The chestnuts are roasting, the yule log is burning, and it’s another shot at those weighty new year’s resolutions. It’s also the season for the Barmash Awards. The third annual examination of the best TV news personalities in New York.

We begin with the Best Morning Newscast.

Everyone is chasing WABC. The veteran team of Lori Stokes and Ken Rosato, the epitome of morning anchors, along with senior meteorologist Bill Evans are a great combination of talent and chemistry.

Best Sports Anchor—The local Emmy Awards can’t be wrong year after year. Bruce Beck is the most popular sports anchor in New York. Although entertaining, like his predecessor Len Berman, Beck is more nuts and bolts. And it works effortlessly.

Best Weather Anchor–Although Evans and Lee Goldberg at WABC hold their own, this is Lonnie Quinn‘s year. The weatherman shined with his, seemingly, non-stop Sandy coverage. Quinn finds a way to entertain and inform, and especially with severe storms, He understands his role perfectly, never causing a panic.

Special Superstorm Sandy Achievement: WPIX

Everyone worked hard to provide Sandy coverage. But Channel 11 took it further. The PIX Morning News did three remotes from areas devastated by the storm. Sukanya Krishnan, Frances Rivera, and Tamsen Fadel took viewers to parts of the Jersey Shore, Staten Island, and Nassau County.

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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.

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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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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.

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WABC/Channel 7 maintained its dominance of local news, winning every daypart in the just-concluded November sweeps, according to Nielsen.

Starting in the weekday mornings, Eyewitness News This Morning with Lori Stokes, Ken Rosato and Bill Evans had the highest Household rating at 4:30.

At 5 a.m., WABC was tops in Households and Adults 25 to 54, while during the 6 o’clock hour, once again, more viewers watched Channel 7 than any other local newscast.

Stokes, Rosato, and Evans return at noon, and so do the great ratings. The broadcast holds a 39 percent advantage over its closest competition among Households. The lunchtime newscast also draws more than twice as many Adults 25 to 54 and Women 25 to 54 as its closest competitor.

A change of anchors at 4 p.m., but the result is the same for WABC. With Liz Cho, David Novarro, and Lee Goldberg, Channel 7 won in the pivotal Adults 25 to 54 grouping. The 4 p.m. newscast, which debuted in the summer, only falls short in the key Household rating to Judge Judy on WCBS/Channel 2.

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A helicopter crashed and sank yesterday afternoon in the East River near 34th Street. Our sister site TVSpy reports WCBS/Channel 2 anchor Maurice DuBois was first on the air. As the station’s coverage continued, Chris Wragge was joined live from the scene.

Channel 2, according to the on-screen graphic, had exclusive rescue video.

In a bizarre moment, with anchors Liz Cho and David Navarro on the air, WABC/Channel 7 put a Twitter photo on the screen from WPIX/Channel 11 reporter Greg Mocker (as shown above).

“I posted it to Twitter,” Mocker tells FishbowlNY. “They must follow @gregmocker.” 

Mocker is referred to as an “eyewitness at the scene.”  

TVSpy has details on of how other stations handled the story.

Update: Mocker gave a mention to FishbowlNY during the WPIX 5 p.m. newscast on Wednesday.

As Hurricane Irene churned in the Atlantic with a bulls-eye at New York City’s back, TV stations went into non-stop coverage throughout the weekend.

The category-one storm made her first landfall early Saturday morning in Cape Lookout, North Carolina as stations began their wall-to-wall mode.

Accentuating the serious nature of the story, virtually every anchor was on the air.

WNYW’s Dari Alexander was one of the few anchors not seen during the weekend coverage. She was last seen by viewers on Friday night. Her 10 p.m. colleague Ernie Anastos (above, center) made his first appearance at 3 p.m. Sunday with co-anchor Christina Park, as the storm weakened significantly.

But Channel 5 did have its Good Day team, Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly, in place. However, much of Scotto’s screen time during the weekend was with WNYW’s newest member–Steve Lacy, and not her “TV husband” Kelly.

Kelly and Scotto were together Saturday, helping provide of the special moments.

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WABC/Channel 7 maintains its news dominance, winning the May Sweeps (the official last day is tomorrow) period among the overall Households and a pivotal demographic–Adults 25 to 54.

In the ratings tabulated by Nielsen, Eyewitness News This Morning with Lori Stokes, Ken Rosato, and Bill Evans had the highest Household rating from 4:30 to 5 a.m., while boasting twice as many Adults 25 to 54 as any other station. At 5 and 6 a.m., Channel 7 beat all competitors in Households and Adults 25 to 54.

In the newscast at noon, WABC held a 50 percent lead over WCBS in the Households rating, and by twice as much in the Women 25 to 54 demographic.

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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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Whether WABC is ready for Oprah Winfrey to leave the air next month after 25 top-rated seasons doesn’t matter now. The eventual 4 p.m. change is about to happen. Today, WABC took the first step— making its own changes. First off, the station finally announced the anchors to helm the new 4 p.m. newscast that will replace Oprah’s time slot. Our sister station TVSpy details the changes in the air at WABC.

While no on-air talent is leaving, WABC is playing a bit of anchor roulette.

Liz Cho and David Navarro will anchor at 4. Cho remains at 6 p.m. with Bill Ritter.

The day, arguably, means the most for Navarro, who had a homecoming at WABC in December after a 10-year absence in Chicago.

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