Tom Skilling retires…so what’s next for local TV?

His departure leaves a void as linear usage declines and cord-cutting continues When Tom Skilling stepped down from his longtime role as meteorologist at WGN-TV Wednesday night, it marked the end of an era for Chicago’s longest-tenured television personality after 46 years on the air at the same station. But it also marked the end of an era for Chicago […]

Rewinding media in 2021: You just can’t explain it

  Popularity isn’t exactly overrated as 2021 ends a wild year in media Like mystery of the sphinx or crop circles, you just can’t explain the continued popularity of certain things despite questionable changes. After the firing of Mark Giangreco and seemingly public disdain for one of her former co-anchors, ABC 7 remains on top of local Chicago news ratings, […]

Former WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne dies

Was part of WGN’s dominant 9 p.m. anchor team in the 1990s Chicago’s journalism community – and viewers like myself – are mourning the loss of former WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne, a nine-time Emmy winner who helped lead the then Tribune-owned station to ratings dominance in the 1990s and 2000s. Payne died on September 1 at the age of 57 […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Chiraqing away

The term Chiraq is here to stay. Thank the media. For those who don’t like the word “Chiraq”, let me lay it on thick for you…. it’s here to stay. The term, used to describe the number of shootings and murder in the Chicago area, continues to be a hot topic of debate in the media as Spike Lee films […]

Why “Bethenny” failed

Lack of experience, awkwardness, and arrogance kept viewers away from former Real Housewives star’s daytime talker In a project that never should have seen the light of day, Warner Bros. (or Telepictures, or Lorimar, or whomever) decided last week to put former Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel’s talk show out of its misery after just five months on the air. […]

T Dog’s Four Pack

Here’s the recent list of winners and losers of the last week-in-a-half  – plus an extra-long rant at the end… What worked for yours truly… Winners Conan O’Brien. His final “Tonight Show” drew 10.3 million viewers, with one of the classiest send-offs I’ve ever seen from a host. The result: new found respect from the public, including yours truly. Chicago […]

WGN-TV expands midday, evening newscasts

WGN-TV announced it has expanded its news and shuffled its weekday programming lineup, just two days into the new syndication television season. Beginning October 5, WGN expands its 5:30 p.m. newscast an hour, starting at 5 p.m. Its midday newscast expands to 11a.m. and now run two hours until 1 p.m. And to go along with the expansion are some […]

T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

The first four-post day in a long time! Here’s some more news… – From Chicagoland Radio and Media: WGN-TV news anchor Allison Payne is expected to return to the desk Monday evening. She has been sitting out off and on for the last year or so recovering from a set of mini-strokes. – The contestants for the new season of […]

Allison Payne sidelined

Allison Payne, the co-anchor of WGN-TV’s 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. newscasts, is being sidelined again for the third time this year due to complications from “mini-strokes” she has been having for quite sometime now. Ms. Payne made the decision to take some time off so she can “fully rehabilitate”. Micah Materre will fill in alongside Mark Suppelsa on the […]

Allison Payne goes to Mayo clinic

WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne is headed to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for tests after dealing with a series of “mini-strokes” that kept her off the air earlier this year. Payne plans to return to WGN just in time for the launch of the station’s new 5:30 p.m. newscast, set for Monday. She apologized to viewers last month after appearing […]

Welcome back, Allison!

Longtime WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne returns to the anchor chair at 9 p.m. beginning on Monday after suffering a series of mini-strokes that has kept her off the air for the last three months.

Warning: Local news shakeup ahead

A big news anchor shakeup is in the works at Chicago’s TV news stations. The ball got rolling last week when Mark Supplesa abruptly left WFLD-TV after rejecting a contract offer. In Feder’s column today, he put in all in perspective, with several high-profile names involved in play: – Diann Burns of WBBM-Channel 2 may lose her 10 p.m. anchor […]

Wilbon, Payne off air

Wishing a speedy recovery to two on-air personalities: WGN’s Allison Payne, who has been kept off the air due to a series of “mini-strokes”, and to Pardon the Interruption host and Washington Post sportswriter Michael Wilbon, who suffered a mild heart attack over the weekend. To each, get well soon. Updated at 2:30 p.m. (added link to Wilbon story)