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 changes at WNYW/Channel 5 since last July could fill a book. While it has become a revolving door in the evening, one constant has been the “other anchor.”

That would be Dari Alexander, who remains on set at 5 and 10 p.m., no matter if it’s with Ernie Anastos, Greg Kelly, or Steve Lacy. Readers of FishbowlNY have been leaving comments since the summertime anchor debacle about her ability.

Related: FishbowlNY, Major Anchor Changes Come to Fox 5

For example, last week, Alexander was caught inadvertently calling “sitting shiva” for Mayor Ed Koch as “shitting” shiva.

That led to these remarks on the posting:

Dari seems like a nice person, but speaking strictly on her work, she is easily the worst anchor in NYC. Completely [miscast].

Sad to say, she is horrible!

The sentiment about Alexander extends well beyond a handful of disgruntled viewers.

A former colleague who worked with Alexander tells FishbowlNY that her work ethic was non-existent.

“I’ve never worked with anybody who does less preparation before she gets on the air.” [She] seems to not really care where the show is going next or what’s really happening. [Alexander] just seems to be absolutely unaffected and oblivious to the consequences of that,” the former colleague says. “It was so strange. I had never worked with anybody like that.”

Read more

No shower scene, no Patrick Duffy, and no dream scene. But if you skipped the last seven months on WNYW, it’s back to the familiar Greg Kelly/Rosanna Scotto on Good Day New York.

The duo was reunited this morning after yesterday’s stunning announcement, which FishbowlNY had first, removing the NYPD commissioner’s son from the high-profile evening newscasts. Steve Lacy, former Early Call (4:30 a.m.) host began as 10 p.m. co-anchor last night. He’ll start soloing the 6 pm. tonight.  It was an apparent ugly second stint for Dave Price at Channel 5. We’re told that Price, who was bumped to the early morning slot, was “livid” about management’s decision. He was let out of his contract several months early.

• Related, FishbowlNY: Price leaves WNYW, Kelly Returns Home to GDNY

However, this morning Scotto pointed out that Price “wanted to do other things.” She said twice in the opening of the 9 a.m. hour that it was his choice.

“We look forward to what he decides to do next,” Scotto says.

The spotlight then shifted to the positive: Lacy’s ascension at WNYW.

“Big things in his future,” Kelly declared.

In officially telling the audience about Lacy’s new gig, Scotto questioned her partner.

“Do you have any advice for him?”

“Steve is an outstanding broadcaster and a very smart guy,” Kelly admits. “Two of the reasons I was intimidated by him, when I first met him.”

Read more

New face of Fox 5 News at night

Fox executives are apparently wiping egg from their faces. FishbowlNY has learned that Greg Kelly is being yanked as 6 and 10 p.m. anchor. It’s an embarrassing move for management to be sure. We’re told that Kelly will return to his Good Day New York anchor duties alongside Rosanna Scotto. In turn, Dave Price, who succeeded Kelly on Good Day, has been shifted to the early morning broadcast starting at 4:30will be leaving the station.

The anchor carousel doesn’t stop there.

Steve Lacy (left), the current Good Day Early Call anchor, is next to get his shot at the high-profile nighttime newscasts. Like Kelly, Lacy will solo the 6 p.m. and then join Dari Alexander for the late evening broadcast. Lacy joined Channel 5 in August 2011.

Update: TVSpy has more details on the changes. Price, (right) who asked to be let out of his contract early, says, “I had a great experience returning to FOX 5 but it is time to look for opportunities outside WNYW. I love Rosanna and the gang and wish them all the best.”

Kelly was lambasted for bringing his morning show attitude to the more serious nighttime setting. Weeks after Kelly went from sunrise to sunset, FishbowlNY readers made their case in a pair of polls pushing for his return to mornings, while Price would be axed.

All of the changes take effect tomorrow.

Every time I think it can’t get anyone more Fellini-esque at 55th and Fifth, another Wednesday at Michael’s proves me wrong. All that was missing today was a lion tamer and clown shot out of a cannon. There were so many ‘acts’ going on simultaneously I hardly knew where to look.

While I dined with Food Network star Sandra Lee (and tried my best to hear her over the roar of the crowd even though we were sitting next to each other), there was an intimate party of 20 for Hoda Kotb being thrown by her Today show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford.  The gals were celebrating the release of Hoda’s new book, Ten Years Later: Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives (Simon & Schuster).  Hoda and Kathie Lee, who spend more time together than most married couples, looked fresher than springtime in Crayola colored (sleeveless!) dresses and were the first to arrive for the noontime fete. Minutes later, the back corner of the front room was jammed with members of the Today show, as well as plenty of well-dressed gals who were there to toast Hoda. The gang was really whooping it up and, of course, a camera man was there to capture it all for posterity or, more likely, for tomorrow’s fourth hour of Today.

I arrived a few minutes before noon to meet Sandra Lee and she came right in the door behind me. After spending just a few minutes with her, it’s easy to see why the creator of the phenomenally successful Semi-Homemade brand is one of the Food Network’s biggest stars. She’s the in-the-know girlfriend who everyone wishes they had.  Within minutes, we were trading tips on our favorite places to shop for bargains. For cake decorating, hers is New York Cake & Baking  on 22nd and Sixth for the most divine sugar roses — “You can get a whole batch for under $10!”

