WNBC Debuts "Daily Connection"

 Tracie Strahan and Erika Tarantal host the first edition of Daily Connection

       When I first heard that WNBC was going to launch a local version of Daily Connection, I must admit that I was skeptical. The premise of Daily Connection is that NBC will send the show to its O&Os nearly complete, with stories, graphics, and anchor scripts already made. Each station can tweak it to their liking, but for the most part, it is a pre-fab current affairs show. First launched at WRC in Washington last autumn, Daily Connection has expanded to WMAQ in Chicago, KNBC in Los Angeles, and (obviously) WNBC in New York. 

      I have to say though, I am impressed by the quality of the show-it's certainly not a news show in the traditional sense, but the stories are all interesting, yet not sensationalist. Tracie and Erika add some witty banter to the stories, something that makes the show substantially more interesting than it would have been otherwise. Another nice addition is a pre-recorded weather forecast by Chris Cimino-I'm not sure if this has been added at WNBC's discretion, or if it's slotted into the format of the show by NBC.

       Overall, I think this is a welcome addition to WNBC's daytime schedule-it is certainly much better than the Access Hollywood repeats that used to be aired in the 12:30pm timeslot. I wish this show could be expanded to an hour, and replace LX New York at 5pm-LX is a show that is aloof and irrelevant to the vast majority of the viewing audience, and it must be costly for WNBC to make. Daily Connection is an an innovative concept, and although it isn't locally sourced, it is still a show that is worth your time.