Sony putting game veteran game shows up for bid Two longtime prime access game shows are finally joining the streaming age. Sony Pictures Television is soliciting bids from streamers to air next-day episodes of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy starting this fall, putting new episodes on the platform for the first time. The streamers and tech companies Sony plan […]
WBBM-AM, WBEZ are up from Holiday survey; increasing number of streams showing up in ratings With the Christmas music season over and audience patterns returning to normal, two trends have emerged in Nielsen’s January PPM numbers. The change in Presidential administrations and the Los Angeles wildfires has sent ratings for all-news and news/talk stations upward, with WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM (Newsradio 105.9) […]
Viewership high in U.S. but fails to outdraw Super Bowl in Canada The United States may have lost in overtime to Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off in overtime Thursday night but did beat them in another metric: the ratings. The hotly contested series between the two countries drew an eye-popping 9.25 million viewers on ESPN, marking the most-watched hockey […]
Also: Dr. Phil to end syndication run; new FAST channel launches from NESN and Pam Grier Chicago radio mainstay Scott Childers has landed a new job as Operations Coordinator at Jazz outlet WDCB-FM (90.9 FM), located at the College of DuPage in west suburban Wheaton. “I’m excited to share that I’ve accepted the role of Operations Coordinator at 90.9 WDCB, […]
Sock ’em robots match a hit with viewers [Editor’s Note: This piece does contain profanity. Reader discretion is advised.] Remember when some guy named Terence initially dismissed the 4 Four Nations Face-Off as a quick money grab and would flop hard on the ice? I have never made such a miscalculation in the 19-year run of T Dog Media […]
Daytime shows renewed by Fox, ABC/Hearst stations respectively Despite several observers writing off the daypart both are in, Disney’s Tamron Hall and Warner Bros. Discovery’s The Jennifer Hudson Show were renewed for the 2025-26 season for their seventh and fourth seasons, respectively. “Tamron’s distinctive, thoughtful ability to tap into the meaningful issues of the day continue to resonate with her […]
23 channels stay on service Days after YouTubeTV emailed subscribers (including this writer) that it was on the verge of losing 23 channels owned and/or operated by Paramount Global, the two reached a resolution Saturday night with a new deal. Terms were not disclosed. News of the impending blackout made news Wednesday night and intensified Thursday, as CBS ran ads […]
Sets stage for heated U.S.-Canada battle tonight – and has a unique connection to an event in the same building 28 years ago [This post was updated February 15 at 11:55 p.m.] Even though this writer had no interest whatsoever (until they started fighting nine seconds into the U.S./Canada game Saturday) in a contrived quick cash-grab tournament (which is working […]
Latest carriage dispute comes out of nowhere Update, February 14, 12:36 a.m.: Paramount and YouTubeTV have agreed to a short-term extension of their previous contract, keeping CBS and 22 other channels on the virtual provider as they hammer out a new agreement. Neither party stated how long the extension would last. Original Story from February 12: Another carriage dispute […]
Veteran broadcaster to lead Nexstar’s flagship station; WGN also announces new programming for WGN+ Irving, Tex.-based Nexstar Media Group announced Ric Harris would become WGN-TV’s new vice president and general manager, effective immediately. “WGN is a powerhouse in local news and the home of high-quality CW programming, including live sports like Xfinity series racing, college football and basketball, and WWE […]
Super Bowl numbers break own record set last year while racial divide is a factor in halftime show [Editor’s Note: This was updated from an earlier post to add more rating information. Updated again Feb. 13 to add even more rating information.] It turns out “Chiefs fatigue” wasn’t a thing. The game wasn’t much, but viewers poured into the entrances […]
$8 million per spot gets you fleeting facial hair, women’s empowerment, and AI If there was a theme running through this year’s Super Bowl Ads, it was one balancing female empowerment with traditional family values as we saw advocation of women’s athletics along with touching ads featuring families, hugging and all. If anything, both can manage to co-exist. Last year, […]
Chicago stations could be impacted After just three weeks on the job as FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr is putting his stamp on the agency and it is proving to be a nightmare for journalists and media companies alike. In an unprecedented move, the FCC is investigating a Bay Area radio station for its coverage of immigration raids in San Jose, […]
WNBA games to be made available for local over-the-air viewers Weigel Broadcasting independent WCIU and the WNBA’s Chicago Sky announced Thursday a partnership to broadcast all non-network televised games, totaling 30-plus games. WCIU has been carrying Chicago Sky games for years; for the last three seasons, WCIU shared rights with Marquee Sports Network, a regional sports network run by Sinclair […]
Signs multi-year extension Nexstar’s WGN Radio announced a multi-year contract extension for Bob Sirott, who will continue to host the station’s morning show. “Management has given me a terrific on-air and behind-the-scenes team, plus freedom to do whatever I want,” said Sirott in a statement. “That’s why waking up at 4:30 am is fun now. Actually…that last line is a […]
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