Sinclair, Nexstar return Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves

But not without a defense of taking the show off the air Sinclair and Nexstar decided to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the airwaves Friday, after over a week off the air due to the host’s comments about the person who assassinated Charlie Kirk. Both parties were “engaged in discussions” with the network after ABC reinstated Kimmel on Tuesday night. […]

Jimmy Kimmel to return to ABC Tuesday night (updated)

Sinclair and Nexstar stand their ground; they won’t air show [Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 8:45 p.m. on September 22 and at 1:30 p.m. on September 23.] Disney-owned ABC announced Monday it is returning Jimmy Kimmel Live to its regular late-night time slot on Tuesday night, after the network forced him to sit out a week due to […]

ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel for Charlie Kirk joke; show’s future in question

Network makes move after Nexstar, Sinclair drops show indefinitely, and comes after FCC chair threatens ABC In a bold move, ABC has put late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live on hiatus after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC and Disney after Kimmel committed on Charlie Kirk’s assassination Monday night. Kimmel mistakenly said that suspect Tyler Robinson was a Trump supporter (he […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Does late-night have a future?

The “late fringe” daypart of being relevant is over. How did we get to this point? If one were to look at the late-night landscape in the 1970s, it was quite a different world: NBC’s The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson ruled all, while CBS and ABC aired off-network series and movies It’s an era we could be heading back […]

NBA Finals, Stanley Cup conclude with mixed ratings results

  Florida repeats while OKC wins their first title, but the world was either at the beach or festivals [Editor’s Note: This article was updated on June 25 to update ratings numbers.] Summer’s here and the time is right – we’re dancing in the streets and not at home watching championship basketball or hockey. The NBA and NHL playoffs have […]

ABC in 2025-26: More of the same

Network stands pat with a few changes ABC released its 2025-26 schedule on Tuesday, and like the other broadcast networks (except NBC), familiarity and stability are the key.  There is only one new show debuting on the schedule this fall, an indication of the lessening power linear TV has in today’s media space, and was indicated at the Disney upfront […]

Disney-owned ABC shifts its affiliation in Miami from WPLG to WSVN

WSVN to stay with Fox as ABC shifts to a 7.2; First major affiliation switch in the market since ’95 Affiliation switches are rare nowadays, but when they happen, it’s big news – even in the streaming era.  WPLG Miami-Ft. Lauderdale announced on Thursday that it is ending its 64-year relationship with ABC to become an independent station. Sunbeam’s WSVN […]

The 4 Nations Face-Off fights its way to the top of the ratings

  Sock ’em robots match a hit with viewers  [Editor’s Note: This piece does contain profanity. Reader discretion is advised.] Remember when some guy named Terence initially dismissed the 4 Four Nations Face-Off as a quick money grab and would flop hard on the ice? I have never made such a miscalculation in the 19-year run of T Dog Media […]

DirecTV offers skinny bundle sports package, “MySports”

Comes after Venu collapse Just days after the planned Disney-Fox-Warner Bros. Discovery joint venture Venu fell through, one of the principals that helped bring down the effort is releasing its own “skinny bundle”.  DirecTV announced Tuesday it was launching MySports, a new sports streaming service available at launch in seventeen of the top twenty markets including Chicago, and includes local […]

Grand Opening, Grand Closing: Disney, WBD, Fox abandon Venu effort

Dish and DirecTV objections and Fubo offering a similar package led to the demise  The Venu is closed before it even opens.  Despite a settlement reached in a lawsuit settled by Disney and Fubo due to the latter agreeing to sell itself to them, the joint venture between Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery to launch a new affordable skinny […]

The Grammys head to ABC, Disney

Ten-year linear, streaming deal start in 2027 The Grammy Awards has a new home as music’s biggest night is headed to ABC. The Walt Disney Co. announced Wednesday it has obtained the rights to carry the Grammy Awards to air on ABC and streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus. The ten-year deal reunites the awards show with the Alphabet network […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Bad times on media row

Journalists under fire from Trump, the left, and even Mayor Johnson as journalism’s prestige continues to sag If you thought the 2024 Chicago White Sox had a rough year, the media had it worse.  Daily attacks on the Fifth Estate have become commonplace in the last few weeks leading up to the Presidential election. And it’s not just coming from […]

The Media Notepad: WBD strikes back against NBA with lawsuit

Also: The U branding returns to Channel 26; CBS 2 boss takes over sister station in Detroit [Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on July 30 and updated to provide the latest information on CW 26’s shift back to independent status.] Making good on their promise, Warner Bros. Discovery filed suit against the NBA Friday after rejecting their matching […]