Sinclair charges up Charge for more upgrades

Replace Circle in some markets, including Chicago’s WBBM-TV Sinclair’s digital subchannel Charge returns to the Chicago area, landing at CBS-owned WBBM-TV as part of a deal with the CBS News And Stations Group, who saw several stations also take sci-fi-based channel Comet.  “We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our networks’ distribution and the strengthening of our impactful partnership […]

Sinclair hires “CSI” creator to develop programming

Anthony Zuiker to develop programming for Sinclair  In an unusual deal, Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcasting has struck a deal with a writer who helped develop the CSI franchise. The person’s name is Anthony E. Zuiker, and he plans to work with Sinclair to develop programming including but not limited to game shows, docuseries, and talk shows. Zuiker is working with Sinclair’s […]

The Media Notepad: WGN Radio surges in ratings

Also: NBC 5/Telemundo to award nonprofits; Sherri Shepard to succeed Wendy Williams; Introducing Ion Mystery  Is WGN-AM staging a return to the top?  The first PPM numbers released for 2022 shows the Nexstar-owned station placing fourth overall, up 49 percent from the last survey – marking their highest ranking since October 2008 at the dawn of the PPM era. Leading […]

Fall syndication preview: CrimeTime all the time

Only two new shows in syndication this fall (Editor’s Note: This post has been updated. See below.) If you love the true crime genre, you are going to be happy with what’s going to air on local stations this fall. In fact, their are just two new shows: CBS Television’s Face The Truth and Debmar-Mercury’s Caught In Providence, featuring an […]

Think Tank Daily: “CSI: Cyberjunk”

  CSI: Cyber proves overextending a franchise isn’t a good idea  Wednesday night saw the underwhelming premiere of CSI: Cyber, and it goes to show you even in a so-called “Golden Age Of Drama”, how banal some of these programs still are. The “new” CBS drama featured “Academy Award Winner” Patricia Arquette as a FBI “agent” who heads a task […]

Chicago syndie schedules get dramatic makeover

Local stations, syndicators shuffle the deck As we enter year two in the post-Oprah era, things are finally changing in the syndication marketplace, as five new syndicated talk shows – the most in 17 years – make their debut. As for off-network sitcoms, the pickings are rather slim – just two new entries this year, compared to five in 2011. […]

CBS new 2012-13 primetime schedule

CBS unveiled its 2012-13 primetime schedule Wednesday morning in advance of its upfront presentation later in the afternoon. The Tiffany network introduced four new shows – three drams and just one new comedy, along with two new midseason series. But the biggest news is the move of longtime Monday stalwart Two And A Half Men to Thursday night after The […]

Pan Am takes off

The much-hyped premiere of ABC’s new airline drama Pan Am took off on Sunday with respected sampling. Now the challenge is not to crash in the ratings and not have their membership in the mile-high club revoked. The drama – about a group of stewardess who work for the now-defunct airline in the 1960’s (which filed for bankruptcy and ceased […]

CBS unveils 2011-12 schedule

CBS – America’s Most Watched Network – except in the key 18-49 demo – unveiled its 2011-12 schedule Wednesday in an upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. The Tiffany network picked up five series for fall: three dramas and two comedies – and made sold bold scheduling moves, including… wait for it – an original series on Saturday! The […]

T Dog’s Four Pack: The "C" in CBS stands for crime

The winners and losers of the week: The stamp of approval: The Chicago Blackhawks (before Friday’s night’s loss): The Mighty Blackhawks are mighty once again thanks to record-breaking regular season ratings. The Hawks are in the playoffs against the Nashville Predators, which continue Sunday night. Go Hawks! Conan moving to TBS. Fox getting out-foxed by Conan. While Murdoch and the […]

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 […]

For Leno, it’s time to put up – or shut up

You’ve heard about this for the last nine months. And it arrives tomorrow night. For the first time in the history of television (and excluding special stunts, like Millionaire or Deal or No Deal), there is a five night a week strip in prime-time on a major broadcast network on a regular basis. The Jay Leno Show debuts Monday night […]