Boom! The big guy is riding his bus into the sunset with his telestrator. Football color commentator John Madden retired today from the booth after 30 years of service. He was the only broadcaster to work for all four networks – CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC. Madden was the longtime coach of the Oakland Raiders and led them to victory […]
CBS-owned all-news outlet WBBM-AM was Chicago’s top billing radio station in 2008, according to BIA Financial Network. WBBM-AM earned $44.9 million in revenue for 2008, according to the report. Tribune’s WGN-AM came in a close second with $44.5 million, no doubt fueled by Cubs baseball. WGN’s huge haul comes despite an older-skewing audience. The top music station was Bonneville’s WTMX-FM, […]
You ever hear of buyer’s remorse? Well, Sam Zell has a huge case of it. In an interview with Bloomberg News, The Tribune owner said buying the debt-ridden media company was “a mistake”, saying he was “too optimistic.” Zell said he didn’t know the economy would crater like it did, and wouldn’t do the deal if he had to do […]
Los Angeles’ KMVN-FM is moving out the door and so is the station’s morning man, Rick Dees. As of tomorrow, the legendary Radio Hall of Fame personality is moving his act to his own website. Titled All Number One Hits (allnumber1hits.com) the new site features contemporary hit music, live hosts (including games), videos, games, and an iPhone application, along with […]
– Among women 18-34, which talk show is second only behind Oprah Winfrey? Tyra Banks? Nope. Ellen? Try Again. Come on. You’ve got to be talking about Jerry Springer… Um, no. It’s Maury Povich. Yes, 70-year old Maury Povich. Yes, the same guy who brought you A Current Affair back in the day. NBC Universal’s Maury (in its 11th season […]
WHDH-TV in Boston has agreed to air Jay Leno’s new 10 p.m. (ET) show after all beginning in September as originally planned. The NBC affiliate two weeks ago announced they were going to regularly pre-empt the show to air a local newscast. NBC threatened to yank its affiliation and move it to their Telemundo affiliate, WNEU (NBC owns Telemundo) or […]
Have the suits at Crawford Broadcasting been reading this blog? (Scary.) A few weeks ago, yours truly suggested Crawford should go after The Tom Joyner Morning Show for its WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3) after it was dropped by crosstown rival WVAZ-FM (V103). Well, it looks like they may have taken my advice. According to radio trade website All Access, WSRB acquired […]
Yes, a two-for-one offer. Say goodbye to the eyes and hello to the blocks. WGN America announced another overhaul, with a new logo and announced new programming, including several reality shows. According to Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrahms (yes, it’s an actual title), the moves are being made to better reflect the diversity of America, particularly the middle part of […]
Monday night’s NCAA College Basketball Championship between Michigan State and North Carolina turned out to be the lowest-rated of all time (how often have you heard that phrase?) But what we are mad for now is baseball. The game, in which North Carolina blew out Michigan State drew only a 10.8 household rating and an 18 share, according to Nielsen, […]
What’s worked the last two weeks – and what didn’t – in the world of media with a basketball theme: Four slam dunks – March Madness. Ratings for the annual NCAA tourney have been pretty good, outperforming the rest of the competition on the boards with year-to-year increases. And tonight’s title game should do well with Michigan St. and North […]
From the recently concluded March ratings period: Chicago: WLS-TV remained on top, as usual at 10 p.m., but CBS-owned WBBM-TV is up 50 percent in the same time period in households. At 9 p.m., WGN-TV’s newscast had a 43 percent advantage over an above-average WFLD-TV, despite popular Fox prime-time lead-ins. Milwaukee: And lead-ins didn’t matter here either, as NBC affiliate […]
In a move that could put its fourteen-year NBC affiliation at risk, WHDH-TV in Boston has told NBC it plans not to run Jay Leno’s new weeknight show at 10 p.m. (ET) but instead run a prime-time newscast. Leno got the 10 p.m. time slot after losing his longtime 11:35 p.m. Tonight Show slot to Conan O’Brien. Leno leaves Tonight […]
Well, it’s about time. Garry Meier now can finally lose the moniker “house husband”. Tribune-owned WGN-AM has signed Garry Meier to fill the vacant 1 to 4 p.m. time slot beginning tomorrow. Meier filled in a month ago for a week, and received rave reviews from listeners and posters who frequent media-related message boards. Meier has not been active in […]
The light has gone out for Guiding Light. CBS has pulled the plug on the serial after 72 years on television and radio. The soap began on radio in 1937, went to television in 1952 (its radio run ended in 1956), and is the longest-running soap currently on the air. It marks the first CBS has canceled a soap in […]
CBS-owned WWJ-TV in Detroit is returning to the news business. This is not a April Fool’s joke. Really. WWJ, which has been out of the news business since 2002, is hooking with the Detroit Free Press to produce a new morning newscast airing from 5 to 7 a.m. with cut-ins during The Early Show (you mean its no longer called […]