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lazynetjunkie

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News Director

News Director (7/8)

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  1. It doesn't even seem like they care to use Bill Zwecker much anymore.. Looks like much of Richard Roeper's "duties" were given to Jake Hamilton.. Including all the interviewing of movie actors. It also looks like Jake has been given much of the entertainment reporting too. Wouldn't surprise me if Bill is out when contract is up.
  2. I never really understood having them both at the same time.. WBBM had them both too at the same time back during the pre-budget cut Ahern era; however, I believe Roeper only popped once a week on a newscast or 2 to review the week's movies while Zwecker was the daily entertainment reporter. Roeper is his own "brand". He doesn't need to be on a newscast daily. It seemed more like something that management just offered him a couple years back and he just said, "Sure, whatever, I'll do it." The one I really don't care for on GDC is that Jake Hamilton. I just find him annoying as hell. He almost seems as if he really is hocked up on something. He's way too much especially on the earlier (4am-7am) hours of the show. He's just like that Marcus Leshock. He comes off as way too annoying and it appears way too obvious on WGN's morning news that the other morning personalities don't seem to care for him.
  3. About Roeper.. He has an EXTREMELY busy schedule and life, and he barely sleeps. In addition to his movie reviewing and his column, he also constantly does interviews and various show and event appearances. He's traveling to LA/Vegas constantly. He's also a regular on Roe Conn's WGN-AM show, being on at least a couple times a week for most of or all of the show.. His condo is pretty much a "studio" for various things. He's also very big with living the "nightlife".. He's big in the poker world and he's always out at the bars. He normally doesn't turn in until after 2 or 3 am so he barely sleeps. Leaving GDC isn't really about pursuing other work.. He just needs a little break and some sleep during the day. Plus, you can really tell how tired his eyes look during GDC.
  4. Working, busy with alot.. I've been lurking here every so often. WGN's and WBBM's current management don't care about things like sets, graphics, music, "flashiness" etc.. Those are the last things on their list. Alot of the same old, same old Chicago station/newsroom management that are stuck in their old ways and thinking people only watch because of talent.. WBBM will only make cosmetic (graphic and music) changed because of corporate orders/mandate. It's a good thing WLS and WFLD got good bosses that came from other markets to finally shake some things up around here. WMAQ is smart for following in their direction too.
  5. It's a very good possibility.. Think of a news set in another major market city. The Chicago station will pay 3 times more for that exact same set to be put up here than it cost in that other city.. Mainly because of Chicago union labor costs. Much of WGN's budget is being dumped into certain talent.. Probably much more than they're really worth. But it's the main reason too why there will be no more WGN news on WGN America. Certain talent would demand much more if they're on nationally, even if it's just a national broadcast of the local Chicago newscasts.
  6. News sets take longer (and also cost almost 3 times the amount) to complete in Chicago than other markets because of union rules.. In Chicago, news sets and the work done in the studios have to be union and follow all the local union rules. It's the main reason why the set design companies can't use their own people for set assembly/construction in Chicago and have to use local labor or go with a local company like Chicago Scenic. The various trades can't work over each other at the same time either. Only one trade at a time can perform work in the space too..
  7. It was 2011 when the morning news moved to the newsroom.. It wasn't the original design for the newsroom set but a lot had to be cut back due to budget reasons at the time.. The original Kevin Alter design can be seen here: http://www.kevinalter.com/portfolio_broadcast_02.html including the 2009 studio set and newsroom design commissioned by WFLD. Corporate management rejected and their only option was the Blyth set-in-a-can.
  8. I believe the keyboards were removed sometime around 1998, before the 1999 remodel of the set.. Someone told me years back that the ND at the time thought the keyboards looked stupid when the set was constructed. However, the FX designer of that set was very adamant about them being there as a part of the design so they remained there for a few months before they were removed and trashed. Attached is a photo of the FX set in its third look with the Blyth O&O standardized anchor desk.. It's the same anchor desk they've used all the way until now. Speaking of FX.. Wouldn't it be something if their new set was an FX job?
