badabing

WCBS debuted an entirely new 6pm newscast tonight, anchored solely by Kristine Johnson. Kristine stood throughout the studio, with an entirely new intro, skyline backdrop, color scheme, and format. Tonight’s broadcast did not include sports. Additionally, Maurice went without a tie and open collar for 5pm today, which was… different.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to describe what I think and how I feel with regards to Dana and WCBS at this moment. The nearest comparison I’ve settled on is that this has been like seeing a friend be grievously and irreparably wronged and there is nothing you can do. Dana was pushed out the door, whether it be because of budget cuts or age or whatever else. I understand why she decided to fully exit the station at this time, but the abruptness of her complete departure was a shock. Reflecting on it, WCBS has rarely ever ‘sent someone off.’ The constant turnover and abrupt dismissals of icons and legends meant that personalities never had an on air goodbye— even if they deserved one. The bare minimum that was done for Dana— a hastily recut video tribute from her NYSBA Hall of Fame induction— is the most I can remember ever seeing on their air. (Although I vaguely remember a few minutes on air acknowledging Stephen Clark’s last day.) Dana was a survivor— somehow making it through the darkest years of WCBS. Think about all of the times that Dana had to put up a strong appearance while the station was in chaos (the massacre, dismissing Stephen, dismissing Jim Rosenfield, dismissing Jim Jensen, tossing Warner aside, the times when Angela, Roz, and Kristine replaced her at 11, and so many more). Dana continued to be the familiar face to us, after all of the ups and many, many downs she went through at WCBS. We all consume local news differently now. Local newscasts are no longer packed with stories impacting the local communities and viewing area, with more and more time being used for filler national stories (or worse, appalling in newscast product ad segments). Many no longer turn on the 5/6 news while making dinner, or the 11 before drifting off. Most people now read a jumble of stories from a variety of sources on our phones throughout the day. What that means, as everyone here knows, is that the local anchor is less important than ever. Those left watching local news (and television as a whole) are an older and older audience— audiences that are comfortable with the faces they recognize. We are witnessing the last generation of legendary news anchors. Losing Dana isn’t going to push most people to change the channel; Maurice and Kristine are also familiar and trusted faces who are good anchors. But Dana was the heart and soul of the WCBS product. She always exuded warmth and the constant through all of the years of change. After the recent passings of Pablo Guzman, Max Gomez, and Frank Field, I didn’t tune in to see what Kristine or Dick or Chris would say— I wanted to hear how Dana would remember them. Because more than any other anchor, honestly in the whole New York market, Dana came across as the one who cared about people. We focus a lot on the on air product, but if were to glance today at the posts of current and former colleagues of Dana online, you would see a lot of gratitude for what she did off camera too. So many credit her with making them better, investing in their success, sending notes of praise or offering a helping hand or open ear. All of it summed up by saying: Dana truly cared. It is understandable why she decided to leave now, after being told there was no longer a regular space for her at a station that produces nine hours of daily news. Throwing up the most recent prepared montage of her— a rushed, re-cut version of her 2022 NYSBA Hall of Fame tribute— didn’t really capture the fact that they were saying goodbye to someone so important to that news organization. What she deserved is similar to what Chuck is receiving now: a celebration leading up to her departure. She deserved to have some of her favorite stories reaired, to have tributes from current and past colleagues (the likes of Jim Rosenfield, Ernie Anastos, Ira Joe Fisher, Warner Wolf, Don Dahler, and Stephen Clark— who she was part of a tribute video for a few years ago when he retired from his station in Detroit), and even tributes from her competitors (who she graciously took time to thank in her final words). We should have seen her sit down with Cindy for an extended conversation at 9am about her career and the stories she has covered. All of that (and more) is what Dana deserved. She deserved better. And we deserved better.

Dana Tyler just signed off WCBS for the last time, after an 8 minute tribute at the end of the 6pm where she said it was her last day at channel 2.

