T Dog’s Media Notepad: Richard Roeper returns to Fox 32
Catching up on media news:
Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper is returning to the Fox 32’s morning show: as first reported by Robert Feder Monday, Roeper has signed on as host of Good Day Chicago, joining Corey McPharrin and Darlene Hill. Roeper will continue his role as film critic at the Sun-Times.
The signing comes as current host Jon Kelley is departing the show later this year.
Roeper was a contributor to GDC’s predecessor Fox Thing In The Morning. Roeper replaced the late Gene Siskel alongside Robert Ebert in At the Movies With Ebert and Roeper, and later moved to a show on Reelz Channel. He’s also appeared as a film critic on Windy City Live.
This latest move comes as WFLD is seeking to boost ratings for the perennially low-rated morning newscast.
– WRME-FM (MeTV FM) has a new program director: longtime market veteran Rick O’Dell, who was named to the position on October 7. “The timeless hits and memorable music of MeTV FM are the music I grew up with. I love these songs. And most of them were on the playlist of WCLR when I was with them back in the day,” O’Dell said in a release. “I can’t wait to get started working with Neal [Sabin] and his incredible team.”
O’Dell was best known for launching the The Sunday Lite Brunch at WCLR/WTMX and moving it to former Smooth Jazz outlet WNUA, where it simply became The Sunday Brunch. After his 20-year career at WNUA abruptly ended in 2009, he became operations manager and program director for WLFM which coincidentally, occupied the same 87.7 FM frequency WRME does now. O’Dell also launched SmoothJazzChicago.net in 2012.
– After 12 years and 22 editions, the final call has come for America’s Next Top Model. CW and show creator Tyra Banks decided to end the show, amid ratings that are barely registerable. Top Model is currently broadcast TV’s third-longest reality show, behind Survivor and American Idol, which is also ending after this season.
Top Model spawned two Chicago-area winners throughout its run: eighth-season contestant Jaslene Gonzalez and first-season contestant Adrianne Curry.
Premiering on UPN in 2003, Top Model has endured countless controversies, including a lawsuit filed by Curry against the show. Many contestants have alleged their modeling careers weren’t flourishing after they appeared on the show. Ten years ago, Top Model writers sought representation through WGA West and wound up walking off the show.
Ratings have declined over the years, leading CW to scale back Top Model to a cycle a year and moving the series to Friday night. The series concludes December 4, but keep in mind a possible return down the road isn’t out of the question.
– More Dr. Phil is on tap: the pop psychologist has renewed his pact with CBS Television Distribution for the next four years, taking him through the 2019-20 season. Since premiering in 2002, Phil became the top-rated talk show in syndication since 2010. Dr. Phil McGraw is also executive producer of The Doctors, now in its eighth season. McGraw and his son Jay are now developing a new first-run strip with Daily Mail UK, which could possibly replace Insider on some CBS-owned TV stations, but nothing has been finalized. Dr. Phil airs weekdays at 4 p.m. locally over WBBM-Channel 2.
– Network TV news : Rosewood has been picked up for its back-nine – ditto for NBC’s Blindspot and ABC’s Dr. Ken; Fox cuts its order of Minority Report; and what is certain to send these two programs to summer burn-off status, NBC has cut the orders for new mid-season comedies Hot & Bothered and Superstore. Both programs seemed to be the best entries among the crop of this season’s comedies, but what looks good on paper…seldomly doesn’t show up as good on-screen.