CBS 2 News Posts Gains at 5AM, 6AM, 5PM and 6PM

The February 2008 sweeps period is over and the ratings are in. While CBS 2 News at Noon and at 11:00 are down, following market-wide trends at those times, the station has good news in the morning and in the evening. According to ratings provided in a WABC-TV press release, CBS 2 News This Morning at 5:00 a.m. is up 11% from last year to a 1.0/6. At 6:00 a.m., the broadcast is up 7% to a 1.6/7. CBS 2 News at 5:00 is up 32% to a 4.1/9 and CBS 2 News at 6:00 is up 19% to a 3.8/8, making them the only newscasts to increase their audiences in those time periods year-to-year.

Special "Eye on the Storm" Coverage

CBS 2 News is on the air right now with a special "Eye on the Storm," with live coverage of the biggest snow storm to hit the tri-state all season. Maurice DuBois and Kate Sullivan are anchoring the broadcast, which opened at 8:55 and will continue until 10:00. John Elliott and Lonnie Quinn are providing team weather, forecasting six-to-nine inches for the city, while Katie McGee is updating viewers on the traffic and transit. A team of reporters are out in the snow, including Magee Hickey in Woodside, Queens; Jay Dow in Paramus; Deborah Garcia in Yonkers; Pablo Guzman at LaGuardia Airport; Tamsen Fadal at Penn Station; and Steve Bartelstein in Jericho, Long Island.

Chang Leaving CBS 2 News

The Daily News reports that Ti-Hua Chang is leaving CBS 2 News. He's headed to WWOR-TV's My 9 News and begins March 3rd.

According to his bio, Chang rejoined CBS 2 in January 2005 after spending many years at WNBC-TV. The winner of four Emmys along with numerous other awards, he was named by Columbia University as one of the school's ten most influential alumni in the city.

Wragge Named Co-Anchor of "The Saturday Early Show"

He's been co-anchoring the broadcast for nearly a year and now it's official: Chris Wragge is a co-anchor for "The Saturday Early Show." The broadcast airs live on Saturday mornings from 7:00 to 9:00. He'll continue with his 5pm and 11pm duties during the week.

Here are some quotes from the CBS press release:
- Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports: "Chris has done a great job filling in on Saturdays on THE EARLY SHOW. He's a highly skilled broadcaster and we're pleased to officially welcome him to CBS News."
- Shelley Ross, senior executive producer, The Early Show: "Chris is a truly one of the most versatile people in this business. He's an experienced reporter and anchor who has already become a valued member of our team."
- Peter Dunn, President and General Manager, WCBS-TV: "We are very excited for Chris to have this great opportunity. We're looking forward to watching him six days a week in the New York market."

Wragge joins fellow CBS 2er Lonnie Quinn, who was named to the Saturday morning broadcast last month.

Hur Moves to Philadelphia

Elizabeth Hur, most recently a freelance reporter at CBS 2, is moving to Philadelphia's KYW-TV. The Inquirer reports that the former CBS 3 intern starts this week. A wcbstv.com video search shows that Hur's last report was on February 5th.

CBS 2 Nominated for 22 Emmys

The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the nominees of Emmy Awards this morning. Here's a look:

DAYTIME NEWSCAST
Bronx Fire. March 8, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Chris Wragge, News Anchor.

EVENING NEWSCAST: Under 35 Minutes
Tragedy in the Bronx. March 8, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Brian Applegate, Producer; Dana Tyler, Anchor; Lou Young, Reporter.

EVENING NEWSCAST: Over 35 Minutes
Brooklyn Tornado. August 8, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Chris Wragge, News Anchor.

BREAKING NEWS STORY
East Side Plane Crash. October 11, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Michael Haynes, Director.

SPOT NEWS STORY
Subway Hero. January 2, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Ti-Hua Chang, Reporter/Producer/Writer.

CONTINUING COVERAGE
Son of Sam. May 7, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Scott Weinberger, Chief Investigative Reporter; Carl Gottlieb, Executive Producer; Sandra Kirkman Hines, Editor.

HARD NEWS: Single Story
Red Light Rabbi. November 29, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Scott Weinberger, Chief Investigative Reporter; Carl Gottlieb, Executive Producer.

