With the CBS takeover of WLNY history, Channel 2 is ready to unveil its news plans for that station.

Viewers will see WCBS double its resources with an expanded news presence on WLNY. The old version of 10/55 only aired a 30-minute 11 p.m. newscast.

With a target date of late June or early July, WLNY will add a two-hour morning block from 7 to 9.

“It’s going to be a unique blend,” David Friend, WCBS news director, says. “I think viewers are going to be pleasantly surprised as to what this show is going to be like. It’s going to be different than what already is on television news at that time locally.”

Therefore, WLNY’s main morning competition is WNYW and WPIX.

WCBS general manager Peter Dunn says the ‘LNY morning show will be “totally different” from the WCBS’ 2 1/2 hour early hours broadcast. Anchors and contributors have yet to be announced.

“We have some great assets with the people here, so we’re going to ulitize some of them on ‘LNY,” Dunn says. “We’re going to hire some people from the outside as well.”

However, WCBS management has named its lineup for a new ‘LNY prime time newscast from 9 to 10 p.m. Chris Wragge and Dana Tyler, along with WLNY holdover Richard Rose based on Long Island. Weathercaster Lonnie Quinn and sports anchor Otis Livingston round out the team.

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EXCLUSIVE: The news broke last week –another year, another revamp to CBS’ morning entry–The Early Show. Today, at the West 57th Street headquarters, CBS execs unveiled the new wake-up team of veteran interviewer Charlie Rose and Oprah’s BFF, Gayle King.

At the same time in the Meatpacking District, soon-to-be former Early Show anchor Chris Wragge was emceeing the launch of AmberWatch TV.

It was there that FishbowlNY caught up with the genial anchorman.

Wragge, who left WCBS/Channel 2 as the station’s top presence at the end of 2010, says he saw it coming.

“They’ve been great. They’ve been very upfront with me,” Wragge admits. “When new people come in they want their people fronting their new shows. So, it wasn’t a surprise to me [and] didn’t come as a shock to me.”

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Vic Miles anchoring in 1978

For a quarter-century, Vic Miles was a steady rock at WCBS/Channel 2. His delivery was simple, not flourishing. His looks weren’t of a matinee idol; he appeared at times to have a suit too big for his slender build. Miles was a newsman, whether in the field or at the anchor desk.

Miles’ son Vincent Levy confirms to FishbowlNY that his father died last night. Miles, who had been in declining health, was hospitalized Saturday in New York. He was 79.

“I think he liked reporting a lot, because he was naturally suited to it,” former WCBS anchor Carol Martin recalls.

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When prominent American novelist Thomas Wolfe wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again,” he obviously wasn’t referring to Chris Wragge. The likable news anchor returned to WCBS/Channel 2 last night, where he joined veteran Dana Tyler for the 6 p.m. broadcast.

Don Dahler‘s future with WCBS remains unclear.

The New Jersey native left WCBS at the end of 2010 to concentrate on his new gig—co-host of The Early Show.

And call it an “insurance policy” of sorts for Wragge, with the future of The Early Show uncertain. In fact, last week, the first winds of change may have started to blow as weathercaster Marysol Castro was removed from the broadcast.

So at the least, Wragge, the Emmy Award-winning anchor, has a 30-minute nightly newscast to fall back on.

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The tragedy of 9/11, which of course started in the morning, was one of those rare breaking news stories when nighttime anchors were pressed into action.

One by one, the highest of high-profile anchors were on the air at the height of the disaster.

We begin our special Fishbowl series 9/11: New York Remembers by reexamining the 9/11 attacks with the Holy Trinity of New York anchors: Ernie Anastos, WNYW/Channel 5 (then with WCBS/Channel 2), Bill Ritter, WABC/Channel 7, and Chuck Scarborough, WNBC/Channel 4.

Bill Ritter, who lives in Manhattan, had the easiest trek to WABC’s Upper West Side studios. He got a call from his producer after the first plane struck the north tower at the World Trade Center. Even before knowing the full extent, Ritter was making his way to WABC.

Thanks to a short commute, Ritter (above, with Diana Williams during WABC’s 9/11 coverage) was on the air just after 10 a.m.—meaning he was describing to viewers as the second tower imploded.

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Chris Wragge is going to be sharing his time with WCBS/Channel 2. The New Jersey native has been tapped to co-anchor the 6 p.m. newscast with Dana Tyler starting September 6th.     

Wragge spent six years with Channel 2, before leaving for CBS’ The Early Show at the beginning of the year.

He replaces Don Dahler who co-anchors at 6 p.m.

“We are in discussions with Don regarding his future with us,” A WCBS spokesman says. “He continues to be a valued member of our team.”

Prior to leaving for the network, Wragge was Channel 2′s most visible talent, co-anchoring the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. with Kristine Johnson.

Maurice DuBois has since been promoted to that role.

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Dana Tyler, the veteran WCBS/Channel 2 anchor and resident culture guru, is back as host of the station’s annual Tony Awards preview. The Saturday night half hour special, At the Tonys, explores the nominations for Best Play, Best Musical, Best Revival, and Best Revival Musical.

The 7 p.m. special includes Tyler’s interviews with various nominees including John Larroquette, Patti LuPone, Ellen Barkin and Edie Falco.

Tyler also sits down with Neil Patrick Harris. The star of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother returns as Tony Awards host.

The 65th Annual Tonys air live on CBS Sunday night beginning at 8 p.m.

WABC/Channel 7 declared themselves the winner, day to night, in the just concluded May Sweeps period.  But, WCBS/Channel 2 saw nice personal improvements since May 2010.

The 11 p.m. newscast with Maurice DuBois and Kristine Johnson finished second in New York with an average of 427,000 viewers, a three percent jump from last May and the station’s biggest late news audience in a May Sweeps in three years. (Chris Wragge co-anchored the late news with Johnson until the end of 2010.)

Additionally, Channel 2 had the only 11 p.m. newscast that delivered year-to-year growth in the key Adults 25 to 54 demographic (1.7/5 – up five percent) as well as Adults 18-49 (1.2/4 – up nine percent). 

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As you undoubtedly know by now, Osama Bin Laden was killed Sunday in Pakistan. Yesterday, local stations were still focusing their energy and resources on the latest developments, especially at Ground Zero.

First, though, a couple of good moves by WPIX. They were the only over-the-air station to carry the White House press briefing at 2 p.m., where presidential advisor John Brennan gave details of the firefight.  Reporter Howard Thompson anchored the coverage from their New York studios.

For its 10 p.m. newscast, Jodi Applegate flanked by a  full compliment of (mostly live) reporters did away with their ”11 Stories in 11 Minutes” segment, and therefore the urgency (also variations on the same story) meant no rundown icons at the bottom of the screen.

Of course, Ernie Anastos and Dari Alexander had their own full coverage at 10 p.m. with multiple reporters, including Harry Martin at Ground Zero.

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Get the strawberries and cream ready, or perhaps the shepherds pie.  

Showing that the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton isn’t just a worldwide affair, but also a “local” event, several New York reporters and anchors are off to London to provide coverage.

WABC/Channel 7 is sending Liz Cho and Kemberly Richardson. They will start filing reports across the Atlantic on Easter Sunday.

WCBS/Channel 2 is assigning veteran Dana Tyler to Westminster Abbey. She’ll also begin her live reports on Easter Sunday.

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