Some sad news to start off this edition of notations: Emmy-award winning actress Kathryn Joosten died on Sunday after a long battle with lung cancer at the age of 72. She was best known for her portrayal of presidential secretary Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing, and most recently, the nosy neighbor on Desperate Housewives. Born in Eustus, Fl. in […]
Watch out WGN Radio fans! Mayhem is coming your way. But don’t worry – the station’s listeners are still in “good hands”. First reported by Chicagoland Radio & Media Friday night, Tribune-owned WGN-AM radio made a deal with Northbrook-based Allstate Co. to rename its Michigan Avenue streetside studio the Allstate Showcase Studio. The studio is basically used for its afternoon […]
Welcome to the sixth annual wrap-up of the best and worst Super Bowl commercials. Here are the five best (and five honorable mentions) and worst ads, picked by yours truly. To see each ad in its entirety, click the linked title on each review (thanks to Hulu.). Epic Successes. 1. Bud Light, “Rescue Dog”. Each time someone yells “here we […]
One of the greatest visionaries in the media business and in tech has left us. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died Wednesday afternoon at the age of 56 due to a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs stepped down two months ago as CEO and handed the day-to-day reigns over to Tim Cook while retaining the title as Chairman. Jobs of […]
Welcome to the fifth annual roundup of the best and worst Super Bowl commercials here on The T Dog Media Blog. To see the ads, click on the links on each review: Forget the DVR. Don’t skip these ads! 1. Chrysler – Imported From Detroit. A gripping, emotional ad spotlighting Detroit pride in its automobile and the city itself with […]
And other misfires of note What were the worst programs of 2010? They’re all below – and most are future T Dog Media Blog TV Hall of Shame nominees (one is already a member.:) Just don’t forget to flush twice… 1. The Marriage Ref (NBC). An “A-list project” from Jerry Seinfeld turned out to be one of those D-level programs […]
This trophy was well represented in the countdown of the best media items of 2010. Here we go with the annual list of the best media-related items of 2010 – a list of not just the best shows (isn’t everyone doing those?) but the best events as well. If you notice (excluding sports), cable is well-represented in this countdown, with […]
Tribune-owned WGN-TV is adding yet another half-hour of news later this summer, this time at 4:30 a.m. Following a trend many local stations have been doing across the country for the past year, WGN is adding the 4:30 a.m. newscast to take advantage of commuters getting up earlier to go to work (or as we say in the trade, increasing […]
It looks like more and more stations are joining the extremely early morning dawn patrol. If you thought 5 a.m. was early, you haven’t seen nothing yet. In two big markets, local stations have or are in the process of expanding their morning newscasts – to 4:30 a.m. In Los Angeles, four stations already have 4:30 a.m. newscasts (compared to […]
Ladies and Gentlemen… welcome to the fourth annual roundup of the best and worst Super Bowl commercials: Forget Tivo… these ads are worth watching. 1. Kia. Sock Puppets are living it up – driving a Kia, going to parties and clubbing… then is back to reality: in back of a SUV with some kid in the suburbs. One of the […]
In his 2008 speeches, President Barack Obama talked about change. Well, in the media world, change arrived in the 2000s. And boy, did it ever! When the decade started, who knew we would be watching clips on YouTube, or friending people on Facebook, or watching network TV shows online? Or how broadcast television and terrestrial radio would both have trouble […]
Despite a down year (or decade, depending on your point of view) 2009 has had some good moments too! Here is the best of the best – the Top 10 items of 2009, count them down from ten to one – remember, this list includes not only TV shows, but events as well… The Excellent 1010. Glee (Fox). A surprise […]
Over the next week, we will be reviewing the year in television and other things – the best and worst – as well as the events and issues that helped define the decade. We’ll start at the absolute bottom – with the worst shows and other items in the annual year-end lineup of the Toilet 10 – with a few […]
Renewed in 70 percent of the country, including CBS-owned WBBM-TV If Oprah Winfrey decides to hang up her the mic in syndication after 2011, CBS Television Distribution is going to have an insurance policy. Dr. Phil, the talk show which spun-off from The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2002, has been renewed through 2014 in 70 percent of the country, including […]
A week of shock and awe – literally. A Halloween edition of T Dog’s Four Pack: Treats – White Collar. USA had a lot of goodies in its bag – to the tune of 5.3 million viewers for the debut of its new Friday night drama White Collar. With the continued success of Dexter on Showtime, being a criminal has […]
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