The latest news and um…notes: Todd Cavanah, sticking to….stuff not related to politics, a lackluster MTM tribute, and correction to make and more Todd Cavanah takes over programming duties at US99 WBBM-FM and WJMK-FM program director Todd Cavanah is adding another new position in his arsenal – program director of sister station WUSN-FM, according to Robert Feder. He succeeds Jeff […]
Kathy and Judy are out….again Groundhog day isn’t until Thursday, but for WGN Radio, it came on Monday. As first reported by Robert Feder (whose article on this story has 185 comments – and counting at the time of this writing), the Tribune-owned radio station announced Monday it is bringing back John Williams (not to be confused with the award-winning […]
XETV flips to Spanish programming on May 31 after losing CW affiliation (Editor’s Note: It is rare these days for yours truly to write about musings from another TV/radio market since this blog is basically about Chicago radio and TV, and the national TV scene. But this is an unusual story worth mentioning.) After 64 years, it is lights out […]
Search for new CEO is underway Four years after he arrived, Peter Ligouri is heading toward the exit door. Ligouri told staffers at Tribune Media Wednesday he was leaving his post as CEO of the Chicago-based media group, effective March 1. Ligouri was recently named to Sony Corp.’s board as an advisor, but that’s not the reason why he’s leaving […]
Iconic actress passes away at 80, was a trailblazer for women in Hollywood The television community is mourning the loss of Mary Tyler Moore who died Wednesday at the age of 80. She was known for playing two iconic characters: Lauria Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Born in Brooklyn’s […]
Things indeed will be different As expected, President Trump announced Monday he has appointed current FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai as FCC Chairman, succeeding Tom Wheeler, who stepped down January 20th. The move is great for big tech and media corporations given Pai’s free-market stance and promises a living hell for consumer advocates and net neutrality supporters. Pai was nominated to the […]
Also: Eric and Kathy reup; Blackhawks continue to slide in ratings; CW changes stations in San Diego…again; This is Us renewed two years; Esquire Network closes In good news for Chicago baseball fans, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Major League Baseball Thursday announced a live streaming deal for Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games beginning with the 2017 season, […]
Few first-run series being offered this year as veteran shows – even low-rated ones – continue to roll along As the National Association Of Programming Executives gathering began Tuesday in Miami, stations are firming up their schedules for next fall as first-run and off-network series are being rolled out onto the marketplace. But what has been the norm in previous years, […]
A hate crime video shot live on Facebook has stations debating the use of such content In a city whose news stations are accustomed to airing gruesome video and reporting on daily shootings and murders, even this was too much to take. Chicago’s five television newsrooms were debating earlier this month on whether or not repeated airings of a disabled […]
President Obama invites Chicago stations to interview him; Robin Rock returns; ABC 7 launches new anti-fake news campaign; Dish Nation returns for two more seasons.; NBC launches new station in Boston; TCA’s Winter Tour begins Thursday was a big day for local Chicago TV news operations as in an unprecedented move, outgoing President Obama gave interviews with all five local […]
With 2016 officially in the books, let’s look ahead on what to expect in the media business in 2017: 1. The FCC under a Trump administration. With a 3-2 FCC majority, issues the FCC championed under Tom Wheeler: net neutrality, preserving the cross-ownership rule, and other issues are going to get a hard look at – and likely change. 2. […]
Former Fox News host heads to peacock network in a very lucrative deal, getting a Sunday night news magazine and a daily daytime hour Megyn Kelly, who became a household name in recent years thanks to Donald Trump, is leaving Fox News to become an anchor and host for NBC News, beginning in a few months. The lucrative deal calls […]
Despite Blackhawks loss, Winter Classic draws viewers in Chicago, St. Louis – but Chicago numbers down significantly from 2015’s game Celebrity Apprentice return disappoints And other ratings news of note (Editor’s Note: Contains spoilers for Monday’s edition of “The Wall”. This post has been updated from earlier today – T.H..) Though the Chicago Blackhawks didn’t win, the ninth NHL Winter […]
But Mariah Carey, Don Lemon steal New Year’s Eve spotlight (what else is new) After getting butt-whipped last year by Chi-Town Rising, WLS-TV’s Countdown Chicago reclaimed the top-spot on New Year’s Eve. According to Robert Feder – and running from 11:08 p.m. to 12:08 a.m., Countdown Chicago drew a 12.1/17 household rating/share, beating WMAQ-TV’s 6/14 for Chi-Town Rising, running from […]
Back a year ago, yours truly did a look ahead into 2016. So how did everything turn out? Let’s find out. 1. The spectrum auction. The upcoming – and complicated – spectrum auction the FCC is holding is likely to change the face of television as we know it. Some over-the-air stations could pack it in and call it a […]