WTF Happened to KNBC News Anchor Chris Schauble?
Guess poor Chris Schauble has been suspended/demoted/transferred to weekend anchor at KNBC, Los Angeles duty after his WTF moment.
Chris Schauble was reporting an update about Jaycee Dugard, the California woman who was kidnapped in 1991 and held for 18 years in the backyard of a convicted rapist. The video shown, however, was of Abby Sunderland — the 16-year-old girl who went missing for several days last month while trying to sail solo around the world.
The video mixup prompted Schauble to mouth the explicit phrase (which is an abbreviation for “What The Fuck?”) to viewers. It didn’t take Chris long to realize that the camera had returned to two-shot frame and still being filmed.
The network has since issued an apology over the incident. NBC Los Angeles told TMZ Thursday: “This morning one of our morning anchors mouthed an inappropriate word on air. It was inadvertent and we regret the error.”
Kind of a shame for Chris. I enjoyed his early morning banter and his fitness pieces early in the morning. Now, the only good part of the early morning news is the weather and traffic:
Elita Loresca of KNBC, Los Angeles
Yeah, I know I am shameless to sneak in a photo of Elita.
But, I met Chris Schauble at the Los Angeles Marathon Expo last March and he was a nice, stand up type of guy. Let’s hope he serves a brief purgatory on the weekends and rejoins the early morning news team.
And, soon…..
321 Comments
Do You Care
I can’t bring myself to watch the morning show any longer. I have gone to channel 5. Not because I like them better but I can’t watch the Trainwreck of a show any longer. I wonder if the management in charge of Today LA needs to be changed- clearly the morning show continues to disapoint. Will they listen to their audience or do they even care about their audience? Alicia Lane is about the nastiest, most self centered person I’ve ever seen do the news- and she was supposed to replace Jennifer Bjorkland- are you kidding me? What a mistake to break up the Chris, Jennifer and Elita team.
edmooner
OMG! First Jennifer, then Chris -KNBC mgmt, you are incompetent. Kathy, Alyssia and Elita are terrible: LOL. I’m now watching channel 2. Geez.
edmooner
OMG! First Jennifer, then Chris -KNBC mgmt, you are incompetent. Kathy, Alyssia and Elita are terrible: LOL. I’m now watching channel 2. Geez. Who is the girl, Sean Murphy?
edmooner
OMG! First Jennifer, then Chris -KNBC mgmt, you are incompetent. Kathy, Alyssia and Elita are terrible: LOL. I’m now watching channel 2. Geez. Who is the traffic girl- Sean Murphy?
Kobe
Jennifer Bjorklund was good and cute…new girl Lane is a tramp. She had lots of problems back East google it.
Dee Dee
We Miss Chris!!! Bring him back. The show needs him. He is a great professional that made an honest mistake. GET OVER IT!
Amanda
Bring Chris back! There’s definitely a huge hole without him!
Pat Frey
I can’t stand the giggle city that is now the morning news, today was my last morning, I’m off to channel 7. Bring Chris back and I”ll come back!
Roxana
Bring Chris back…until then my husband and I have switched to Channel 7
Melina
Sorry to hear that. Worse yet-sorry to see him mouth that phrase! I was wondering what happened to him and well, I was shocked and lost respect when I saw it.
Yes, we all make mistakes and I realize he was a terrific anchor. But come on now….haven’t we all become too complacent in lowering our standards and morals? If our children are expected to live up to standards to keep this country going, shouldn’t our television personalities and professionals be required to set good examples? Or are we all losing our “marbles” and simply-nobody cares anymore?
I enjoyed Chris as much as everyone else, and yes, I wish he was still on. However, complacency has brought our society, country and economy to its demise. It’s time to stand up, get real and rebuild-character, morals, values and ethics.
Mickie
I definitely miss Chris. HIs style of reporting,his charm and warmth were the reasons I watched KNBC…not any more .
Kathy
I was so saddened to find this post. Every morning I turn on channel 4 to see if he is back from what I thought was a vacation, when I don’t see him in his seat I change the channel and watch other news. I really enjoyed his workout segments and I gained great respect in him with his marathon running. He not only was a good anchor but he is a great example of getting in shape and helping people get in shape.