INVESTIGATIVE: Single Story
Sky Chefs. November 6, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Scott Weinberger, Chief Investigative Reporter; Carl Gottlieb, Executive Producer; Sandra Kirkman Hines, Editor.

INVESTIGATIVE: Series
Foul Mouthed Mayor. April 30, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Scott Weinberger, Chief Investigative Reporter; Emily Smolar, Senior Investigative Producer; Carl Gottlieb, Executive Producer; Sandra Kirkman Hines, Editor.

EDUCATION
Generation Jets, Show 412: Governor's Island. December 2, 2006. (WCBS-TV). William Zagger, Director; James Thompson, Writer; Michael Tricarico, Animator.

CHILDREN
Generation Jets, Show 412: Governor's Island. December 2, 2006. (WCBS-TV). William Zagger, Director; James Thompson, Writer; Michael Tricarico, Animator.

SOCIETAL CONCERNS: News
Cost of a Life. November 29, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Lou Young, Reporter.

SPORTS PROGRAMMING: Program Series
Jets 24/7 with Eric Mangini, Show 501. September 10, 2006. (WCBS-TV). William Zagger, Director; James Thompson, Writer; Cameron Gordon, Production Manager.

SPECIAL EVENT COVERAGE
The Hamptons Classic. September 9, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Kirstin Cole, Host/Reporter.

PROMOTION: News Promo – Single Spot, Campaign
Son of Sam 30 Years Later. May 4, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Bruce E. Brauer, Executive Producer.
Weather Facts. June 6, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Bruce E. Brauer, Executive Producer.

ON-CAMERA TALENT: Anchor – News
Chris Wragge. August 8, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Composite.
Mary Calvi. October 2, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Breaking News: Amish School Shooting.

ON-CAMERA TALENT: Reporter – Features
Scott Rapoport. December 26, 2006. (WCBS-TV). Composite.

EDITOR: News
Sandra Kirkman Hines. May 23, 2007. (WCBS-TV). Composite.

ADVANCED MEDIA: Animator/Motion Graphic Designer
Bruce E. Brauer. April 16, 2007. (WCBS-TV). CBS-2 HD.

ADVANCED MEDIA: Video Editor
William Lee. July 15, 2007. (WCBS-TV). CBS2 HDTV Image Campaign.

Click here for a full list of nominees. The winners will be announced at a black tie gala on Sunday, April 6th at 7:00 p.m.

Sullivan Q&A in "Gothamist"

Lee sends in this "Gothamist" interview with morning anchor Kate Sullivan. She talks about how she balances having to go to sleep early (because she wakes up at 3:00 a.m.) and taking advantage of being in New York, being a Red Sox fan (she's from New England) and what she'd do to change New York (hint: it has to do with a famous city rodent).

CBS 2's Giants Parade Coverage Plans

With the Giants' stunning win against the Patriots last night in Super Bowl XLII comes time to celebrate. The tickertape parade through the "Canyon of Heroes" on Broadway is scheduled for tomorrow and CBS 2 News plans team coverage beginning at 11:00 a.m. According to plans announced on-air this morning, the CBS 2 sports team will be positioned along the parade route and Chris Wragge will be at City Hall, where the parade will become a pep rally.

"Date With Destiny"

Less than 24 hours before the kickoff of the Super Bowl, Ducis Rodgers will host an hour-long special focusing on the Giants. "Date With Destiny" airs live from Arizona tonight at 7:00 on CBS 2 and will include "expert analysis" from Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Craig Carton of WFAN Sports Radio 66.

(Graphic courtesy wfan.com)

Bartelstein's Cancer is Gone

Steve Bartelstein finally got to share some good news with his colleagues yesterday: His cancer is gone. According to the Daily News, Bartelstein has a genetic makeup that only one in one million people have and this created false positive results for "cancer markers" in his body. He told the Daily News, "I've got a new lease on life. I know I have another purpose now."

While the news is great, he's not yet back to normal. He'll still have weekly blood tests and CAT scans and he'll be recovering from the chemotherapy for months.

This quote closed out the article: "I've always been someone who watched the sunset every day. This has reinforced how precious your health is. I think it made me appreciate all of the good mornings I have."