T Dog’s Media Notepad: ABC 7 takes weather radars to the Max

ABC-owned WLS-TV has introduced its new toy it was teasing viewers for months – a new Doppler Radar called Doppler Radar Max 7 ( I kid you not.) This new powerful radar was once only used buy the National Weather Service and the military. The radar is mounted somewhere in Kane County, west of Chicago and uses. WLS-TV GM John Idler said in a statement: “It’s exciting to have the first commercial radar of its kind in the United States. Live Doppler Max 7 is a highly sophisticated radar with improved clarity, accuracy and the ability to see the storm system developing behind the storm. It can track storms from a greater distance than ever before, while also being faster to pinpoint weather down to the street level. There’s no doubt that this powerful radar will enhance our weather coverage for our viewers.”

After the announcement Friday, crosstown competitor WGN-TV tweeted it didn’t need fancy, big Doppler radar to tell what viewers about the weather:

It's not the size of your radar that counts. It's what you do with it: https://t.co/a96Za7HYuq #Chicago #Weather pic.twitter.com/NMBkCHjQaZ

— WGN Morning News (@WGNMorningNews) March 18, 2016

Of course, once we see this radar and how “powerful it is” we realize ABC 7 should’ve saved some money and went with Lisa Simpson has:

– NBCUniversal Television Distribution has canceled first-run strip Crazy Talk after one season, according to Broadcasting & Cable. In the recent February sweeps, the freshman series drew only a 0.5 household rating, down 17 percent from its September 2015 premiere. Taped in Stamford, Conn and airing weekdays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on WPWR/My 50, Talk featured clips from NBCU’s conflict talkers and reality TV shows. Talk was hosted by Ben Aaron and Taniesha Thomas, but Thomas left the show three months into its run. Crazy Talk is the second syndicated strip to be canceled this year; earlier, Disney-ABC canceled FABLife, who also suffered a host defection when creator and executive producer Tyra Banks left two months into its run.

In other syndication news, Trifecta Entertainment low-rated OKTV! strip is getting a new name – beginning Monday, it will be known as Celebrity Page, thanks to Meredith Corp. replacing American Media as the content supplier of the show. This is not the first time a syndicated magazine show underwent a name change – in 1991, Twentieth Television change the name of its magazine show Personalities to Entertainment Daily Journal, (or EDJ for short) to compete with Entertainment Tonight. The show would last only three more months.

-Another flop for ABC: the network canceled For Kings And Prophets after two low-rated disastrous airings, earning only a 0.5 rating in adults 18-49. On the flipside, NBC has hit big with Little Big Shots, a talent show featuring kids hosted by Steve Harvey. The series has hovered around a 3.0 ratings since its premiere, which is pretty damn good, and another much-needed hit for NBC – and network television in general.

-Bounce TV announced it was launching a new app for Apple and Android devices, offering viewers to stream content including sitcoms, sports, and more. Included are series Saints & Sinners, Mann & Wife, Crazy Time, stand up comedy series In The Cut, and boxing matches from Premier Boxing Champions.

In a press release, Katz Broadcasting COO Jonathan Katz said the app was a way for viewers who don’t have access to Bounce – namely satellite TV viewers who don’t have access to the channel.

“With millions watching each week, the premiere of “Saints and Sinners” has driven demand for Bounce TV’s original programming to an all-time high. Despite this record-breaking ratings growth, there are still services like DirecTV and Dish that are behind the times and undervalue African-American consumers by not offering Bounce, Katz said. “The Bounce TV app complements our existing viewership by expanding the network’s available audience base and giving everyone access to our programming.”

Targeted to African-American viewers in the 25-54 demo, Bounce has become one of the more successful digital subchnnels. For example, the premiere of Saints & Sinners drew an eye-popping 1.3 million viewers over two airings on March 6 and drew even more viewers (1.5 million) for the second episode. The series, set in a Georgia church, features TV veterans Vanessa Bell Calloway, Gloria Reuben, and Clifton Powell.

Bounce is available in 93 percent of African-American homes, including WCIU-Channel 26.5, and on most cable systems locally. In many large markets such as New York and Los Angeles, Bounce is available on the digital subchannels of Univision-owned stations.