NBC Universal spinning off cable networks into new company

Cable networks such as USA Network and E! under new ownership by 2026  With the business in freefall, Comcast Corp. has decided to part ways with its cable networks.  As hinted a few weeks ago, Comcast announced Wednesday it is spinning off its cable networks from its NBCUniversal into a new company. Tentatively titled SpinCo (we hope it’s a temporary […]

“Family Guy”, “Bob’s Burgers” set to exit broadcast syndication

Local stations downgraded animated series to late-night, overnight time slots Family Guy reruns head to Comedy Central [Editor’s Note: This post was updated August 14.] If you’re watching reruns of Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers on your local TV station, you’ll need a new platform to watch them on as both are being removed from broadcast syndication due to expiring […]

WGN-TV at 75

Station’s rich history celebrated. But what about the next 75 years?  It was on April 5, 1948 when Col. Robert McCormick fired up the transmitter to join the herd in taking advantage of a then-brand new medium to reach the masses – television.  People stood outside of Tribune Tower in Chicago to see what the hubbub was about. It was […]

Nexstar’s purchase of The CW fueled by….a Chicago casino? (updated)

Nexstar financial chief says money from sale of printing press property helped purchase The CW [Editor’s Note: This story was updated November 19.] It turns out there is a Chicago connection to the recent purchase of The CW network by Irving, Tex.-based Nexstar Media Group – and it involves a future casino in our town. As reported by Hollywood trade […]

Report: The CW is up for sale with Nexstar the leading suitor

Possible sale could reunite network with company’s WGN-TV  According to a Wednesday night report from The Wall Street Journal, AT&T and ViacomCBS are exploring a sale of The CW and according to sources, Nexstar is the leading suitor to buy the network. As of an owner of 197 stations, Nexstar owns more CW affiliates than any other group, including the […]

Rewind this: Another new multicast network to launch filled with reruns

Nexstar spin-offs a network from Antenna TV  Usually in TV land, we have spin-offs of shows, some of the most successful being Gomer Pyle, USMC; Facts Of Life; Maude; Good Times; and Laverne & Shirley.  Now for the first time, we have a spin-off of an entire channel. On September 1, Nexstar is launching Rewind TV, featuring 1980s and 1990s […]

Alden Global Capital to acquire the rest of Tribune Publishing

It’s [another] end of an era in Chicago media. But this one particularly stings In a deal anticipated for months, New York City-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital announced Tuesday it has decided to acquire the 68 percent of Tribune Publishing they already didn’t own in a $630 million deal, giving them full control of the Chicago-based media company. In […]

Gray buys Quincy Media’s TV outlets

Another television group exits Illinois  Atlanta-based Gray Television announced Monday the acquisition of Quincy Media’s television and radio properties for $925 million, a move expected as the Quincy, Ill.-based company announced late last year it was putting their media properties up for sale.  Once the deal is completed, Gray would own stations in 102 markets, mostly mid-sized and small metros. […]

Dish, Nexstar enter retrans dispute; WGN-TV and WGN America pulled off

  Second broadcaster/MSO dispute this week Here we go again. Irving, Tex.-based Nexstar Broadcasting removed its stations from satellite provider Dish Wednesday evening at approximately 7 p.m. Central Time due to a retransmission consent dispute, another in a long line of blackouts over the last several years. Nexstar owns 197 stations in over 100 markets including WGN-TV in Chicago and […]

Nexstar to launch new Chicago-based national newscast on WGN America

Broadcast group jumps into the cable news game with a different approach to news – the traditional way With the announcement of a new national newscast originating from Chicago, Nexstar is making a huge financial investment in the Windy City. The Irving, Tex.-based broadcaster announced Wednesday the launch of a three-hour prime-time national newscast originating from Chicago’s WGN-TV Bradley Place […]

The fridge pack (plus one): The unlucky 13 of the decade

There are flops, and then there are….flops. For every success in the most recent decade, there were products coming off so badly, you don’t know how the hell they were even conceived in the first place – you basically had to see it to believe it! If you thought the 2000s version of “The Dirty Dozen” were bad, they have […]

Rewinding 2019 in media

  Disney Plus made the biggest splash of the year 2019 saw the end of several institutions, big media battles, and disappointing sports teams. Let’s start with the huge changes in big media, as Disney closed on its purchase of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Viacom reuniting with CBS again with a new name (ViacomCBS) as the race […]

CLTV to close up shop

Nexstar pulls plug on local cable news channel after a little over 25 years In a move you can blame on cord-cutting and general cost-cutting, Nexstar announced Monday the closure of local news channel Chicagoland Television, or CLTV after nearly 27 years of operation. The channel goes dark at the end of this month. In a memo from WGN-TV and […]