TV talk show sleaze king Jerry Springer quits his radio show today, to pursue other opportunities. Surprisingly, his decision to exit radio and politics is not because of the Democrats’ winning Congress, or declining ratings, but because of his stint on Dancing With the Stars. Springer is eager to regain his pop-culture status he had in the late 1990’s, when […]
Crain’s Chicago Business website is reporting that News Corp. , parent of the Fox network, The New York Post, and other various media properties, has apparently taken a pass on Tribune Co.’s properties.
Aaron Barnhart of TV Barn interviews the GMs of the local Kansas City MyNetworkTV (KSMO-TV) and CW (KCWE-TV) affiliates, and finds that the rough is going for both of the affiliates of the new networks. Several interesting finds: 1.) The CW’s ratings are down in Kansas City from both WB and UPN. (In Chicago however, CW’s ratings have been somewhat […]
I’ve been complying local sweeps results for 17 seasons now and this is the first time I’m posting these on a blog….. Local November sweeps stories from around the country… Dallas/Fort Worth: In Big D, NBC-owned KXAS-TV won its sixth straight 10pm news crown, defeating ABC affiliate WFAA-TV in households and in adults 25-54… KXAS returned to the top spot […]
It looks like the beginning of the end for NBC Universal’s The Megan Mulually Show as NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit has canceled the show and is being replaced by Ellen, which moves from 4p.m. to 10a.m. WDIV is launching a new newscast at 4p.m. that will go up against Oprah and will return King World’s Inside Edition to the […]
The Washington Post is reporting that late-news ratings at 11p.m. for the four network affiliates in the Washington, D.C. market have plummeted more than ten percent compared to last year’s ratings. One station, Allbritton’s ABC affiliate WJLA, fell 35 percent at 11p.m. in November, compared to November 2005, despite ABC No. 1 ranking in prime-time. NBC-owned WRC-TV, the market leader, […]
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 […]
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 […]
We won’t know the fate of the Tribune Co. this year: Tribune extends its deadline to accept bids for the company through the first quarter of next year.
This is what I posted yesterday in the Comments section of a story about the Chicago Blackhawks firing their head coach:“Everything about this team SUCKS, including the management. Now I can see why the NHL is behind NASCAR, Golf, and “Deal or No Deal” in popularity in this country. I would rather watch a Britney Spears video than this poor […]
I said I was going to return Tuesday, but I just had to post this… From Sunday’s Trib: O.J. blunder hardly a first for television And here are some more.. From Mediaweek’s Marc Berman (subscription may be required): TV Turkeys, Part 3 I can go on forever adding to the list of blunders…. USA Today on TV, The Chevy Chase […]
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, […]
John M. Higgins, the business editor of trade magazine Broadcasting & Cable, died of a heart attack today at the too young age of 45. John Higgins’ last blog entry: “Anyone Else Find the O.J. Decision Disturbing?” Memoriam from Television Week editor Chuck Ross Tributes from other colleagues
The chairman of News Corp. pulls the plug on the Fox special and the book after the O.J. Simpson stuff proved too hot to handle. Here is the official press release directly from News Corporation.