Comcast-Time Warner merger nixed

Investors, Justice department sink deal In what be construed as good news for consumers,  Comcast Corp. has called off its takeover bid for Time Warner Cable. The deal unraveled this week as investors started doubting the deal and chances of getting the deal cleared through the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. Comcast and TWC would have created […]

Oh, Darling

Led by rookie goalie, Blackhawks score huge ratings Sunday and Tuesday  Other Chicago teams see ratings increases It’s playoff season and Chicago viewers are showing up in droves. Last Sunday’s third game in the first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators scored a whopping 12.0 household live-plus-same day rating locally for NBC’s WMAQ, easily trouncing […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: What’s in a name?

  Spike Lee can call his movie whatever he wants – but its the content that matters Chicagoans whine about the “Chiraq” name, turning the city into a bunch of Jan Bradys When filmmaker Spike Lee announced the name of his new movie to be set in Chicago was going to be named Chiraq, it set the city into a […]

It’s a Chicago country music station smackdown

  New startup from iHeart Radio making life hell for US 99.5 In the last few years, analyzing PPM results has been like watching paint dry – no real, earth-shaking position changes usually happens. But the most recent PPM report out this week showing a huge shakeup in what has become a most interesting development for country music fans. New country […]

Chris Harrison named new “Millionaire” host

Is there now a Millionaire hosting curse? Disney-ABC Domestic Television on Monday named Dallas native Chris Harrison as the new host of its syndicated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire game show. Harrison replaces Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews, who just replaced Cedric The Entertainer this season. Cerdic was named host of the show in 2013 to replace Meredith Vieira, […]

ABC 7 off to decent start with Cubs (in the ratings)

Wednesday’s game scores in the ratings – despite some production bumps in the road History was made on Wednesday when ABC-owned WLS-TV broadcast its first Chicago Cubs game since 1949 (when it was known as WENR, pre-ABC’s merger with United Paramount Theaters.) And it paid off handsomely in the ratings, too: Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals drew a […]

“Wheel”, “Jeopardy” renewed through 2018

As expected, CBS Television Distribution’s Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy have been renewed for another two years, taking the veteran game shows through the 2017-18 television season. The options for hosts Pat Sajak, Vanna White, and Alex Trebek were picked up a few weeks ago, so the game shows’ renewals were right around the corner. CTD has renewed both shows […]

Think Tank Express: Jon Stewart to Chicago: Drop Dead

Here we go again: Overrated, blowhard host of The Daily Show slams Chicago again Jon Stewart went after Chicago again Wednesday night on The Daily Show – this time not over pizza, but for the city’s residents for re-electing Rahm Emanuel for a second term on Tuesday, defeating challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, 55 percent to 45 percent (for the record, […]

Cubs open up 2015 baseball season

Full plate ahead for Chicago sports fans  The San Francisco Giants (remember them?) may have won the World Series in 2014, but you wouldn’t know it judging by the hype a certain Northside team is getting. The Chicago Cubs are opening the 2015 season Sunday Night with a nationally televisied game against the archrival St. Louis Cardinals on ESPN2 (Sunday […]