For a network in fourth place, you’d think ABC would be making a boatload of changes. Instead, ABC is making only needed changes on four nights – some of them our relatively minor. And how about this: ABC is countering football on Thursdays with an all-drama lineup consisting of shows created and produced by University Park native Shonda Rhimes! This […]
Bubble Bustin’ Friday – which even extended to Saturday – sure lived up to its name as the major networks – namely ABC, NBC, and CBS – began to clear out the deadwood as they prepare for the upcoming week’s upfront presentations. Some of the moves were expected; others (notably the cancellation of Community) generated a firestorm of controversy on […]
Thursday night actually saw some high drama – and I’m not talking about the NFL draft. ABC decided to announce the programs it picked up and renew existing shows – creating a little bit of drama of their own on Texas A&M QB Johnny Manizel’s big night. Fans of several shows – notably Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD – were forced […]
– WLS-TV returns to the top of the late news heap – American Idol continues to slide With the Olympics over and done with, normal viewing patterns have resumed – good news for ABC-owned WLS-TV, which saw its 10 p.m. news dominance temporarily usurped by NBC-owned WMAQ. In March, WLS returned to the top spot at 10 with a 9.0 […]
Welcome to NATPE 2014! The 51st annual gathering got underway in Miami Monday, as syndicators, programmers, producers, and content creators converged in Miami for the three-day conference. Here’s what went down on Monday: – During NATPE’s opening keynote speech, Twitter managing brand of global brand strategy Jean-Phillippe Maheu said his social media platform would influence this spring’s TV upfronts, as […]
ABC continues to lag others thanks to lackluster lineup – but Paul Lee is standing pat You’d think ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee has been hanging around and taking advice from Cubs GM Theo Epstein – twiddling their thumbs while waiting for something to hit. Keep twiddling. ABC – in fourth place with perhaps the worst programs on any schedule, […]
It’s official: the alternative rock format, which vanished from the 101.1 frequency in 2011 after Merlin Media took over, returned Friday morning at 9 a.m. prompt, simulcasting sister station WKQX/87.7 FM for a period of 30-45 days. The move came a week after Cumulus announced it was taking over operations of three Merlin Media stations in Chicago. According to Radio […]
Former WLS-AM “Superjock” Larry Lujack Dies Before voicetracking and corporate takeovers ruined the radio industry, there was quite a lot of personality in the medium. And from the late-1960’s to the mid-1980’s, one jock used his dry wit and sarcastic humor to win over a generation of Chicagoans… the one, the only “Superjock”… Larry Lujack. On Wednesday, Lujack died at […]
In other news, rushed Ventra card special on WTTW strikes out A lot of people were hating it on social media (including yours truly), but viewers were fleeing into the entrances Thursday night to see Carrie Underwood in a live staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound Of Music Live! on NBC. The three-hour special – the first live network […]
CSN Chicago and WGN-TV face challenges to keep viewers Monday was a gray and gloomy day in Chicagoland and the city’s mood certainly matches the weather. (And your mood is probably worst if you’re a Family Guy fan…) Of course, we’re talking about the Derrick Rose’s second knee injury in nineteen months, suffered in a game against the Portland TrailBlazers […]
Pending deal has no effect on daytime talk show, which is still on bubble Katie Couric’s stint at ABC News is coming to a close. But her syndicated talk show could be another story. As first reported by The Hollywood reporter Friday evening, Ms. Couric is taking take a position at Yahoo!, the internet portal which was a huge player […]
[Editor’s Note: The first item contains profanity. Reader discretion is advised.] In the latest episode of the sitcom that never ends – Everybody Loves Mancow – the IQ-deficient shit jock in a Chicago Tribune interview Monday announced he sold his Lincoln Park condo and is moving to the suburb of Wilmette. He called the city “unlivable” and ripped the city’s […]
In a sign where online video distributors are ramping up their original programming slates, Marvel Entertainment announced Thursday it is pairing up with Netflix to launch four new serialized series beginning in 2015, with thirteen episodes each, scheduled for “multiple years. ” First on tap is Daredevil, followed by series based on Marvel Comics characters Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and […]
The latest Quick Hits and Bits contains a lot of good stuff, so here we go! – Even though the Chicago Bulls lost Saturday night to the Philadelphia 76ers, the first WGN-TV regular season game featuring Derrick Rose’s return scored gangbuster ratings for the Tribune-owned station – even on a night notorious for low HUT levels. The game earned a […]
After a few lackluster matchups on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, the franchise got back on track with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers meeting up at Lambeau Field – another meeting in the long, storied rivalry between these two popular teams. According to Broadcasting & Cable, ESPN drew 16.1 million viewers, making it the second most-watched MNF telecast this […]
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