Posted by chicagomedia.org on May 15, 2009 at 12:12:36:
WMAQ-TV's 'City Desk,' 1952-2009
"City Desk," WMAQ-Ch. 5's local newsmaker interview show launched 57 years ago and folded into the NBC-owned station's Sunday-morning news program in 1996, goes away completely after this weekend.
The final edition of "City Desk" is set for the 9:30 a.m. half hour on Sunday. Hosted by Mary Ann Ahern and Carol Marin, it will be a retrospective of the program's run, which featured such panelists as John Chancellor, Len O'Connor, Jim Ruddle, John Dreiske and Dick Kay.
Citing the business climate, Channel 5 announced earlier this month it was eliminating its local Sunday-morning newscasts in favor of "The Talk," a weekly taped half-hour looking back at the week's most-discussed topics.
Most of WMAQ's new Sunday-morning lineup is set to make its debut on May 24th with a tribute to retiring lead anchor Warner Saunders scheduled to air at 7:30 a.m. in the slot where "The Talk" will make its debut on May 31st.
Marion Brooks, anchor of Channel 5's 4:30 p.m. weekday newscast, will host "The Talk." Ellee Pai Hong, who has fronted WMAQ's 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. Sunday newscasts, is leaving the station.
(Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)