Comes after a fifteen-day blackout The long national nightmare is over. After fifteen days of back-and-forth and allegations, Google’s YouTube TV and The Walt Disney Company finally reached a deal Friday night, restoring nearly twenty channels to the virtual provider, including ABC, ESPN, Freeform, and National Geographic. This comes after Disney pulled its channels from YouTubeTV on October 31 in […]
Social media platform adds radio broadcaster Radio broadcaster iHeartMedia announced a new partnership with popular social media platform TikTok on Monday, launching a podcast network featuring up to 25 creators. iHeartMedia plans to build new state-of-the-art podcast studios in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The studios will feature advanced audio and video infrastructure for podcasting and video production. The […]
Ryan Seacrest-hosted show adds Windy City After years of substandard New Year’s Eve celebrations, Chicago has finally landed the biggest one of the planet. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest will host a Central Time Zone countdown in Chicago for the first time this year, as Dick Clark’s Productions is working with ABC-owned WLS-TV (ABC 7 Chicago) […]
CBS gives up domestic syndication rights, but not until 2028 The year-long feud between CBS and Sony Pictures Television over the distribution rights and profits of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy has come to an end as the two parties announced a settlement of their lawsuit on Friday. Sony, who sought to take over distribution rights to both long-running game […]
Hello, everybody. As you know, this is the 20th season of T Dog Media, a site I created and launched on September 18, 2006 to write about local and national media stories from my own perspective, in a business I’ve followed since I was thirteen, back in 1985. I’ve enjoyed writing about this business and sharing my knowledge of it […]
Sister station 103.5 KissFM remains on top in demos As iHeartMedia’s AC 93.9 The Lite (WLIT) kicked off its 25th annual Christmas Music format Tuesday, the station has already perched itself on top of the overall PPM ratings for October and won’t be budging from that position anytime soon. WLIT topped all comers with a 4.9 rating, and for the third […]
All ABC stations lose access to platform Disney removed its entire channel portfolio from Google’s YouTubeTV early Friday morning after failing to reach a new agreement. This means subscribers no longer have access to ESPN, FX, National Geographic, Disney Channel, and fifteen others. The dispute also means ABC and its 200+ affiliates are off the virtual provider as ABC (and […]
Includes four other radio stations As first reported by Radio Insight on Thursday, iHeartMedia has signed a mega-renewal deal with Christopher “Fred” Frederick to continue his morning show at CHR/Top 40 103.5 Kiss FM for the next five years, with a new contract that runs through 2030. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue growing ‘The Fred Show’ in […]
Another case of broadcasters challenging FCC regulations In yet another instance where broadcasters are challenging the FCC’s media ownership rules, Scripps’ WRTV in Indianapolis is being sold to Circle City Broadcasting, which already owns CW affiliate WISH-TV and independent WNDY-TV, creating a triopoly in the nation’s 26th-largest market for $83 million. “As a native of Indianapolis and a career small […]
Threatens to pull ABC and ESPN channels a week from now As hinted at for the last few weeks, Google’s YouTubeTV and The Walt Disney Company are involved in a standoff over a new deal, with Disney warning customers they may lose their channels on October 30 at 11 p.m. CT if an agreement isn’t reached. Disney owns ESPN, Disney […]
Friendly regulatory climate, urge to compete with streamers fuels merger talk The future of Warner Bros. Discovery appears to be headed in two directions: a split or an outright takeover by another media company. It’s clear that Paramount head David Ellison, whose Skydance bought the company last year, is looking for more. That’s what media observers are looking at, as […]
Respondents have varying opinions on AI as younger people leave legacy media behind Last month, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University released its second annual study on how viewers in the Chicago area consume and receive local news. The study provided valuable insights into trust, how viewers consume local news, and a significant issue: artificial intelligence (AI). Surveyed across […]
Extends linear, digital rights through 2028 NBCUniversal Local Chicago, which consists of WMAQ-TV, Telemundo affiliate WSNS-TV, NBCChicago.com, and its digital platforms, announced on Wednesday an extension of their current media rights for the Bank Of America Chicago Marathon through the 2028 race. “We’re thrilled to announce our continued partnership with NBC 5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago as the official English […]
Rose to fame due to Nippelgate After a three-decade run, the infamous Parents Television Council is no more. Known more recently as The Parents Television and Media Council, the watchdog group that terrorized free speech advocates, television executives, and Hollywood filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last week, revealing $92,000 in assets and $285,000 in liabilities. The organization’s membership has dwindled […]
Comes as immigration blitz continues through Chicago area The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a videographer and producer from Nexstar-owned WGN-TV was violently detained by ICE agents during a raid on the North Side Friday morning. Debbie Brockman, who has been working for the station’s creative department since 2011, was detained by agents for “obstruction” after they arrested a person […]
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