The latest

Megan axed in Detroit

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 […]

Late night news ratings drop in Washington

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, […]

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 […]

Television Blunders

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 […]

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, […]

Business Editor of Broadcasting & Cable Dies

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

Fox affiliates can O.J. special

Fox stations owned by LIN, Pappas, and Prime Cities broadcasting decided not to show the controversial two-part interview featuring O.J. Simpson next Monday and Wednesday nights. The announcement of the special last week caught practically everyone off-guard, as it is being headed up by Mike Darnell, head of “alternative programming” at Fox. This, of course is a major November sweeps […]

Former college football coach dies at TV station

The legendary University of Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler collapsed this morning while preparing to tape a program at WXYZ-TV in Detroit. He died later at a Southfield, Mich. hospital. Mr. Schembechler was 77. This comes a day before one of the biggest football games in the school’s history: #1 Ohio State vs. #2 Michigan in Columbus, Ohio. I saw […]

CLEAR CHANNEL SOLD

This has ramifications for both the television and radio industries. Details here: Clear Channel Sold for $26.7 Billion May’s Family Finds Buyers for Clear Channel, TV Stations for Sale Clear Channel Goes Private in $26.7 billion deal List of TV Stations to be sold by Clear Channel (courtesy of Michigan Buzzboard) List of radio stations to be sold by Clear […]