My Think Tank on Mariotti is coming sometime this week (tougher to write than I thought), but in the meantime, let’s analyze what the backstabbing sellout had to say Friday in Phil Rosenthal’s column in the Trib: – Referring to the Sun-Times’ reaction of Mariotti leaving, Gerald Minkkinen of the Chicago Newspaer Guild union said: “I looked at the newspaper […]
The week that was: T Dog’s Fab Four – Jay Mariotti leaves the Sun-Times. Yes! Oh God, Yes! -Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech. Drew just as many viewers as the opening ceremonies of the recent Summer Olympics. – The U.S. men’s and women’s basketball team. The ladies brought home the Gold and the Redeem Team did likewise. Way to go! – […]
More and more individuals from the Sun-Times are speaking their mind on Jay Mariotti’s sudden departure from the paper – and here’s the most notable of them all – Roger Ebert’s letter to Jay Mariotti – in which he calls Mariotti a rat – totally a great read. Also, baseball writer Chris De Luca weighs in on Mariotti’s departure. And […]
It’s a station ownership mess in Virginia: In a follow-up to a story in yesterday’s Groovy Grab Bag, The Department of Justice has told Raycom to sell its CBS affiliate in Richmond, Va. (WTVR) – and you have thirty days to do so. Or else. Raycom acquired NBC affiliate WWBT-TV in Richmond as part of the company’s acquisition of the […]
Let’s reach into the bag today and see what we can scoop out… – New fall syndication updates: WPWR plays the Feud again: Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud returns to WPWR-TV for the third time beginning on Sept. 8, airing back-to-back episodes at 2 p.m, while Debmar’s new Trivial Pursuit: America’s Plays airs at 3 p.m. Family Feud aired on WPWR from […]
According to Deadspin (take it with a grain of salt though), Jay Mariotti quit his Sun-Times job because of a perceived slight? Word is he wanted to write a column about Barack Obama after he returned from coming the Summer Olympics in China, but the Sun-Times’ editors nixed the idea and gave the gig to Rick Telander. Mariotti returned to […]
Check this out: A cool 1970’s-like promo for ABC’s upcoming crime drama Life On Mars, about a guy who wakes up one morning, and thinks it’s 1973. To see the clip, click here. The clip features ABC graphics and the “meatball” logo from the era, and even uses an Ernie Anderson-like voice to promote the show (Anderson, who did voiceover […]
Chicago sports journalism has just improved… by a lot. The Chicago Sun-Times’ resident sports pest… er, I mean columnist, Jay Mariotti, has left the building. Mariotti resigned from the paper Tuesday night to pursue “other opportunities”. The decision came after his trip to China to cover the Summer Olympics and noticed there wasn’t much of a newspaper presence there, proclaiming […]
Tribune’s KPLR-TV in St. Louis is moving its half-hour 9 p.m. newscast to 7 p.m. and expanding it to a hour beginning on Sept. 8. This means CW primetime fare currently airing at 7 p.m. is shifting to 8 p.m., with KPLR taking the Mountain Time feed. For example, when 90210 airs in St. Louis (8 p.m. Central), it’ll air […]
One of the most identifiable voices of WGN-TV is calling it a career. Merri Dee, who has done voiceover work for WGN-TV in the 1970’s and 1980’s is leaving the station October 1 after 37 years. Though known for her work for voiceovers, the Bud Billiken Parade, Illinois Lottery Drawings, and many telethons, she was also the longtime director for […]
Quick, when was the last true first-run syndicated hit? Though many syndicators would argue, it was six years ago with Dr. Phil averaging a 4.4 Nielsen rating in its freshman season. Before that, you would have to go all the way back to June 1996 for the last breakout hit – Warner Bros.’ The Rosie O’Donnell Show. And if you […]
The week’s winners and losers: T Dog’s Fab Four – Michael Phelps. The best Olympian. Ever. – NBC and the Summer Olympics. The numbers posted by the event are on the pace to be the most watched Olympics. Ever. – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A slight revamp and an upgrade to early fringe (5 p.m.) at WGN-TV in […]
Memo to all CW employees from Time Warner and The Church of Tisch: We have you backs. By the power and the salvation of the almighty dollar, The CW will be saved from a fate worst than anything: cancellation, thanks to Pastor Les Moonves and Deacon Dawn Ostroff. WBBM General Manager Joe Ahern will now make the rounds with the […]
Indianapolis’ popular radio duo – Bob & Tom – are headed to WGN America. The pair (which are heard locally on WRXQ-FM in southwest suburban Joliet) signed a cable deal with the network for a daily one-hour late-night show beginning in November. The late night show features highlights from its syndicated The Bob & Tom Show, which is syndicated by […]
Every one-and-a half to two-and-a-half years, the world pauses to celebrate the pageantry and the pomp that is the Olympics. And every one-and-a half to two-and-a-half years, Americans bitch about NBC’s coverage of them, while those who are lucky enough to get CBC’s coverage from Canada (in Detroit, Buffalo, Seattle, Burlington, Vt., or anywhere near the Canadian border. And judging […]