Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review.

Q: I’ve noticed Jill Szwed has been on the morning news Monday-Wednesday. Is it really necessary to have two meteorologists?

— Catherine, via email

Rob: It is common for weekend forecasters in TV news to also work three weekdays to get to a full-time, five-day schedule.

Whether the weekend forecaster is scheduled on weekdays in the morning, noon, evening or night is, of course, variable based on a station’s needs for covering for vacation or illness or to augment coverage in a large block of news programming.

Is it necessary to have two forecasters on the air during one newscast? No, probably not, but it does happen at times and it’s a TV station’s prerogative on how to deploy their talent.

Q: Thank you for your piece on Netflix buying Warner Bros. Discovery. I had forgotten about the Warner Brothers’ connection to our area, so I really enjoyed learning about that again.

For devotees of Turner Classic Movies, like me, any time WBD is in the news, it makes us nervous. TCM has seemed pretty fragile the past couple of years, with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson organizing an emergency meeting with the WBD CEO after TCM layoffs and acting as volunteer advisors.

The Netflix news is unsettling, too, because the company has never offered much in the way of classic films. The thought of them acquiring the Warner Bros. film library makes me wonder what they would possibly do with it.

— Jonathan, via email

Rob: It’s an understandable concern.

In last week’s story on Netflix’s efforts to acquire WBD, I didn’t have space to get into what becomes of the WBD cable networks (TNT, TBS, CNN, etc.), which are still due to be spun off into a separate company.

It was announced in July that TCM would not be going with the cable nets and would stay with the WBD studio/streamer company. Will that still be the case under a Netflix deal, if Netflix’s acquisition of WBD even comes to completion? (I’m not at all convinced the deal with Netflix will clear global regulatory hurdles.)

I texted this question to Robert Gibbs, WBD CEO David Zaslav’s communications executive, and Gibbs replied that the plan remains for TCM to stay with the studio, which means if the Netflix deal comes to fruition, Netflix would gain ownership of TCM. Some Netflix sources are saying they will not get TCM in the deal. Gibbs maintains TCM is in the Streaming & Studios asset group and the transaction froze the makeup of each business. And that was all before Paramount Global launched a hostile bid for WBD this week.

Whoever lands TCM, my hope would be that they will tread lightly and give the deference to TCM that Warner Bros. has given after Hollywood directors protested cuts to the service. But at this point, it’s a big unknown. And given the regulatory hurdles, this likely won’t be a fast or smooth transaction. Netflix execs said they expect the deal to close next year, but I’ve seen speculation it may take significantly longer – maybe even several years — to settle who will ultimately own WBD.

Q: I know Rhiannon Ally left ABC’s “World News Now” and “GMA First Look” with a send-off, but where has Andrew Dymburt been? I can’t remember the last time he was on air.

— Dawn, Mt. Pleasant

Rob: While Ally moved to work a dayside shift at ABC News, Dymburt’s social media suggests he’s been anchoring for ABC News Live digital and reporting for “GMA” with a lot of responses noting his absence from the programs Dawn mentions.

Dymburt’s LinkedIn page and ABC’s press page still list him as anchor of “World News Now” and “First Look.” ABC publicists did not respond to multiple requests for clarification on Dymburt’s role at ABC News.

Earlier this month, ABC News announced Hannah Battah as co-anchor of “World News Now” and “GMA First Look” alongside Sophie Flay with no mention of Dymburt, so it appears he’s no longer an anchor on those programs.

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