Diane Clehane and Sandra Lee

She arrived laden with proofs for the next issue of her new magazine with TV Guide Magazine named — what else? – Sandra Lee. They’ve already published a Christmas issue, and the January/February “Love” issue is out now. EIC Sandra is in the midst of editing the Easter issue and told me she was trying to explain to a male staffer earlier today why birds’ nests made from shredded coconut should be dyed green instead of brown. It’s all in the details. As the faithful viewers of Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee (now in its 15th season!) know, no one does holidays like her. (“I am working on my latest Cher incarnation. Every Halloween I have to do Cher!”) The Emmy winner covers it all  from the recipes to the cocktails to her trademark ‘tablescapes’ (my personal favorite) to help viewers enjoy entertaining at home without the heavy-handed pretense, over the top expense or work intensive preparation that no one has time for anyway. When I asked her where he love of holidays came from she told me, “When I was a child we didn’t celebrate holidays so when I was 18, that was it. It was Halloween, Christmas and Easter every day.”

Read more

No one is ammune to the flu. From Hollywood, where Golden Globe winners Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence were still feeling the effects, to New York, where the epidemic went to war with an anchor.

Fox 5′s Rosanna Scotto was the ultimate trouper yesterday. The Good Day New York co-anchor showed up for work despite clearly in a “flu fog.”

Scotto, who was congested and weakened, told her on-air partner Dave Price that she already had a flu shot.

“It isn’t doing it. You’ve got an IV of tea,” Price said.

Scotto said she rested all weekend in an effort to give it the “college try.” However, seeing her struggle to deliver the news, while spreading germs to others, Price encouraged Scotto to leave early.

He was going to ask New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, a guest in the 8 a.m. hour, if Scotto was healthy enough to stay.

“You need to promise us, if he says you should go home, you go home and get better,” Price said.

Read more

Now that Regis Philbin is retired from his long running daily show, Live!, he had time to visit Good Day New York today with Rosanna Scotto and Dave Price.

The legendary broadcaster, who has logged more hours than any other TV personality in the medium’s history, was given a hero’s welcome on the Good Day set during the 9 a.m. hour. The extended interview was helping to hawk his autobiography, How I Got This Way, now on paperback, and a book signing tonight in New Jersey.

In discussing an excerpt from the book about Philbin’s co-hosts, Price concluded, “The reason they were great is because you were great.”

However, Price’s compliment got a bit confusing, especially to Philbin.

“You can not have success like that without an Alpha that is willing to say, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ and that’s why everyone was a star who you worked with,” Price says.

Philbin without missing a beat made fun of the cryptic phrase.

“You know after every chapter I put what I learned,” Philbin jokes. “And what I just learned from you is, ‘a rising, what the hell is that?”

After further analysis of the “rising tide” line, Philbin leaned over to Scotto, “You’re getting rid of him soon, arent you?”

Read more

Like a sale at your favorite department store, One Day Only! That could be the banner headline as Rosanna Scotto does a TV doubleheader today. Following her Good Day New York work at WNYW with Dave Price, Channel 5 viewers will see Scotto guest host on Anderson Cooper‘s syndicated daytime show. This season Anderson took it up a notch as Anderson Live. But to accommodate Scotto, our sister site TVSpy reports the show was recorded earlier this week.

Anderson Live is seen at noon on WNYW.

TVSpy has a video clip of Scotto showing off her rarely seen dancing talents.

Here’s a look at what FishbowlNY stories made the most buzz this week.

1. Howard Stern (left) Marks 30th Anniversary of New York Debut at WNBC, August 30
2. Cover Battle: The New Yorker or Vice, August 30
3. Fox Execs Move to Fix Good Day New York, September 4
4. Anne Fulenwider Succeeds Joanne Coles at Marie Claire, September 4
5. Vanity Fair Offers Preview of Michael Lewis‘ Obama Piece, September 5
6. FishbowlNY Poll: Readers Again Make Case for Dave Price‘s Exodus from Good Day New York, August 30

Keep up-to-date with the latest FishbowlNY news. Click here to sign-up for the FishbowlNY daily newsletter, bringing you our articles each afternoon directly to your inbox.

The honeymoon for Dave Price appears to be over at Channel 5. A person with knowledge of the situation tells FishbowlNY that Sharri Berg, the SVP of the Fox Television Stations Group, visited WNYW recently to talk about Good Day New York.

The source says, Berg was joined by a consultant to help fix the morning broadcast. Price took over the Good Day co-hosting in early July with Rosanna Scotto, after Greg Kelly was promoted to night side. Ernie Anastos lost the high-profile 10 p.m. newscast.

Price, a one-time Good Day weather anchor, has felt the brunt of the criticism since his WNYW return.

Last week, our poll found a whopping 50-point margin of respondents wanted Price ousted in favor of Kelly.

Beyond that, Fox is scrambling to put out the fire, as the Scotto/Price chemistry has been sorely lacking. That, in turn, has already translated into ratings for rival WPIX, either winning key demos, or coming close, in the typically quiet July sweeps period.

This is not the first time since the July changes that Fox executives met with WNYW management. We reported two weeks after the anchor swap that meetings were held for Kelly “damage control.”