I have raised 3 great young adults, very respectful and loving, all 3 educated (youngest is about to start her college life) I mention this because I do not agree with the posting about standards and morals. If you raise your children with standards and morals but also with the knowledge that we are all human and as humans we make mistakes. They won’t judge others for small mistakes but they will hopefully realize that with mistakes come apologies and a lesson learned. Saying WTF is definitely not the end of the world and in this horrible economy it shouldn’t be a demotion for a Father who is working to support his family. That is the bigger issue here to me….how scarey is our society that you better be 100% …. 100% of the the time or face life altering changes. NONE of us are that perfect!!
I agree our country is on a decline and complacency is not a good thing but in this case a local news man that mouthed the words getting demoted is not going to change our future. No one except his poor family will even learn a lesson here. An apology was suffice.
Linda M.
Please add me to the list of those going elsewhere to watch the morning news. NBC has been the ONLY station I would ever watch in the morning, until now. Chris was the true anchor, and now there is no “substance”. He is a wholesome, family man with a real presence and who holds the program together. Please don’t drop your standards to that of so many of the other news programs with the cackling women. Kathy, Alyssia and Alita are professional and do a great job, but desperately need Chris to bring it back to the Number 1 news program it’s always been (and not all these blah substitute guys that really aren’t making it happen). NBC, PLEASE listen to your listeners!!! I, too, am going to another station, probably Channel 5, until he returns. And shame on the one who didn’t let him know the camera was back on him.
PJB
My husband & I just got back from an extended vacation and kept waiting for Chris to show up – maybe he too was on vacation?… Kona IronMan is not until October…. ?
So today I discover the suits at KNBC elected to shoot themselves in the collective foot by removing the best man on their week day morning news program. Seriously? By removing Chris from this postion we feel you have removed the cornerstone and strongest newsperson on this program. The error Chris made was a mistake – an accident. Apparently the viewers are adults and understand this. Wonder why the KNBC executives did not. Whomever at KNBC sanctioned this short-sighted, knee-jerk reaction and bad move will regret it from the looks of the viewers that will turn to other stations for their morning news. We certainly will.
Carl
Wow, news is just not the same anymore. After awakening from a long illness battle, Chris is no longer an anchor and now we have woman hackling continuously. Chris was a monumental anchor and i looked forward to his daily workouts. Looks like I have to move back to Fox, which has more local news & hackling men & women. We miss you Chris, please come back to morning news.
Karen Blackfield
Bring back Chis!
I, too, cannot watch the channel 4 news without him. This is all so ridiculous and crazy. Please send all these above comments to the big “cheeses” at NBC.
Put Chris back on the news NOW!
Sprout
I also wondered why there was no mentioning of Chris’ whreabouts and am shocked to see the reason that Chris is no longer on the morning show. Especially, in this Hollywood infested area that fills the daily airwaves with trash talk and trash people. Chris was professional, articulate and motivating with the daily workouts tips (only wish they had been longer). I’m a female who likes to see professional (actually more important than big boobed) women on TV but the 3 cackling ones on the current show are irritating to me and I have already started changing channels. Hopefully, managment will soon recognize their error with their ridiculous kneejerk decision and get Chris back on KNBC.
Vicki
Please bring Chris & Jennifer back to the morning news. They had a great rapport, & I enjoyed watching them.
Watching the blank-stared Alyssia and the frowning Elita makes me switch to Channel 7. What HAS happened to NBC?
Why are they not responding to viewer’s concerns? And, while we are on the Elita bandwagon, why doesn’t NBC hire an actual meteoroligist for the forecasting? Channel 2 & 9 have several, and Channel 7 has one.
WHY EVEN BOTHER WATCHING CHANNEL 4 NEWS IN THE MORNING?
Fan from Colorado
Chris, I used to see you on the news in Denver. When I moved back to L.A. in 2008 I was supprised to see your familiar face here in L.A.
I enjoy seeing your fitness reports and anchoring the morning news, and am looking froward to your return.
Rick Perlstein
This is absolutely ridiculous. I started watching CBS news this morning. I watched Today in LA for the news, as reported by Chris, and of course love Elita, but now they have started reporting on Catering trucks and all sorts of irrelevant crap. Time for CBS or ABC. If NBC brings Chris back, I will again tune in, otherwise, off to CBS and ABC.
Maria Ashbaugh
Without Chris the CBS morning show IS NOT the caliber it used to be. Please bring him back. The show needs him!!
Fan for Torrance
Bring Chris back, I can’t watch CBS news until he returns.
