Wragge In New AM Promo

Since Rob Morrison's sudden departure from CBS 2 in February, Mary Calvi has been without an official co-anchor in the morning and at noon.  Chris Wragge, who had co-anchored the 6:00 p.m. and WLNY 9:00 p.m. newscasts, has been filling in since February 20th, but no announcement has been made about it being a permanent change.

Topical promos for CBS 2 News This Morning, which had featured just Calvi since Morrison left, began including Wragge a few weeks ago.  Now, nearly three months after becoming a temporary team, the two appear in an "Expect More" promo for the morning newscast in what appears to be a sign that the change is more permanent than not:

Wragge's bio still identifies him as the 6:00 anchor (but it also says he will co-anchor the WLNY broadcast "beginning this summer," which was last summer).

Lots of Breaking News: Ferry Crash and Crane Collapse

It was a busy day for breaking news in New York.

CBS 2 broke in after a commuter ferry crashed into Pier 11 at South Street Seaport at around 8:45 a.m..  Mary Calvi handled the early coverage and was soon joined by Rob Morrison.  Jim Smith reported from above the scene in Chopper 2 and, because of a chopper sharing agreement with Fox 5, Smith was also heard reporting "in SkyFox."

John Slattery reported from the pier via Mobile 2 signal by 10:22.  At 10:51, Sean Hennessey was live at New York Downtown Hospital, where around 20 of the injured had been taken, and the camera showed very close-up images of patients being loaded off ambulances.  Dr. Max Gomez later joined the coverage from the desk with analysis on what types of injuries might have been suffered.

As if often the case during special report situations lately, WLNY switched to airing CBS network programming, so viewers looking for "Let's Make a Deal" and "The Price is Right" didn't miss their shows if they knew where to look.  CBS 2 ended their special report at 11:30 and included more coverage during the regular noon newscast with reports from Slattery, Hennessey, Gomez as well as Tony Aiello in the newsroom and Steve Langford at the scene.

CBS 2 News interrupted regular programming again just before 3:00 with news of a 380-foot crane collapse in Long Island City, Queens.  Dana Tyler handled the brief special report with Chopper 2 coverage from Joe Biermann.  The station switched to "Dr. Phil" at 3:04.

CBS 2 broke in once again at 4:15 to carry an NTSB press conference with coverage anchored by Maurice DuBois until 4:30.

Sullivan Leaving CBS 2 News

Apologies for being late in reporting this...

Robert Feder blogged Wednesday night that morning and noon co-anchor Kate Sullivan is headed to WBBM in Chicago to co-anchor the evening newscasts there. According to Brian, the print edition of the Daily News reported that Sullivan's final day is this Friday. The New York Post says Lisa Daniels, who was once a reporter and weekend at CBS 2, is among the possible replacements being interviewed, then reported the next day that weekend anchor Mary Calvi was the leading candidate to replace Sullivan.

Sullivan joined the station and a retooled CBS 2 News This Morning with Maurice DuBois in April 2006. The pair also took over the noon newscast last year.

Rob Morrison To Join CBS 2 News

NewsByte2 has learned that Rob Morrison, formerly of WNBC, will join CBS 2 News. His first day is scheduled to be Monday, according to an e-mail sent out this afternoon to staffers. Morrison will be anchoring Saturday and Sunday mornings with Mary Calvi and report three days a week. He previously anchored WNBC's "Today in New York" until May of 2008. Late last year, Morrison authored this blog post on The Huffington Post about suddenly being a stay-at-home dad.

Cindy Hsu, who had been co-anchoring with Calvi since Steve Bartelstein abruptly resigned March 17th, will return to weekday reporting with a focus on families.

New Round of Still Photos Promos

CBS 2 is now airing what looks to be a second round of those still photos promos. Reporters Mary Calvi and Lou Young are featured as well as the morning team of Maurice DuBois and Kate Sullivan.

