The hokey daytime talk show will be in Chi-Town for one day during May sweeps, taping an episode on May 3. No word on any guests (forget Oprah and Jerry), but I’m certain a Chicago Cub or two may show up. The show is likely to tape at NBC Tower, given Ellen’s affiliate here (WMAQ-TV) airs the program at 3 […]
A vanishing breed in the business nowadays, TV critics are being the odd individuals out in newspaper cutbacks (with an example being the recent departure of Sun-Times critic Doug Elfman.) If this keeps up, we might not have enough critics to participate in the semi-annual TV Critics’ Poll in TV Week… While Hollywood may be happier over this, a local […]
A special Star Wars Deal or No Deal edition is scheduled to air April 28. As a Star Wars fan, this saddens me. Thank goodness I won’t be home this night to participate in the funeral. Is there anything on earth this game show hasn’t destroyed? What’s next, a special Simpsons edition? I can see it now, with Mr. Burns […]
More cable news: Male-oriented cable network Spike has acquired the rights to air all 259 episodes of the former Fox comedy Married… With Children beginning in September in a deal worth $12 million. Married… was Fox’s first-ever prime time series (premiering on April 5, 1987), and was the first Fox sitcom to be sold in syndication. The deal with Sony […]
NBC sues to keep show on Bravo In a move that surprises everyone in the industry, Lifetime snared the rights to Bravo’s hot reality fashion series Project Runway, in a five-year deal with the show’s production company, The Weinstein Co. NBC Universal, the owner of Bravo, has filed suit against the move, saying it had the right of first refusal […]
Last week’s purge at the CBS O&Os is just another reminder of how tough things are going on the local TV level, especially in the newsrooms. This article from the Baltimore Sun details how things are really going in the market’s local station community, where CBS’ WJZ-TV laid off four people last week and ABC affiliate WMAR-TV axed three employees. […]
A deal was struck this week that may encourage people to join the Pirates. No, not the Pittsburgh Pirates, though they need all the help they can get. I’m talking about the world of download piracy. NBC last week renewed Friday Night Lights for a third season. The critically-acclaimed drama has struggled in the ratings for the past two seasons […]
WARNING: Contains spoilers. It’s a time-honored tradition among animated comedies to rip on Canada, so it’s no surprise South Park put the entire country on strike in last Wednesday’s episode to poke fun at the WGA labour (yes, labour) mess. When the South Park boys found out Deal or No Deal host Howie Mandel (who’s Canadian) was replaced by Jim […]
While the other animated comedies have been hit-or-miss this season (quite often on the miss side), there is one under-the-radar show that has been consistent. Fox’s King of the Hill is coming back for its thirteenth season with thirteen episodes. All the show’s principals are returning, including creator Mike Judge. Hill doesn’t garner the same type of attention The Simpsons, […]
The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Tuesday that the team’s entire 82-game schedule will be shown on television. And this is not – I repeat, not – an April Fool’s joke. The Blackhawks signed a deal with WGN-TV on Tuesday, making 20 or so games available to the Tribune-owned station, marking the first time since 1980 games have been made available […]
In light of the departures of Diann Burns, Mary Ann Childers, and Mark Malone, CBS-owned WBBM-TV has realigned its anchor lineup. To read about the changes, click here.
For the first time in 30 years, a network has made an early announcement of their fall line-up. NBC announced its 2008-09 lineup early, which features several new (and old) programs, including a revival of Knight Rider and a spin-off of The Office, which it and the mothership are landing plush slots after the Super Bowl. The last new show […]
Longtime WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne returns to the anchor chair at 9 p.m. beginning on Monday after suffering a series of mini-strokes that has kept her off the air for the last three months.
Another hiring to report (now that’s more like it…) The Tribune Co. has hired radio veteran Sean Compton to senior VP of programming and entertainment for the 23-station Tribune group, which includes WGN-TV. Compton replaces Marc Schacher, who is stepping down after 29 years with the company. Schacher was behind the Tribune group purchases of programs such as Friends, Two […]
After the last few days, it’s great to announce a hiring for a change! WMAQ-TV meteorologist Brant Miller is returning to his roots at the frequency he used to work show. Miller has been hired as morning personality at Oldies outlet WZZN-FM (94.7) starting Monday, where he will hold down the 6 to 10 a.m. shift (Miller will continue in […]
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