2012: A look ahead
Happy New Year, everyone!
There will be a lot going on in 2012 – elections, international summits, the Olympics, and much, much, more! Here’s what to look for in 2012:
– Look for CBS to continue their prime-time ratings domination.
– With Family Guy running on empty and The Cleveland Show shifting time periods every week, look for Fox’s Animation Domination to lose more steam.
– Speaking of Fox, look for WFLD to finally cut General Manger Mike Renda and news director Carol Fowler – only to replace them with the Bears’ Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith. Yeah, those ratings will skyrocket…
– With Oprah now completely out of the picture, look for pop psychologist Dr. Phil to remain as the top-rated syndicated show, in his staged, overly choreographed talk show. Don’t forget to cry on cue… can we have a retake on that?
– Don’t know what to say about WIQI (formerly known as WWWN) – they’re just glad the new year is here so they can start over.
– September brings us four new talk shows hosted by Katie Couric, Steve Harvey, Ricki Lake, and Jeff Probst, the most new talkers to debut in at least fifteen years. Also on tap: ABC’s The Revolution, which debuts January 16 in place of One Life To Live.
– And despite no Oprah, no One Life to Live, no All My Children – all replaced by a wobbly local morning show and three unproven talk shows, look for WLS-TV to continue their ratings domination of the market. Yes, the competition here is that bad…
– But despite this, Chicago’s local news operations will take a break from the crime, accidents, and fires that usually dominate and cover the NATO and G8 Summits coming to Chicago in May in what is expected to be a ratings and revenue boon.
– Tribune’s bankruptcy saga will definitely continue – with no real decision expected until May at the earliest.
– The first cancellation of the calendar year: ABC’s men-in-drag sitcom The New Bosom Buddies… I mean Work It.
– Prediction: One of the “stars” from the Real Housewives of Atlanta or Basketball Wives will score a syndicated talk show deal. The NeNe Leakes Show – coming soon to a station near you! Syndicated by Merlin Media and produced by Randy “Court Jester” Michaels, naturally.
– The X Factor drops judge Nicole Scherzinger and replaces her with Jim Belushi. And introducing your new host – Jonah Hill!
– Allen Gregory will get the ax. Oh wait a minute, did that happen already?
– To celebrate David Lee Roth returning to Van Halen, WLUP plans to increase the number of songs they play from the band from ten times a day to twenty.
– Trying to top WGN Radio’s absurd hire of Chicago Blackhawks hockey goon Daniel Carcillo, the station tries to land ex-con Richard Hatch from Survivor to be his Bomb Shelter co-host (after all didn’t ex-con Jim “Don’t Drop the Soap” Laski had a hosting stint?)
– Finally, T Dog Media will continue to grow and prosper in 2012 as it did in 2011, thanks to last September’s website redesign and relaunch. Thank you for stopping by and stay tuned – more good stuff is coming!