"Reporting What Matters"


"Knowledge and Experience"


"Start Your Day with a Smile"

CBS 2 News Covers Pope Benedict XVI's U.S. Arrival

Pope Benedict XVI's airplane arrived at Maryland's Andrews Air Force Base a few minutes ahead of schedule, pushing up CBS 2's coverage. Originally planned to start at 4:00 p.m., CBS 2's special report kicked off at 3:52, making it the first local station on the air (the others started at the top of the hour).

Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson anchored the report and spoke over live video of the pope's arrival ceremony. They were joined at the desk by Father Joseph Chapel of Seton Hall University's Immaculate Conception Seminary. Mary Calvi reported live from Washington, D.C. in front of the Catholic University and spoke with Father Mike Russo, a professor at St. Mary's College. She was later joined by the Catholic University's Frank Persico. John Slattery also reported from Washington and Tony Aiello was live at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, where the pope will visit Friday afternoon. The lower-third graphic during the live coverage provided all sorts of biographical and historical information but also reported that Pope Benedict XVI plays the piano, listens to Mozart and Beethoven, and is the first pope to own an iPod.

CBS 2 News at 5:00 began at its usual time (4:58) with a special pope-related opening. Calvi, Slattery and Aiello returned to provide live reports and Sean Hennessey also reported live from the Flatiron District with how the city's subways are stepping up security. Pablo Guzman, Jennifer McLogan and Scott Rapoport contributed packages related to the pope's New York visit. Lonnie Quinn came on in the third block of the newscast with an abbreviated weather forecast. After a recap of the papal top stories, the 5:30 half-hour covered the rest of the day's news. Lonnie Quinn's forecast at 5:50 included "Weather for Papal Visit," a summary of the weather for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

At 6:00, Dana Tyler and Jim Rosenfield continued with more coverage of the pope. Calvi, Slattery and Hennessey were back with live reports and Hazel Sanchez, live at St. Patrick's Cathedral, joined the team. Rosenfield reported on the first time a pope visited the United States back in 1965, with appearances by Bill Plante and Harry Reasoner. It was the first time in recent memory that an entire black-and-white package has aired on CBS 2 News. The 6:00 newscast returned to the rest of the news in the second block.

CBS2-HD Team Coverage of Crane Collapse

CBS 2 News provided extensive coverage of the Crane Collapse on Saturday. Breaking news updates cut into NCAA basketball and coverage continued online at wcbstv.com. At 11PM, Mary Calvi anchored live from the site of the collapse, while Don Dahler covered the rest of the day's news from the studio. Samantha Knapp, Jay Dow and Dave Carlin all contributed live in a split format during a breaking news event. Jim Rosenfield and Chris Wragge had anchored from Westchester and Brooklyn, respectively during severe weather. Mary Calvi last anchored breaking news during an explosion of a brownstown on East 61st Street in July of 2006; Roz Abrams was in the studio.

CBS 2 News Covers Spitzer's Resignation

CBS 2 had at least five separate special reports as news of Spitzer's imminent resignation broke.

At 9:06, Chris Wragge broke in from Albany to announce the news that Governor Eliot Spitzer would announce his resignation today. This eight-minute special report included Andrew Kirtzman in the studio, Mary Calvi in Albany and Marcia Kramer in the newsroom.

Chris Wragge returned to the air at 10:10 with word that Spitzer was scheduled to make an announcement before the media at 11:30. Back in the studio, Kirtzman spoke with political strategist Joe Mercurio and Kramer was in the newsroom with more. This report went until 10:16.

CBS 2 broke in again at around 10:50 to carry Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno's press conference. Dana Tyler and Jim Rosenfield anchored this special report and signed off at 11:03.

Tyler and Rosenfield returned at around 11:10 to cover Spitzer's transportation from his Upper East Side apartment to his offices on the East Side. Chopper 2 provided live pictures of the motorcade as Tyler and Rosenfield talked with Kirtzman about the implications of what was about to happen. Spitzer came to his podium at 11:43 with more apologies and, at 11:45, announced his resignation, effective Monday. His statement lasted three minutes. Rosenfield and Tyler then continued anchoring the commercial-free coverage through 12:27, the time when CBS 2 News at Noon usually signs off. Wragge provided several live shots from Albany, including a brief chat with political analyst Bob Bellafiore. Calvi also had a package air from the state capital. Jay Dow reported live from Harlem with that area’s reaction to the news that David Paterson is about to become New York’s first black governor and Tamsen Fadal had even more reaction from Midtown. John Elliott came on with a brief weather forecast at 12:25 before Rosenfield and Tyler recapped the morning’s events and promised to be back at around 1:00 with State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s press conference.

