If there was ever perfect timing for a pregnancy, this may it! WLNY’s The Couch hosts Carolina Bermudez and Lisa Kerney announced this morning they are both pregnant.

Kerney also does sports reports for sister station WCBS/Channel 2.

It will be Bermudez’s first child, while Kerney has an 18-month-old.

The Couch‘s third member John Elliott hosted a video montage asking for advice from WCBS working moms, including Mary Calvi and Cindy Hsu.

The segment concluded with an emotional moment as sisters of the expectant mothers phoned in.

The good news could not have come at a more opportune time for the station. Last month, morning anchor Rob Morrison was forced to resign after allegedly assaulting his wife, CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison.

Don Dahler, the WCBS weekend anchor, is leaving the station. FishbowlNY has learned that the veteran newsman will be a correspondent for CBS News.

Although Dahler’s time at WCBS was productive, it can also be described as dizzying. He joined WCBS in September 2007, initially as weekend evening anchor. By May 2008, Dahler was named weekday noon and 6 p.m. co-anchor.

That lasted until September 2011 when Dahler was shifted back to weekends to make way for Chris Wragge following his stint on The Early Show.

• Related: FishbowlNY, WCBS Shuffles Don Dahler to Weekends 

Upon Dahler’s return to weekends, he was given the tiring split shift, early morning anchor with Cindy Hsu and solo at 11 p.m. (usually delayed on Sundays due to sports coverage). During the week, Dahler files reports for WCBS and sister site WLNY. Since Wragge has been filling in mornings on Channel 2, Dahler has been the co-anchor at 6 and 9 p.m  (on WLNY) with Dana Tyler.

Sources say Dahler will be based in New York as a reporter for the CBS Evening News and CBS This Morning. CBS News declined a comment to FishbowlNY.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Dahler, who got his start in network news as a 48 Hours producer.

Read more

There is a void in local news, but that is quickly and effortlessly being filled by Chris Wragge. In the wake of Rob Morrison‘s abrupt departure following the wife-beating allegations, Wragge shifted from evenings to mornings. The ugliness didn’t just rock the Morrisons, his former ”family” was hit hard too.

Related: FishbowlNY, Rob Morrison Faces ‘Very Serious Blow to His Career’: Legal Expert

We recall the 1994 Robert Redford film, Quiz Show, about the 1950s quiz show scandal. Congress was set to hold subcommittee hearings with former 21 contestant Herb Stempel as the star witness. But the more famous (on and off the show) Charles Van Doren, played by Ralph Fiennes, was not going to participate. Therefore, the young government lawyer (Rob Morrow) cautions Van Doren not to say anything.

A short time later as the committee convenes in DC, NBC president Robert Kintner (Allan Rich) speaks to Van Doren, who since took a self-imposed dive and was hired by the network’s Today show.

Kintner encourages Van Doren to hold a press conference. But the former game show contestant was reluctant because he hadn’t received a subpoena.

Kintner’s line echoed since Morrison’s alleged incident like someone reading a letter to themselves on a soap opera.

“Television is a public trust.”

It’s a main reason for Morrison’s resignation, although indications are high that WCBS management had an influence on his decision. It’s also the reason that following the scandal in the 1950s or today, viewers always want someone they can feel comfortable with. Wragge is that familiar, calming presence.

Read more

We asked you to take part in our poll to decide who should be named WCBS/Channel 2 new morning co-anchor.

This was becoming a landslide win for Chris Wragge. Readers were in agreement with this reporter’s assessment that the evening anchor should set his alarm clock for pre-dawn. At the time of this writing, Wragge secured 28 percent of the vote. However, that’s down from more than 40 percent.

• Related: FishbowlNY, Lining Up the Possible WCBS Morning Candidates

Former WPIX anchor Jim Watkins has caught fire as a write-in, putting him second on viewers’ wish list. Watkins, now at RNN’s FiOS1, previously worked for PIX GM Betty Ellen Barlamino, who runs WCBS sister site WLNY.

Also getting some write-in support, the legendary WNBC anchor Sue Simmons, and current Channel 4 anchor David Ushery.

Alice Gainer, who made her WCBS anchoring debut yesterday, got someone’s write-in vote. Gainer did weekend anchoring at News 12 New Jersey. She joined Channel 2 as a reporter in January.

Don Dahler picked up 17 percent of the vote. Cindy Hsu settled for less than 9 percent of the vote.

Read more

Sportscasters have occasionally been seen handling news anchoring. In the last several years, you could see former WNBC sports anchor Len Berman taking part in the news portion of Live at Five. His former colleague Otis Livingston spent weekend mornings as a stopgap anchor with Cindy Hsu on WCBS.

Now, the latest on-air sports personality has made the leap to the news side. WNBC’s Scott Stanford anchored News 4 New York at 7 on WNBC’s digital channel Cozi TV (formerly New York Nonstop).

Hard to recall a sportscaster anchoring on his own. Stanford, though, broke that barrier. He was in charge of the one-hour broadcast Friday night. He’ll get another shot this Friday.

For those expecting the high-octane Stanford to crash and burn in the new role, they were sadly disappointed. The worry is that a sports guy will just “have fun” with news. But this was clearly no hobby. Stanford was as serious about it as the stories he reported.

