The Media Notepad: Chicago Journalism: The future and you, Part 2

Also: Two TV-related sites shut down; XFL off to good start With all the threats to our freedom of the press – from hedge fund operators buying financial stakes in newspaper companies to President Trump, now is the right time to discuss what it means to the future of journalism. On February 23, numerous journalists and reporters are gathering at […]

John Williams returns to WGN Radio’s daily schedule

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 […]

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 […]

WFLD embroiled in “Hatgate”

A memo from a Fox 32 news producer about women wearing hats in live shots in winter lands him in hot water  For once, it wasn’t WGN’s Morning News making headlines…but the other local morning news show – and not in a good way, of course. As first reported by Robert Feder, an e-mail memo circulated by WFLD-TV news producer […]

Report: WLS-AM looking to drop Limbaugh; Cumulus denies it

Is the end of Rush Limbaugh’s show near in Chicago? A report Thursday by Robert Feder stated Cumulus’ WLS-AM was looking to drop the controversial show as the station is looking to revamp its image by adding more mainstream talk. The report didn’t sit well with Cumulus execs; in fact, John Dickey, EVP of Content and Programming, said his company denied WLS […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: WCIU to replace “This” with “Bounce”

Time to see what’s in this week edition of the Grab bag: – With This TV leaving for WGN-TV  November 1, Weigel Broadcasting is replacing it with Bounce, moving from its 23.2 subchannel position to the much stronger 26.5 position, according to an item on WCIU’s website. Bounce is an African-American-targeted subchannel targeted to adults 25-54. The move comes as […]

The Grab Bag: “Extra” renewed through ’17

But several others get the ax, including “America’s Most Wanted” and “Scooby Doo, Mystery Incorporated” – Warner Bros. has renewed syndicated entertainment news magazine Extra through 2017, covering 85 percent of the country, including WMAQ-Ch.5 here, who airs the series weekdays at 4 p.m. The deal includes WMAQ and seven other NBC-owned stations, in addition to outlets in the CBS, […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: “Live With Kelly” shifts to WLS-TV in 2013

The Jeff Probst Show finally clears Chicago, landing at WBBM-TV Due to a busy schedule covering and analyzing Upfront Week, there were a lot of notable media stories mentioned in the past week: – First mentioned in Robert Feder’s Time Out Chicago blog last week, ABC-owned WLS-TV has acquired Live With Kelly beginning in September 2013, falling in line with […]

Chicago Sun-Times sold. Again.

Here we go again! For the six time in thirty years – and the second time in two years –  the Chicago Sun-Times has a different owner. Wrapports LLC, a newly formed venture headed by Merrick Ventures LLC CEO Michael Ferro Jr. and Madison Dearborn Partners LLC Chairman John Canning Jr. have agreed to purchase the Sun-Times and its numerous […]

Jonathan Brandmeier heads to WGN Radio

For years, many in the radio industry here in Chicago were talking about the possibility of Jonathan Brandmier landing on WGN Radio. Ladies and gentlemen, the mission has been accomplished. In a move being considered a game changer in Chicago radio, former WLUP radio personality Jonathan Brandmeier signed a deal with Tribune Broadcasting’s WGN-AM to take over the coveted morning […]

The Fox follies continue

Remember when I wrote a think tank on WFLD’s news ratings struggles earlier this year? Well, you’ll be happy to know that things haven’t changed – if fact, they’ve gotten worse: During a report on how the struggling economy was affecting gift-giving during this holiday season on Tuesday night’s 9 p.m. newscast, WFLD co-anchor Robin Robinson obviously blurted out there […]

CBS revamps morning show – again

Here we go again: The Church Of Tisch is revamping its perennially low-rated morning show for the 284th time – and there may be changes to WBBM’s dawn patrol newscasts as well. CBS canceled The Early Show on Tuesday and is launching a new two-hour newscast with the rather odd pairing of Charlie Rose and Gayle King with Early Show […]

The Grab Bag: You, the people

This Grab Bag is for you – that’s right. You – the people. You have the right to gripe about yet another newscast or yet another new daytime courtroom show (We The People) on the horizon. You also have the right to have an alternative to the regular crap on TV – thanks to two new diginet TV channels. You […]

Radio 101: Taking you back to the old school

Today’s lesson on Radio 101: We’re taking you back to the old school – with an old school jock. As part of its soon-to-be launch of its news/talk format, WKQX-FM, which was known as Alternative/Modern Rock Q101, is heading back to its Adult Contemporary roots as part of its “stunting” until its new permanment format is ready to go. First […]

Fresh goes stale

In news that first broke Thursday afternoon by Robert Feder on Twitter, CBS radio has finally pulled the plug on WCFS-FM, or Fresh 105.9 after three-and-a-half years of underperforming ratings and is replacing the Adult Contemporary format with a simulcast of top-rated WBBM-AM beginning on August 1st. The move could be read as a preemptive strike against Merlin Media, which […]