CBS 2 News returned at 1:04, going straight to Speaker Silver’s press conference during which he took questions from reporters. This ended at 1:15, when Rosenfield and Tyler tossed to Calvi, who briefly spoke with State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, the Brooklyn Democrat. This special report ended at 1:17.

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.

CBS 2 News Covers Giants Win

The New York Giants upset the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game Sunday night, advancing to the Super Bowl in two weeks. CBS 2 News at 11:00, anchored by Mary Calvi (Don Dahler was off), had team coverage: Sports director Ducis Rodgers was in the studio with highlights; Jackie Hyland was live at a sports bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn with fan reaction; and sports anchor Sam Ryan was live at Lambeau Field in Green Bay with player interviews. Rodgers had another 30 minutes of Giants coverage on Sports Sunday beginning at 11:35 and Sam Ryan provided more reports from Green Bay.






CBS 2 News announced yesterday that Ducis Rodgers, John Discepolo and Hazel Sanchez will file reports from Phoenix, site of this year's Super Bowl, beginning Monday.

"Design Week" Airs Tomorrow

CBS 2 will air "Design Week," an hour long special produced with House and Garden Design Happening, tomorrow at 1 p.m. Chris Wragge and Kristine Johnson host the show and Mary Calvi, Kate McGee, Magee Hickey, Scott Rapoport and Alexis Christoforous will provide reports. For more information, click here for the press release.

CBS 2 News Covers the Nor'easter

CBS 2 News brought in some big names to cover the big storm tonight.

Regular weekend evening anchor Mary Calvi was joined by weekend evening anchor Jim Rosenfield at the desk in Studio 46. Meteorologist John Bolaris had the forecast in the weather center and reported that, as of 6:30, 5.51 inches of rain had fallen in Central Park, making it the wettest day in 30 years and the sixth wettest day of all-time. He tossed to weatherman Lonnie Quinn in Lindenhurst on Long Island. Brendan Keefe reported from Grand Central Terminal, with the news that Metro North service was suspended and added that, had this been snow, it could have been more than 40 inches. Christine Sloan reported from Secaucus, Westchester reporter Tony Aiello was in Larchmont, Dave Carlin was in Freeport and Lou Young was in Greenwich, CT. Elizabeth Hur (whose name was shortened to Liz on the graphic and by Mary Calvi's script) reported in the second block from LaGuardia Airport and CBS Newspath's Bianco Solorzano was live in Sea Bright, NJ.

Storm coverage continued until 6:55, interrupted only by two commercial breaks. CBS 2 then reported a non-weather story: an update on the health of New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine. Ducis Rodgers then did sports before the 6:30 p.m. newscast closed.

The coverage felt similar to that of snowstorms, except that the live shots looked more like TV news coverage of hurricanes with the wet and blurry camera lenses. A ticker ran across the bottom of the screen with additional information.

CBS 2 News This Morning will begin an hour early at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow with storm coverage.

CBS 2 News Covers Times Square Ball Drop

In a departure from CBS 2 tradition, the station lucked out from CBS Sports programming that went late and was able to be live as the ball dropped in Times Square tonight.

The "NFL on CBS" coverage concluded a few minutes after 7:25, instead of 7:00, delaying the entire network schedule and meaning that CBS 2 News at 11:00 with Mary Calvi started late. The 35-minute long broadcast managed to be delayed just long enough so that it would end one minute after midnight, allowing for Brendan Keefe to report live from Times Square in time for the countdown, the confetti and the fireworks. Video from wcbstv.com is available by clicking here.

In recent memory, CBS 2 News has not provided live programming as the New Year arrived, usually airing a taped "The Late Show with David Letterman" when New Year's Eve fell during the week while ABC and NBC were live in Times Square.