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18 minutes ago, MetroCity said:

Except…

The thing about WABC is that viewers are loyal and fickle at the same time. They become very attached to and protective of long time anchors. But once they’re gone, viewing habits don’t change. WABC has lost big names over the years including Roz Abrams, Bill Beutel, Bill Evans, Scott Clark and Lori Stokes. They may have left, but the viewers stayed. Perhaps because the other talent are also strong long timers. Perhaps because WABC attracts anchors and reporters that people like watching. 

 

Whoever it might be, WABC’s strength will continue. That’s not to say individual anchors aren’t valuable. It’s just that viewers aren’t as committed as one might think. 

Oh I’m well aware of that; WABC has a whole history of ratings dominance despite anchors leaving for other stations (or retiring altogether). It just sucks to see a good anchor leave like that.

Edited by nycnewsjunkie
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Wow this sucks. Ken was a fixture on morning for years since Steve Bartelstein was out. I see WABC either giving Mike Marza or Michelle Charlesworth the slot. If Michelle gets the slot, make Toni Yates the permanent weekend AM anchor.

Edited by MediaZone4K
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1 minute ago, MediaZone4K said:

Wow this sucks. Ken was a fixture on morning for years since Steve Bartelstein was out. I see WABC either giving Mike Marza or Michelle Charlesworth the slot. If Michelle gets the slot, make Tony Yates the permanent weekend AM anchor.

According to a post above it doesn’t seem like it’s just gonna be a slide in move. Looks like there might be more. 

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Interesting.  Michelle last said she was “in for Ken” when signing off Tuesday, May 9’s broadcast. Ken was last on the air on May 2. On May 4, he posted on Facebook that it was his birthday but he was dealing with back issues.  
 

Always had a feeling Ken would be next to go. 

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18 hours ago, MetroCity said:

Except…

The thing about WABC is that viewers are loyal and fickle at the same time. They become very attached to and protective of long time anchors. But once they’re gone, viewing habits don’t change. WABC has lost big names over the years including Roz Abrams, Bill Beutel, Bill Evans, Scott Clark and Lori Stokes. They may have left, but the viewers stayed. Perhaps because the other talent are also strong long timers. Perhaps because WABC attracts anchors and reporters that people like watching. 

 

Whoever it might be, WABC’s strength will continue. That’s not to say individual anchors aren’t valuable. It’s just that viewers aren’t as committed as one might think. 

 

The station also just is an icon for the New York area, so just by habit people turn to the channel regardless of the on-air talent. Most of my family who grew up in the New York area tune to the channel because it's almost like a part of the city's DNA so they will be fine but it's still sad though to see such great talent go inexplicably like that. Kinda the same way Bill Evans left. Ken's replacement will have some tough shoes to fill. 

Edited by Vlad
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26 minutes ago, MorningNews said:

The morning slot has seen the most overturn of any timeslots at channel 7, which actually speaks to the station’s strengths. Steve, Lori, Bill and now Ken have each left the morning show a bit unceremoniously.


I wouldn’t say Lori left unceremoniously. They knocked out the final 5 1/2 minutes of the morning news to run a highlight reel and have her say goodbye live. Yes, it was something agreed upon with lawyers involved, but it’s pretty significant for someone that exited because of mismanagement and then jumped to a competing show. 
 

Steve was unceremonious because he was terminated for cause.

 

Bill’s exit was definitely unceremonious.  

 

We’ll see if Ken’s exit is addressed. 

Edited by wabceyewitness
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1 hour ago, wabceyewitness said:


I wouldn’t say Lori left unceremoniously. They knocked out the final 5 1/2 minutes of the morning news to run a highlight reel and have her say goodbye live. Yes, it was something agreed upon with lawyers involved, but it’s pretty significant for someone that exited because of mismanagement and then jumped to a competing show. 
 

Steve was unceremonious because he was terminated for cause.

 

Bill’s exit was definitely unceremonious.  

 

We’ll see if Ken’s exit is addressed. 

This is fair. I was thinking more in the sense that none of the morning departures of recent memory have been as amicable as Diana Williams, Bill Beutel’s and other departures. Granted those were retirements vs defections. 

