merge. I'd say that when there was a period when broadcast news in general was in a slump, that KCAL seemed to be an after thought, with much of the talent there laid off and also many of the daytime broadcasts eliminated (2pm, 3p and a half hour of the 4p).

Yeah, they definitely still have some kinks to work out with weather. It seems they switch to full screen a lot which leaves the weather person out a lot of the shot half the time.

I was supportive of them remaining on air once the additional details came out that this wasn’t nearly as salacious as the tabloids made it. But this is becoming a huge distraction and depending on how it shakes out could do damage to GMA’s brand strength. Based on my entirely unscientific estimates, TJ has fallen way out of people’s good graces. My girlfriend, my mom and social media all informing my hypothesis lol.

Small update. They are now shooting the weather segments straight on instead of at an angle. Since they don't have a chromakey in the studio, it looked a little odd when they would point to the map and the camera was at an angle. Henry and Kirk Hawkins (in for Mark Kriski) were both visibly trying to awkwardly adjust to the new shot.

It's made more complicated by Investigation Discovery having a much better brand and name awareness despite a smaller nationwide cable footprint. Plus—per Stelter—the simulcast of CNN This Morning is explicitly due to carriage contracts with cable companies that require HLN air a bare minimum of news programming. Stelter’s background working for CNN makes him very unlikely to simply make up an urban legend.

It sounds like they're going to take Amy and T.J. off the air until the distraction blows over. As I mentioned earlier, it is likely not a violation of company policy, just unwanted attention.

Exactly. WBD doesn't know what to to with HLN now? Investigation Discovery reruns? Anything to keep costs low?

That montage all but encapsulated Stelter's piece in the Atlantic. The channel in it's original format was not only rendered obsolete, the truly ugly parts that came thereafter (Nancy Grace and her obsession with Casey Anthony) ultimately and irrevocably destroyed HLN's reputation en route to becoming a true crime rerun library channel. Meade's show felt increasingly out of place and to be blunt, I'm shocked it lasted as long as it did. Because HLN was already a zombie network and had been for years. Even with Meade, it had no identity, no direction, and honestly, no purpose to even exist as a cable channel.

They couldn't wait to get rid of Morning Express. They should have replayed the last hour at 8am.

As a good friend of mine is wont to say, "don't ask because they just might answer".

Thanks for sharing! And now HLN is airing Forensic Files at 8 a.m. Not even a replay.

Final sign off:

Well, despite schedules saying otherwise, the KCAL morning show ended up not launching today. It’s the regular 4:30-7am CBS 2 News This Morning.

It was announced that WJLA morning meteorologist Veronica Johnson will be the WJLA's new Chief Meteorologist and Eileen Whelan will be the "new" morning meteorologist (though she has done mornings before) https://wjla.com/news/local/veronica-johnson-chief-meteorologist-historic-announcement-first-alert-weather-7news-wjla-channel7-dc-washington-local-news-history-first-woman-dmv

Final hour of Morning Express is airing now.

The other thing is that it nearly doubles the amount of ad inventory, so there's at least the potential to make more money by having more compelling programming on both stations in the morning. I honestly think what they're doing with the mornings is a fairly smart strategy to try considering they have nothing to lose. People have tried far, far dumber ideas in the morning. The only move that makes me question whether current KCBS/KCAL management have their heads on right is the hiring of Ross Palombo. That guy is so horrible to work with that KTVU let him out of his contract more than a year early, and then people at WPLG were literally crying in their newsroom when they found out that he was rehired there.

WTVG's Lee Conklin & Diane Larson been together for a long time- {btw WTVG beating WTOL} - https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/tv-radio/2022/12/03/diane-larson-lee-conklin-tenure-nightly-news-anchors-wtvg/stories/20221204018

I'm surprised that Fox didn't sign on for People Puzzler since they seem to be the launch group for these type of shows be a later date along with other TV station groups. West Michigan Sinclair, Nexstar or Scripps takes the show.

I thought that Fox and DirecTV would get a deal done at the 11TH hour.

If I were try to look past the spin Dish is doing, I would assume that Apollo is trying to negotiate for the stations they’re supposed to receive from Tegna and Standard once the transaction is through. Still really really weird and totally not shady, but they can’t be that stupid.

I don’t know if I’d call it “ass-backwards management” (not yet, anyway); it’s more like throwing in the towel on channel 2 in the morning. I can’t blame them. Keep in mind that their current arrangement has KCBS airing a newscast that draws a big fat zero in the ratings, while KCAL airs infomercials. As unconventional as this new arrangement is, it’s better than what they have now (although they might want to consider promoting the damn thing). That’s not saying much, of course. The spiel about “making KCAL a major player” is BS, and I imagine that management is smart enough to realize that they won’t be a major threat to KTLA or KTTV. The broader point is that KCAL can air its own programming (via CBS LA’s news dept), and the extra airing of CBS Mornings can give the show a ratings boost (albeit, a very small one). Sure, KCBS loses morning news, but when no one’s watching it, it’s not like anyone living in LA is going to give a damn.

Yep. Quite surprising. I don’t think they are going to launch this thing on Monday, unless they make a soft launch, maybe debuting the new KCAL set and going on with the new hirings, which is the most likely thing. No new graphics or “CBS News Los Angeles” until after the holidays or when CBS News Detroit launches (or maybe yes), which could be the moment to promote the new product and finally get KCAL to produce the other hours. Unless, as you say, it is postponed at the last minute and/or withholding it for the New Year.

ABC O&Os are the perfect example of streamlined with a touch of individuality. There are umpteen ABC 7s with roughly the same logo, branding themselves as Eyewitness News. The vast majority of them are the number one station in their markets, and despite there duplicated formats, the stations have seeds of uniqness that make them authentic to the cities they broadcast to. Pardon the ancient example but, Van Amborg was uniquely San Francisco as Grimsby & Beutel felt very New York.

Sinclair gave an effort. Standard General and Apollo not only haven't, they've repeatedly insisted that they don't have to do a thing. If it was Sinclair buying Tegna, they'd pull the shell game, divest a minimum of stations, and it would have been approved by September. Because unlike Soo Kim, David Smith actually knows how to close a deal.