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Lori Stokes leaves WABC.


CircleSeven

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Nothing is official. Yesterday she was joining WNYW and on Weds she was going WNBC and leaving the big apple. Maybe she will end up at WCBS or WPIX or network or cable news. Or maybe she doesn't know where she is going and is simply leaving WABC cause she is not happy there. She was passed over three times for a later slot. In 2003 when Liz came in she got the 11pm slot over Lori when it could have been the other way around. In 2004 for Sade came in she got the 5pm slot over Lori when it could have been the other way around. Finally in 2015 Shirleen took over for Lori and became a primary evening fill in anchor when it could have been the other way around. Let's not forget in 2011 when the 4pm newscast started Lori could have done that and the noon newscast or if Liz did 4pm Lori could have done 6 and 11. The point being maybe Lori got fed up with three newer anchors getting a better position then she had. Perhaps Lori wanted to fill in during the evenings more frequently and WABC refused cause they wanted Shirleen to be the primary fill in at 4, 5 and 11. QUOTE="Eyewitness News-man, post: 187226, member: 1963"]Umm...is Ms. Stokes WNYW move official, or are we letting this speculation getting the best of us?

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Nothing is official. Yesterday she was joining WNYW and on Weds she was going WNBC and leaving the big apple. Maybe she will end up at WCBS or WPIX or network or cable news. Or maybe she doesn't know where she is going and is simply leaving WABC cause she is not happy there. She was passed over three times for a later slot. [...]

 

So...no? Gotcha.

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Umm...is Ms. Stokes WNYW move official, or are we letting this speculation getting the best of us?

 

 

Actually Liz's arrival in 2003 was the reason Roz left.

 

There were some bad feelings when Sade briefly replaced Lori at Noon before taking over the 5pm.

 

And Shirleen being hired for noon was a result of Ken and Lori asking for less hours.

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I'm not the most experienced in knowing the in's and out's of these big shake ups.... But, I have to speculate that the fact that I've tweeted Teresa, Rosanna, Fox 5, Suki and Lori and none of them have responded may mean there is some validity.... because if it were totally false, don't you think they would respond because it seems like all of them normally do.

 

Or am I looking into this too much?

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I'm not the most experienced in knowing the in's and out's of these big shake ups.... But, I have to speculate that the fact that I've tweeted Teresa, Rosanna, Fox 5, Suki and Lori and none of them have responded may mean there is some validity.... because if it were totally false, don't you think they would respond because it seems like all of them normally do.

 

Or am I looking into this too much?

 

 

They won't confirm or speak on record about anything their bosses have yet to announce or personnel moves that have yet to be announced. Also, it's Saturday. Lori just left Ch. 7 on Wednesday. We all need to practice a bit more patience.

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They won't confirm or speak on record about anything their bosses have yet to announce or personnel moves that have yet to be announced. Also, it's Saturday. Lori just left Ch. 7 on Wednesday. We all need to practice a bit more patience.

 

It's a done deal

FTVLive would never guess on this one because the backlash would be too great....and there would be a slew of denials.

Ask her agent for comment.

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If that is the case then I presume Lori was not thrilled with WABC.

It's a done deal

FTVLive would never guess on this one because the backlash would be too great....and there would be a slew of denials.

Ask her agent for comment.

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If she does wind up at FOX 5, then you can safely assume either: WABC did not renew her contract or Lori/Agent couldn't agree to a new deal with the station. I highly doubt that she would move over to FOX for better opportunities. I'm sure that FOX5 doesn't pay as well as 7...

 

And keep in mind that Disney has been having some money problems for a while now, so the more expensive talent they can get off the roster, the happier the mouse will be.

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I remember that. Roz, Lori or perhaps even Sandra Bookman should have gotten the 11pm slot back in 2003. All three were passed over for several slots. Presuming Roz didn't want the slot earlier on she was passed over for the 11pm slot by Susan Roesgen in 1991, Diana Williams in 1992 and Liz Cho in 2003 which I presume was the final straw for Roz. I'm sure Lori would have liked to have gotten the 5 pm slot in 2004 after Roz left. Ken and Lori wanted less hours tho perhaps Lori would have preferred to have keep the noon and as a fill in anchor in the evenings over remaining in the mornings. I'm sure she wasn't thrilled about Shirleen filling in more often then she filled in during the evening newscasts and that might have played a role in her departure. She might have viewed that as the final straw. As for Sandra she got passed over so many times. She got passed over for morning for Lori in 2000 tho I think Lori was a better fit for mornings then Sandra would have been. She also got passed over for 11pm for Liz in 2003, 5pm for Sade in 2004 and finally passed over for Shirleen for noon in 2015. Let's not forget Lori and Sandra both got passed over for the 4 pm slot for Liz in 2011 something i'm sure either would have wanted as well as at 11 pm when Sade took over for Liz. Now did Diana really want to leave at 11 pm in 2003 or was she forced out for Liz who is younger? Finally did Liz want to leave at 11 pm in 2011 or was it decided that Sade would be a better fit for the 11 pm then Liz was. All interesting questions. I'm sure if Sandra or Michele don't get the morning slot or noon slot if Shirleen gets the morning slot they will be unhappy. Michele I'm sure would like the weekend evening slot if Sandra gets a weekday slot. Perhaps Shirleen will get mornings and Diana will add the noon newscast. Lauren Glassberg IMHO would be best for mornings.

