Observing the last two weeks of America’s Next Top Model and last night’s Survivor, all I can say is this: I hope Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were watching. See what getting all smug gets you? Isn’t that right, Heather, Lisa, and James? Hopefully, Brady and the rest of the Patriots will join you guys on the couch […]
Which paves the way for the sale of the Tribune Company to Sam Zell. Those waivers will allow it to keep the Chicago Tribune, WGN-TV and WGN-AM – permanently. As expected, both Democratic FCC commissioners voted against the waivers (never mind that most Chicago Democrats supported the deal – including Senator Dick Durbin.) If you want to tell the Trib […]
The Infinite Dial Radio Blog rated Chicago the best radio market in the country. Not exactly my opinion (that’s for sure), but at least somebody’s giving us props. As we say in Chi-Town, vote early and often…
NBC owned WNBC-TV in New York has decided to accept hard-liquor ads after 11 p.m. (except during Saturday Night Live.) A New York station can do it because they don’t have the holy rollers (i.e. Rev. Pflager) that Chicago has (of course, Comcast SportsNet and the former FSN Chicago has been accepting hard-liquor ads for years. Who is the sponsor […]
The AMPTP has offered the WGA a “Digital Plan” regarding payments of residuals from new media (i.e. the Internet, DVDs, etc.). The WGA says it will take four days to think about it, and come back to the bargaining table Tuesday. UPDATE: The Writer’s Guild has indicated that it has rejected the offer. which basically means, were back at square […]
Eddie Webb is back at WLUP and back in the afternoon time slot at the classic rocker, where he brought ratings success among men 25-54 to the Loop from 1998 to 2000. He later left for a gig at XM Satellite Radio, but returned to radio with gigs in Las Vegas and Boston. Webb begins in January, filling the slot […]
New Jersey residents complained about Fox’s New York station, WWOR-TV – a station whose facilities and operations are based in Secaucus. Many local groups are challenging the license renewal of WWOR, claiming the station doesn’t serve the New Jersey communities it was intended to. Around one hundred residents filled a lecture hall at Rutgers University Wednesday night at the station’s […]
Good news for local fans of the TV series Scrubs: WCIU-TV has acquired the second cycle of the hit NBC comedy from Disney/ABC Domestic Television beginning in the fall of 2009. The move means the program will stay in broadcast syndication and not head for an exclusive deal on cable, which many off-network sitcoms have recently done (i.e. Home Improvement, […]
This comes after Yahoo! and AOL are considering shutting down their Internet radio operations after a 38 percent increase in royalties to air their music. Both are reportedly losing money, as well as other operations, and with still no firm agreement on a model that will work for Sound Exchange and web carriers, Internet radio once again may be on […]
Interesting tidbits from the world of broadcast TV: – New Jersey residents aren’t happy with New York area WWOR-TV and accuse the Fox-owned station of backpeddling on its commitment of public service and giving the residents of the state the short shrift. WWOR is the only commercial VHF station in New Jersey. The FCC will hold a hearing tonight in […]
Hallmark Channel has snapped up the cable rights to several off-network programs owned by CBS Television Distribution. Among them include Cheers, I Love Lucy, and 7th Heaven. I Love Lucy and Cheers currently air on TV Land. Viacom owns TV Land and once owned the rights to Lucy and Cheers, but those went to CBS after the 2006 split that […]
Comcast SportsNet and the Chicago Blackhawks have announced four additional home games to be televised in March and April, in addition to the eleven they have already announced (one of them has already aired.) One game includes a visit from the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks (nee “Mighty”) on March 5. All games will be shown in high-definition, a huge […]
He’s not Devin Hester (that’s for sure), but his return is a touchdown for long-suffering Futurama fans. Futurama is back with the equivalent of four all-new episodes in stores today on DVD titled Bender’s Big Score. Taking the same tack Family Guy used to thank its fans for helping bring back the show to network television two years ago (in […]
News and notes from the world of network TV: – NBC has picked up the back nine episodes of Chuck (good move!) and Life, ensuring them with a full season each, assuming the writers’ strike ends soon. – Twiggy is out and Paula Porikzova is in as one of the judges when America’s Next Top Model returns to the air […]
Yes, it’s true – Eric Cartman introduced the Colorado Buffaloes during a college football game airing on ABC this weekend (pretty funny stuff.) Next thing you know, Bart Simpson will introduce the Chicago Bears on next week’s Fox telecast against the New York Giants (I would have said Homer, but he would just mess up the names… D’Oh!)