Countdown is on before 2012 arrives. But before we say so long to 2011, there’s just enough time to gather some new year’s resolutions. Several notable personalities provide their resolutions for 2012.

WNYW/Channel5 anchor Ernie Anastos:

I’ve always looked forward to starting a new year with a renewed sense of purpose.  

One of my personal resolutions for 2012 is to bring more positive and uplifting stories to the media by highlighting the good things happening in our world. We need it. Viewers have always been asking for it, which is why I hosted my first TV special on Fox 5, “Positively Ernie.” Now, I’m hoping to turn it into a regular weekly show to help make a difference. My wish is for good news for the new year! 
WNBC/Channel 4 sports anchor Bruce Beck:

• I would like to lose 10 pounds to get down to old playing weight.
• I would like not to choke on the 18th hole in the club championship.
• I would like to cover a New York team winning a world title in all four major sports in 2012.

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As we get ready to usher in 2012, let’s take one more look at the biggest broadcasting stories that FishbowlNY covered in 2011.

In January, Scott Clark closes out a brilliant career at WABC, retiring after nearly a quarter-century at Channel 7.

Maurice DuBois makes his debut as WCBS/Channel 2 lead anchor when he is promoted to nights opposite Kristine Johnson. Chris Wragge shifts his energy to The Early Show, but that wasn’t the last we would hear from him.

Also as 2011 began, veteran radio talk host Curtis Sliwa adds an afternoon shift to his Apple/WNYM duties.

In February, among the notable events, WNBC/Channel 4 welcomes home Shiba Russell from Boston. She was named weekend anchor with David Ushery. Russell fueled speculation that she was Sue Simmons’ “heir apparent,” as the main (if not exclusive) fill-in for the legendary anchor, who started at Channel 4 in 1980.

On the radio, Craig Allen, a veteran in his own right, agrees to a three-year extension as WCBS 880’s chief meteorologist. Two months later, Allen marked 30 years at the station.

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The avid and amateur runners unite for the annual pilgrimage through the five boroughs Sunday. WNBC/Channel 4 will cover the New York City Marathon starting at 9 a.m. with the pre-race warm-up from Staten Island and continuing until 2 p.m.

Approximately 47,000 participants will make their way through the city, crossing bridges, cheering along the way, until reaching the finish line, 26.2 miles later, in Central Park.

WNBC sportscaster Bruce Beck hosts the telecast with morning anchor Darlene Rodriguez.   Al Trautwig calls the race along with analysts Toni Reavis and Juli Benson.  Also reporting from the sidelines will be WNBC weekend sports anchor Scott Stanford, along with reporter Erika Tarantal, and Cat Greenleaf, who hosts Talk Stoop on New York Nonstop.  

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Longtime WFAN afternoon host Mike Francesa is stepping away from his WNBC Sunday night show Mike’d Up.  A WNBC spokeswoman confirms to FishbowlNY that Francesa is leaving the program to spend more time with his children.

In April, Francesa announced he was reducing his Mike’d Up schedule from 36 to 24 weeks for the year.

Francesa began Mike’d Up in 2003.

The spokeswoman says the program is expected to continue with WNBC sports anchor Bruce Beck at the helm. It’s not known, however, if the title will be changed to reflect Francesa’s departure.

The Len Berman comeback tour is well underway. Since being shown the door at WNBC in 2009 after more than two decades as their top sports anchor, Berman has become a Renaissance Man of sorts.

His legions of fans get a daily emailed Top 5 sports notes. Additionally, Berman recently wrote a new children’s book.

In October 2009, Berman added radio sports anchor to his weekday duties. The veteran sportscaster handled updates two days a week on the John Gambling WOR morning show.

However, he has decided it’s time to leave the radio work.

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If you’ve wondered what happened to Mike Francesa on his own show–Mike’d Up Sunday night–you’re astute. The popular afternoon host on WFAN (and simulcast on the YES Network) has reduced his face time from 36 to 24 shows per year.

Regular back-up Bruce Beck (left with Stephon Marbury), WNBC main sports anchor, picks up the additional shifts.

“Yes I have agreed to do the other 12 shows,” Beck tells FishbowlNY. “I usually do the summer. Now I am doing the others as well.”

This Sunday night, Beck welcomes paralyzed Rutgers University football player Eric Legrand–his first in-studio interview since being injured during a game against Army in October.

FishbowlNY has learned that Francesa will only host the program three non-NFL weeks throughout the year.

Francesa started Mike’d Up on September 2, 2003.

Photo Courtesy: gothamist.com

MSG Network received a whopping 60 nominations Thursday for the 54th Annual New York Emmy Awards.

Among the other regional sports networks, the YES Network notched 46 nominations, while MSG Varsity picked up 32 nods.

SNY was recognized 23 times.

Breaking it down further, in the category Sports Coverage: Series, MSG was bookended by News 12 Westchester (twice), News 12 New Jersey, and News 12 Connecticut.  

The odds may be against MSG in that category, but not so for Sports Programming: Regularly Scheduled Program. MSG took five nominations (MLB Productions for the YES Network with the other – Yankeeography: George Steinbrenner ).  

YES’ other signature original program CenterStage, hosted by Michael Kay, is nominated for Best Interview/Discussion for the edition with Mike Tyson.

The show goes against two WNBC/NYNonstop shows–The Debrief with David Ushery and Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf.

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Bruce Beck, weeknight sports anchor at WNBC, has been named New York Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA).

Beck has been with WNBC since 1997, but gained notoriety in March 2009 when he replaced Len Berman as the station’s main anchor.

Beck will get the honor during an awards dinner in May.

Joining Beck will be the legendary New York Daily News sportswriter Mike Lupica. The always opinionated wordsmith was named Sportswriter of the Year.

A funny thing happened at 30 Rock last night.

The Conan O’Brien studio audience seats were filled with about 130 bloggers as local news anchors, correspondents, the news director and other NBC brass stood on the show’s set and soaked up the bloggers’ wisdom and perspective, acknowledged ignorance about the most basic of Web concepts, and encouraged — no, entreated — the bloggers to send every little tip and scooplet and news break they had.

NBC feted the bloggers — everyone from former city parks commissioner Henry Stern and Wall Street Journal “Opinion” editor James Taranto to Red Gallery‘s Brian Van Nieuwenhoven and Sean Risley of My Body Story (who said he makes a living from his body art blog by getting speaking gigs and other assignments) — to a gnoshfest of pastries, sandwiches, cheese, nuts and soda (no liquor — FCC rules, they said), and seemed, in our estimation, surprisingly open to this whole Web 2.0 thing, while acknowledging that while they were the first in New York to reach out to bloggers like this, other cities such as Nashville and San Francisco have already done the same.

There was more than a whiff of skepticism. A lot of the bloggers scoffed at local TV news’ penchant for “if it bleeds it leads” stories about fires and muggings and robberies.

“How many people here have WNBC on your lists” when sending emails about scoops asked Sree Sreenivasan, newly minted tech guru for NBC’s local news shows after jumping from ABC. No one raised a hand. News director Dan Forman asked how many in the room wanted TV local news to go completely off the tube and for the company to spend all those millions putting it on the Web. About half the audience raised their hands. It would have been more, but a significant portion of the attendees were NBC people. Forman also acknowledged complete ignorance of what blogging software is, even as Six Apart founder Anil Dash sort of tried to explain.

Continued below: “MSM doesn’t mean metrosexual male.” Pictures, names, blog links and more quotes.

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