The Media Notepad: Chicago Reader publisher steps down

Also: ABC 7 hires new person for its creative services programming team; Fox’s Chicago duopoly to air new game show; Devil in White City to be adapted for the small screen  After leading the paper through a difficult transition as a non-profit, Chicago Reader publisher Tracy Baim is stepping down after four years at the paper and three months as […]

Fox stations add “TMZ Hip-Hop”

  Wait a minute…Fox and Hip-Hop in the same sentence? It’s true!  Hip-Hop has been a mainstay in our culture for over thirty years. There are several magazines dedicated to the genre – Vibe, XXL, The Source, and others, dedicated to covering not only the music but the culture behind the music, including politics, sports, and race.  Rest assured, this […]

“The Real” ends after eight seasons

    Daytime talk show becomes latest casualty in changing syndication business After speculation surfaced on the shows future, the pink slip was finally handed out to Warner Bros.’ The Real after eight seasons. The decision to pull the plug came after the Fox Television Stations group declined to renew the show, and also coming on the same day Warner […]

“Dr. Oz” exits for “The Good Dish”

The Good Dish takes over Oz’s old slots in January As expected, The Dr. Oz Show is ending after the host announced a run for U.S. Senate. On November 30, Memhet Oz announced he was running for the Pennsylvania Senate as a Republican for a seat now occupied by the retiring Pat Toomey, even though he currently lives in New […]

The Media Notepad: WGN-TV’s new “Daytime Chicago” a hit

Also: Paramount Plus adds new streaming channels; Pictionary gets green light for full-time series; Jussie Smollett found guilty Newsflash: There is a new hit on linear TV not named Ghosts or Law & Order: Organized Crime. In fact, it’s not even in primetime – and it’s local.  It’s WGN-TV’s new morning show Daytime Chicago, and it pulled out a ratings […]

“Dr. Oz” future in question after host announces Senate run

FCC’s equal-time rules takes show out of New York City, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh markets [Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 8 p.m.]  The future of Sony Pictures Television’s Dr. Oz is in serious question after the host of said show announced Tuesday he was running for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.  Mehmet Oz – who is a cardiac […]

Media Notepad: NewsNation makes schedule changes – again

Also: A Shark becomes a judge; Pictionary returns; MyNetworkTV adds Chicago Fire and a new Detroit affiliate Once again, Chicago-based NewsNation is making changes to its lineup. Announced last week, the network formerly known as WGN America is adding another personality show in primetime, featuring a show hosted by former Fox News personality Leland Vittert, who’ll helm On Balance. Beginning […]

Light TV to be turned off; replaced by TheGrio.TV

The bulb dims on Mark Burnett’s and Roma Downey’s channel [Editor’s Note: This story was updated December 10.]  The light is about to be turned off on Light TV as Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios is taking charge.  On January 15, Light TV becomes TheGrio.TV, an new digital subchannel network targeted to African-Americans and is based on the website The Grio.com, […]

The Media Notepad: WBEZ hires Sasha Anne-Simons as new midday host

Also: Charlie Brown returns; Fox renews syndicated shows; Sinclair to rebrand RSNs after Bally’s Chicago Public Media’s WBEZ-FM has filled its open midday position.  Her name is Sasha Anne-Simons and she’ll take over from the since-departed Jenn White on December 14 as host of Reset, which aired weekdays  from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For the last few months, the […]

Mancow Muller exits WLS-AM; Bruce St. James to replace him

Pandemic, expiring contract forces end of show [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on November 21 as Muller’s replacement was named on Friday.]  The last time Mancow Muller found himself out of a job was two and a half years ago when the station he worked for was sold and flipped to a Contemporary Christian music format. This time, it’s […]

Emmy winner “Schitt’s Creek” ready for wider exposure

Canadian sitcom makes history by sweeping Emmy Awards– Half-hour sitcoms are (or were) the bedrock of the television industry here in the United States, but in Canada…it’s a completely different story. The only sitcom from the Great White North to even come close to being a global hit was in the mid-1980s when Check It Out!, a sitcom taped in […]