April 5th, 2009 
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Happened to be flipping through this morning and noticed Cheryl Scott doing the weather on TV12.
I noticed the same thing John! I know Shannon Solo left for Nashville recently. Julie was doing weekend wx Sunday night on WICU. I wonder if this is the first of many moves to come under the WSEE and WICU regime. It would not shock me if WSEE and WICU merge their news departments and simulcast a newscast on one or the other. This is happening all over the country. Most recently at WYOU in Wilkes-Barre and WYTV in Youngstown. It looks like WICU is getting a new set as well. They are currently using a temporary set for the last several days.
It looks like some form of “merger” is happening between WICU and WSEE. Perhaps Scott Bremner could shed some more light on the issue? After all, didn’t he say there “was no merger planned?????”
I could see two separate newscasts in the morning as well as in the evening. However, it would not surprise me if both stations shared weather and sports anchors as well as reporters. The main anchors would stay at their respective stations.
WYOU in NE PA has shutdown the newsroom completely and is airing syndy programming for all newscasts. That happened over the weekend
Bremner doesn’t want to admit it is happening. Lilly probably has threatened the staff with their jobs if anyone leaks the info…but we all know it is happening. **edit**
Who’s to say that one of the WSEE newscasts could turn into a daily 1/2 hour Sportswatch program. It’s now a Sunday feature at 6 & 11pm so it is a possibility. This would give some cross promotion with WICU for news and WSEE for sports coverage. Otherwise, I see it as separate newscasts with resource sharing like is now being done in Cleveland according to Ohio Media Watch.
I just watched the 5:30pm 12News reports. Julie Coates is filling in for Rob Wilson. I must say that I think she does an outstanding job. I’m guessing she really likes the Erie area because I’m sure she could move to a larger market if she wished. During my travels, I’ve watched other talent in larger markets and I feel she is par or better than many of them.
I agree w/ you Jamison! Julie does a real nice job! She has improved so much since she first started w/ WICU.
Lilly is only building one news set so it is unlikely they run two newscasts at once like Youngstown does on CBS/ABC. I checked the online program schedule and it says that a 7pm newscast will be broadcast and a new 10pm newscast on the CW from newswatch. Sounds like the anchors from WSEE will be used for counter programming newscasts. Bet they move wheel or jeopardy to 6pm. Not sure what they’d do with morning show. Perhaps they will stick to national AM news 6-7 with cutins and send Rach and Ray doing the LA newscast only. Looks like FOX is going to be getting some competition.
Okay, “if” WSEE is going to do a 7pm newscast on WSEE and a 10pm newscast on the CW what happens to the 11pm news on WSEE “if” Lilly is only building one news set?
Is Lilly abandoning the 11pm news on WSEE? And as for the mornings? How can you do 2 competing newscasts from only 1 news set? Is Lilly planning on abandoning one of the morning programs?
Thanks for the info Jamie, looks like many more questions than answers at the moment. I just hope this WSEE/WICU merger works out, it would be a shame to ruin these 2 fine stations.
I hope Jeopardy stays at 7:30.
Not a bad idea to do a 7pm newscast on WSEE, like the former “hotline” edition of ICU News back in the 70′s and 80′s. I wonder what WSEE will do at 11pm with their news? It should be interesting. I am anxious to see the new set.
How do we know that WSEE will move their newscast? Maybe WICU will go back to the 7pm news like before. Wheel and Jeopardy are a powerhouse in ratings. Lilly may not want to mess with that. Furthermore Rach & Ray much better in the am than WICU or JET! Probably do the 10pm CW newscast live. Replay it at 11pm on WSEE.
They could always simalcast…Erie viewers would never know the difference. Or so 12/35 management hopes. This could be a great thing for 24…people will leave 12 & 35 due to this fiasco and run to 24 which has shown to be more stable.
Keep Raychel & Ray on 35 in the AM.
They are the best in the morning in Erie.
Raychel and Ray on 35, Soliday,McCormick, and Coates on 12. Both teams do a great job in the morning!
It would be a good move for WICU to go back to a 7pm newscast. WICU could continue to do a 5 and 5:30pm newscast, but the question would be what to air at 6pm? WSEE could do a live newscast at 6pm and a rebroadcast of the CW live 10pm newcast. Consolidation of staffs is likely. Unfortunatley, I could see a number of people getting let go.
WICU could bring back “Let’s Go To The Races!”
I think Inside Edition would be a good lead in for Nightly News. Rach & Ray should keep their deal in the morning on WSEE. I would assume that Newswatch at Noon would be the same since WICU has no noon news. If done right, could be a good thing for both channels. The more WSEE & WICU don’t compete with each other and put efforts to dethrone WJET the better.
In my opinion this is what the news schedule for both “merged” stations “could” look like from one news desk:
WICU: 5am-6am Morning News (Soliday, McCormick)
WSEE: 6am-7am Morning News (Vendetti, Petelin)
WICU: 6am-7am Early Today (NBC Net)
WSEE Noon News stays the same
WICU: 5pm-6pm News
WSEE: 6-6:30pm News
WICU: 7-7:30pm News
WSEE: 10pm Newswatch on The CW
WICU: 11pm News (No 11pm WSEE News)
It “could” work. It would take a lot of effort on the part of the employees left (?) to make the above schedule work. Considering the character and ethics of the employees at WICU/WSEE it could give JET a run for its money…”IF” that is what Brian Lilly decides.
Hopefully Mr Lilly gives the employees at WSEE-TV the consideration thay deserve and make a final decision so as to take away the current “fluid” status.
Tim, if your scenario comes to fruition, who would stay and who would go.
Jamison, I am not sure I want to speculate on who stays and who goes in a WICU/WSEE merger. However, I will say that (in my opinion ONLY) I feel the on air staffs can remain the same with no employment loss.
The only reason to merge is to save money. That means people will lose jobs. Who, is yet to be determiend, but I’m betting people will be cut.
I think Rachel & Ray are way overrated. Jill and Mark are the ones that keep my attention in the morning!
Keep your attention??? Seriously? Borrrring.
I’d rather watch paint dry than watch 12 News Today. At least Rach & Ray have some humor. Some of it is a little stupid but its way better than WICU and anything is better than WJET!
All 3 stations in the morning have their good attributes and their not-so-good attributes. Raychel and Ray have terrific chemistry and their comedic timing is not too bad. Mark and Jill are good news readers. However, there are times Jill seems to take editorial liberties with some of her comments about a story she finished reading. Cassandra and Tom do a good job, although at times Tom can get very technical with some of his weather explanations.
Not bad for a market Erie’s size having 3 competitive morning programs.
The fact that Jill makes those editorial comments is what I love most about the show. She says what I am thinking, and she makes me feel like she is one of “us.” That’s what I want in a morning show, someone that gives me the news in a clear and concise way, and yet can still make me feel like I am sitting at my breakfast table having a coffee with them.
Personality = Rach and Ray? eh…disagree. I find them to be a bit plastic.
90% of the on-air talent in today’s TV is plastic. They give you what they think you want, or what the consultants tell them you want. Real news anchors like Ned McGrath, or Huntely-Brinkley, are a thing of the past. Just like today’s news.
Any news that is planned at a 9 AM staff meeting isn’t news. I’ve watched a newsroom meltdown when a big story broke at 4 PM and the producer had to suddenly think on-the-fly to restack the show. Local news needs to quit reading the papers, i.e. USA Today and others, and start thinking for themselves. Find the real local stories, quit trying to make some kind of local connection to a national story