 

 

 

Actually Liz's arrival in 2003 was the reason Roz left.

 

There were some bad feelings when Sade briefly replaced Lori at Noon before taking over the 5pm.

 

And Shirleen being hired for noon was a result of Ken and Lori asking for less hours.

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If she does wind up at FOX 5, then you can safely assume either: WABC did not renew her contract or Lori/Agent couldn't agree to a new deal with the station. I highly doubt that she would move over to FOX for better opportunities. I'm sure that FOX5 doesn't pay as well as 7...

 

ABC can't offer squat to her except a few more dollars....

 

But...

FOX can offer her more money AND more ability to move up thru the FOX ranks quicker than at ABC.

 

It's all about money my friends...forget the political aspects of FOX and FNC..

 

I would have marched her up to the Murdoch offices and told her this...

 

"This is a new FOX/FNC...we are all about diversity and women. Look around Lori....see all those black faces in our newsrooms and on the air. Does ABC have that kind of commitment to YOU Lori?"

 

"Do you want LA, NYC?...How about exposure on the "New" FNC? More exposure than ABC could ever offer...and we will beat the pay...."

 

ABC is not real flexible right now in contract negotiations at the O&O level. Corporate bean counters are everywhere at Disney. Disney is getting real lean in anticipation for some kind of sale, or takeover...or asset liquidation ,

 

That's how I see it...and that's how I would play it.

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The only person who should be upset for being passed over time after time again is Sandra Bookman. She has been stuck on weekends for almost 20 years. WABC have been number 1 so they have this attitude, if its not broken don't fix it. Once you get hired for an available anchor spot at WABC, it is so hard to be promoted to another spot especially moving to evenings and late night news. If an anchor position is available, they would rather hire an outsider.

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The only person who should be upset for being passed over time after time again is Sandra Bookman.... If an anchor position is available, they would rather hire an outsider.

 

That's because it places the company in a much better bargaining position when it comes to money...and the desperation of the talent to join the company.

 

For years ABC has had the upper hand in contract negations at the O&O's because of the flood of resumes they get from very qualified people.

 

ABC has had all the time in the world to shop for talent, plot, scheme, and pit others in the shop against each other over the long term. Past ND's and GM's play favorites ... Now the internal forces at ABC may just be eating each other for the sake of bonuses and other kudos.

 

ABC has tied their own hands for now.

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I remember that. Roz, Lori or perhaps even Sandra Bookman should have gotten the 11pm slot back in 2003. All three were passed over for several slots. Presuming Roz didn't want the slot earlier on she was passed over for the 11pm slot by Susan Roesgen in 1991, Diana Williams in 1992 and Liz Cho in 2003 which I presume was the final straw for Roz. I'm sure Lori would have liked to have gotten the 5 pm slot in 2004 after Roz left. Ken and Lori wanted less hours tho perhaps Lori would have preferred to have keep the noon and as a fill in anchor in the evenings over remaining in the mornings. I'm sure she wasn't thrilled about Shirleen filling in more often then she filled in during the evening newscasts and that might have played a role in her departure. She might have viewed that as the final straw. As for Sandra she got passed over so many times. She got passed over for morning for Lori in 2000 tho I think Lori was a better fit for mornings then Sandra would have been. She also got passed over for 11pm for Liz in 2003, 5pm for Sade in 2004 and finally passed over for Shirleen for noon in 2015. Let's not forget Lori and Sandra both got passed over for the 4 pm slot for Liz in 2011 something i'm sure either would have wanted as well as at 11 pm when Sade took over for Liz. Now did Diana really want to leave at 11 pm in 2003 or was she forced out for Liz who is younger? Finally did Liz want to leave at 11 pm in 2011 or was it decided that Sade would be a better fit for the 11 pm then Liz was. All interesting questions. I'm sure if Sandra or Michele don't get the morning slot or noon slot if Shirleen gets the morning slot they will be unhappy. Michele I'm sure would like the weekend evening slot if Sandra gets a weekday slot. Perhaps Shirleen will get mornings and Diana will add the noon newscast. Lauren Glassberg IMHO would be best for mornings.

 

 

 

 

Actually Liz's arrival in 2003 was the reason Roz left.

 

There were some bad feelings when Sade briefly replaced Lori at Noon before taking over the 5pm.

 

And Shirleen being hired for noon was a result of Ken and Lori asking for less hours.

 

 

Reading all this makes me think that the female anchors at Ch.7 EWN absolutely despise each other, don't speak to each other, and have cat fights in the newsroom!

