 On March 14, 2007, the "Daily News" reported that Bartelstein had been "fired" from WABC-TV after "sleeping through a newsbreak he was to anchor".The "Daily News" article also reported that WABC-TV had previously suspended him several times for persistent tardiness.On November 7, 2007, "Mediaweek" reported that WCBS-TV had announced that it had hired Bartelstein as a weekend news anchor.