The Media Notepad: WCIU, “On The Block” part ways
Also: Diginet changes in the new year: KSDK becomes the latest media property to leave downtown St. Louis; Diamond becomes Main Street
In another blow to local linear TV, non-profit news organization Block Club Chicago and Weigel independent WCIU have parted ways on On The Block after nearly three years. The announcement was made on X Friday with the last episode airing this weekend on The U and U Too, and was airing Thursdays at 7 p.m. on The U Too.
One of my favorite things about @blockclubchi is we’re not afraid to try new things, from gator tees to TV shows.
— Stephanie Lulay (@slulay2) January 3, 2025
You’ve been on this ride w/ us for 6 years + counting, so I want you to hear it from us: @ontheblockchi, Block Club’s Emmy-award-winning show w/ @wciu, is ending. pic.twitter.com/ixNyeSgT7c
Premiering in March 2022, On The Block aimed to take an in-depth look at neighborhood stories not usually covered by other local news outlets, thanks to a network of reporters with deep community ties. “Social media has played an important role in how people access the news, and with ‘On the Block, ’ we are taking some of the visually compelling themes and amplifying those for television. You won’t see any anchors reading copy behind a desk,” said WCIU’s Afua Owusu, at the time of the show’s launch.“Our partnership with Block Club Chicago affirms our commitment to producing diverse local content that represents the city as a whole; it also allows us to be innovative within the local news landscape.” On The Block also interviewed leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
The show was created after a study from 2018 showed television news coverage in Chicago’s minority communities was too negative and not representative of where they live – an angle not talked about much when it comes to bias as the focus is usually on conservatives’ gripes about the news media. A recent study showed trust in the media hit an all-time low – something incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is looking to remedy.
But at a time when local stations are struggling with budget issues – made worse by cord-cutting and the shift to streaming, cuts are inevitable as retrans money from cable and satellite companies are declining, resulting in less revenue, affecting smaller broadcast groups such as Weigel.
The loss of On The Block is a blow to local journalism since the network-owned stations often fail to provide perspective on stories, focusing more on corporate synergy, dumb and stupid “happy talk,” banter (see WGN-TV ‘s 4 p.m. newscast as an example), and non-stop Bears talk.
The new year is bringing changes to subchannel lineups as Sinclair, Inc. inked a deal with Fox Television Stations to carry TBD, including Chicago.
Starting January 15, TBD is moving to the dot-four spaces on five Fox-owned stations including WFLD Channel 32.4 from Nexstar’s WGN Channel 9.5. The four other moves are in New York (WNYW); Los Angeles (KTTV); Atlanta (WAGA); and Phoenix (KSAZ.) TBD returns to New York on a full-power signal for the first time since 2021 when Mission’s WPIX dropped it for Rewind TV, filling in a crucial distribution hole; TBD is shifting from Nexstar’s KTLA Los Angeles and Paramount’s WUPA Atlanta, respectively.
“We are excited to launch TBD TV on 5 powerhouse Fox Owned Television Stations, including the top three DMAs in the US,” Senior Vice President of Distribution at Sinclair Lee Schlazer said in a statement. “This partnership greatly expands TBD TVs reach while securing big-4 network row positions and maintaining Sinclair’s strategic initiative of growing coverage in the largest DMAs. TBD TV is a great fit with FOX’s younger-skewing audience, as TBD TV is the second-youngest multicast network.”
Launched in 2016, TBD previously focused on viral videos and short-run programming targeted to millennial audiences but pivoted to more established off-network comedy sketch series such as Saturday Night Live, Punk’d, and Whose Line Is it Anyway, all proven ratings winners for the network.
For Fox, TBD replaces the over-the-air broadcast version of Allen Media Group’s TheGrioTV, which closed on January 1 but remains (for now) as a cable and FAST channel, each with separate feeds. Last year, Allen Media’s This TV went dark after the ABC-owned stations dropped it for Charge!, making it the second time Sinclair replaced an Allen Media channel in a major market, leading to its demise. TheGrioTV launched in 2020 after Allen bought its predecessor Light TV and This.