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The only person who should be upset for being passed over time after time again is Sandra Bookman. She has been stuck on weekends for almost 20 years. WABC have been number 1 so they have this attitude, if its not broken don't fix it. Once you get hired for an available anchor spot at WABC, it is so hard to be promoted to another spot especially moving to evenings and late night news. If an anchor position is available, they would rather hire an outsider.

 

 

Since you or I have not spoken to Sandra about this issue, how do we know how she feels about "being stuck on weekends for almost 20 years". Maybe Sandra likes working weekends. She also has her own Sunday morning show.

 

I am retired from a place that operates 24/7. Some people actually like working weekends and do it happily over their entire careers.

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Since you or I have not spoken to Sandra about this issue, how do we know how she feels about "being stuck on weekends for almost 20 years". Maybe Sandra likes working weekends. She also has her own Sunday morning show.

 

I am retired from a place that operates 24/7. Some people actually like working weekends and do it happily over their entire careers.

 

Exactly. Thank you. Also - I doubt anyone who feels for 20 years they've been "passed over" would remain at their job.

 

The only person who should be upset for being passed over time after time again is Sandra Bookman. She has been stuck on weekends for almost 20 years. WABC have been number 1 so they have this attitude, if its not broken don't fix it. Once you get hired for an available anchor spot at WABC, it is so hard to be promoted to another spot especially moving to evenings and late night news. If an anchor position is available, they would rather hire an outsider.

 

It's also highly possible that Sandra enjoys reporting just as much as she enjoys anchoring. Remember, not everyone wants to be a full time anchor. There are people who enjoy being out in the field and filing stories. If you want a mix of both, anchoring weekends and reporting three days a week just might be the dream job.

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It's a done deal

FTVLive would never guess on this one because the backlash would be too great....and there would be a slew of denials.

Ask her agent for comment.

 

I'm not doubting the accuracy of FTV Live. Just explaining why employees of stations will not comment on news that those who sign their paychecks have yet to announce.

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I'm not doubting the accuracy of FTV Live. Just explaining why employees of stations will not comment on news that those who sign their paychecks have yet to announce.

 

I wasn't questioning you..

Just using your post as a "jumping off" point..

I agree with your original post and observations 1000%

 

Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression...my bad.

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It's not just the female anchors it's the male anchors too. Bill Ritter got the 6 and 11pm anchor slots in 1999 and 2001 over some male weekday anchors there at the time. Charles Perez got weekend evenings over Joe Torres in 2004 tho that was made right in 2006. David Navarro got the 4pm slot over Ken Rosato, Joe Torrres and others in 2011. Let's not forget Ken Rosato got the weekday morning anchor slot over Joe Torres and the weekend morning male anchor at the time in 2007. Same for Steve Barelnstein in 2000 which perhaps is even why David left WABC in 2000 for 10 years. Let's not forget that Lee Goldberg got evenings over Bill Evans in 2006 tho he was a better pick for that spot. Just recently Ryan got the sports director position over Laura. Maybe some of those people are okay with the assignments they have tho I wouldn't be thrilled about the idea that loyalty doesn't seem to be rewarded. I get this feeling Lori was not happy she wasn't filling in on evenings as much as she used to. Someone like Tim also got passed over many times and was even taken off weekends twice and mornings once tho I presume he's okay with that as he remains at wabc.

 

 

 

Reading all this makes me think that the female anchors at Ch.7 EWN absolutely despise each other, don't speak to each other, and have cat fights in the newsroom!

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And of course in 1989 Greg Hurst got the 5pm slot over John Marler who then left WABC. It can be argued he also got that slot over Art and Tim. It can also be argued that David left wabc after being passed over for an anchor slot in 2003 since he left right after the anchor changes happened then. To sum it up it seems like loyality isn't rewarded at wabc. At least as an outsider looking in it seems that way.

It's not just the female anchors it's the male anchors too. Bill Ritter got the 6 and 11pm anchor slots in 1999 and 2001 over some male weekday anchors there at the time. Charles Perez got weekend evenings over Joe Torres in 2004 tho that was made right in 2006. David Navarro got the 4pm slot over Ken Rosato, Joe Torrres and others in 2011. Let's not forget Ken Rosato got the weekday morning anchor slot over Joe Torres and the weekend morning male anchor at the time in 2007. Same for Steve Barelnstein in 2000 which perhaps is even why David left WABC in 2000 for 10 years. Let's not forget that Lee Goldberg got evenings over Bill Evans in 2006 tho he was a better pick for that spot. Just recently Ryan got the sports director position over Laura. Maybe some of those people are okay with the assignments they have tho I wouldn't be thrilled about the idea that loyalty doesn't seem to be rewarded. I get this feeling Lori was not happy she wasn't filling in on evenings as much as she used to. Someone like Tim also got passed over many times and was even taken off weekends twice and mornings once tho I presume he's okay with that as he remains at wabc.

 

 

 

 

Reading all this makes me think that the female anchors at Ch.7 EWN absolutely despise each other, don't speak to each other, and have cat fights in the newsroom!

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