Can ‘Monsters’ bring Channel 2 back from the dead?
To say that WBBM-Channel 2 has nothing to lose by flushing its morning show down the toilet is an understatement. Last month the CBS-owned station averaged a paltry 0.8 rating from 5 to 7 a.m. weekdays. You could probably reach more people with a bullhorn on an L platform.
Dan Jiggetts and Mike North
But in ditching its traditional morning news format in favor of what Bruno Cohen, Channel 2’s president and general manager, calls “something new and smart that will differentiate CBS 2 from its competitors,” there’s still no guarantee the station will pull out of dead last in the time period. The plan Cohen announced Wednesday for “Monsters and Money in the Morning,” debuting Feb. 1, clearly aims to go after men with its emphasis on sports and business.
“We are targeting an underserved television audience – Chicagoans who are passionate about sports and want to stay on top of local business news and personal finance – while at the same time continuing to provide the news headlines, weather and traffic information that people want before leaving home in the morning,” Cohen said.
The “Monsters” in the title refer to the veteran sports/talk duo of Mike North and Dan Jiggetts, whose live, three-hour “Monsters in the Morning” show on Comcast SportsNet Chicago ends its one-year run at the end of the month. (Cancellation of the show was attributed to lack of advertising support.) The “Money” people in the new lineup are Sun-Times columnist Terry Savage and former CNBC business reporter Mike Hegedus.
What’s missing in the mix is a substantial news presence — other than headlines and traffic from reporter Susan Carlson and weather from meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist. On mornings when real news breaks out, Channel 2 is likely to turn to all-news WBBM-AM (780) for a hand. That’s in keeping with a new corporate mandate to promote synergy among CBS-owned television and radio stations.
Competitors were quick to dismiss Channel 2’s low-budget gambit as smoke and mirrors. Said one rival executive: “They can’t cover the news, so they’re not even going to try.”
But at the very least, Cohen and news director Jeff Kiernan deserve credit for offering something different in a traditionally tough time slot. Just as Weigel Broadcasting’s experimental “You & Me This Morning” is worth keeping an eye on, Channel 2’s “Monsters and Money in the Morning” may have potential, too. It’s a cinch it’ll beat the snoozefest that’s on now.
Elsewhere on the media beat:
- On the same day Randy Michaels was promoted to chief executive of Tribune Co., its flagship radio station, news/talk WGN-AM (720), dropped to 25th place in the Arbitron rankings with a 1.9 percent share of listeners between the ages of 25 and 54. Michaels is the “radio genius” who was tapped by Sam Zell to run the far-flung media empire. Funny that Michaels and all the former Clear Channel cronies he brought in can’t even fix the radio station a few floors below them in Tribune Tower.
- Another shoe dropped Wednesday at classic rock WLUP-FM (97.9) with the appointment of Pete McMurray as evening host. It was the last piece of the realignment after Monday’s ouster of morning star Jonathon Brandmeier from the Emmis Communications station. “Last time Pete did evenings for us he was ‘filling in,’” St. Louis-based program boss Rick Balis told staffers. “Now he is a permanent fixture.” Or at least as permanent as anyone at the Loop these days.
- In the spirit of the season, I’m happy to note another twist on around-the-clock holiday music programming: Chicago-based Moody Radio has brought back its religious “Sounds of Christmas” channel, featuring “Christ-focused Christmas songs without all the Santas, Rudolphs and holly jollies,” according to Moody’s national program director, Denny Nugent. It’s streaming online at MoodyPraise.org and via HD Radio on 90.1 WMBI-FM HD2.
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12 2009
blogs.vocalo.org
CBS is cemented in dead last. It will be interesting to see if Monsters can really put it out. I will be watching because I watch all the other stations in the morning and this will be different.
