The Media Notepad: Walter Jacobson gives final “Perspective” – or did he?
Also: “Flip Side” renewed, “Perfect Line” a firm go; WCIU reveals Sky schedule
[Editor’s Note: This post was updated on April 3.]
Longtime news legend Walter Jacobson gave his final “Perspective” last Thursday morning on WGN Radio, but it seemed more of a “see you later” than a retirement as he left the door open for a possible return.
In the 90-second speech during Bob Sirott’s show Thursday, Jacobson said he was granted time off to see his daughter and son-in-law, who reside in suburban Albany, N.Y. Jacobson joined WGN Radio in 2014 for those weekly Perspective commentaries, something he did on his nightly newscasts at WBBM-TV and WFLD-TV.
Of course, the news business has changed since he was last on TV in 2012, given the partisanship in politics, rendering any commentary segment risky. But it was one his bosses took, even though Jacobson’s commentaries were controversial at times, as CBS was sued for libel in the 1980s over his comments about tobacco companies marking to kids (CBS lost in court) and doxxing a judge in the Baby Richard case in the 1990s at Fox 32 before the term was even coined. But he delivered some that made you think, such as this commentary he gave the night after John Lennon was murdered (and still resonates today.)
It’s a subdued sendoff for a man who arrived on the local news scene in 1973, was paired with Bill Kurtis, and reinvented local news – leading WBBM-TV to the top of the ratings in the late 1970s and early 1980s. If this was his final time behind the mic, we were truly blessed, as we might not see anyone like him in local news again.
You can listen to Jacobson’s final (for now) Perspective and read the transcript here.
CBS Media Ventures will have another syndicated game show in its stable after giving The Perfect Line a firm production commitment for this fall in 90 percent of the country with CBS’s independent stations as the launch group.
At the same time, CBS renewed Jaleel White’s Flip Side for a second season, and it is cleared in 95 percent of the country, including The U (WCIU), which airs it at 7 p.m. every weeknight when not preempted by sports (see below). Flipside has averaged a little north of a million viewers a day, ranking it fourth behind its Wheel, Jeopardy, and Family Feud, which it handles national ad sales for.
“We saw Flip Side quickly climb the ranks in its first season, growing viewership 23% from October to February, thanks to Jaleel’s charisma, humor, and a game that resonated with audiences”, said John Budkins, who is the executive vice president of programming and syndication production for CBS Media Ventures and Stations. “This fall, we’re ready to build on that success with our new game show The Perfect Line. With the esteemed Deborah Norville at the helm and a fresh game concept, we will deliver another winning combination for viewers.”
Perfect Line is hosted by former WMAQ-TV and current Inside Edition anchor Deborah Norville, who announced April 2 that is departing the CBS Media Ventures show after thirty seasons. Expect Flip Side and Perfect Line to be paired in one-hour or two-hour blocks on some stations.
This comes as the future of CBS Media Ventures’ handling syndication for Wheel and Jeopardy after 2028 is in question, as it and Sony are currently involved in litigation regarding each show’s profits and other issues. Sony recently tried to take distribution rights of the game shows away from CBS, but was stopped by a restraining order.
Weigel’s The U released its 2025 Chicago Sky schedule last week and has some intriguing matchups.
The thirty-game schedule kicks off May 22 with the champion New York Liberty from Wintrust Arena at 7 p.m., followed by a road game at the Los Angeles Sparks on May 25 at 5 p.m. Also on the schedule are games with the Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, and Dallas Wings.
But the biggest games of the Sky’s upcoming season are national executive telecasts, including a matchup with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever from the United Center on June 7 at 7 p.m. on CBS, marking the first-ever nationally prime-time WNBA regular-season game ever on a broadcast network. Still, putting the games on WCIU increases the team’s reach and visibility as opposed to a split deal with regional sports network Marquee, whose main focus is Cubs games.
“Weigel has been at the forefront of broadcasting women’s sports, and our longtime partnership with the Chicago Sky supports this important part of our company’s vision,” said Steven Farber, Weigel’s senior vice president. “We are proud to broadcast Sky games on The U and give fans the option to see the team on their terms, whether it be over-the-air, cable or on streaming.”
“The Chicago Sky are thrilled to expand our reach as an integral part of the sports fabric of the city,” Adam Fox, Sky president-CEO, added. “Partnering with Weigel Broadcasting gives our fans many ways to watch Sky games and engage with the team. We look forward to showcasing our outstanding players and exciting content on The U.”
The Sky and The U are still working to clear over-the-air stations in other markets in the team’s footprint.
Another exclusive over-the-air deal involving a WNBA team was made Monday when Sinclair’s KOMO-TV and KUNS-TV agreed to carry 46 Seattle Storm games.
Meanwhile, Weigel also announced an eleven-game schedule for South Bend Cubs games over WCWW and WMYS in South Bend, Ind., respectively, starting April 8 with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the Peoria Chiefs. The U Too in Chicago will carry at least two games from that package, with the April 24 game against the Beloit Sky Carp and May 8 against the Fort Wayne TinCaps.