Remembering WGN Radio exec Dan Fabian

Kept powerhouse on top of the ratings WGN Radio executive Dan Fabian, who was the key to the station’s dominance in the 1980s and 1990s, died Friday at the age of 81. Fabian rose through the ranks at the then-Tribune-owned station from college intern in 1965 to Vice-President and General Manager by the time he retired in 1996. Along the […]

David Kaplan exits NBC Sports Chicago

Continues with morning radio show and YouTube channel Longtime NBC Sports Chicago host David Kaplan announced Thursday night his decision to leave the regional sports network, effective at the end of the year.  “This presents me with a chance to pursue the next chapter of my career,” Kaplan said. “It will also give me a great opportunity to spend more […]

NBC Sports Chicago to debut new “Unfiltered With David Kaplan” Monday

Live, daily sports talk programming returns to NBC Sports Chicago For the first time since the cancellation of Sports Talk Live, NBC Sports Chicago is launching new local half-hour nightly sports program Unfiltered With David Kaplan beginning Monday, coinciding with the start of baseball season later in the week. According to a press release, Kaplan “will bring the entertainment to […]

ESPN 1000 to launch new morning show with David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood

Two longtime sports talk veterans get together for new 7-10 a.m. program In a sweeping schedule realignment, ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM) is adding a new local morning show.  David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood will take over the 7-to-10 a.m. slot starting on Monday, giving ESPN 1000 its first morning drive-time show in recent memory as the station has mostly stuck with […]

NBCUniversal makes cuts, including at NBC Sports Chicago

NBC 5, Telemundo also announce layoffs At a time when the Covid pandemic has hammered advertising revenues, it isn’t surprising media companies are making cuts. And it hit home today with Comcast’s NBCUniversal division announcing layoffs with NBC Sports’ regional sports networks taking the hardest hits.  NBC Sports Chicago laid off several personnel Tuesday on-air and off as Leah Rahimi […]

T Dog Media’s Notepad: Chicago TV stations make changes

An all-local edition, with news on local TV changes; Kap & Co. moving to another timeslot; Chicago loses population again; and another person featured in CNN’s Chicagoland is another victim of the city’s streets.  With Tribune’s WGN-TV set to launch a new hour-long newscast at 6 p.m. April 4th, it has triggered other scheduling moves in the nation’s third-largest TV […]

Cubs post-season run begins

Media outlets looking for boost – even those who aren’t carrying games For better or worse, the worldwide spotlight on Chicago lately hasn’t been a positive one: the city continues to make headlines for its gun violence epidemic, as Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has name-dropped Chicago every chance he got as a symbol of what’s wrong in America – […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: T Dog Media at 10

Happy anniversary to T Dog Media! It’s a different media world today than it was when I started this. As we mark the ten-year anniversary of T Dog Media this weekend, I would like to take a look back – not at dopey posts from the early years such as these (really bad idea)…or getting involved in feuds (Wil Wheaton and […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: Bears stumble, fumble in the ratings

Haven’t done the Notepad in a while – plus, I’ve been busy with other stuff, so let’s play catchup and see  what’s going on: –The Chicago Bears are back – but apparently, someone forgot to tell the fans: September 13’s heavily hyped home opener between the Lakefront’s NFL Team and their long-time nemesis Green Bay Packers drew a surprisingly low […]

Game Over

Tribune Media pulls plug on The Game; retains Jonathon Brandmeier and cuts Garry Meier Robert Feder reported Thursday that Tribune Media has swung the ax of the sports talk format known as The Game (WGWG-LP), the sports station on 87.7 FM after nine months on the air. The move comes as the station was losing busloads of money on the venture. […]

Dahl: WGN Radio “the worst”

Dahl calls out Tribune Media station in a rant. Too bad its something Chicago radio listeners already know. A T Dog Media Think Tank [Editor’s Note: contains strong language. Reader discretion is advised.] Last week, viewers flocked back to their television sets as the new fall season began, with new high-profile programs and a strong lineup of above-quality shows which […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: WGN-TV adds 5 p.m. weekend news

– WGN-TV announced last week it was adding additional weekend newscasts in early fringe, at 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, when not pre-empted by sports. WGN’s 9 p.m. weekend news team would also assume the duties at 5 p.m. A few years ago, WFLD had a 5 p.m. Saturday newscast, but was canceled. WGN, which recently […]