NBC-owned WMAQ-TV is launching a brand-new local magazine program to air after Saturday Night Live, beginning March 29. Titled 24/7, the new show is hosted by Catie Keogh and Billy Dec, and it features interviews with celebrities and local Chicagoans, providing “a fun, fresh approach to Chicago’s unique blend of urban liveliness and Midwest charm” (think 190 North crossed with […]
In what may be the first of many moves among local television personalities, sports anchor Ryan Baker has jumped to CBS-owned WBBM-TV from NBC-owned WMAQ-TV. Beginning on April 14, he will anchor the sports on Channel 2’s morning newscast and report on other newscasts.
A big news anchor shakeup is in the works at Chicago’s TV news stations. The ball got rolling last week when Mark Supplesa abruptly left WFLD-TV after rejecting a contract offer. In Feder’s column today, he put in all in perspective, with several high-profile names involved in play: – Diann Burns of WBBM-Channel 2 may lose her 10 p.m. anchor […]
XM it seems can’t catch a break: first, AOL Radio dumps them for CBS, and now Lee Abrams – who has been with XM since 1998 – has jumped to Tribune as Chief Innovation Officer (no, I am not making this up), where he will report to Randy Michaels, who is Tribune’s chief executive of broadcasting and interactive. Abrams, who […]
An episode of tonight’s Law & Order: a reporter, looking to get to the bottom of a story regarding a man suspected of killing his wife, shows up at one point in the episode with a bathing suit on. Sounds familiar? To Amy Jacobson, it does. All too familiar, and she’s not pleased about it. Tonight L&O features Chicago native […]
So where is the world is Mark Supplesa going to end up next? Channel 2? Channel 5? Channel 9? CLTV? (One can only hope not.) The speculation engines are revving up and circulating on where the news anchor, who rejected a generous offer from Fox-owned WFLD-TV, is going to land next. Supplesa is planning to stay in the Chicago market, […]
Maybe its the writers’ strike. Maybe its the Cubs’ post-season run. Maybe its the Blackhawks’ resurgence. Maybe its the Celtics and Lakers making noise in the NBA playoff race. Maybe its the hugely successful NFL post-season. Whatever it is, sports is gaining viewers from a year ago, and all sports are benefiting. Even a Cubs exibition game from nine days […]
Mark Suppelsa who is co-anchor of Fox-owned WFLD-TV’s 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. newscast, has stepped down. No word was given on why Mr. Suppelsa is leaving the broadcast, but he recently rejected a four-year renewal pact from the station. Suppelsa came to WFLD-TV in 2003 from NBC-owned WMAQ-TV, where he started on the noon newscast, then was promoted to […]
Today’s feedback in Robert Feder’s column in today’s Sun-Times was about the recent corporate cutbacks at Citadel’s WLS-AM and WZZN-FM. Among the universally critical letters of Citadel were three former WLS staffers – one of which (Jake Hartford) was fired Friday. If the Citadel firings are any indication, the radio business has taken a major step backwards (again) and has […]
The former White Sox and Orioles pitcher and Cubs commentator signs on full time with the Chicago White Sox to be their new color analyst, replacing Chris Singleton in the role. Singleton is reportedly heading to ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. White Sox games air over WSCR-AM. Thankfully, the new contract doesn’t call for Stone doing Public Insurance commercials (remember those?) But […]
Robert Feder of the Sun-Times wrote a pretty good article today, analyzing WLS-AM and WZZN-FM’s firing spree on Friday, in which fourteen people lost their jobs – a dead-on piece that pretty much sums up the state of the media business today, especially radio. And that’s not all: On top of that, Feder reported that four employees at CBS-owned WBBM-TV […]
Oprah Winfrey’s new prime-time reality show on ABC was a big hit last night, with the program finishing first in total viewers, adults 18-49, and in households, despite the fact critics ultimately panned the show (so much for that extra promotion – but does the queen of daytime TV really even need them?) Meanwhile, Fox’s The Simpsons scored the highest […]
A reminder: the new WMEU-CA, branded Me-Too is launching today at 5 a.m.The new channel is a spin-off of Me-TV (WWME-CA), which launched in 2005. WMEU is taking the place of ethnic-programmed WFBT-CA, which is switching to one of WCIU’s sub-channels. WMEU, WFBT, WWME, and WCIU are all owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Me-Too is available on broadcast analogchannel 48 (good […]
This occurred as parent company Citadel Broadcasting posted a whopping $848 million loss in the fourth quarter of 2007. The personnel layoffs include: Jennifer Keiper, news director ; Bill Cameron, city hall reporter; David Jennings, reporter; Christina Filiaggi, traffic reporter; Nate Clay, talk host and Jake Hartford. Meanwhile, Citadel has laid off two at WABC in New York; WPLJ (also […]
The CW may be tanking, but Tribune’s WGN-TV is thriving – its morning show ranked number one in the daypart (second item), besting ABC-owned WLS-TV in the recently concluded February book from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. – though it tied WLS at 6 a.m. Meanwhile, not even the presence of American Idol and the Super Bowl has helped Fox-owned […]
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