Alex Denis Returns

Alex Denis returned from maternity leave this morning. But she didn't go back to being the traffic reporter.

When Denis went on leave in the winter, Jill Nicolini, who had been doing WLNY's "The Couch," took over her CBS 2 News This Morning traffic duties.

Now Denis appears twice a morning with a new segment called "Now Trending."

She joins Lisa Kerney in returning from maternity leave to a much reduced role. Kerney had been one of the three anchors of "The Couch" in addition to morning sports on CBS 2 but, after giving birth, was back to just sports. (Kerney left CBS 2 for ESPN a few months later.)

Denis herself replaced Katie McGee as morning traffic reporter in January 2012 while McGee was on vacation for over one week.

Lisa Kerney Leaves CBS 2

Today was Lisa Kerney's last day at CBS 2.  She tweeted the news this morning:

Humbly grateful for an amazing run w/ my @CBS2ThisMorning fam & our loyal viewers! Leaving @CBS w many memories & grt friends! THANK YOU! Xo
— Lisa Kerney (@LisaKerney) January 29, 2014

She also tweeted at around the same time that she was headed to ESPN, according to NewsByte2 reader Brian, but quickly deleted that message.

Kerney joined CBS 2 in January 2012 as morning sports anchor in time to cover the Giants' appearance in the Super Bowl.  She, along with John Elliott and newcomer Carolina Bermudez, were the three original hosts for WLNY's "The Couch" when the show premiered that July.  She lost that position while on maternity leave this past summer to Jodi Applegate, who herself left shortly after this blog reported on her arrival.  The third host is now Jill Nicolini, who just recently joined the program as its traffic anchor.

New Graphics Make Morning Debut

This morning starting at 4:30 brought us another look at CBS 2's new graphics and a the new Enforcer's morning cuts.  A video montage is in the process of uploading and will be added to this post shortly.

Some notes:

1. The wording in the opening is changed a bit: "Live from Studio 46, this is CBS 2 News This Morning." Last night, it was: "Live from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City, this is CBS 2 News at 11."

2. The social media and website portion of the logo bug did not appear for the first two blocks (approximately 20 minutes) this morning.

3. The ticker was originally in sentence caps, meaning that most of the letters were lowercase, until a few minutes into the third block when the text became all capital letters.

4. The WCBS Newsradio 880 logo does not appear in the ticker anymore, making the "Traffic and Weather Together on the 8's" mention seem out of place.

5. The old morning theme was used a bunch of times today, including as a bed during top stories recaps as well as for local cut-ins during CBS This Morning.

6. The old logo has pretty much been wiped from CBS 2's air, except for in a few small spots.  The cups used by Chris Wragge and Mary Calvi still show the "CBS 2 HD" logo and it can also be seen in the close, which is a promo for the "YourDay" mobile app. The desk still has the same CBS 2 logo inside a box, which has been used since the studio debuted nearly two years ago, but still does not directly match the new look.

7. There does not seem to have been an update to WLNY's "The Couch" presentation, which used a look very different from the regular graphics.  WLNY's next newscast is tonight at 9:00 and that newscast's graphics have been more in line with the CBS 2 look (though maintaining its own style).

8. These graphics have also debuted on KYW in Philadelphia and KCBS in Los Angeles. KYW has already added the new gold-3 logo to the top of CBSPhilly.com.  KCBS's logo already had a gold 2 in their logo. (WCBS's gold 2 has not been added to CBSNewYork.com yet but it's possible that it'll stay all blue as they're using an all-blue WLNY logo as well.)  It looks like the other CBS O&Os will eventually get the upgrade.

9. The previous theme is being used in teases for the noon news again this morning. Also, Dana Tyler is doing the teases. (The noon newscast is usually anchored by Chris Wragge and Dana Tyler.)

Update:
Here's the video:

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).

Morrison Resigns

Rob Morrison resigned from CBS 2 News today and released this statement:

My family is my first and only priority right now and I have informed CBS 2 management that I need to put all of my time and energy into making sure that I do what's best for my wife and my son. I very much appreciate the opportunity that CBS 2 has given me and I thank them for accepting my decision.

He had been the anchor of CBS 2 News This Morning and CBS 2 News at Noon for the last two years and previously anchored on weekends and reported during the week.

