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 […]

NewsNation hires Chris Cuomo as new evening host

The CNN castoff finds new home thanks to Nexstar You probably figured Chris Cuomo’s appearance on NewsNation’s Dan Abrams Live Tuesday night would leave to something more for the ex-CNN host down the line. It was so carefully orchestrated you’d think Abrams offered Cuomo a job right on the air.  And boom – shortly after his appearance, the Nexstar-owned cable […]

“South Park” snares blockbuster ViacomCBS deal

Veteran animated series renewed for at least sixty more episodes over six years AND fourteen movies With South Park airing on another streaming service, there had to be some kind of way to get the show’s content on ViacomCBS’ Paramount Plus. After all, the show has been home to Comedy Central since 1997, also owned by ViacomCBS. Well, how about […]

NewsNation expands as WGN America sunsets

Nexstar shifts focus from entertainment programming to news  In a long-awaited move, Nexstar announced on Monday they were expanding NewsNation into other dayparts, including prime access and early fringe. Beginning March 1, WGN America is adding two more hours of news: a 5 p.m. newshour anchored by Nichole Berlie, who previously anchored weekends, and Joe Donlan gets a solo spot […]

The Media Notepad: Dish, Nexstar settle differences

Also: Trump Country concedes; Rock 95.5 drops to a ratings low; DMA update On Christmas morning, Dish subscribers received an unexpected present: the return of WGN-TV and WGN America to their systems. A deal was reached late Thursday night between the satellite provider and Nexstar, owners of both the local Chicago television station, the cable network, and other local stations […]

Media Notepad: WLIT now in Christmas music mode

Also: Fox News wins election night; NBA season to start Dec. 22 IHeartMedia’s WLIT launched its Holly Jolly format (or Christmas music as everyone else calls it) starting at 4 p.m. Friday, and is likely to last through the end of the year. This is the 20th year WLIT has turned its playlist to a Christmas Jukebox, playing Mariah Carey’s […]

NewsNation, Shepard Smith hope to bring news viewers back to the middle

    Two new efforts launching on opposite ends of September hopes to appeal to news viewers tired of partisan news Starting today, a revolution is taking place and it’s happening right here in Chicago. And it is…presenting a neutral newscast. Yes, really. The arrival of the much-anticipated NewsNation today and of CNBC’s The News With Shepard Smith later this […]

“Cops”, “Live PD” canceled as viewers’ taste shift after police brutality protests gain stream

Fallout from George Floyd murder key decision in cancellation Cops ends run after 31 years; reruns pulled as well      Two reality shows have bit the dust as police brutality protests across the globe after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police have forced networks to re-examine their programming. On Monday, the little-known Paramount Network […]

WGN America to launch “NewsNation” Sept. 1

Ambitious effort comes in the middle of pandemic; CBSN Chicago finally launches During a conference earnings call Wednesday, Nexstar – owner of WGN-TV in Chicago and  former superstation WGN America, detailed more information on their new venture for their cable network, NewsNation.  “This will be hard news, 100% absent of bias,” Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said. “We’re so serious about […]

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 end of the line for WGN Sports

WGN sports vanishes after a 71 year run Saturday night marked an end of an era as WGN-TV aired its final sports telecast featuring a game between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. Many memorable moments were carried by WGN from Sammy Sosa hitting his 62nd home run to Mark McGuire’s 70th; from Ernie Banks’ 500th home run to […]

Tribune’s deal with Sinclair dies

And in a surprising twist, Tribune is suing Sinclair for breach of contract Captain Chesapeake isn’t coming to Chicago after all. Blame overpaying a hand in a regulatory poker game leading to his ship sinking faster than the Exxon Valdez. Approximately fifteen months after it was announced, Chicago-based Tribune Media announced Thursday morning it was walking away from its merger […]

Sinclair refiles Tribune merger application again

In order to have government regulators approve the merger with Tribune,  Sinclair agree to withdrew controversial plans to sell stations in three markets including Chicago FCC votes to send matter to Administrative Law Judge (Editor’s Note: This story is  frequently changing. Follow @tdogmedia on Twitter for updates.) Aren’t you sick of this already? After being smacked down by FCC Chairman […]