The latest

DirecTV offers skinny bundle sports package, “MySports”

Comes after Venu collapse Just days after the planned Disney-Fox-Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture Venu fell through, one of the principals that helped bring down the effort is releasing its own “skinny bundle”.  DirecTV announced Tuesday it was launching MySports, a new sports streaming service available at launch in seventeen of the top twenty markets including Chicago, and includes local […]

Grand Opening, Grand Closing: Disney, WBD, Fox abandon Venu effort

Dish and DirecTV objections and Fubo offering a similar package led to the demise  The Venu is closed before it even opens.  Despite a settlement reached in a lawsuit settled by Disney and Fubo due to the latter agreeing to sell itself to them, the joint venture between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery to launch a new affordable skinny […]

Comcast, Paramount Global renews deal

CBS Chicago to stay on Xfinity systems; subscribers to get Paramount Plus Paramount Global and Comcast announced a new carriage deal on Tuesday. The multi-year deal includes Paramount’s portfolio of networks, including CBS and its owned stations, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and others. Comcast subscribers will also continue to gain access to streamers Paramount Plus, BET Plus, and Pluto […]

Disney’s Hulu + Live TV merges with Fubo, Venu lawsuit settled

Paves way for new Disney-WBD-Fox joint venture to launch [Editor’s Note: This article has been updated.]  In a stunning turn of events, virtual multiple video program distributor Fubo announced Monday that it agreed to terms to merge with rival Hulu + Live TV, owned by The Walt Disney Company. Just as important, it removes a key stumbling block for sports-themed […]

Rock 95.5 launches “The Morning Mosh Pit”

Existing station personalities come to mornings iHeartMedia Chicago rock station Rock 95.5 launched new morning show The Morning Mosh Pit Monday with Matt Harris, Michael Mason, and Maria Palmer at the helm.  “We have assembled an insanely talented group to entertain Chicago’s incredible rock lifestyle fanbase,” iHeart Media Chicago Regional Senior VP of Programming and WCHI PD James Howard said […]

The Media Notepad: WCIU, “On The Block” part ways

Also: Diginet changes in the new year: KSDK becomes the latest media property to leave downtown St. Louis; Diamond becomes Main Street In another blow to local linear TV, non-profit news organization Block Club Chicago and Weigel independent WCIU have parted ways on On The Block after nearly years.  The announcement was made on X Friday with the last episode […]

NHL Winter Classic flops with viewers, fans

Blackhawks get pummeled at Wrigley Field and in the ratings as classic moved to New Year’s Eve It’s fitting that the awful year in Chicago sports was topped off by the Blackhawks playing nothing resembling hockey in the NHL Winter Classic.  As first reported by Sports Media Watch, the NHL Winter Classic’s move a day earlier from New Year’s Day […]

Rewinding media in 2024: Tough all over

Linear TV, Chicago sports struggles, and election results made it a year to forget If you are a Chicagoan, 2024 sure as hell wasn’t your year.  You saw your city’s sports teams play abysmally, including a record-loss-setting feat for the White Sox and seeing the Bears getting mauled every week. You also saw your government – here or in the […]

Remembering Greg Gumbel

South Side native dies at 78 Longtime CBS Sports broadcaster Greg Gumbel passed away Friday afternoon at the age of 78 due to complications from cancer.  Born in New Orleans and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Gumbel graduated from De La Salle High School and started his career at NBC-owned WMAQ-TV in 1973 as a sports anchor and interviewer, and […]

Local news organizations drawn in to Tiffany Henyard drama

NBC 5 joins WGN News, and Fox 32 in documenting Dolton’s chaos as media tries to navigate choppy waters on covering her As you know, there is never a shortage of political scandals to cover in Illinois. From Operation Silver Shovel to Blago, the non-stop corruption has kept journalists busy and fascinated observers.  And in the Year Of Our Lord […]

The Media Notepad: All City announces cutbacks, including five on-air layoffs at CHGO Sports

Also: NBC’s RSN to be made available on Peacock;  Braves baseball return to TBS. Well, somewhat.  The podcast network and website CHGO Sports was hit with layoffs on Wednesday with five employees let go as part of cutbacks by parent company All City Sports, which eliminated seven percent of its workforce across its portals in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Phoenix, […]

Hubbard’s 101.9 The Mix and Throwbacks 100.3 names Chris Eagan as VP of Brand and Content

Fills vacant position left by Jimmy Steal Hubbard’s two FM stations targeted to 25-54 female listeners have new leadership. Chris Eagan was named VP of Brand and Content for Hot AC 101.9 The Mix (WTMX) and 90s/2000s pop hits Throwback 100.3 (WTBC-FM, formerly WSHE-FM). Eagan arrives after spending sixteen years at Atlanta-based Cox Media Group, where he was Senior VP […]

Marquee, CHSN: A possible merger?

Comcast impasse with both fueling speculation According to a report from the Puck newsletter, local regional sports networks CHSN (Chicago Sports Network) and Marquee may be seeking to merge.  CHSN and Marquee have a common enemy: Comcast, the largest cable provider in Chicago, had refused to add CHSN to its network and plans to move Marquee to a higher, more […]

The Media Notepad: Bears fourth quarter blunder draws 37 million

Also: Ramblin’ Ray gives up KCMO gig to focus on WLS-AM; Moffett Nathanson gives mixed reviews of upcoming NBCU cable spinoff Unlike other Chicago Sports embarrassments this year, this one was shown live in front of the largest audience of the season. The Bears’ major meltdown against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving drew a record of 37.5 million viewers for CBS […]

Remembering WGN Radio exec Dan Fabian

Kept powerhouse on top of the ratings WGN Radio executive Dan Fabian, who was the key to the station’s dominance in the 1980s and 1990s, died Friday at the age of 81. Fabian rose through the ranks at the then-Tribune-owned station from college intern in 1965 to Vice-President and General Manager by the time he retired in 1996. Along the […]