WTAE executives' decision to play musical chairs with their news anchors -- Andrew Stockey gets promoted to 5, 6 and 11 p.m.; Mike Clark goes to morning and noon; Michelle Wright anchors once a day at 6 p.m.; Sally Wiggin anchors once a day at noon; Wendy Bell stays put at 5 and 11 p.m. -- shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The groundwork was laid for it in June 2006 when Bell was promoted to 5 and 11 p.m. anchor and started appearing in promotional spots with Stockey.

The decision to diminish the anchoring air time of Sally Wiggin, disappointing though it is, was sort of expected, too. Of course, WTAE news director Bob Longo denied this is an instance of a station pushing out an older female anchor. Even though, um, Wiggin is older. Wiggin is a woman. Wiggin will be seen on the air less beginning next week.

"Absolutely false. Absolutely, positively false," Longo said vehemently about how viewers are likely to see Wiggin's lighter anchor schedule. "Other TV stations in this town in the past and other TV stations in other markets in the present, people are dinged, but that is not happening here. Our folks have new assignments, and everybody is accepting that."

Longo is right when he says Wiggin is well-suited to "get" interviews because of her connections in the community. But another reason Wiggin can land the big interviews is because the people she wants to talk to are accustomed to seeing her on the news every night. Noon is one of the least-watched, least-demographically desirable newscasts, so she won't be getting the same sort of exposure.

Why make these changes? Longo wouldn't say, but I suspect positive research on Stockey, who gains prominence in the new configuration, is part of it. Ratings probably play a role, too, and WTAE's ratings were down year-to-year at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. in May.

You can also look at it this way: By putting two of the station's younger anchors in the most prominent newscasts, the station can build for the future and hope that they've installed a team they won't need to change for 20 years. Maybe that will work, maybe it won't.

"We're exposing as many viewers as possible to as many of our people as possible. These are terrific, personable, smart individuals. ... We think in a town like Pittsburgh, where it's hard to change habits, we think viewers will watch these pairings and make up their minds to change their habits. We see that as a very likely outcome."

Obviously the big winner in all of this is Stockey, who transitioned from sports to news just two years ago.

I don't think the changes in the weather lineup are done. The new configuration doesn't make a lot of sense. Longo says Demetrius Ivory's split shift -- mornings and then again at 5 p.m. -- is becoming "more and more common in the industry." He also noted this configuration would be in play "for the foreseeable future." Hmmm.

Weirder still is the schedule for Erin Kienzle, who will work mornings and evenings on Sundays and then at noon Mondays through Thursdays. For the time being, freelancer Michael Haynes will work at noon Fridays and in the morning and evening on Saturdays.

Longo, who said he's still looking to fill another weather position, added that the whole weather situation is less about shifts and more about "round the clock protection." Like deodorant!

And yet, I'm sure some viewers are likely to conclude these changes stink.