WLS Adds ‘Live With Kelly and Michael,’ Drops 11 a.m. Newscast

By Merrill Knox 

WLS, the ABC O&O in Chicago, is dropping its 11 a.m. newscast after more than 20 years this fall, according to Chicago media reporter Robert Feder.

The cancellation is because WLS has acquired the syndicated “Live With Kelly and Michael,” which has previously aired in Chicago on CW affiliate WGN. Beginning in the fall, WLS will air “Live” at 9 a.m. The locally produced “Windy City Live” will shift to 11 a.m., displacing the newscast, which has been anchored by Linda Yu and Sylvia Perez since its 1992 debut.

WLS will launch a web-only newscast that will air at noon, “ABC 7 to Go,” WLS president and general manager John Idler said.

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“ABC 7 News is one of our greatest strengths and we’re parlaying that resource to meet the changing needs of our audience with ‘ABC 7 to Go,’ ” Idler said in a statement. “There’s no question ‘Windy City Live’ has also become a dynamic part of Chicago – creating a buzz, attracting a loyal following and keeping morning viewers entertained. By incorporating the resources and reach of ABC 7 News, ‘Windy City Live’ will give viewers another reason to watch.”

Feder reports that the Tribune Broadcasting-owned WGN will replace “Live” with a sixth hour of the morning newscast.

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