  9. Yes they are and they haven't left the newsroom since that set.. They've just been pushed into a corner of the newsroom and moved around the newsroom for backdrop of various newsroom camera shots. Attached file to fulfill your nostalgia needs.. The original FX Group design as it looked from 1997-1999.. Complete with unnecessary white computer keyboards connected to nothing under the FOX News logos.
  10. Bill is fine. He's just on vacation for a couple weeks far away. For some reason, they forgot the bottom of hour opener during the initial recording session before he left or it was a last minute decision to have one so Roger was used. The station currently has contracts with both voiceovers so it's not a cost issue. Bill brought his computer and a mic with him on to record promos for a certain network but is staying away from local station work while on vacation. Plus, the sound quality wouldn't be as good coming from his hotel room as his own studio.
  11. I bet this was Giangreco's doing too.. https://www.facebook.com/101WKQX/photos/a.529358647179604.1073741828.527856930663109/689084514540349/?type=1&relevant_count=1
  12. Since being off ABC7, Sylvia Perez has been a fill-in talk show host at 89 WLS-AM a few times (and she's currently still on their fill-in call list).. She does very well with AM talk radio.. I honestly think it's something that suits her better and uses her to a fuller potential (plus, she enjoys it much more) than just reading news at the anchor desk. I believe it's something she saw too and she may be straying away from the TV anchor desk for something else..
  13. It's not a lease with the city.. There was a contractual agreement with the city as part of WBBM being able to use that portion of the building as a windowed studio. During the original planning of that building, the city didn't want that portion exposed to Daley Plaza to be just a blank space or just office windows. The city wanted something "open to the public" at that spot. The windowed studio (Studio A) has to be used as an active daily TV production space for a set amount of time (I don't know how long.. It could be 10 years for all I know) as long as WBBM is leasing that part of the building. A few years back, WBBM already had the idea of moving into Studio B and went ahead with trying to sublease Studio A. However, they haven't been successful as the only production company interested in the space at the time only wanted to use it on the weekends. Once the agreement with the city is up, WBBM can go ahead and vacate that studio and sublease it to any type of "open to the public" business. It can be a store, a restaurant, another production company with an active daily production, radio studio, etc.
  14. That corner by the weather center is blocked off because they use it for storage. They just push the demonstration/display table, stools, a couple other things into the corner by the windows so they just keep the shades shut. Last I heard any talk about the set/studio, plans were to eventually ditch that set and studio for the interior studio B as soon as their deal with the city is up. For now, they're just going to let the set go to hell. No standard set maintenance (changing burnt out bulbs, repairing/coating the floor, touch up, etc.) has been done. The set is banged up pretty well and you really wouldn't want to have closeup camera shots of many parts of it. Most of the pieces that were removed from the original set-up of that set have been now trashed so there is no chance of it being "restored" to original.. As for the exterior being "finished" now, I believe it may have to do with some city building exterior/signage ordinances.. The city has been focusing more on building exteriors and signage in the recent months.. The whole large areas above the studios was permitted for and on the blueprints/plans as being covered in signage. The electrical boxes up there are actually already wired for full signage/lighting up there as if was fully filled to plans. The one small jumbo-tron was a last minute call by the station GM and was not part of submitted blueprints/plans. Even though the exposed areas are ok to be exposed outdoors, it's wasn't finished to plan and with the city's focus now, I'm sure the station didn't want to be called out on it. For those wondering what happened to NBC 5's old streetside studio set, here's where the desk went.. http://www.ben.edu/news/2013/nbc-news-desk-donation.cfm
  15. Wayne Havrelly seems to be amused by his empty plastic beta case. That typewriter on Meeghan Black's desk is even really old for 1993.. I can't believe that's the same Monty Webb that was at WBBM 10 years ago..
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