Ratings are down for local news – but not out [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on June 1.] If you’ve noticed, ratings are down across-the-board for just about everything on linear TV these days. And yes, that includes local news. As reported by Robert Feder Friday, three Chicago news stations: ABC-owned WLS-TV, NBC-owned WMAQ-TV and Nexstar independent WGN-TV, all […]
Legislation passed in the wake of Javier Ambler, who died after a police chase filmed by Live PD Everything’s bigger in Texas, but reality TV cop shows have gotten too big for the state. Texas passed a law this week banning law enforcement from working with reality TV shows such as Live PD and Cops, according to the Austin-American Statesman. […]
Includes NBC 5 in Chicago Quickly removing any speculation, the NBC-owned stations announced they were slotting sister company NBCUniversal Syndication Services’ Kelly Clarkson Show in the time period now occupied by Ellen starting in September 2022. This means Clarkson is replacing Ellen into the plum 3 p.m. real estate spot on ten NBC-owned stations, including NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) here in […]
Alden takes control, ending local ownership after more than 150 years In a move everyone saw coming, New York City-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital last Friday got the green light to take full ownership of Tribune Publishing. The Chicago Tribune – one of the papers involving in the Alden transaction, reported the deal officially closed late Monday night. This […]
Lightfoot’s decision to exclude white journalists sets off firestorm. But it’s a conversation long overdue The latest dustup between the Chicago media and minority communities is unusual because the person behind it happens to be the Mayor of Chicago. On Tuesday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot – the first Black woman to be elected to the position in the city’s history, decided […]
Plans to merge assets with WarnerMedia to spinoff to own company Here we go again. Sunday morning, Bloomberg published a report stating Discovery Communications and AT&T’s WarnerMedia would be merging assets, marrying Bugs Bunny and Friends with Oprah Winfrey and Chip and Joanna Gaines. The news was made official Monday, with AT&T spinning off those assets into a new, […]
Also: remembering Dick Kay; Broadcast networks makes moves Longtime Chicago radio personality Greg Brown is calling it a career this week after five decades on the city’s airwaves, as first reported Friday by Radio Insight. The current WLS-FM personality started his Chicago radio career in 1970. His longest tenures were thirteen years at WKQX-FM (during its CHR/Hot AC era); eleven […]
Announcement gives NBC-owned stations time to develop a replacement in ’22 We now know the fate of Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show as she is officially calling it quits after next season, with the NBC-owned stations and others now looking forward to programming options for September 2022. One immediate beneficiary is Kelly Clarkson, who could slide in to the 3 p.m. […]
A bold move on a low HUT-level night In a surprising move, The CW announced Thursday it is expanding their prime-time lineup to Saturdays starting in October, giving the network its first full seven-day-a-week schedule in its history. Saturdays this fall,CW Primetime comes to Kansas City's Own KCWE @KCWE29! https://t.co/Eg9DZXdows — Kansas City's Own KCWE (@KCWE29) May 13, 2021 No […]
Former WTMX personality to co-host morning show with former sports producer and podcaster Audacy-owned country music station WUSN-FM – better known as US 99, announced Thursday they were hiring former WTMX personality Melissa McGurren as their new morning host, starting Monday. The news was first reported by Robert Feder. Born in Portage, Ind. and residing in west suburban Riverside, McGurren […]
Replaces Bounce as digital network heads to Ion’s WCPX It’s not just an expansion – it’s now a boom. Yet another new multicast network was announced with the launch of MeTVPlus from Weigel Broadcasting, scheduled to debut May 15. As first reported by Robert Feder Monday, MeTV Plus features off-network dramas and sitcoms that hasn’t aired on MeTV in years, […]
Nexstar spin-offs a network from Antenna TV Usually in TV land, we have spin-offs of shows, some of the most successful being Gomer Pyle, USMC; Facts Of Life; Maude; Good Times; and Laverne & Shirley. Now for the first time, we have a spin-off of an entire channel. On September 1, Nexstar is launching Rewind TV, featuring 1980s and 1990s […]
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