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Anchor changes/ Format changes at WNBC


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Todays NY Daily News reports that WNBC is changing their evening newscast Live at 5 which will result in anchoring changes everywhere.

 

Sue Simmons and Chuck Scarborough will anchor the 6 and 11 pm newscasts.

Lynda Baquero and David Ushery will anchor a 30 minute Live at 5.

At 5:30 there will be a new telecast anchored by Perri Peltz called News 4 You (consumer, medical, health news etc) It says it won't be a recap of the 5 pm news and it will get a new set.

Mike Gargiulo will anchor weekend mornings and Melissa Russo will anchor Saturday nights and Carol Anne Riddell will anchor Sunday nights.

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/497585p-419453c.html

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This sounds pretty amazing, I wonder how this new telecast will do, hopefully it will get more ratings. Live At Five technically is really not an "entertainment" newscast as its original format usually was with interviews and etc. So they should simply drop the "Live At Five" name and rename it NewsChannel 4 at 5, but if its their way of getting ratings by calling it "Live At Five" which does infact sound fancier then they should leave it.

 

-Vlad

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Wow, those are major changes. I like and agree what Foreman said: " We're not about getting a pretty face from another market and throwing them on the desk. We're not going to disappoint [the viewers] with that." I'm surprised they want to keep Lynda, I really wanted Cindy for that spot.

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It would have been cool if Roz would of had a spot over there...

 

Didn't someone mention that there was a Daily News Article that states that Roz Abrams would replace Lynda Baquero?

 

-Vlad

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It would have been cool if Roz would of had a spot over there...

 

Didn't someone mention that there was a Daily News Article that states that Roz Abrams would replace Lynda Baquero?

 

-Vlad

 

I actually think that's a rumor that has been placed on Wikipedia without citation. Roz is sidelined until her contract with WCBS is up, since she has decided to collect her $6 million (according to Starr at the Post)...

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This sounds pretty amazing, I wonder how this new telecast will do, hopefully it will get more ratings. Live At Five technically is really not an "entertainment" newscast as its original format usually was with interviews and etc. So they should simply drop the "Live At Five" name and rename it NewsChannel 4 at 5, but if its their way of getting ratings by calling it "Live At Five" which does infact sound fancier then they should leave it.

 

-Vlad

 

They tried rename Live at Five in the early-90s and it didn't work too well.

 

So that means goodbye to one of the more...interesting anchor arrangements (Sue w/someone else on Live at Five, Chuck w/someone else at 6, and Chuck and Sue together at 11).

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You can't blame them for wanting a change to try and make #1. I guess they chose Perry to do the features 5:30 segments because she does those special lifestyle reports, they will probably have a lot of interviews as well. Sue could have also done that program and continue the 11 since the original live at 5 was alot of interviews and features. This will be the first time since Sue came to channel 4 that she won't be on at 5. I'm not sure if it will have an effect. Personally I thought having one of the stars (Chuck and Sue) on at five, the other at 6 and both of them together at 11 worked well. They could have also had Live at 5 be strictly news at 5 and entertainment/features from 5:30-6 with Sue and Perry.

 

The strange thing is the weekend anchors. I always thought they has Pat Battle on Saturday Today in NY and Carolyn on Sundays (sometimes 1 would fill in for the other if 1 was off) because both were good on that program but they were also good NJ and Long Island reporters and didn't want to remove them from that role where they can still work at that 4 days a week. Having two different weekend pm anchors with Russo on Sat and Riddell sunday isn't too smart. Just go with one. We already knew alot of ch4 reporters can anchor. I would with Ralph Penza although I haven't seen him lately, was he laid off? Or Greg Cergal, Vivian Lee, Kendra Farn, Adam Shapiro, or either Ridell or Russo both days. Or they could have just had Pat Battle and Carolyn Gussoff anchor both days on weekend ams and gotten Michael Gargulo to anchor the evenings, or just have Gargulo replace Ushery and have him work both am and pm like Ushery did.

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You can't blame them for wanting a change to try and make #1. I guess they chose Perry to do the features 5:30 segments because she does those special lifestyle reports, they will probably have a lot of interviews as well. Sue could have also done that program and continue the 11 since the original live at 5 was alot of interviews and features. This will be the first time since Sue came to channel 4 that she won't be on at 5. I'm not sure if it will have an effect. Personally I thought having one of the stars (Chuck and Sue) on at five, the other at 6 and both of them together at 11 worked well. They could have also had Live at 5 be strictly news at 5 and entertainment/features from 5:30-6 with Sue and Perry.

 

The strange thing is the weekend anchors. I always thought they has Pat Battle on Saturday Today in NY and Carolyn on Sundays (sometimes 1 would fill in for the other if 1 was off) because both were good on that program but they were also good NJ and Long Island reporters and didn't want to remove them from that role where they can still work at that 4 days a week. Having two different weekend pm anchors with Russo on Sat and Riddell sunday isn't too smart. Just go with one. We already knew alot of ch4 reporters can anchor. I would with Ralph Penza although I haven't seen him lately, was he laid off? Or Greg Cergal, Vivian Lee, Kendra Farn, Adam Shapiro, or either Ridell or Russo both days. Or they could have just had Pat Battle and Carolyn Gussoff anchor both days on weekend ams and gotten Michael Gargulo to anchor the evenings, or just have Gargulo replace Ushery and have him work both am and pm like Ushery did.

 

I would have made Battle and Garguilo weekend AM, and Adam Shapiro and Ida Siegel weekend evening co-anchors.

 

Also, don't laugh at me for asking this, but will Cindy Adams be appearing on Newschannel 4 at 6 now? I would imagine that she and Sue will still be doing their chatfests twice a week. (If not, I hope she's on Perri's show and not stuck with Lynda)

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I wouldn't mind if they are grooming Ushery. I think he is a great reporter and a fantastic anchor. WNBC seems to trust him enough to have anchored the weekend newscasts solo for some time now. He got the shaft at WABC, but his talents were not wasted. I am excitred for the change, but also more excited at how the big wigs used a sensable thought process when making the changes.

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"News 4 You" (a name with a throwback element...I'm liking that!), with its format, would be the place for Cindy Adams.

As for the Daily News article, love the quote from news senior VP, Dan Forman: "We're not about getting a pretty face (sic) from another market and throwing them on the desk." That was a big-time swipe...and we know the target.

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Wonder why they chose to have Sue join Chuck at 6 instead of Chuck joining Sue at 5?

 

Could they be preparing to bring on someone who's currently sitting out a contract?

 

You never know...

 

Someone like Roz Abrams, who would do wonders for WNBC, but the thing is that Baquero will actually anchor the 5:00pm broadcast with David Ushery, sho she's not going anywhere. Sue and Chuck at 6 and 11 is the best way to go, just to keep things steady. Have the top anchors of WNBC anchor at the top hours of the day which is a very wise decision. They will come in extremely close to WABC.

 

-Vlad

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I'm glad to see Ushery finally get that weekday spot. We all knew it was coming. He really is one of those few young great anchors in the city.

 

I'm sad to see Sue leave Live at Five.

I'm sad to see Chuck and Sue together at 6.

I'm sad to see Perri Peltz anchoring solo.

I'm sad to see WNBC is shortening Live at Five.

I'm sad to see WNBC is taking the WCBS at 5 route with more fluff.

I'm sad to see a number in the title for a newscast.

...give me a few more minutes and I'll come up with a dozen or so more sadnesses.

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They had the new opening in place replacing Len's name with Bruce. I think Bruce will do a great job. Plus, he is a trooper hanging in there waiting or Len to retire. Some people play their cards right and luck is in their favor. Others (like roz) dont!

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