This is honestly devastating news to hear. I know linear television is in decline, but this is how you start turning off those viewers who you do have left. I’ve recently been thinking about how the NYC TV news market has evolved over the last three decades. What I thought was interesting is that WCBS went from being the most unstable operation to the most stable (at least in terms of the anchor desk). Not a single weekday change occurred from when Chris replaced Rob in mornings in 2013 until 2019 when Alex Denis left and John Elliott was moved to weekends. Even then, until John came back to weekdays, the stability was incredible— with the only anchor change being to add Dick at 6 and bring Cindy back to weekdays. (Speaking exclusively about WCBS weekdays— weekends and WLNY went through a lot of evolutions during this period.) The problem with the WCBS operation is not the anchors— the anchors are familiar faces now. It is the massive churn of reporters. Part of the reason why WABC thrives is because their reporters don’t spend a few years at the station on the way to something else. Dana is the soul of WCBS. The station neglected and diminished her for the last decade, but she has been the constant. Maurice and Kristine are great anchors, I cannot take that away from them. They do not come off as people who really like each other much (Kristine would much rather be back next to Wragge), but they are good anchors. But we don’t need more of them. Dick has been a solid contributor since he joined WCBS. He also deserves a prominent role at the station. For a while now I’ve wondered why WCBS is wasting talent that they have. I think Cindy is probably the single best anchor they have— she has a way of striking the right tone that Chris and Mary just don’t. Why does she only do 30 minutes on linear daily? Why does she not coanchor the noon newscast — a newscast that was hers for 15 years— with her friend Dana? I also think Natalie Duddridge is under-utilized (she has grown significantly the last few years and is a very good fill in anchor). At the same time, I think Doug Williams is overrated (he lacks the charisma of his father and is awkward with reporters and coanchors). Regardless, he won’t be at WCBS for long, just like his father wasn’t. I also, contrary to many in this forum, find Alice to be bland and boring and I also think Jessica is fine on weekends but could never be a weekday talent. Let’s also acknowledge the industry might be moving in the direction of less anchors doing more newscasts, but this city isn’t. WCBS is returning to a period of four weekday anchors (plus Cindy at 9, but since she is underutilized, it is essentially four)— reminiscent of 2003 when Cindy/Michael did AM/noon and Dana/Ernie did 4:30-6:30 and 11. Back then, the station produced 5 hours of daily news; currently the station produces 8 + the half hour Atlanta newscast. Meanwhile, PIX just expanded to a fourth evening anchor, WNYW just moved a morning anchor to have a third in the evening, and depending on how you count, WABC has more than seven anchors for 7.5 hours of daily newscasts. Dana has been on the weekday anchor desk since 1992? 1993? More than 30 years. She has been on from 6-6:30 at WCBS for more than 25 continuous years— since I believe 1999 (for a few years post-massacre she was moved to 5pm). And this is a horrible and cruel way to work her out the door. “Fill in anchor.” Yeah, we will see her do that a half dozen times before her contract isn’t renewed and she is pushed out of the station. Just want to put a few stats out there before I close: Dana is the longest ever anchor at WCBS (nearly 34 years total, 30+ years weekday — Jim Jensen spent 31 years at the station and was a weekday anchor for 29) Kristine is the longest serving 11pm anchor at WCBS (Kristine is currently at 16+ years; Michele had about 14.) Kristine and Maurice are the longest ever anchor pair at WCBS (13 years; previously Jensen and Rolland Smith spent 12 years together) But you know, this was always the most likely outcome at this station. Look at the way they treated other station icons like Jim Jensen and Michele Marsh. I genuinely thought Johnny/Sarah were an improvement over Peter/David. Doesn’t look that way now. It is a cruel business, but it doesn’t have to be like this.

John Elliott announced this morning that the team will be on early tomorrow morning covering the storm, with him in the studio and new meteorologist Tony Sadiku joining from the Mobile Weather Lab. It appears Tony signed off from Fox 13 Tampa Bay in early November, with the anchors announcing he was headed for NYC. https://www.facebook.com/tonysadikuwx/videos/last-day-at-fox-13/1493233278208256/ Unclear if WCBS is expanding the size of the weather department or if Tony is replacing Craig or someone else. On related note: I have grown to consider John Elliott the hardest working on air personality in NYC. When he first came and replaced Audrey Puente, I was annoyed thinking WCBS was replacing a true New Yorker and doing what they were best at in the late 90s and early aughts— bringing outsiders in for a year or two before replacing them. But John has grown on me over the years. He is always a versatile, happy warrior. From the “Live from the Couch” days, when he did 4.5 hours straight, to WCBS-FM after ‘Couch’ ended, to being pushed to weekends where he would somewhat regularly work mornings and nights, he is always there doing it. Since Elise’s passing, he has really shown how hard he works. There was one period when he did 10 days straight, including a Thursday where he did weather on every broadcast from 4:30am until 11:35pm and then back on air Friday at 4:30. He has filled in on weekend mornings for Craig (including today), he has done on the road hits on weekend mornings even when he isn’t doing weather. Last week he did 7 in a row, including filling in for Craig from the food bank with Dana and Johnny Green, back in the studio for a 12pm digital update, then doing the evening forecasts on Saturday and Sunday. And this is on top of the 6 live hours of television he plays a substantive role in every weekday. And… he isn’t bad! We’ve seen him save awkward interviews and he transitions seamlessly with ANY anchor he is working with. While he may be goofy sometimes, I think he generally makes anyone he is on air with appear stronger.

Anybody notice that for one shot on Friday's 6pm, Steve Overmyer's L3 was the old one with his name on the white background. Before and after were the current graphics... So I wonder how that old one snuck in.