CBS fills vacant “After Midnight” time slot with “Comics Unleashed”

Syndicated show returns to CBS’ late-night lineup after test run in ’23 After CBS canceled After Midnight after two seasons, the network decided to replace it with…reruns of a syndicated show.  CBS announced on Tuesday that it is bringing back Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed in the slot following The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, beginning the week of September 22, […]

The Media Notepad: WCIU, “On The Block” part ways

Also: Diginet changes in the new year: KSDK becomes the latest media property to leave downtown St. Louis; Diamond becomes Main Street In another blow to local linear TV, non-profit news organization Block Club Chicago and Weigel independent WCIU have parted ways on On The Block after nearly three years.  The announcement was made on X Friday with the last […]

SInclair’s Charge! shifts to WLS-TV under new ABC-owned station deal

Allen Media Group’s This TV is out as contract expires In a move that could read as an April Fools’ joke, Sinclair Inc. announced Monday it would pay ABC’s eight owned-and-operated stations to carry its digital network Charge! on its over-the-air dot-three tiers (as in 7.3, 11.3, etc.) The deal is unusual as Sinclair agreed to pay an unspecified license […]

Report: Nexstar, Byron Allen looking to buy ABC (updated)

Comes a day after a former Nexstar exec says it could happen  [Editor’s Note: This story has been updated.] News of a potential ABC sale picked up Thursday after Bloomberg reported The Walt Disney Co. was in talks for either Nexstar or Allen Media Group (led by Byron Allen) to purchase ABC and its owned eight stations, after a Deadline […]

Syndication: What’s new this fall

…or not, as reruns, court shows dominate local schedules As linear TV viewership continues to tumble, fall schedules for local television stations across the country certainly reflect the trend. Unlike last year when Sherri Shepard and Jennifer Hudson debuted with new syndicated talk shows, there is no such new programming being offered – especially with an ongoing work stoppage in […]

NBC Chicago names Ramirez, Harrison to news executive positions

NBC’s over-the-air duopoly in Chicago Monday named two new executives to lead their news operation Chicago’s NBC stations announced some executive moves on Monday: Sally Ramirez was named into a newly created position of Senior Vice President of news for both NBC’s WMAQ and Telemundo’s WSNS, who both share NBCUniversal as a owner. A native of Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, Ramirez […]

The Media Notepad: Judge Marliyn Milan returns to TV in a new show

Also: B96 hires Canavah’s replacement; Diamond Sports Group skips payments to Guardians and Twins; Extra renewed for season thirty  The other shoe has dropped in Warner Bros.’ decision to exit the court genre as Marilyn Milian has signed with Allen Media Group for a new hour-long court show, Justice For The People With Judge Milan, debuting this fall.  “We at […]

It’s official: Big Ten signs new deals with Fox, CBS, NBC; freezes ESPN out

  Peacock to get big boost as number of games increases. Also: HBCU games go to CBS’ twelve non-primary affiliates  The reports were circulating but now it’s official: The Big Ten has re-upped with Fox Sports, while striking new deals with Paramount Global  and Comcast’s NBCUniversal for CBS and NBC/Peacock, respectively as first reported by Sports Business Journal. The Fox […]

Byron Allen blasts McDonald’s CEO over comments, calls for his firing

The media mogul takes task with McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski over comments made about parents of Chicago gun violence victims [Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 3:40 p.m.] The controversy over McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski’s comments over how the parents of two Chicago children killed in gun violence failed them crossed over into the media community Friday as a […]

The Media Notepad: Journalists and columnists exit Chicago Tribune en masse

Also: The Score’s Danny Parkins raises money for a neighborhood grocery; ESPN 1000 comes to HD Radio; Lauren Lake signs on with Entertainment Studios for new show   As the website was under construction for the last two weeks, here were some stories that made news, and as you can imagine, this first item was the biggest. With Alden Global Capital […]