Berardelli Leaves CBS 2 For Miami

Jeff Berardelli, CBS 2's weekend morning meteorologist since 2003, announced just moments ago that he is leaving the station. He said that this would be his last week at CBS 2 before he heads down to Miami to join WFOR-TV.

He first appeared on the weekend morning newscasts in May of 2003, filling in for Janine D'Adamo, working alongside Lisa Daniels and Mario Bosquez. He replaced D'Adamo when she left in July of that year but wasn't announced as a permament member of the CBS 2 Weather Team until August when David Rogers was fired. He had previously worked at WTSP in Tampa.

"It has been such an honor being here in New York City, in my hometown, born and raised in New York," Berardelli told viewers at the end of this morning's broadcast. "I've been here for four years at WCBS, a fantastic station with fantastic people. Some of the most talented people in the business, honestly, work here."

He also called WFOR a "fantastic station" and said, "They have the best hurricane coverage in the United States." But he's not just trading in snow storms for hurricanes: "I just want to get in touch with the outdoors again." He said that he loves fishing, boating, scuba diving and kayaking.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity but I will really miss being here with you," he said to anchors Cindy Hsu and Kirstin Cole. "You guys are the best." Hsu and Cole made him a cake that said "Good bye and Good luck Jeff!"

He mentioned that he'll be back to help broadcast the "Tunnel to Towers" run because that cause is very important to him. The event is held every September. Berardelli's bio says that he "is active in the Tunnel To Towers Organization, designed to remember the victims of 9-11." He ran in it last year.

Berardelli is the third meteorologist to leave the station in recent months under the changes being instituted by News Director David Friend. Craig Allen and Audrey Puente are the others. A replacement has yet to be named publicly, though it's been rumored for months that Lonnie Quinn would be joining CBS 2.

Audrey Puente Joins "My 9 News"

Audrey Puente, who, until this month, was CBS 2's morning and noon meteorologist, is heading to WWOR-TV, according to the Daily News. Starting Monday, she will be the lead meteorologist for "My 9 News," where she replaces Storm Field, who started at Channel 9 ten years ago after leaving "2 News This Morning." (He was apparently let go in a way similar to how veteran sports anchor Warner Wolf was let go back when Dennis Swanson and Lew Leone were at CBS 2). Puente was replaced at CBS 2 News earlier this month by John Elliott.

The column also mentions Jay Crawford and Lonnie Quinn, though nothing has been confirmed. ESPN 2's "Cold Pizza" is moving back to Bristol, CT, and it had been reported that Crawford wanted to stay in New York, which is why the sports director job at CBS 2 is so appealing.

Post: "Slow-Motion Massacre"

"ONE BY ONE, CH. 2 SQUEEZING OUT OLD FACES" is the sub-headline for this lead story in the Post's TV section by Michael Starr.

Not a whole lot is advanced in this story -- it's mostly what has already been reported here and other places around the 'net. The layoffs are attributed to the need to trim the station's budget, which is due to lower than expected political advertising last year. Hillary Clinton and Eliot Spitzer, the Post says, spent "much less" in New York than projected, probably because they had no close competition.

Starr notes that Roz Abrams is off the air (since November) and is owed nearly $6 million for the remainder of her contract. Audrey Puente is also said to be gone (though her bio is still up, leaving me to think that she could be called upon to fill-in before her contract expires).

Cindy Hsu, who's described as "popular anchor-turned-reporter," has a contract expiring in March that won't be renewed.

The Post also speculates that Lonnie Quinn, "Sam Champion-look-a-like from South Florida," will likely mean that John Bolaris is on the way out.

This line sums it all up: "Industry types say Ch. 2 is cutting costs by chopping higher-priced, locally known talent, including Mario Bosquez and Lynda Lopez, and replacing them with cheaper anchors and reporters from outside New York."

The article also points out that "Judge Judy," which returned to CBS 2's 4 p.m. hour in September, hasn't helped CBS 2 News at 5:00. "The numbers have moved a little bit with 'Judge Judy,' " an anonymous insider said, "but they're concerned they haven't capitalized on 'Judy's' good numbers."