SANDY
Please bring Chris back! I really miss him! It’s just not the same without him! For the first time I am now switching to channel 7. Can you please report on what the viewer ratio was and is now that he is gone?
kerry
Is Chris coming back?
Dee
I’m off to other channels as well. OK, so Chris made a mistake. I suppose it’s the first one ever made on live TV. Big deal. You dumped Jennifer Bjorkland for that airhead Kathy and those other 2 gigglers. I’ve watched KNBC morning news for well over 10+ years, but I’ll go somewhere else.
George
Can’t stand to watch the news with Kathy Vara. PLEASE bring Chris back. He is the only reason I enjoyed watching it. Watching Kathy Vara is like having the chalkboard scratched with a nail. I can’t tolerate the morning show anymore. BRING CHRIS back!!!! She is unbearable.
RVJ
KNBC management,
Are you getting the point? You have taken the mistake he made and YOU turned it into a PR issue. People really like Chris! You should have let him apologize and then moved on. Your current combination of talent gives your news show a small market feel. It does represent Los Angeles well. If you decide not to bring Chris back then at least fix what you replaced him with so that it marketable.
George R.
I do not believe a man with a family would be judged so harsh in these times for a mistake even though he did not say the word. Chris is an asset to your morning news cast and I have decided to boycott all of channel 4 newscast moving forward because of this. It was horrible to watch this morning. Please get him back on asap. Hello ABC.
Fargo
To All,
Bring Chris “BACK” to the morning news it’s not the same – everyone makes a mistake at one time or another I know he’s apologize and regrets that it was caught on the air. He have paid his dues so let move on and bring the morning news ratings back UP!. I have been a loyal morning news watcher for years (bring him back, and lets move on).
Gail
I am about to jump ship. I have woken up to the NBC morning news for over 28 years. I realize a mistake was made, banning Chris off the morning show has gone to far. Even God forgives if we repent. Watching the ladies in the morning just isn’t cutting it. Then it seems like a double a stardard Elita can wear clothes that show every curve for every young man to see, and nothting is done or said about that. The computer guy was there before, but I am not feeling the new traffic guy. They mentioned that they have brought back some males but these males are not working. Bring Chris Back!
Gail
I am about to jump ship. I have woken up tohe KNBC morning news for over 28 years. I realize a mistake was made. Banning Chris off the show has gone to far. Even God forgives if we repent. Then it seems like a double atardard, ‘elita can wear reveling clothing for everyone to see including young males and nothing is done or sid about that. Watching the ladies in the morining just isn’t cutting it. The new computer guy and the new traffic guy are not the males that would make me want to watch the show. Bring Chris Back!
Pat
I have watched channel 4 news in the mornings for decades; even back when Ann Curry did the world news slot before the local news started. Being a vacationing school teacher I wake up later in the summer but I am still able to see a little of it. For the last few mornings I have been wondering what happened to Chris and I discovered in a conversation with a friend this week that Chris has been demoted. I get it that he made a mistake but this is ridiculous! An apology should suffice and he should get his position back. I will not continue to watch Today in LA if he does not come back. BRING CHRIS BACK!!!!
Cliff
Yeah, Bring him Back.
This is really petty. I’m starting to look around. Although, maybe he’ll get a better job hopefully in the LA market. He has a real good chance of getting better treatment. Management was obviously looking for an excuse.
Fire up that resume buddy !
Ginny
I have been a loyal viewer for several years. First you replace Jennifer and now remove Chris for an action that frankly any normal person would do if in his position. You are going to lose ALOT of viewers if you do not bring Chris back. Ask yourselves – did anyone really even complain about his action? You made a statement by removing him, now look after your ratings and bring his back. He’s the only one with any level of credibility – without him – it’s simply second rate.
Randy
WTF ?. Thats what I said to my wife when we found out Chris was no longer on the morning show. We have since been watching ktla 5 for our morning news, they are professional and dont try to sell their programming with fake women. The show needs the leadership of Chris. without him those women seem lost and confused. I will go back to nbc when Schauble comes back.
Larry m
I like Chris, miss him in the morning. That said these three girls are too giggly. Need a male anchor in the morning. Commercial running on being a yogi and an equestrian that they run is over the top
Concerned View
I have tried to give this a fair chance, but I have to say that the morning news is not the same without Chris Schauble. I hope that NBC listens to its viewers. Based on most of the comments posted, he is missed. I have watched the Channel 4 morning news for many years and I’m quite disappointed with the team now. I turn back to watch the Today Show. Please – bring Chris back. He is an asset to NBC and to the morning news and does not deserve to be demoted.
