LarryFlick

I love these words! Totally agree!!!

it was, indeed, a bad era. There was a live on air fight between Steve and Bill Evans. There was the day he was passed out at his desk and missed a live broadcast. He was notorious in Chelsea, the NY gayborhood where he lived. I think there was a combination of shell shocked faces and celebrations when he was finally fired. A real shame.

Fascinating to learn that the numbers are up during this period. I agree about the chemistry between Ken and Michelle... and that she should have gotten the job in the first place. I wonder if the powers that be will acknowledge Michelle’s contribution to the ratings spike, or if they will attribute the numbers to Sam. I do enjoy Shirleen, but I will miss Michelle when this period is over.

Michelle is subbing for Shirleen until later this month. Rob posted on social media that is taking time off as his partner is giving birth. I hear they’re all back sometime next month.

That last part is a fun idea... except I've seen Candace McCowan sub on the weekend anchor desk a couple times. Sadly, it wasn't great. And if you can't pop on screen with Rob Nelson (who can spark chemistry with an inanimate object), it's not going to happen with anyone. She is a terrific reporter, though. I would love to see Derek Waller on the desk, though...

Forgive my snicker at this comment... after all, isn't this entire site "inside baseball"? I mean, I've seen pages of debate on fonts used on-screen! LOL! As for the rest, you certainly make a fair point. But I respectfully disagree. As a broadcaster, myself, I can tell you first hand that older viewers/listeners are laser focused on their favorite programs, especially those they trust to provide information. They tend to be far more critical and cognizant of absences than younger audiences. They are most sensitive to imbalance and will complain the loudest... these are actual relationships for some people. They are also now more adept and plugged into social media than you might realize. I agree, but also disagree. Overall, this is a top team that doesn't need Sam (and trust me, I'm a BIG fan of his). But you might want to read the ongoing battlecry of viewers who are still asking for Bill Evans to return. Human attachment is what keeps these shows alive. It's all they have against the faster-feeding of digital content. If all they cared about was info, Bill Evans would have been forgotten in a few days. It's been six months and a LOT of viewers have not let go of his disappearance. And as terrific as Sam is (again, I'm a fan and prefer him to Bill), many would be happier to have Bill back.

So, Sam Champion has confirmed that he is only working a 4-day week. Good for him, though am I the only one noticing a palpable shift in energy during the show on Fridays? Also... I know that I am just being Mr. Jealous Boots, but can someone tell ol' Sam to at least wait until after morning broadcast hours before he starts posting Friday pics of himself lounging in a Miami pool on Instagram? It feels a little "eat it, you working suckers," to me. Again, I realize that envy is at play here for me. I mean, who wouldn't love a 4-day work week? But from a programming point of view, it also seems like a sharp left from the "yay team" vibe they're trying to promote on air. Never underestimate the power of social media perceptions.

You cannot deny the chemistry is spot-on with this team.... and Heather has become my edgy MVP!

Intriguing... whom do we think is moving/leaving???

I'd like to see Michelle Charlesworth finally get a weekday spot. I think she'd excel at 12noon with David Navarro and at 5 with Diana Williams.

There is definitely a need to pull the trigger and make some hard decisions. Several of the spots seem to have been a bit unstable for a long, long time.

Did anyone else see Michelle Charlesworth's Instagram live broadcast yesterday? Amid the usual quips about the story she was covering and random small talk was a pretty strong declaration about the "really big ratings" her broadcast on the weekend gets. She went on to talk about how the weekend team (her, Rob Nelson, Amy Freeze, and their one writer and producers) is small, tight, focused, and super happy, seemingly implying that they function in a way that is unique from the other broadcasts. Yes, this micro analysis, and maybe even over-reading into comments that are innocuous. But this seems oddly timed and hard to ignore, given all that appears to be going on over at the station. Thoughts?

If I'm being honest, I have never been the biggest fan of Laura Benkhe. I'm sure she's a lovely person, but her style just doesn't work for me. All of that said, it's seems likely that she has been treated unfairly. It also seems like the powers that be tried to throw her a bone by giving her more air time during the week with remote reports... but that's all it is... a bone. A small one, at that.

Catching up on the board after a couple weeks away, I'm heartened to read that I'm the only one doesn't think that Michelle Charlesworth was robbed of that weekday morning job. I'm curious to know, however, what the reviews are for Shirleen in the spot? I'm a fan of her work, overall, but I kind of found her a bit cold at first in this spot. She seems to be working HARD to lighten up and fit in. For me, it's working about half the time. I do think that Shirleen has far better chemistry with David Navarro than Ken Rosato, who also seems to be working hard to build chemistry. Meanwhile, I can't help but notice how really well Lori Stokes is doing in her new gig. If I'm being honest, THAT is the kind of job I would love to see Michelle in someday. She would truly excel in an interview show setting.

Ahhh, excellent. Thanks for the info... and the interview link!

Thanks for the info! Glad for him!

He's a talented guy. Sad to see him go, though that morning beat reporting had to be a real grind. It's a shame that he never got any anchor fill in opportunities. My sense is that he would have excelled in the role. Any info on what his new job will be?

I tuned into the 5pm broadcast this week and just missed an introduction to a woman who was apparently joining the team. She was at the desk with Diana and Sade. I'm guessing that she is a new reporter, but I haven't been able to find any info about it. Seemed unusual to have someone in studio at the desk for something like that. Any insight or details?

In a nutshell, he reported that people were allegedly looting shops in the wake of the storms, and it's been since reported that people were searching for survival supplies.

I saw that. I dare say that I still think he has done an overall great job. As for the content of that one report, there is certainly more than one person vetting the content of a news story. If there's blame, it needs to be shared. And, from my point of view, it's certainly not as potentially heinous an ethical crime as keeping a mic and a camera on a distraught woman after she makes it vividly clear that she doesn't want to be filmed, as was the case on CNN this week. Let's face it, when you're flying by the seat of your pants, as these folks are during times like these, fumbles happen. I'll actually argue that I haven't seen anyone really do bad work this week.

Tom Llamas has been exceptional. I guess you can add me to the chorus of folks thinking that David Muir might have wanted to come back to work given such a massively important story. Save for personal or family illness, I'm not seeing a good reason to sit this out. We all need our time off, but I'd find it impossible to not be in the mix during such a crucial time. In my field of radio, I also know that listener loyalty is built during times like these. They want that connection to the voice they hear every day during such deeply affecting times. And when something new and shiny comes along, it's the performance of a anchor/reporter during times like these that keep people focused on you and your work. While I'm here, I have to say that Matt Gutman's reports have been particularly strong. This is a guy who is clearly not afraid to get his hands dirty on the field. Top marks for him, indeed.

You are right about the original contenders for Steve's spot. In fact, I remember reading comments from Jeff Rosen saying that not getting that gig contributed to his decision to leave the station.

He did... and as good as Joe Torres is, 90 minutes solo (save for weather and sport) is a LONG time. It felt a bit weird.

Am I detecting on-air chemistry testing with Ken Rosato for several women? So far, we've seen him Lauren Glassberg, Sandra Bookman, and Toni Yates. And, of course, we all know that he's great with Michelle Charlesworth and Shirleen Allicot. I know it's vacation time, but it seems like someone is playing a little anchor chess.

Yep. She sure did. Oddly, they didn't have the best on air chemistry... even though I enjoy and respect them both.