T Dog’s Think Tank: Fox Chicago News: Major Fail.

Your official mascot for Fox Chicago News. A little over two weeks ago, yours truly was channel surfing on the night the earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit in Japan and landed on Fox-owned WFLD-TV around 9:02 p.m. or so. While almost every news organization in the world led off with the disaster in the far eastern country, what did Fox […]

T Dog’s Six Pack: Needing some extra “support”

Ah, lucky Providence, R.I. They get to see women in bras in the prime access hour. We Chicagoans get Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson. You know, it’s hard to be a bra salesman these days in Providence when you have the Internet… and now you have infomercials running as early as 7 p.m.! Is it no surprise that 25% of […]

WGA, AMPTP reach new three-year deal

While there is currently labor discord in the NFL and with public employees in Wisconsin, there is labor peace in one place where there was turmoil nearly four years ago – Hollywood. The Writers Guild of America and The Association of Motion Picture of Television Producers – who represents the major Hollywood studios and the television networks – reached a […]

Couric, Lake among 2012 syndie talk show contenders

While The Race to Replace Oprah has come and gone with a whimper (and a missed opportunity to use this annoying phrase repeatedly), the 2012 development season is shaping up to be a different story with two familiar names leading the pack thus far, according to a pair of exclusives Broadcasting & Cable reported on its website Monday. Current CBS […]

Sun-Times Chairman Jim Tyree dies (updated)

Photo courtesy of Chicago Sun-Times (Editor’s note: This story was updated on March 19, 2011 due to new information.) Chicago Sun-Times Chairman James C. Tyree, (known as Jim Tyree) passed away Wednesday night at the age of 53.  On Friday, the Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled his death an accident from an air embolism after a dialysis catheter removal. […]

Goodbye to you, “Jack”; Hello “K-Hits”

The JACK FM era in Chicago ended around 12:35 p.m. with a whimper as WJMK-FM played the rather bland “Goodbye to You”, a forgettable chart hit by the 1980’s band Scandal instead of Ray Charles “Hit The Road Jack”, as in JACK FM. Forgettable is what you can describe JACK FM’s six-year tenure in the Chicago market. Today was the […]

T Dog’s Six Pack: Winning and Losing

Harry Teinowitz: “I’m winning.”  Okay, so Charlie Sheen is “winning” – if your definition of winning is being fired off a hit show, having police raid your house, and jumping the shark on Twitter after only a week. But the winners and losers this week are for real: They’re really winning and losing, not some dopey sham job Sheen is […]

Jacked out: WJMK dumps Variety Hits format

Eddie & JoBo return to Chicago radio to new “K-Hits”, which replaces JACK-FM. WJMK will not be “jacking” their body any longer. In news that was circulating ferociously for the last 48 hours, it is now official: CBS Radio’s WJMK-FM – known for the last six years as rock-leaning Variety Hits (a.k.a. Adult Hits) JACK FM – is flipping to […]

Report: Axe to swing on one of CBS Radio’s Chicago FM properties

Yeah, but not for long….  The axe is waiting to swing on one of CBS Radio’s two struggling properties in Chicago. Industry website Radio Insight reported today that CBS Radio registered a domain under the name KHitsChicago.com, meaning a format flip for WJMK-FM (JACK FM, 104.3 FM) is imminent. Also mentioned as a possible target is WCFS-FM (Fresh 105.9 FM), […]

CSN Chicago shutters Bulls’ ratings record – thanks to tiger blood

In case you haven’t heard, the Chicago Bulls have what newly unemployed actor Charlie Sheen says they have – that tiger blood. What does that mean? According to Mr. Sheen, they’re winning! And what does winning bring boys and girls? Higher ratings! Comcast SportsNet Chicago – now part of NBCUniversal – hit a winning (yes, winning) basket Monday with the […]

Charlie Sheen fired from hit sitcom

He’s not winning now. Warner Bros. fired embattled star Charlie Sheen Monday after nearly eight seasons playing Charlie Harper on CBS’ hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. It was Sheen’s bashing of Warner, CBS, and showrunner Chuck Lorre that led to the decision – not to mention his excessive drinking and drug use. His actions and subsequent rehab stints […]

“Windy City Live” blows into town

Officials at ABC-owned WLS-TV has decided on a title for its new morning talk show not named Oprah, and it’s blowing into town. The generic-like name of Windy City Live was chosen as the title of WLS’ new local morning show which replaces The Oprah Winfrey Show. Two weeks ago, Robert Feder of Time Out Chicago reported that WLS sports […]