“What’s missing in the mix is a substantial news presence”… are you referring to the present broadcast or the future one? So no more ‘reporters’ standing outside and empty, closed courthouse where a trial took place the previous day? No more ‘reporters’ standing in front of a sports stadium where a game will take place later that day? No more ‘reporters’ standing on a corner on the south or west side reciting police blotter details of a gang related murder they will never follow up on or shed any more light upon? Yeah, how will we all get by without that?
what about me?
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/blogshakalaka
i give ch. 2 credit for trying something. and mike north is talented. of course, i think i’m more talented, but maybe i confuse talent with the ability to spell “narcissism.”
How long will it take for Chicago’s Very Own Lout to ask Susan Carlson or Mary Kay Kleist if they use vibrators or other questions about their sex lives? Chicago’s Very Own Village Idiot did that and worse while working with the Score. So I doubt if soon to be unemployed Bruno is going to draw either the audience or the demographics he wants. The target audience for the Village Idiot is the unemployed and the paroled.
Why not have Walter Jacobson handle the news on the new show?
How in the world does Pete McMurray get this job when there are so many credible rock personalities available that are currently out of work? Pete has never been more than a dollar store wanna-be of his hero Johnny B. He is not funny, not thought-provoking or entertaining, and has zero identity or credibility with rock music fans. When a programmer (Rick Balis) is forced to run two stations in two different cities, I guess the easiest way to get things done is the only way. It’s this type of disconnected programming approach that has brought radio to it’s knees. Former programmer of WLUP (early 90’s), Balis should know better…
This is of no surprise. Actually, ALL of the local morning newscasts, with the exception of WGNs, IS a snoozefest. They all attempt “happy talk”, etc and fail. The addition of the “Monsters” will be a nice addition to the morning talk scene; as they are currently on Comcast.
By the way, Rob, its great to have you back on the TV/Radio beat. No one does it better!
Like him or not, Mike North has some sticktoitness? This guys got more lives than 10 cats put together. I think when the worl ends there will only be Mike North and Keith Richards left standing. Bruno is trying something different and for that I give him credit. I think that Dr J John Najarian would have been a better choice for the financial part of the show but to each his own. And to Mr. Cohen if you need a Real Clown for the 4am-5am hour I will work that shift for some free booze! I’m not saying.. I’m just saying.
CBS Channel 2 would do better with “Captain Kangaroo” classic reruns in the morning…
Roseanne Tellez & Randy Salerno fronted a tremendous morning news program, which has floundered since Salerno’s untimely death.
It’s hard to believe Mike North will improve much on a 0.8 rating. At best, he brings as much negative as positive; and it’s probable his track record of misogyny & racial insensitively will lead to another ratings fiasco for Channel 2.
What a stupid idea. Bringing in a has-been like north, who couldn’t draw viewers to Comcast, sure isn’t going to bring in any viewers to CBS. The 0.8 ratings they had is going to look real good compared to what the new show will get. Is David Hernandez going to give money tips?
I agree. It is great to see you reporting on Chicago media. Mike has been drawing listeners for years. Some love him, others hate him, but they always have an opinion and that will remain the same on Ch.2
Since Bruce is yelling for a job and shouting his talents, I’d like to throw my hat in the ring to…apparently the ring no one is checking out.
I meant also…
Who wants to start a pool as to when North is fired or suspended for something he says?
It’s inevitable [a word that North undoubtedly kant spel]! And yes, I deliberately spelled those two words just as North would!
Agree with Shakes in that Najarian would’ve been a better choice than Terry Savage, whose “in the know” quasi-advice is often lacking. It’s the difference betwen Feder & Lazare, shall we say…
On the Score, Dr. J. was a major contributor to the GREAT show “Stocks & Jocks”, which aired weekdays from 5:00-6:00 AM and was hosted by “The Chief” Tom Haugh of PTI Securities here in Chicago. These guys were/are actual brokers in the pits, with tons of experience & instant/accurate takes on the markets.
Put that show on Channel 2 doing the back-and-forth with North & Jiggetts would at least give them a chance to improve on the 0.8 by bringing in the financial junkie.
