Posted by chicagomedia.org on July 07, 2008 at 13:14:58:
In Reply to: Mark Suppelsa joins WGN-TV, WGN Newscasts expanded posted by chicagomedia.org on July 07, 2008 at 12:18:51:
Mark Suppelsa to co-anchor WGN evening news
Mark Suppelsa finally signed with Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Ch. 9, which said today it will install him as Allison Payne's 9 p.m. co-anchor later this month. The two also will co-anchor a new 5:30 p.m. newscast, the station intends to introduce in September.
Steve Sanders, Payne's WGN co-anchor at 9 p.m. for 15 years, will join Micah Materre in fronting a newly expanded midday newscast. Channel 9 said the 90-minute, 11:30 a.m. program also will launch in September.
Suppelsa has been off the air since walking away from Fox-owned WFLD-Ch. 32 in March and he technically was in limbo professionally until Channel 32’s contractual restrictions lapsed in mid-June. It had, however, long seemed likely he was headed to WGN, especially with the station poised to expand its news offerings.
"More local news programming throughout the day has been our objective for some time now," Tom Ehlmann, WGN's vice president and general manager, said in a statement. "Our current newscasts are well-established with viewers. … This truly allows us to expand from a position of strength."
Tellingly, Suppelsa had made a cameo appearance on WGN's morning news shortly after his WFLD exit, posing as someone with time on his hands taking a station tour. Since leaving Channel 32, Suppelsa also took a job as newscaster on Bonneville International's WTMX-FM 101.9 popular morning show with Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart, a role he plans to continue.
But before WGN finalized its arrangements with Suppelsa, it first wanted to sign a new deal with Sanders, a 26-year WGN veteran whose contract was to expire in the fall, and that would require no small amount of diplomacy.
Sanders had been caught off-guard by news the station planned to replace him at 9 p.m. He had been the station's noon anchor for nine years before getting the coveted 9 p.m. job. And it was lost on few that his 9 p.m. show -- alongside Payne and meteorologist Tom Skilling, who also contributes to the Tribune Co.-owned Chicago Tribune -- had been a bigger ratings draw than Suppelsa's WFLD broadcast despite the stronger prime-time lead-ins the Fox station enjoyed.
In a statement, Sanders called his decade and a half alongside Payne at 9 p.m. "a great experience" and said he was "excited about this expanded format for the 'WGN Midday News,'" which he said would provide "more time to cover stories of interest."
Suppelsa, who spent five years at WFLD after a decade at NBC-owned WMAQ-Ch. 5, said in Channel 9’s announcement that he was "thrilled to be able to join WGN," noting the station "holds a special place in the history and tradition of Chicago news."
(Rosenthal)