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Published on Thursday, 05 July 2012 15:43
Robin Robinson may
not be gone from WFLD-TV this month after all. Despite numerous sources, including FOX employees in Chicago and other markets asking to be anonymous, all saying that FOX would be unable & unwilling to offer a new contract to Robinson this month, it appears she and the station may have come to terms on a one-year renewal agreement.
Robin Robinson has been lead news anchor at WFLD-TV for 25 years -- ever since it first launched full newscasts in August 1987. Her current contract with the station expires at the end of this month. Due to extremely low ratings and an extremely tight budget, which also begins its fiscal year this month, multiple insiders last month told of WFLD-TV's releasing of the Chicago news veteran at the end of her contract.
Chicagoland Radio & Media was the
first to report this news last month.
Today, there is a
report from the Chicago Tribune's Robert Channick, claiming there has been a surprising change of heart at the FOX-owned station. Supposedly Robinson will get only a one year deal (most contracts tend to be two or three year deals). If true, this new deal would put the end of her contract very close to the end of her 9:00pm newscast partner's contract. Bob Sirott's three-year deal with FOX as WFLD-TV news anchor expires in July 2013.
So... is Robin Robinson out later this month or is she staying with WFLD-TV? Last month, the definitive answer to that question was positively "out." Less than three weeks later, that answer isn't so definitive at all. CRM is awaiting clarification on Robin Robinson's contract situation from WFLD-TV officials, as well as others close to the situation, and will update this article with additional information as it comes in.
Robinson, 54, is a Chicago native who has been working in TV news for 33 years, with 28 of those years in her hometown. She began in 1979 as reporter for San Diego's KGTV-TV, later moving up to morning news anchor. Three years later, she accepted a job as a consumer reporter for Denver's KMGH-TV. Two years later, in 1984, Robinson was brought back to Chicago to be the consumer reporter for WBBM-TV/CBS 2. She was later promoted up to weekend/fill-in news anchor and reporter.
In 1987, WFLD-TV was looking to launch full newscasts on its station and put together a new and exciting news team. One of the first hired was Robinson (then going by the name Robin Robinson-Brantley), who was paired up with Philadelphia news anchor Kris Long to be the "Fox 32 News" nighttime news anchors. Long was her co-anchor until 1993. From 1993-2004, Walter Jacobson was her co-anchor, followed by Mark Suppelsa from 2004-2008 and Jeff Goldblatt from 2008-2010. Since 2010, she has been paired with the aforementioned Bob Sirott.
Robinson is the last remaining on-air staffer from WFLD-TV's original news team from 1987.