There is no word on what would replace TBD on WGN, though sister Sinclair network The Nest could be a possibility.
After 43 years in downtown St. Louis, NBC affiliate KSDK St. Louis is leaving for a new building in another area of the city. The station declined to say where because the lease is still being finalized, but it is expected to remain within city limits. The Tegna-owned station is also selling the property, located at 1000 Market St., near Busch Stadium and the NestlePurina Campus.
“Staying within St. Louis city limits has been a top priority as we plan our move to a new facility,” KSDK GM Elsner said in a statement. “Our goal is to finalize a space that fosters collaboration and innovation, while offering security, ample parking, and minimal commuting disruption. We’re excited for this next chapter and will keep you updated as details are finalized.” KSDK had been downtown for its entire 77-year history, and in their current location since 1982.
When the station was owned by Multimedia, Inc., KSDK’s downtown studios were home to Sally Jesse Raphael’s syndicated talk show, from 1983 to 1987.
KSDK is the second St. Louis station to exit downtown; CBS affiliate KMOV moved to suburban Maryland Heights in 2022. There’s been concern from the station’s staff regarding security and crime issues, including several shootings near the building in the last year, including one last June right around the corner from the station, which left one dead and five people wounded. Another shooting took place on July 4 after a teen/young adult takeover, leaving several buildings with bullet holes. Other crimes taking place included assaults, robberies, and drag racing. Another incident happened last year when a KMOV news crew was nearly caught in a gun battle.
The St. Louis Cardinals have had attendance issues last year, with some blaming crime (and the team’s lackluster play on the field) as reasons to stay away.
Crime has recently become an increasing concern among media companies and trade associations. Last March, the National Association of Broadcasters expressed concern over crime near its Washington D.C. headquarters. In Chicago, the Museum of Broadcast Communications closed its River North location in 2023 amid declining attendance and crime concerns in the area.
Several incidents have occurred at ABC-owned WLS-TV’s 190 North State Street studios over the years, including a murder suspect hiding in the building and a car crash during a 2007 newscast. But in recent years, incidents have become more violent including a looting incident right next door to the station during a night of unrest in 2020; a car spinning donuts in front of the station; and a passerby throwing rocks at the station’s window during a 4 p.m. newscast last year. Just last month, someone was shot in broad daylight around the corner from the station on a ‘L” platform. Despite these incidents, the station has no plans to exit the area or abandon its streetside studio.
With Diamond Sports Group officially out of bankruptcy, the company announced a name change to Main Street Sports Group on Thursday, to mirror its rebranding from Bally Sports Network to FanDuel Sports Network late last year.
“Emerging from this process is the culmination of over 20 months of incredibly hard work to transform our business and position us to better serve passionate local fans across our markets,” Main Street CEO David Preschlack said in a statement.
Main Street emerged from bankruptcy more than two years after the Walt Disney Company was forced to sell its RSNs as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019 to a consortium of companies led by Sinclair and Entertainment Studios (now Allen Media Group) and spun off as Diamond Sports. As the pandemic and cord-cutting took their toll, Diamond sunk into Chapter Eleven, lost rights to several sports teams, and was forced to close several RSNs. Main Street is now on a better financial footing with a “healthy capital structure”, a “significantly deleveraged balance sheet”, and deals with Amazon Prime Video to distribute games through streaming.
Funds managed by private equity firms now hold equity in Main Street and received equity for their debt claims, says the company.
MainStreet owns the rights to 29 teams spanning sixteen regional sports networks, including the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, and Milwaukee Brewers, who signed a long-term renewal with FanDuel this week. A key turning point came when MLB dropped its objections after it became clear they were fighting a losing battle with the bankruptcy judge, who was willing to give Main Street every benefit of the doubt.