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It's a page six exclusive: https://pagesix.com/2023/05/12/abc-7-anchor-ken-rosato-immediately-fired-over-hot-mic-remark/ 

 

I'd imagine this bad comment must've been heard over the air? Definitely not the first time we've seen versions of this in the NY market, but I suppose it was more than just accidental profanity? 

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23 minutes ago, NYNewsCoverage said:

It's a page six exclusive: https://pagesix.com/2023/05/12/abc-7-anchor-ken-rosato-immediately-fired-over-hot-mic-remark/ 

 

I'd imagine this bad comment must've been heard over the air? Definitely not the first time we've seen versions of this in the NY market, but I suppose it was more than just accidental profanity? 


 

It was not heard over the air, according to the Post article you shared. 
 

Rosato was off the air when he uttered the phrase, we’re told, but an insider told us his remark was picked up “on an open mic” and was “immediately let go.”

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34 minutes ago, NYNewsCoverage said:

It's a page six exclusive: https://pagesix.com/2023/05/12/abc-7-anchor-ken-rosato-immediately-fired-over-hot-mic-remark/ 

 

I'd imagine this bad comment must've been heard over the air? Definitely not the first time we've seen versions of this in the NY market, but I suppose it was more than just accidental profanity? 

Really surprising news to hear..

Not sure if this was already mentioned, but when was Ken’s last day on the air?

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So not to speculate but who do we think gets the spot? I really hope it’s (finally) Michelle. And do we actually expect an anchor shuffle like mentioned above or will it just be to replace the openings..

 

One last thing.. for example like David Novarro does the noon and 4.. would a morning show spot be considered a “promotion” being that it’s a more viewed time than the early afternoon shows? 

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Just a thought...

 

Mornings and noon: David and Shirleen

First at 4pm: Liz and Michelle

5pm: Sade and Michelle

6pm: Bill and Liz

11pm: Bill and Sade

Weekend AM: Mike and Toni Yates

Weekend PM: Sandra bookman, Joe Torres

 

As much as I love Sandra and Joe, I feel like they are too iconically associated with weekends to promote to weekdays. Then again, Cindy Hsu recently got a weekday slot from weekends.

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20 hours ago, wabceyewitness said:


I wouldn’t say Lori left unceremoniously. They knocked out the final 5 1/2 minutes of the morning news to run a highlight reel and have her say goodbye live. Yes, it was something agreed upon with lawyers involved, but it’s pretty significant for someone that exited because of mismanagement and then jumped to a competing show. 
 

Steve was unceremonious because he was terminated for cause.

 

Bill’s exit was definitely unceremonious.  

 

We’ll see if Ken’s exit is addressed. 

It sounds unceremonious according  to FTV live. The site reported there was allegedly sexual harassment involved. Make of that what you will.

 

Post: https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2017/8/17/exclusive-major-shake-up-coming-to-foxs-oo-station-in-nyc

 

As for scheduling, perhaps: 

AM Michelle & Shirleen

Noon & 4 Liz & David

5 Liz & Bill

6 & 11 Bill & Sade

Weekend AM Toni & Mike

Weekend 5 - Joe

Weekend 6- Sandra

Weekend 11- Joe & Sandra

Edited by MediaZone4K
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11 hours ago, NYNewsCoverage said:

It's a page six exclusive: https://pagesix.com/2023/05/12/abc-7-anchor-ken-rosato-immediately-fired-over-hot-mic-remark/ 

 

I'd imagine this bad comment must've been heard over the air? Definitely not the first time we've seen versions of this in the NY market, but I suppose it was more than just accidental profanity? 

While the remark may have not made it on air at Channel 7, the Golden rule still applies: Assume every mic and camera is on and can hear you.

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Good Lord, does this thread need to turn into fantasy anchor line-up listings every time someone at WABC blinks? It's purely speculative, based on almost nothing. Do we need to have some users review the site rules?

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1 hour ago, NYTV said:

While the remark may have not made it on air at Channel 7, the Golden rule still applies: Assume every mic and camera is on and can hear you.

Speaking in general since we don't know what Ken said, does an accidental (non discriminatory slur) curse drop warrant firing?

Edited by MediaZone4K
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