The emergence of Channel 2's Jodi Johnson in the morning and Maryalice Demler at 6 and 11 p.m. might have played in the decision to hire Genero, who returned to her hometown for personal reasons. Genero's arrival resulted in Kathleen Leighton moving to the 5 a.m. shift. She seemed to inspire co-anchor John Kosich's sense of humor in her Monday morning debut, with Kosich cracking so many jokes that he appeared to be trying out for the Comix Cafe. By Wednesday, the comedy team kept the levity to an acceptable degree. On one of her first shows, she mentioned that her daughter suffered some bruises while playing.
Morning shows rely on such personal details being revealed.
Leighton also had the good sense after Kosich admired Channel 7's new set Monday to mention that the station also was concerned about covering the news. According to News Director Robert Yuna, Leighton figures prominently in the station's plans. He wouldn't discuss whether the offer would include a raise or a pay cut, saying salaries aren't discussed publicly. The third Channel 7 female anchor, Susan Banks, has the primary seat at 6 and 11 p.m. If Genero's numbers spike at 5 p.m. during the May sweeps and again in November and the other newscasts stay flat, there will be inevitable speculation that she might get one of Banks' newscasts.