T Dog’s Think Tank: According to message board posters, “Everything Isn’t Awesome”

Constant whining about radio, TV threatens to undermine business Before social media, message boards and comment sections were basically a way to post your thoughts about a particular issue and to connect with others. But these days, message boards and comment section sections are often breeding grounds for stupidity and for people to start arguments for the sake of starting arguments. […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: White Sox sink into the ratings abyss

The White Sox may not have the worst record in MLB for 2015, but earned an even-worse honor. According to Sports Business Journal, the South Siders again finished dead last among all 29 U.S. teams, with a 0.8 live-plus-same day household rating on CSN Chicago, down 29 percent from 2014, where they finished 27th out of 27 teams excluding Houston […]

Chicago enters the New Year’s Eve game

For the first time in decades, Chicago is holding a big celebration downtown on New Year’s Eve. As first reported by the Chicago Tribune Thursday, city planners are creating a huge event to ring in 2016, with music, fireworks, and more fun stuff along the Chicago River between Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive. Dubbed Chi-Town Rising, the event is being […]

CBS 2 hires a Sarge

The anchor merry-go-around continues at the local chapter of The Church Of Tisch In the latest anchor change at CBS-owned WBBM-TV, co-anchor Kate Sullivan was fired Tuesday and replaced by Irika Sargant from sister CBS-owned station WFOR-TV in Miami, as first reported by Robert Feder on Tuesday. She gets the privilege of anchoring next to (or putting up with) Rob Johnson […]

Think Tank Express: Colbert makes his CBS debut

Stephen Colbert – yes, the real Stephen Colbert – finally made his long-awaited hosting debut last night on The Late Show, only the third time a comedian has hosted under this title. Colbert is no longer chained to his “Stephen Colbert” character he played on his Comedy Central show. While judging a program by one episode doesn’t do it justice, […]

Think Tank Express: Media’s bizarro summer

Radio is experiencing a renaissance  and television in the dumps? Welcome to the summer of the bizarro world. You’ve probably read several articles lately proclaiming radio’s resurgence, with Nielsen reporting a record reach of 245 million listeners and usage up from years past, with more reach than any other medium. Great news, indeed. But what the corporate spinmeisters won’t tell you […]

TCA: NBC wraps up tour; places big bet on “Heroes: Reborn”

NBCUniversal wrapped up the last day of the 2015 TCA Press Tour, with panels for NBC and NBCU’s cable networks. Here are some selected panels that took place: NBCUniversal cable nets (USA/SyFy/CNBC) -USA Networks’ new Colony sounds like a ripoff of AMC’s new Fear Of The Walking Dead and CBS’ Under The Dome – apocalypse takes over Los Angeles with […]

Tragedy in Roanoke

WDBJ reporter, cameraman shot dead – live on the air A reporter and a cameraman were killed this morning live on the air in a Roanoke, Va. suburb Wednesday morning, leaving viewers of CBS affiliate WDBJ in shock. Reporter Allison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were doing an interview with Vicki Gardner from the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce in Moneta, Va. at 6:45 a.m. (ET) […]

TCA: Showtime and The CW

CBS Corp.’s two other properties: Showtime and The CW, held their presentations at TCA recently: Showtime: CEO David Nevins addressed rival FX’s programmer John Landgraf’s comments regarding “too much TV”: “There is never enough great TV”, Nevins responded. Nevins also said he was developing a comedy with Jim Carrey about the 1970’s comedy club scene, and is developing a drama […]

Harry Volkman dies

Longtime Chicago meteorologist set the standard for weather reporting Chicago television fans are mourning the loss of one of local TV’s first known weatherman – Harry Volkman, who passed away at his home Thursday at the age of 89. In an era before Doppler Radars and computer technology, Volkman was known for his active visual descriptions of the weather. Volkman […]

“Monopoly Millionaires Club” sliced to a half-hour

Scientific Games’ Monopoly Millionaires’ Club, a weekly syndicated hour which debuted last March, is returning for a second season starting on Sept. 12. But there is a catch – the show is being cut in half – as in a half-hour weekly, down from a full hour. The game show, hosted by Mike & Molly’s Billy Gardell, uses state lotteries to […]

WGN-TV returns news to 10 p.m.

Expands to 10 p.m. to compete with Big Three Here we grow again: WGN-TV’s popular local newscasts are adding yet another half-hour – and this time, the Tribune Media-owned station is taking on the Big Three owned-and-operated stations with the launch of a local half-hour newscast at 10 p.m. beginning October 5. WGN’s current 9 p.m. anchor team – Mark Suppelsa, Micah […]

TCA: Fox pushes “Empire” and “Scream Queens”

It was Fox’s turn at TCA last week, with Empire as the main attraction. Creator Lee Daniels told the crowd he was blessed to be employed, as some of his fellow colleagues aren’t so lucky. Taraji P. Henson, who plays the outspoken Cookie, said she was having the time of her life on the show, pointing out she’s more politically correct […]

TCA: ABC’s full line-up: Muppets, mayhem, and more

It was ABC’s turn at TCA Tuesday and Wednesday: – Some big breaking news took place at the TCA tour: Kermit and Miss Piggy are no longe an item. That’s right – the long-running couple, who have been dating each other since 1976 – or so – called it quits recently, shocking the entire world. So my brothers and sisters, […]