Hey, and Merry Christmas to the TVNT group here!
For someone who hasn't taken a seat at the anchor desk in years, Stacey Sager hit nothing but home runs this morning. News delivery was perfect, the witty banter with coanchors was just right, and she honed in with the precise mixture of personality and professionalism required for the situation. Following today's stint, WABC-TV would be foolish to not contemplate putting her on the anchor desk more often. This newscast was MUCH more enjoyable than those in years past with Ms. Glassberg. Those lacked the harmony that was obviously present this morning.
No unusual highlights. Pretty much the same Christmas morning newscast that WABC-TV has produced since 2001.
The top story covered in all half-hours except for the 6:30AM was the hours-old multiple shooting at an Irvington, New Jersey strip club which resulted in three fatalities.
On the lighter side, Bill Ritter brought back his usual humorous quip that "Goldberg, Sager, and Ritter" might sound more like an accounting or law firm, but that they were just WABC-TV news anchors. And there were the usual viewer letters praising the newscast and its anchors, advocating for peace in the world and toward each other, remembering deceased or ill relatives, and letters of praise from Bob Iger and other ABC News brass. There was also a letter from the Queen of England.