WNEV-TV first revamped newscast 1982
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- This sequence contains a couple promos for WNEV-TV/Boston's new anchor team, Tom Ellis and Robin Young, followed by excerpts from the first "NEWSEVEN" broadcast in the fall of 1982.
All rights are acknowledged.
I interned at SE7EN during the Fall of 82, and among weekend news graphics and assorted intern duties, I was part of the new day dawning. I built, routed and painted the big sign in the back behind the newsroom you can see at around 3:25. Upon graduation I was hired as News Graphics Designer... It was a fun time to get into TV!
I love how the opening refers to "New England's leading news team". After the first day, the ratings sunk bank into last place; the opening was soon changed to "New England's news channel". It's tough to be leading when you're in last place.
Tom Ellis and Robin Young were gone from WNEV within just a few years of their debut (Robin left first). Tom is now doing weekend news for New England Cable News; Robin is a radio DJ.
It's great to see the Dream Team premiere, Robin later went on to be one of the four anchors of the syndicated USA Today The Television Show, which flamed out in about a year and a half, the most expensive failure in TV history.
Ellis first came to Boston way back in '68 buddy, when he became lead anchor at 'BZ for about seven years. He then went over to WABC in 1975, and in '78 returned to Boston by sharing the lead anchor role at WCVB. In 1982, Tom opted not to renew his contract with 'CVB, instead jumping at WNEV's deal to be their new lead anchor with Robin Young. If you sift through the comments below, you will learn about Robin's fate at WNEV.
In between May 1982 and September 1982, WNEV used the old WNAC anchors and sets.
You're right, Diane Willis apparently had the lead anchor job since early '84, which was even before The New England News name was adopted. Therefore, it was Willis that first anchored weeknights with R.D. Sahl in 1986, before she in turn was replaced with Kate Sullivan the following year. Sahl and Sullivan's tenures at WNEV actually date back to the '83-84 time period, however, they were covering other dayparts before their respective promotions to the weeknight news.
OK, that jogs my memory pretty well now. Although I was right in saying that Robin remained with WNEV through 1987, it wasn't on the news as she did many specials for the station after she was removed from the news. Her departure from anchoring was quiet as far as I know, since that event was the first fissure of the "dream team" backfiring. I do recall Diane Willis being Tom's partner, but for some reason remembered her as only a fill-in and then maybe a 1986 interim after Tom left.
Steve Murphy (one of Wright's co-workers at ATV in Nova Scotia) mentioned in his autobiography that Wright was hired at WNEV in the fall of 1986 after Ellis was "demoted". That would imply they worked together for a while at least...
While there might have been a ratings spike on the first day due to viewer curiosity, I think they announced Tom & Robin as "New England's leading news team" because 1) Ellis and Young had already made a name for themselves and garnered ratings success at other stations, and 2) to trick viewers into thinking that the new SE7EN had zoomed up to the top of the pack over that summer while the changes and announcements went on - in order to keep viewers in place.
It's already a pretty good open for the early 80s. But it went pretty well when all the bells and whistles were added.
It seems as if my memory on the progession of this station's lead team in the mid 1980s was pretty foggy, since there was much turover after Robin Young was taken off the news. So Tom left in late 1986..and it was Wright & Sullivan as the lead pair in 1986-87? That would make sense because Wright was at WNEV from 1986-88, and in his second year he anchored NEN: Live at Five with Diana Williams.
Robin was pulled from the weeknight news before Tom - after a little less than a year, actually. Tom was partnered with Diane (pronounced Dionne) Willis for his final few years on the station, while Robin was shunted off to do specials for the remainder of her original three-year contract. Robin was greatly criticized for being out of her league on the news.
Tom Ellis used to work in New York before coming to Boston in 1982. Obviously he never left. Whatever happened to Robin Young.... she didn't stay too long if I remember.
Actually, I believe Tom left first, sometime in 1986. Robin Young stayed on through 1987, with R.D. Sahl being her anchor partner in '86-87. When Young left, Kate Sullivan took her place. I do not believe I am mistaken.
What i'm still pondering is, did the transition go from Ellis/Willis to Wright/Sullivan or was one pair doing 6 and the other at 11 for a few months? Also, if you read below I already confirmed my knowledge on Young leaving the news before Ellis.
"Here & Now" which also airs nationally on XM Satellite Radio.
They decided to change their call letters WHDH in the late 80s/early 90s to emphasize their ties to WHDH radio. A few years later, Sunbeam Television bought it, but retained the WHDH call letters.
OK, just as I thought. What was Ellis doing during his last months at the station in the fall of 1986? Reporting? That wouldn't exactly be considered a demotion, since anchors report in the field all the time..in that case, was he anchoring in other dayparts then? As for R.D. Sahl, it's looking to me now that HE was the lead anchor who took over in Sept. 1987, after Dave Wright moved to Live at Five..
the old 1940's era PCCs are still in use by the MBTA on the Mattapan line.
Oh cool. But those two journalist are still there, right?
So, wait. WNEV "flipped the switch" in May... but didn't debut NEWSE7EN until the fall? What happened in the interim? I assume they still did news during that time.
Newse7ven later became the New England News, & when the call letters were changed again to WHDH, they were News 7, before Sunbeam of Miami, the same owners of WSVN bought the station in 1993. In late 1993, it became 7 News, a new logo, same as Miami's, still with the same music & the same voiceover first used in 1993, & now a different affiliation in NBC.
WNAC/WNEV/WHDH News titles, over the years:
NewsRoom 7 (circa 1974-1982)
NEWSE7EN (1982-1984)
The New England News (1984-1988)
News 7 New England (1988-1990)
News 7 (1990-January 1994)
7 News (January 1994-present)
Also interesting to note that Tom Ellis wasn't the only person to come over from 'CVB to give the new WNEV a boost: Janet Langhart was also former co-host on 'CVB's Good Morning! prior to this stint. She is now married to former US Secretary of Defense William Cohen.
I wonder who came up with the sideways V representing the 7. I think it's an inventive idea, but it drives my orderly brain crazy. It's like the V has fallen and can't get up!
Heh, snyone notice the PCC Green Line car flash by for those two seconds, sadly by the time I was born PCC cars were finally gone.
DId Dionne have a stop between Boston and Indy?
Thanks a great deal.
Is wnev still on in boston?
thanks vaultmasterdbt. Tom was actuallt shown in the 70s movie MARATHON MAN starring Dustin Hoffman
This is the year i was born yay
For some reason, the "he's special" under the guy's picture at the 2:47-2:56 mark makes me laugh.
CNN? Who said that? lol..He's been with New England Cable News (NECN) for the last 15 or so years.
but after the switch in 1995 from CBS to NBC now next year 2017 will lose NBC
+Jean Vargas Alvarez I LIKE THAT!! Now if Comcast would offer the Westinghouse stations swallowed up by CBS, that would re-ignite TV history!!