WFLD to launch 10 p.m. newscast (updated)

In a move that’s been rumored for the last several months, Fox-owned WFLD-TV will launch a 10 p.m. newscast on April 9. The move replaces the late-night airing of The Simpsons. Repeats of the program will remain in the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. time slots, for now. Bart & Co. has held the 10 p.m. time slot for a […]

Super Bowl Watch: When is too much… too much?

WBBM-Ch. 2 found that out when they put a Super Bowl countdown clock on the upper-left hand corner on the screen – continuously – and the complaints rolled in. (and as if their blue lower right-hand bug on the screen wasn’t enough.) Well, it’s gone – at least during network and at the top and bottom of the hour of […]

Super Bowl Watch: Stations are ready to cover the game

(First off, I’ll be posting mainly in the late-night hours this week because of other commitments that have popped up during other hours of the day…. But I will post breaking news when I feel its warranted…. On that note…) Stations in Illinois and Indiana are gearing up to cover the big game: – The CBS affiliates in the home-team […]

ET bumped for Bears

For those of you who need their Britney-Lindsey-Angelina-Rosie-Donald fix, move over: CBS-owned WBBM-TV is pushing Mary Hart out for a week to air “Mission Miami: Countdown to the Super Bowl”, which covers the Bears at the big game, all this week at 6:30pm. But those who need that fix can tune to Entertainment Tonight’s sister show The Insider, on WCIU-TV […]

Wake up with Wolf

Bruce Wolf, who joined WMAQ-TV morning’s team after being unceremoniously dumped at WFLD-TV earlier this year, will shine (make that rise and shine) in an new early-morning offbeat news show called Barely Today, that will begin Jan. 15. The program will air at 4:30am (yes 4:30am), which pushes Early Today to 4am. The program launches on Dr. Martin Luther King […]

WLS-TV goes HiDef

Robert Feder is reporting today that WLS-TV in Chicago will air all of its weekday programming in High Definition, becoming the first station to do so. That includes all of its newscasts, and syndicated programming such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! Meanwhile, Feder finally mentioned the Third Coast Press’ FCC challenge toward Chicago’s television stations, which was soundly rejected […]

Avalanche of boobs

Robert Feder’s column in the Sun-Times this morning featured letters about yesterday’s column. But none of them was on Montel Willams DVD project, Upscale Chicago, or even Felicia Middlebrooks’ contract extension. It was the last item that trigged the outrage — a one sentence mention about WFLD-TV morning show anchor Tamron Hall breast implants. Here comes the Avalanche of hate […]

WDJT dumps Victoria, Upscale gets upped

Weigel Broadcasting’s WDJT-TV in Milwaukee (also owner of sister station WCIU-TV here in Chicago) announced it was moving next Tuesday’s The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show to 12:40am (last item in article), pre-empted for all things, A Billy Graham Special. GM Jim Hall says that the station has received some complaints about Victoria’s Secret in the past. Some people are upset […]

The 2006 T Dog Blog Turkey Awards

Welcome to the first annual T Dog Blog Turkey Awards. We’re here to reward stupidity and simpletonism in the fields of broadcasting and in media in 2006 (so far.) Judging by the long list of winners (or shall we say “losers”? ), 2006 was a busy year for being stupid, ignorant, lame, boring, moronic, etc… You get the point. So, […]

Tribune Watch

Here is the latest: The Chicago Sun-Times has reported in today’s editions that Gannett Co. may be interested in buying Tribune’s newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune. In today’s editions of Crain’s Chicago Business, the business paper asks if Tyra Banks can boost Tribune Co.? According to the article, Tribune’s CW stations in the top three markets (WPIX– New York, KTLA […]

WMAQ drops midday newscast

A little late with this, but it does bear mentioning: Robert Feder in the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that WMAQ-TV’s 11a.m. newscast and its checkerboard rotation of 11:30am syndicated shows are being axed for iVillage Live, a new interactive program that will air live from 11a.m. to noon (CT) on Channel 5 and nine other NBC O&O’s, and simultaneously on […]

Is the end near?

For the Tribune Company? It looks like the company is going to implode. The television Stations, WGN radio, The Cubs, and the Chicago Tribune may all be sold. The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that Tribune may be exiting the television ownership business because their stations in New York (WPIX) and Los Angeles (KTLA) licences are expiring soon. And with […]