Morrison tweeted this afternoon:

Sincere thanks to our family, friends, colleagues and viewers who continue to show support. It's humbling and overwhelming.
— Rob Morrison (@RobMorrison1) February 20, 2013

To those who prefer to believe the outright lies printed in the tabloids, I ain't mad at ya. Goodluck.
— Rob Morrison (@RobMorrison1) February 20, 2013

Morrison spoke with FishbowlNY's Jerry Barmash and was defiant when it came to the police charges of red marks on his wife Ashley's neck: "Police can say anything they want. Is there any sort of photographic evidence? There is none."

The Daily News reports Morrison faces five years in prison if convicted of the strangulation charge.

Proof that you can't believe everything you read about this story, there are contradictory reports about what happened behind-the-scenes Monday morning.  From the Daily News' story:

Officials at WCBS were livid that the "News at Noon" anchor allegedly lied to them about the bruises on his face when he came to work Monday, sources said.
He "misled station management and has made a horrible situation even worse," a source said.

Whereas FishbowlNY reported a source said yesterday:

"Evidently, he lied to the station about how his face was injured when he called in sick. That alone is a serious offense."

He either called in sick or showed up for work, depending on which source you believe.

The station's website quickly pulled Morrison's bio today (though they still list Asa Aarons, who was let go months ago, as a reporter).  Promos featuring Morrison have been pulled from the air.  The topical spots for the morning newscast now feature only Mary Calvi speaking and a full screen graphic has replaced the shot of the anchor team smiling.

The CBS 2 News This Morning Facebook page (which, incidentally, Morrison created when he moved to weekdays) changed its cover photo to an image of the Manhattan skyline, though team photos including the now former anchor are still visible when looking at older images.

Wragge to Fill in for Morrison

Chris Wragge announced on his Facebook page this evening that he will be Mary Calvi's co-anchor on CBS 2 News This Morning tomorrow.  Don Dahler filled in yesterday and today for Rob Morrison, who was arrested for allegedly choking his wife.

Dahler has a four-day workweek as a result of his morning and evening anchoring on weekends, meaning he usually reports on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Wragge is of course no stranger to mornings, having co-anchored "The Early Show" on Saturdays for a couple of years before moving to the weekday version for 2011.  But there is definitely a difference to going on air at 7:00 a.m., as he did with the network, and going on at 4:30 a.m., as he'll  be doing tomorrow.

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.

KYW Pays Off Bet With CBS 2 News This Morning

Start spreading the news.

Before the World Series began, the morning team at KYW-TV in Philadelphia bet the crew of CBS 2 News This Morning that the Phillies would win. If they were right, Maurice DuBois, Kate Sullivan, John Elliott and Katie McGee would have to sing Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom" live in New York and Philly.

Last night, the Yankees beat the Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 of the Fall Classic, bringing home the Yankees' franchise 27th ring. That meant the CBS 3 Eyewitness News This Morning team of Ukee Washington, Liz Keptner, Maria LaRosa and Bob Kelly had to sing Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York." CBS 2 rubbed it in a little more by showing video of the champagne celebration in the Yankees' clubhouse during the early morning performance. At the end, both teams said they were hopeful to be at it again next year.

If you want your ears to bleed, check out the simulcast from CBS 2 and KYW.

New Morning Campaign

CBS 2 News just debuted a new promotional campaign for the morning newscast. The eight spots feature the team of Kate Sullivan, Maurice DuBois, John Elliott and Katie McGee in front of that familiar white background comparing their morning news to different parts of the morning routine.

Here's one of the spots: "It's Like Coffee"

Here are links to the others:

"It Just Fits"

"A Real Pick Me Up"

"It Just Goes"

"It's Minty"

"It's Like Bacon"

"Fresh is Better"

"Something to Smile About"

NewsByte2 contributor and eagle eye David notes that these look similar to promos done a month ago by Boston's WBZ: "It's Like Coffee," "Fresh is Better" and "It's Like Bacon." We tweeted this on @NewsByte2 and heard back from Lee Grossman, executive producer of CBS 2 Promos:

wbz spots inspired our campaign... we created 5 new spots and cbs-2-ified 3 of theirs. i'm very happy and proud of this campaign

The promos began airing today.

Saturday Morning Changes?

Today, Priya David filled in for Mary Calvi on CBS2 News This Morning alongside Steve Bartelstein. David is a CBS News reporter who can be seen on the Early Show and occasionally on the CBS Evening News. It was not clear if she was trying out for the job or just filling in because CBS2 was short-handed. In a funny moment, David smiled while talking about the Yankee's loss against Toronto. Bartelstein reminded her that she shouldn't look too happy about it.

