WARNING: This Think Tank contains material not suitable for more sensible readers (but of course, so has every item on this blog for the last three years!) Reader discretion is advised. This piece is rated B – for brutal. On Friday, the International Olympic Committee told Chicago to get lost as the organization picked Rio as the site of the […]
No, it didn’t. Even though yours truly provided lukewarm support for the Chicago 2016 effort, I am just as shocked and stunned as everyone else in our inability to land the Olympic games. It kind of reminds me of a rather laugh-free Simpsons episode where Bart did an offensive stand-up routine at Springfield’s Olympic Presentation where International Olympic Committee members […]
Lots of items of note in today’s Grab Bag: – WCFS-FM (Fresh 105.9) has dumped morning man Mark LeBaron. Rick Hall will take over until a replacement is found. Is this a signal something big is coming? Or is the cancellation clock ticking for Fresh FM? – Speaking of which, the clock is up for The Beautiful Life, which CW […]
WGN-TV announced it has expanded its news and shuffled its weekday programming lineup, just two days into the new syndication television season. Beginning October 5, WGN expands its 5:30 p.m. newscast an hour, starting at 5 p.m. Its midday newscast expands to 11a.m. and now run two hours until 1 p.m. And to go along with the expansion are some […]
You’ve heard about this for the last nine months. And it arrives tomorrow night. For the first time in the history of television (and excluding special stunts, like Millionaire or Deal or No Deal), there is a five night a week strip in prime-time on a major broadcast network on a regular basis. The Jay Leno Show debuts Monday night […]
Here are the results for the August PPMs for 12+ and for adults 25-54. Among the findings: – Winners include WSCR, WPPN, WXRT, WUSN, and drumroll please…. Q101! Yes, Q101 – or WKQX-FM grew 27% in 12+ month-to-month. – The biggest winner of all is WTMX-FM (The Mix), who dominated the 25-54 ratings and 12+ with Eric & Kathy leading […]
Weigel Broadcasting, owner of independent WCIU-TV in Chicago and classic TV stations Me-TV (WCIU-DT, 26.2) and Me-Too (WMEU-TV and WCIU-DT 26.3) has released its fall schedules for the 2009-10 season. Click the links to view each schedule, all in PDF form: WCIU 2009 Fall Schedule Me-TV Fall Schedule Me-Too Fall Schedule Similar to what Turner has done to TBS and […]
Another GM shake-up at Fox-owned WFLD-TV and WPWR-TV has led Pat Mullen out the door after three rather unproductive years at the duopoly, and was replaced by Michael Renda of sister station WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, which is also a Fox O&O. In turn, Patrick Paolini takes over the WTXF job after his stint as vice president and director of sales […]
WLIT-FM announced its new morning show team – with a familiar voice. That’s because the new morning man (Sean Valentine) has worked in Chicago radio before – he was the morning personality for WKSC-FM from 2001 to 2003, before Drex took over. And like it was when Valentine was doing mornings at WKSC, his new morning show will be piped-in […]
The last few weeks had some noteworthy stories, and here’s how it all went down: the good and the bad. Winners – Rick Bayless win Top Chef: Masters. Yes, our town’s own Rick Bayless won Top Chef: Masters last week, just giving us more proof he’s more talented than his brother, Skip. – Project Runway. The move to Lifetime and […]
WGN wins July PPM survey overall; WTMX dominated 25-54s; Rock stations and WKSC gains; WLS-AM declines. The second time isn’t so great after all. Clear Channel’s WLIT-FM has dropped Melissa Forman and her show from the morning time slot at the station after two years. The move was due to declining ratings. Forman was one of only two live personalities […]
One of Chicago’s most recognizable faces is coming home after… wait for it… 24 years! That’s right. Harry Porterfield – who was an anchor at WBBM-TV for 21 years before moving over to WLS-TV in 1985, is returning to the CBS-owned station on August 10, anchoring the 11 a.m. newscast. The 81 year-old Porterfield is also bringing the Someone You […]
There have been some conflicts in the media world lately. So let’s have a T Dog’s Four Pack Beer Summit – where we can hash out our differences and make the world a better place. Or not… A four pack worthy of Budwesier and Miller Genuine Draft – Mark Burhele’s Perfect Game. The first Chicago pitcher to throw a perfecto […]
In another major move by the NBC-owned outlet, WMAQ-TV announced Thursday that Rob Stafford will co-anchor the station’s 10 p.m. newscast with Allison Rosati beginning on August 10. Stafford will also co-anchor the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscast with Rosati beginning on August 10 as well. The move comes as WMAQ’s ratings at 10 have grown in the past […]
Yours truly was celebrating when Ben “Party All The Time” Silverman left NBC Monday. Now comes the bad news: it appears Anna Davlantes is following him out the door. Ms. Davlantes exited NBC-owned WMAQ-TV today after failing to come to a contract renewal agreement with the station. WMAQ’s station manager (Fran Whitaker) put out a short statement thanking her for […]
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