CBS 2 News's Sunday Morning Newscast

The Sunday morning newscast on CBS 2 News went on this morning for the seventh time since the September 11th attacks. Michael O'Looney and Alexis Christoforous anchored. Meteorologist Craig Allen had the forecast, and Lori Blanchard was in the CBS 2 Traffic Center. Last week CBS 2 issued a press release stating that this 8am Sunday newscast will continue through "Sweeps Month" November.

Sports Rap Live and MSN Messenger!

CBS 2's "Sports Rap Live", which airs Sunday nights at 11:30, began a new feature last night. As we reporter earlier, MSN Messenger has become a part of the fifteen-minute sports program. Viewers can add "cbs2sports@hotmail.com" to their contact list in MSN Messenger, and compose a message about the topics being discussed on the show. CBS 2 asks that you include your first name and your hometown. The graphic did not look the same as the one in the promo, and it did not include the hometowns. Only three comments were on the air last night, but I would guess that as more people download MSN Messenger, more comments will make it to the air. As sports anchor Gary Apple said, "Be a part of the action! Get online when we're on the air!"

MSN Messenger and CBS 2's Sports Rap Live!

CBS 2 began airing a new 15-second promo recently. It's with Gary Apple in Studio 43. He says, "Hi, I'm Gary Apple, CBS 2 Sports, and why be out there when the action's in here? Use your MSN Instant Messenger from MSN.com. Give us your feedback during Sports Rap Live, Saturday nights at 11:30 on CBS 2. Be a part of the action. Get online when we're on the air!" It appears CBS 2 will take viewers' comments and put them directly one the lower portion of the screen. Download MSN Messenger and watch Sports Rap Live at 11:30-11:45 tonight on CBS 2.

"Ask The Doctors" About Anthrax

As we reported earlier this afternoon, CBS 2 brought doctors back into the Information Center to take calls from viewers. The four doctors were: Dr. Robert Crupi (Flushing Hospital Medical Center), Dr. Seymour Thomas (St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center), Dr. Steven Miller (New York Presbyterian; he was in the Info Center last Friday), and CBS 2's own Dr. Michael Rosen. Kirstin Cole debriefed the doctors on the 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00 newscasts. The response was again said to be great, which often caused the lines to be busy. The phone line, 1-866-INFO-TWO, was open until 6:30pm.

More on the CBS 2 Information Center

As you may recall, last Friday CBS 2 used the Information Center for the first time during the late afternoon newscasts. J.R. Whalen, Manager of the CBS 2 Information Center, tells me, "Viewers were more than willing to pose questions to our medical experts. We were very pleased with the response; the CBS2 Information Center is designed to enhance our viewers' CBS2 experience and we believe it did just that. Look for more call-in segments in the near future." He also tells me that there will be more doctors today taking viewers' phone calls and questions.

CBS 2 To Send Reporters Young and O'Looney Overseas

Tuesday, 10/23/01, 3:00pm CBS 2 To Send Reporters Young and O'Looney Overseas
Today's Daily News reports that CBS 2 News's Lou Young will travel to the Middle East next week to report in that region for at least three weeks. Michael O'Looney will go to France where he will interview the head of Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organization) about tracking terrorists such as Osama bin Laden. CBS 2 News Director Joel Cheatwood tells The News, "We wanted a perspective from the opposite side of the coin. This is a story that demands a level of perspective and context that requires going halfway around the world to get." Cheatwood expects to spend thousands of dollars for the trips, mainly due to the high cost of satellite time needed to transmit the reports back to New York.
(Thanks to Michael for informing me about this article!)

Traces Of Anthrax In Dan Rather's Office

Traces of anthrax were found in Dan Rather's office, CBS News announced Monday, but in amounts so small that the anchorman and an assistant who has already contracted skin anthrax continue to use the space. The findings, from the city Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, buttress what has been an assumption: that the assistant, who opens Rather's mail, encountered the spores at CBS. “As anticipated, we have found some traces of anthrax in Dan's anteroom and office,” CBS News President Andrew Heyward said in a memo to employees. “So far, although this is not a final result, there is no evidence of anthrax in the newsroom or anywhere else we tested.” He said that the findings do not indicate any danger and that the CDC and the New York City health department advised “that it is safe to continue working in all parts of the building.” For more information, go to CBSNEWYORK.com.

Sunday Morning Newscast Continuing Through November

A CBS 2 Press Release:

CBS 2, which has provided expanded news coverage since the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, will continue to broadcast a Sunday morning newscast (8:00-9:00 AM) for the remainder of October and throughout the month of November.

“The events of the past several weeks, which continue to unfold daily, have led to an increased demand for information,” said Joel Cheatwood, Executive Vice President for News, Viacom Television Stations and WCBS-TV News Director. “CBS 2 remains committed to serving the public with the most up-to-date information of this developing story and will continue to expand the number of time periods we offer news as events warrant.”

(Thanks to Brian for sending this to me!)

"America Fights Back" Coverage

This morning on CBS 2, Michael O'Looney and Lisa Hill anchored the "early Sunday morning edition of CBS 2 Weekend News." The newscast was mostly coverage of America Fights Back and the Anthrax cases, but weather (with Craig Allen) and traffic (with Debbie DuHaime) was added. Tony Tantillo's "Breakfast With T" segment also aired. The newscast was an hour-long this morning starting at 8:00.

CBS 2 Information Center with Anthrax Answers

CBS 2 made its first major use of the Information Center today on its newscasts at 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00. At 4:08, Kirstin Cole was in the "Info Center" (behind the news desk in Studio 43) explaining that a team of doctors would be there to take viewers' questions. The phone number is 1-866-INFO-TWO, or 1-866-4636-896. At 4:42, Kirstin began asking the doctors some questions. She said that the phones "have gone wild" and the response was "amazing." The team of four doctors were Dr. Steven Miller (New York Presbyterian Hospital), Dr. Erika Schwartz (Trauma Specialist), Dr. Ian Tang (St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers), and Dr. Sheldon Landesman (Brookdale Hospital). The phone lines are open until 7:00pm.