I miss Chris
What more can I say…bring Chris back! He’s the only reason I watch news in the morning. I don’t care for the new format and have decided to switch from NBC to KTLA. If Chris returns, I’ll return.
Tasha Jones
Bring Chris back…I will not watch until he returns.
where is the morning workout?
I miss chris… give him a break- he is the only reason I watch channel 4 and now I have to go back to local 3 which is nothing but news about high school football and santa barbara commercials…. BRING BACK CHRIS! BRING BACK CHRIS! BRING BACK CHRIS!
Sharon
Please bring Chris Schauble back! My husband and I miss him in the mornings with the ladies.
Leigh
Put Chris back on or I will start my day with another new channel. Come on, we’re in 2010, not the 1920’s. He’s a good flavor to the morning show. I enjoyed his morning workout suggestions. Bring him back!!!!!!
Theresa Dunn
BRING CHRIS BACK PPPLLLEEEAAASSSSEEE…… IM ON 7 FOR NOW UNTIL I HEAR THAT VOICE AGAIN.. LOTS OF PEOPLE LOVE AND MISS YOU CHRIS
Janice Jackson
WOW!!! THAT’S JUST NOT RIGHT LETTING CHRIS GO LIKE THAT. I ASSUMED HE WAS ON VACATION UNTIL WE WENT INTO THE 3RD WEEK. COME ON HE ONLY SHOWED THAT HE IS HUMAN LIKE MOST OF US. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, IT’S PART OF LIFE. HE’S A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN THE MORNING WHILE I’M GETTING DRESS FOR WORK. I’M TIRED OF LOOKING FOR ANOTHER STATION. I FIND MYSELF LOOKING AT THE CHARMED ONES. I ENJOY MY 6 AM NEWS WITH CHRIS. PLEASE BRING HIM BACK.
Marva Butler
I really miss Chris and I was wondering what happened to Chris. Come on ch 4 an apology would have and should have been sufficient. Management has made huge mistake. Please fix it before you lose more am viewers
Donna Hankinson
I had been wondering if Chris was on a very long vacation and finally remembered to check the internet to find out if there was any mention of why he’s been missing in action on Channel 4. Come on, NBC — what Chris did seems like a very minor infraction and the punishment awfully severe. Since moving to SoCal two years ago, I have enjoyed waking up to his voice every morning and think he’s a tremendous asset to Today in LA. I miss Chris and hope management will come to their senses and reinstate him ASAP. He is sorely missed.
Greg Chewe
Wow, I have read many of the posts here and everyone has positive things to say about Chris Schauble, including myself. I thought perhaps he was on vacation. I decided to research it and now I find out he’s off the air for what I consider a forgivable/minor infraction. I always gravitate to NBC, channel 4 in the mornings, because Schauble brings a certain spark to the show, while teamed up with the other crew members. Without him, the freshness and liveliness is gone.
I appeal to management to bring him back, because the man has skills. I understand he should be counseled, however let’s move on and let’s be progressive about it. As many in these posts have stated, we all make mistakes and it’s an all inclusive learning experience. He’s attracted many viewers, myself included. I like the diversity of this morning news show, because it was somewhat representative of LA’s demographics. I do not consider this a major offense and I look forward to his return. Thanks.
Meg Jenks
Not enjoying the AM news without Chris Schauble. And what’s with the new traffic guy Sean Murphy? He needs to go back to wherever he came from. Time to look elsewhere for my AM news fix.
J
I think this is rediculous! PLEASE BRING CHRIS SCHAUBLE BACK! The news is boring! Obviously by the posts of other people are commenting that they want him back. I have been watching channel 4 news for years !
RA
Don’t you think it’s time you stop shooting yourselves in the foot! AM news is just not what is was with Chris. I had often remarked how articulate, good looking, and a great voice, Chris is, albeit Kathy and Alicia do a good job, Kathy is better by herself. We all make mistakes. Even MSNBC, e.g., Kent and Kathy, Christopher Nance, Rachel, Steve (traffic) and now Christopher S.. I only hope you listen to your viewers this time. Shame on your unforgiving ways.