An investigative report regarding a series of large security loopholes at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport – which resulted in a number of arrests and spurred a federal investigation – is being inducted along with 22 other local specials into the William Paley Center. The television museum, located in both New York and Los Angeles, is screening WBBM-TV’s investigative report Fly […]
Remember when the major studios (especially in the 1980’s and 1990’s) had big booths at the NATPE convention to entice station buyers with costumed characters, major stars, and even wrestling matches? Well, those days are over as escalating costs have driven them off the convention floor and into hotel suites and the carnival sideshows have been cut. But it seems […]
And you thought WLS-FM had a quite a number of call letter changes: Chicago-based Tribune Co.’s CW affiliate in Houston is dumping its KHCW-TV call letters for KIAH-TV, as of July 15. The move is not meant to distance itself from the fledgling CW network, but the new call letters are in reference to the airport code for Houston’s airport […]
Ron Hunter, a news anchor who made headlines as an news anchor for NBC-owned WMAQ-TV in the 1970’s, passed away at his home in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Hunter made headlines for Chicago’s TV critics, who relentlessly bashed him for his on-air persona. He succeeded Floyd Kalber at WMAQ in 1976, and lasted just two years at the station, which […]
Equity Broadcasting has sold the Retro Television Network to Henry Luken (who is head of Luken Communications), in order to raise cash to pay off debt. Operations of the digital sub-channel network are not affected. In Illinois, RTN is coming soon to digital sub-channels of Rockford’s WREX, Rock Island’s WHBF, Springfield’s WRSP/WBUL, and is already on the air in Mount […]
ABC’s new game show/obstacle course show Wipeout, is so far the highest rated new show of the summer, winning its time slot in adults 18-49 and in households, and beating NBC’s new Celebrity Family Feud with Al Roker (and not the host of the syndicated version – John O’Hurley.) But NBC points out the program did it best rating in […]
It looks like Mike North’s morning show… has headed south. WSCR (The Score) has canceled his show amid a contract dispute. As with any radio personality who gets terminated these days, you only get to say goodbye on your website…
I thought I’d just slap together these stories for you… – Here are The Daytime Emmy Award winners, held last Friday Night. The biggest surprise here was Tyra Banks beating out Dr. Phil in the best talk show/informative category (and Tyra also told off her critics as well…) – Mike North didn’t show up Monday at WSCR-AM – told by […]
WMEU-TV (better known as Me-Too) is bringing back an independent station stable from back in the day – The Prime Time Movie. Before movie rental chains, Netflix, DVDs, and the arrival of the Fox and CW networks, movies were staples on independent stations in the 1970s and 1980s, with syndicators getting rich selling movie station packages to station groups. The […]
Program Partners is offering two new strips in syndication this fall – both coming from north of the border. The company already offers several first-run dramas which have originally aired on Canadian broadcast networks CBC, CTV, and Global in weekly broadcast syndication, including ReGenesis and Cold Squad. Branding the block Daytime Plus, Program Partners is offering Style by Jury – […]
The controversial and edgy comic – best known for his raunchy stand-up material, has passed away at the age of 71. George Carlin, of course, was cited in a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1978, regarding indecency and his “seven words” routine.
Emmy-award winning sitcom writer Ken Levine links to an article from TV Crunch on his blog, and it’s yet another worst TV shows list – only this time it is sitcoms post-1980 and it lists losers such as Webster, Mr. Belvedere, Charles in Charge, and others, ranked from #25 to #1. The problem I have with these lists is, ranking […]
The Chicago Tribune is reporting Comcast and the Big Ten Network have reached an agreement for the collegiate sports network to be put on Comcast’s expanded basic package effective on August 15 in states with Big Ten schools including Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. After the 2008-09 college basketball season ends, Comcast has the option to put BTN on an […]
(Courtesy of Citadel broadcasting) An old name from the past is resurfacing. With the tentative date of June 26, Citadel Broadcasting plans to change the call letters of its True Oldies outlet from WZZN-FM back to WLS-FM, with FCC approval. Many message board posters have been suggesting this move for the last three years, since it flipped to True Oldies. […]
The Boston Celtics won their first NBA championship in 22 years, and ABC scored its highest ratings for NBA in their current broadcast deal. The 131-92 blowout win by the Celtics over the Lakers averaged 17 million viewers and a 6.9 Nielsen rating among adults 18-49 and a 7.1 among adults 25-54 (from 8 p.m. to 11:01 p.m. CDT), according […]