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The Definitive ABC 7 Thread


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Tracy once said that both she and Mike were interviewed in November '93, and started right at the beginning of 1994. They traded places sometime in '95.

 

The question I've always had, is who filled the void before them, as Jerry was the only one there for a sizeable chunk of time after Steve and Andy left.

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Tanja Babich and Roz Varon posted on their IG accounts that the station would be debuting new talent opens. That was maybe 2-3 months ago. Has that happened yet? Is it going to happen if not?

At the time those were being shot, Karen Jordan was on maternity leave, and Hosea Sanders had just gone on medical leave. She's been back for a few weeks, but he's still off the air. I also wouldn't rule out that they're waiting for a weekend morning anchor to be hired.

 

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I do agree that many of those rosters are bloated, however, most of the 6 stations that were listed there are very talent-centric, with most anchors having been around for decades. From my experience, people seem to watch ABC 7 out of habit, and because of the personalities. Look at social media, the comment sections, etc, and it's noticeable that, when compared to WMAQ and especially WBBM, viewers feel a greater connection to the WLS people, likely due to longer tenures and familiarity. Chopping that down to fit a silly quota set forth by some guys on the internet is irresponsible, and could lead to a legitimate loss of viewers.

 

[...]

 

And, in the case of WLS, keep in mind that just 15 years ago, WLS was operating with 22 full-time news, weather, traffic and sports anchors across weekdays and weekends. Twelve of those remain at the desk, plus 1 shifting to reporting, and another being let go just yesterday, totaling a current full-time roster of 20. That equates to a net loss of two anchors, and a restructured weather schedule.

 

No matter how you slice it, they're one of the few stations to have cut back since the turn of the century when compared to its sisters and closest competitors, despite expanding their schedule over time. Do they still have some trimming to do? Probably, but it has to happen over time. This roster will look a lot more different within 3 years, guaranteed.

From January 23, 2015.

 

I got a kick out of that last line. I like being right, even ahead of schedule. :D

 

Oh, and that roster is still at 20 (+1 full-time meteorologist, -1 male anchor vacancy), could be 21 sometime soon. And only 2 newscasts have gone untouched, talent-wise. Six have seen changes, and one newscast was reintroduced, entirely.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Holy cow, Jerry did the weather on the 10pm news tonight. Is this his first time since last July when he left the 10pm news?

I'm going to say no, but not since the holidays, at least. I guess Cheryl was on before.

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Today in unfair comparisons...

 

http://www.robertfeder.com/2017/07/05/robservations-univision-scores-10-p-m-news-victory/

 

Comparing English and Spanish language newscast ratings (which attract different audiences by default) seems fishy... my guess is that Feder mailed that in based on a press release Univision sent him...

 

I wouldn't say the comparison is unfair. It's more of a reflection of ever-changing viewership trends. Plus, the viewership pie at 10P is small (and tends to get even smaller during the summer.)

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I wouldn't say the comparison is unfair. It's more of a reflection of ever-changing viewership trends. Plus, the viewership pie at 10P is small (and tends to get even smaller during the summer.)

Right but are they really the same viewers?

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You mean the next guy might not make good decisions or decide to nuke the current marketing style in one or more slots? Say it isn't so...

Yeah, I mean, his biggest offense is overseeing the change of theme music, but it's been almost 4 years, already, and just about everything else he's been a part of has been solid.

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Right but are they really the same viewers?

 

I'm not sure I see the issue here...

Every viewing option on TV at 10 p.m. is competing for a share of viewership. I could understand if they were claiming to be #1 against WLS if they were airing a telenovela vs Channel 7's newscast but they're not. KTRK in Houston has battled with Univision here for the top spot at 5,6 and 10 with Univision on top lately. It's more of a change in demographics and viewing habits and to dismiss it as non fair comparisons ignores that.

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Right but are they really the same viewers?

 

No doubt a good chunk of Univision Chicago's viewers speak only Spanish, but it also stands to reason that some of their viewers are bilingual (meaning, they could also be viewers of English-language newscasts too). When you couple that together, Univision could easily come close to or beat WLS (or whomever else) at 10P. At the end of the day, viewers are viewers no matter how you look at it.

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Put away the piñata and the tequila. Looks like the hairline Univision victory was actually a half point win for the defending champs.

 

http://www.robertfeder.com/2017/07/06/robservations-whoa-univision-didnt-win-10-p-m-ratings/

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Ken Dietz ·

Elmhurst, Illinois

Those damn Russians hacked our news ratings

Like · Reply · 12 · 19 hrs

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Nine months after the newscasts updated their graphics for 16:9, Windy City Live has finally followed suit. Unfortunately, after 6 years, I would've thought they'd be considering new graphics versus adjusting the current look.

 

071117-wcl-bbq-troops-vid.jpg?contentID=2206146&w=1280

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