Despite not having a TV news background, Stanford was able to transfer his broadcasting skills with little issue. Stanford has been all about sports, first as a former afternoon radio standout on WCBS 880 via Shadow Traffic. He moved to TV at Channel 9/Channel 5 before heading to Channel 4, picking up four New York Emmy Awards along the way.

Read more

It’s only a week since the turmoil and scandal that led to the abrupt resignation of Rob Morrison at WCBS.

But now that Morrison is no longer part of Channel 2, management must start the process of deciding who will sit next to Mary Calvi.

Related: FishbowlNY, Rob Morrison Resigns From WCBS-TV Amid Wife Choking Allegations

FishbowlNY explores a handful of possibles, and a few less likely, morning anchor candidates. Then you can weigh-in with our poll to select your choice after the jump.

Starting with internal choices: Chris Wragge, the 6 p.m. and WLNY 9 p.m. anchor has already shown his muscle in the morning as a main fill-in. Wragge told FishbowlNY upon his full-time return to WCBS in late 2011 that “I’m just going to do whatever the hell they want me to do.”  If the stint on CBS’ Early Show weekdays and weekdays didn’t solidify your position, just watch him on WLNY at 9 p.m. He strikes that perfect balance between hard news and personality-driven features. His “You Have to See This” is a great example of an anchor blowing off some steam in a good way. Mornings play well into another of Wragge’s strengths–quick banter with on-air talent.

Don Dahler has also been used in mornings since Morrison’s departure. Dahler, who regularly anchors weekends, seems at his best when he solos an evening newscast. He is even more in his element when on the reporter beat. Still, his weekend morning experience and overall talent could be enough to give him the nod, especially if they want Wragge to remain at night.

Read more

The world of local news is a copy cat industry. That’s not breaking news. Watch most nights, in turning from one newscast to the other, and there is a good chance you’ll see the same story selection throughout.

Now, those creative folks are at it again!

WABC/Channel 7 was first to expand its late weekend newscasts at the beginning of 2012. Now as the calendar changed to 2013, it’s WNBC’s turn to add 30 minutes. Channel 4 has only increased the Sunday night broadcast, thanks to the Saturday Night Live commitment.

•       Related: TVSpy/WNBC Expands Sunday Evening Newscast

David Ushery and Erika Tarantal remain the anchors.

Despite two parts of the city’s 11 p.m. newscasts making some inroads into expansion, WCBS is not ready to join its competition and give a longer day to Don Dahler.

A Channel 2 spokesperson tells FishbowlNY that the station has “no plans at this time.”

Dahler, who co-anchors the morning news block with Cindy Hsu, returns to hold down the fort alone at 11 p.m. One other note about WCBS avoiding expansion: With the busy CBS Sports schedule (NFL, NCAA Tournament, golf), it’s hard to find a weekend that WCBS actually starts on time.

Hurricane Sandy is churning in the Atlantic, and approaching New York. Preparations for the serious storm have caused the area TV stations to cover the impending destruction.

Most of the city stations took Mayor Bloomberg’s briefings live and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie‘s comments. WCBS/Channel 2 left wall-to-wall mode at 1 p.m. to join the New York Jets game. However, sister station WLNY TV 10/55, anchored by Cindy Hsu, broke into the Munsters Marathon for the latest Christie press conference.

Channel 2, though, was first to bring in the main team. At halftime of the Jets game, viewers got another sense of the severity as Maurice DuBois and Kristine Johnson assumed the coverage with Lonnie Quinn tracking the potentially deadly storm.

“I’ll be with you all night, guys,” Quinn said.

Read more

In light of Sue Simmons saying she wants to work again in her farewell broadcast at Channel 4, the question becomes, where might we see her next?

Simmons ended her incredible run at WNBC on June 15 announcing that she would like to be “employed elsewhere at some point.” The longtime anchor added that she’d be interested even if it’s once a week.

The viewing public, by and large, has opposed WNBC’s decision to terminate the veteran anchor. Just look at any of the comments from our FishbowlNY stories, and you’ll see overwhelming support for Sue.

While FishbowlNY is not acting as her agent in the process, let’s evaluate the possible suitors for Simmons.

WCBS/Channel 2, it would appear, has the no vacancy sign flashing at the Inn weeknights. However, if Simmons would double her once a week request, a weekend slot with veteran newsman Don Dahler could prove beneficial for all parties.

Read more

It’s that time of the year—time for buying Christmas trees, and subsequently decorating them with all the trimmings. Our Jewish friends are digging out the menorahs, and making sure they have enough candles.

But it’s also the season for countless awards. FishbowlNY is no exception, as we present our 2^nd annual Barmash Awards, honoring the local TV news scene here in New York.

As the title indicates, there is no committee making these decisions—just one co-editor.

While our intention isn’t to specifically balance the award winners, it does show the enormous talent we have to choose from across the dial.

Best Newscast (morning)

The chemistry works perfectly between WABC/Channel 7 veterans Lori Stokes and Ken Rosato. Stokes, though, brings that special connection to morning viewers. Stokes has a warm and friendly demeanor as she virtually “wakes” up people each day. Bill Evans is one of the best TV meteorogists, only falling short in the overall category to a colleague.

Read more