I wonder if it could be related to the fact that there are two unknowns at the desk at 5 p.m. that replaced Roz Abrams and Mary Calvi after just half a year. It's these constant changes and removal of familiar faces for cheaper, weaker talent that will continue to hurt CBS 2 News. Every new management team thinks it has the solutions, and that includes changing everything. The viewers have responded.

The Peter Dunn/David Friend team is very different from the one of Lew Leone/Dianne Doctor, which worked to acquire big names from other local stations. Dunn and Friend don't need them.

I also wonder how they expect to save money by paying Abrams $6 million to watch the news from her den for a few more years and not at least have her anchor until her contract runs out.

What do you think about these changes? Will they help CBS 2 or hurt them? Do you think more people will be let go in the near future?

CBS 2 Dumps, Reassigns and Renegotiates with Talent

The Daily News' Richard Huff says "It's getting uncomfortable inside WCBS/Ch. 2." Here's some more of what he reports:

Cindy Hsu's contract expires in March and will not be renewed.

Audrey Puente's status is still unclear. (John Elliott's first day on the air, Tuesday, was the same day that Puente filled in for Dave Price on "The Early Show," despite appearing to have a cold. She was introduced as being from New York's WCBS-TV.)

Veteran reporters like Lou Young are renegotiating their contracts to take pay cuts.

Political reporter Andrew Kirtzman has been reassigned to general assignment reporting.

Producers for CBS 2 News This Morning and at 11:00 have also been shuffled.

As for what Huff did not report, tech editor Brett Larson's bio was recently removed from wcbstv.com. He most often appeared on the morning newscasts (weekdays and weekends). A video search shows his last day as possibly being December 21st when he showed off the new Nintendo Wii system with Kate Sullivan. However, Larson appeared on Monday's taped edition of CBS's "The Early Show" and was introduced by Dave Price as being from WCBS-TV in New York.

And the same TVSpy poster who broke the news about Hsu and Larson mentioned that Long Island reporter Reid Lamberty is also on the way out.

John Elliott's First Day

"Weathercaster" John Elliott debuted on CBS 2 News today. He was first seen at 4:55 a.m. and he said, "I'm so happy to be here." He was welcomed at various times by anchors Brendan Keefe (filling in for Maurice DuBois) and Kate Sullivan but it wasn't until 6:09 before they mentioned where he comes from. Sullivan said he "hails from Michigan, most recently in Los Angeles and now in New York." "And I live in New Jersey," Elliott added.

For his debut, Elliott was generally very smooth but he made one error early. At 5:11, he went from the first slide in his presentation, the Almanac page, right to the Five Day Forecast. "And look, I've already made my first mistake," he pointed out. A few minutes later, he was back at the desk and he joked, "I'll have a clicker review during the next break," as he held up the device used to advance the slides. There is apparently a button on it that skips right to the five-day. "John, it took you 11 minutes to make your first mistake," Kate Sullivan said. "It usually takes me 30 seconds."

Elliott will also appear on CBS 2 News at Noon.

Elliott replaces Audrey Puente, whose status is "undetermined," according to a CBS 2 spokeswoman, the New York Post's Michael Starr reports. Puente first joined CBS 2 News in December of 2003 (read NewsByte2's coverage and see this Daily News article from 12/17/06) and served as Dave Price's backup on the morning newscast as he had to leave early to head to The Early Show's studio. She also handled noon weather duties and often filled in for Price on The Early Show. She became the full-time meteorologist for CBS 2 News This Morning on April 12 when Price left WCBS to focus on his national duties.

John Elliott Joins CBS 2 News

John Elliot will join CBS 2 News This Morning and at Noon as weathercaster, according to his bio page that was recently added to WCBSTV.com. He was most recently at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, where he spent the last two years, after a two-year stint at MSNBC and NBC News as weathercaster, anchor and correspondent.

Video of one of Elliott's final weathercasts on KCBS is available here.

His bio shows CBS 2 News This Morning as his new favorite program, replacing Everybody Loves Raymond for the top spot. He writes that he is in this business because he "love[s] the connection television provides with the viewers."

Elliot replaces Audrey Puente, whose bio is still posted on WCBSTV.com, though no assignment is listed.

And there are rumors of more weather changes in CBS 2's forecast to come. Stay tuned...