“CBS Channel 2 would do better with “Captain Kangaroo” classic reruns in the morning…”
Correction: The entire network would do better with “Captain Kangaroo”.
I’m pretty sure reruns of Criminal Minds would do better in the ratings than Captain Kangaroo, but I wouldn’t want to start my day with that either.
It’s always good to try something new and different. People usually scoff at the idea and usually it doesn’t work, however, if it actually does, it will change the face of morning news. At .8 now, it’s worth a shot. Although CBS really needs to try the same strategy with their Early Show, which is unwatchable, except for on the weekends.
Hey….what does Ch.2 have to lose. They will never be able to compete from 5a – 7a with a standard news show. The only downside is this is a further reduction of news on Ch. 2 and they are losing credibility. But my guess is one local station will eventually get rid of news altogether and Ch. 2 could be that station.
Looks as if this doesn’t work, Captain Kangaroo can make a comeback! Or some other morning kiddie show that will educate & entertain with the morning cereal.
This happened in the overnight news competition. All 3 networks had latenight/early morning news, 2AM-5AM. ABC was the winner hands down, followed by CBS and NBC, the biggest loser, ended up bowing out & showed reruns of the now defunct Tonight with Jay Leno.
Sounds like CBS might follow this pattern if things don’t work out.
Maybe Bruce Wolf can audition for the clown . . .
“something new and smart”? you’ve got to be kidding. it’s new i guess. smart? i suppose you can call north smart. a genius even. how else can a hot dog vendor with a bunch of cockamamie opinions get people to give him millions of dollars?
as for randy michaels, when is someone going to go up to the guy and say, “you know what pal, radio was a lot better when each station had its own PD, MD, and airstaff…which actually broadcast from that city. And the most important things were the listener and the community, and not some corporate stock price. thanks for helping ruin an entire medium”.
Mark Cosenza, you are absolutely correct about the Early Show on weekends. Why that formula doesn’t work during the week is beyond me. But I do prefer watching the Early Show on Saturday/Sunday mornings. I guess NBC/ABC are too much of a juggernaut to compete with it.
on the loop, what happened to “get the led out” at 8PM ?
dr j…….good idea, liked him and the chief
northy…..not a fan, but give him credit, like jason, nothing this evil never dies, boers and bernstein killed with their reaction
CBS would do better putting remote cameras in at WBBM radio and simulcasting newsradio 780 (maybe add some video from last night’s news broadcasts to go with stories). I agree, Bob. Having some well coiffed-kid and a crew stand outside someplace where nothing is happening is ridiculous.
WGN is still number three overall. Their audience has traditionally skewed old, like AM talk radio, in general. In all fairness, that’s what Michaels has to work with.
Why does a racist blowhard like MIKE NORTH keep getting jobs ? See story on Channel 2 website about SENN High School deciding Mike North’s comments about Asians was offensive. If he said something about other races would this be a non-story ? I am amazed he continues to appear as an expert or talking head everywhere. Especially on Channel 11 – I expect more quality from public television.
Channnel 2 should do an experimental rotation – with some new and old faces. Try new chemistry and change the boring format.
Regarding the headline, who will bring North and Jiggets back from the dead?
What a stupid concept! This show is a joke. Bring back Roseanne Tellez. The last thing anyone needs first thing in the morning is mindless banter and overblown egos.
Channel 2 hurt itself by dumping Stacia Dubin a few years ago. That morning show was just starting to get its legs when they pulled the plug on her.
This is awful in the morning. Men and women watch news. How can you say it’s geared toward men and women interested in sports? We also want to see the news in the morning. Yup, Captain Kangaroo, Criminal Minds etc. would be welcomed more Where is Rosanne and the rest during this time? Probably watching other news stations like the rest of us.
This is awful in the morning. Men and women watch news. How can you say it’s geared toward men and women interested in sports? We also want to see the news in the morning. Yup, Captain Kangaroo, Criminal Minds etc. would be welcomed more. Where is Rosanne and the rest during this time? Probably watching other news stations like the rest of us.