Local May sweeps numbers, Part 2

Continuing our look at local May sweeps numbers: Denver: NBC affiliate KUSA-TV swept local news (except 9 p.m. on KTVD) in all time periods. At 10 p.m., KUSA was up a share point from May 2007. Buffalo: CBS affiliate WIVB-TV won at 11 p.m., but the big story here was NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV’s 11 p.m. news show improving from its […]

Local May sweeps numbers, Part 1

Overall analysis: While the major networks lost steam in the recently concluded May sweeps, many local stations actually saw increases year-to-year in late news and in other time periods. Translation: Viewers are tuning out the prime-time shows on the major networks, but not local programming or local news on their affiliates. Boston: CBS-owned WBZ-TV pulled off a major upset by […]

Wings beat Pistons in TV ratings in Detroit

The Stanley Cup Finals continue to roll on the Motor City with the Red Wings vs. Sid the Kid. Game 3 of the Detroit Red Wings-Pittsburgh Penguins series on NBC beat the competing Game 5 of the Eastern Conference NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics on Wednesday in Detroit, with hockey getting an 18.8 rating and 29 […]

Harvey Korman dies

The Chicago-born comedian, best known for his roles on The Carol Burnett Show, has died at the age of 81. The comedian died after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Korman won four Emmys and a Golden Globe award on Carol Burnett, and also appeared in numerous films, including Blazin’ Saddles and the Pink Panther movies. […]

Tribune TV Critic hooks up with Tivo

Tivo announced on Wednesday a new partnership with the Chicago Tribune to offer Maureen Ryan’s TV picks to users who sign up for the service in the Chicago area. Ryan is also hosting bi-monthly videos summarizing her picks. If the move is successful, Tivo could develop more partnerships with other newspapers’ TV critics, whose jobs are being eliminated as the […]

WGCI, WVAZ surge in trends

This blog usually doesn’t do trends – but there is something of note – Clear Channel-owned Urban radio stations (WGCI and WVAZ – V103) surged in part 1 of the Spring trends, with WGCI taking over first place and V103 jumping to third overall. WGN dropped to second and its share actually decreased. This is surprising, given WGN’s numbers usually […]

Mark Madden out at ESPN’s Pittsburgh outlet

Mark Madden, who is a former wrestling commentator for WCW, can now add another “former” to his resume: talk show host. Madden was fired by the Disney-owned Pittsburgh sports radio station for comments he made about Ted Kennedy, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Is there something in the state of Pennsylvania that makes radio personalities act like […]

WISN dominates Milwaukee’s ratings

… except at 10 p.m., where NBC affiliate WTMJ (despite lousy network lead-ins) won. But WISN, Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate owned by Hearst-Argyle, dominated everything else. WISN won at 5 and 6 p.m. and in prime-time and total-day numbers, but finished behind WTMJ at 10 p.m. by a hair. WTMJ actually increased its rating at 10, while WISN dropped two share […]

MRC unveils CW Sunday slate

Independent studio Media Rights Capital unveiled its Sunday night schedule for The CW, and is as follows (all times Central:) – 5:30 p.m.: In Harm’s Way, a reality show in the mold of fare seen on Discovery and TLC. – 6:30 p.m.: Surviving Suburbia, A new sitcom whose creator wrote a script, tucked it away, and forgot all about it […]

Superstation WGN changes name to WGN America

Kids’ WB changes name to CW 4 Kids on same day While were you sleeping in…. With little fanfare on Saturday, Superstation WGN changed its name to WGN America, while Kids WB’ officially became CW 4 Kids. However, no programming changes took place at either network – at least not yet (WGN America’s new logo resembles the old Movie Channel […]

WBBM’s new digs

This story in the Tribune Sunday features the impending move of CBS-owned WBBM-TV from its longtime home at 630 McClurg Court on the North Side’s Streeterville neighborhood to Block 37 in the heart of The Loop. McClurg Court has been home to WBBM-AM-FM-TV since 1956 and was home to the nation’s first televised debate between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon […]

2007-08: The season from hell

This slogan isn’t just for Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears fans… It’s also used for a TV season that has been plagued by audience erosion, increases in alternative viewing options, and of course – a writer’s strike. TV Week analyzes the season remembered more for viewers fleeing for the exits from prime-time television more than anything else.

NBC revamps fall lineup

To no one’s surprise, NBC has revamped its fall lineup, announced a few weeks before the upfront. The changes are: – NBC’s premiere week will now take place the week of Sept. 22 instead of after the Olympics in August. This means NBC will launch its new shows alongside the rest of the other networks (except Fox, which still plans […]

WVON to rewind, too

WLS-AM is not the only one flashing back to the days of yesteryear… WVON-AM is also doing a Memorial Day rewind, with a flashback to the days when the black-oriented station played a lot of jazz, blues, and R&B music courtesy of Pervis Spann, Herb Kent, and “The Good Guys”. Click here to see Monday’s lineup.