ABC-owned WLS, where an unknown from Baltimore named Oprah Winfrey took over their ailing "AM Chicago" talk show in 1984 and made it hers in more ways than one, is planning a live studio audience talk show at 9 a.m. weekdays when Oprah's run ends in September--Time Out Chicago's Rob Feder says that the showrunners (whose resume includes that iVillage spinoff crapfest of a few years ago) are looking at ESPN's Bonnie Bernstein, WLS Radio talk show host Roe Conn (whose afternoon program with Sun-Times columnist Richard Roeper is simulcast on NBC- owned WMAQ's new Non-Stop Chicago digital channel), former Fox-owned WFLD anchor (and former FNC Chicago correspondent) Jeff Goldblatt, Bears great Walter Payton's daughter Brittany (who hosts a fluff magazine show on Tribune-owned WGN and sister cable news channel CLTV), reality show guy Bill Rancic (who was on the iVillage show) and sports loudmouth Stephen A. Smith (!):
http://feder.blogs.chicago.timeout.com/2011/01/12/abc-7-gets-serious-in-auditioning-hosts-for-fun-new-morning-show/ HLN's Rafer Weigel (whose dad Tim worked for WLS as a sportscaster) was also on the list, but he told Feder that he'd rather stay on "Morning Express" with fellow former Chicagoan Robin Meade. If Rancic gets the gig (and personally, I think he's got the inside track), I would not be surprised if his wife and Style Network reality show co- star Guiliana would join him, since she's not the "star" at E! "News" as long as Seacrest is there and it looks like Seacrest won't be leaving there for some time to come. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