The Saturday Early Show was anchored by Chris Wragge, Lonnie Quinn, and CBS2 Alum Andrea Stassou, who is the current fill-in host of CBS Up to the Minute. Stassou was at CBS2 until November 2006. Also, BMX Star Mike Spinner was one of the guests, doing stunts on the plaza. CBS2's Lonnie Quinn tried to replicate them with mild success.

New Morning Ticker

CBS 2 News debuted a new ticker this morning that makes traffic and weather more available. The left side, titled "Roads & Rails," picked three locations (59th St. Bridge, Battery and Bayonne Bridge) and updated viewers on their statuses (which this morning were "no problems," "no delays" and "moving well," respectively). The right half presented the forecast for the morning, afternoon and tonight, including forecast icon, temperature and brief description.

It's not clear exactly when the new graphic is supposed to be visible as it shared the bottom of the screen with the usual ticker that's been in use for over a year.

(Snapshot from wcbstv.com's video library.)

Daily NewsBytes

Richard Huff's Tube Talk in today's Daily News has a lot of information about CBS 2:

> Kristine Johnson will "eventually" return to anchoring CBS 2 News at Noon with Chris Wragge, the station says.

> Katie McGee is the traffic and entertainment reporter for CBS 2 News This Morning.

> Emad Asghar, who was named executive producer of CBS 2 News at 11:00 back in January, now has that title over at the "CW 11 Morning News."

> And, says Huff, "There is a real downside to good weather - it frees John Elliott to terrorize people on the streets." Elliott reported outdoors a few times earlier this week at noon where he "has been turned into a roaming goofball for the station's noon news."

Happy May Sweeps! (It began yesterday.)

Katie McGee Does Traffic

Katie McGee returned to CBS 2 News This Morning, this time as a traffic reporter. She first joined the newscast in October of 2002 as an entertainment reporter, where one of her first stories was on the announcement of the new anchor team for The Early Show, according to the NewsByte2 archives. That was after having done traffic for NBC 4's "Today in New York." McGee left CBS 2 in early 2006, around the time that the "2 Crew" was being dismantled.

It is not clear whether McGee has permanently rejoined CBS 2 News or whether she's just filling in.

CBS 2 Storm Watch

It's the first big snow storm of the season and CBS 2 is planning additional coverage. Meteorologist John Bolaris is calling for about two to four inches of snow across much of the area but up to a foot in the northern suburbs. The morning commute promises to be messy and CBS 2 News This Morning will begin an hour early at 4 a.m. to cover it, as well as the all-important school closings. During such snow events, CBS 2 often provides brief weather updates at the top and bottom of the hour during the day. The evening commute also looks to be troublesome and CBS 2 News will likely continue its team coverage.

Stay tuned, stay warm and stay safe.

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...

Outdated Morning Promo Still On The Air

The CBS 2 weather team lineup was altered last week, with Ira Joe Fisher moving to the morning newscast. A promo for CBS 2 News This Morning, which includes Janine D'Adamo, aired a few times today. It would probably be best for CBS 2 if it was slightly updated to replace Janine with Ira. (When this promo first premiered in late September, the title of the newscast was originally stated as "The CBS 2 Morning News", but a few days after we reported that the name was inaccurate, the promo was updated and called it "CBS 2 News This Morning".)

CBS 2 Coverage Of The Winter Weather

As winter weather threatened the tri-state area for the second time this season, CBS 2 News This Morning provided extensive coverage. Ira Joe Fisher handled the forecast, Scott Sumner was in the Weather Center with local information, and Rachel Lutzker updated the viewers on the traffic situation. Once again, a ticker kept viewers informed with school delays and cancellations. J.R. Whalen and the CBS 2 Information Center also reported on these delays. Viewers were able to reach the Information Center by calling 1-866-INFO-TWO. Whenever winter weather and icy roads can affect your day, stay with the CBS 2 Information Network and the CBS 2 Information Center.

Motivating Yourself 2 Fitness with J.R. Whalen

J.R. Whalen of the CBS 2 Information Center writes to tell us of a new series of segments on CBS 2 News This Morning, which premiered this morning.

For the next 6 Fridays, CBS 2 will be following me on a rigorous fitness and workout program. It will be tied in with a company called Exude, based in NY City, that is fitness center. Viewers will learn what the most common mistakes are when people go to the gym and/or work with a trainer, and the easiest ways to correct those mistakes.

For more information, visit www.cbsnewyork.com.

"America Fights Back" on CBS 2 News

CBS 2 News This Morning begins one hour earlier tomorrow at 4:00am as "America Fights Back" coverage on CBS 2 News continues. It does not appear that the 9:00am and 3:00pm special newscasts will continue any longer (unless any big breaking news occurs).