“Arsenio Hall” canceled

Once again, Arsenio’s “bark” has lost its “bite”. To the surprise of some since it was renewed for a second season (but not others), CBS Television Distribution canceled The Arsenio Hall Show Friday after nine months on the air, official ending his comeback attempt – twenty years after he departed his original show. This comes after several station groups belonging […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: Sports-talk war escalates with Finfer defection

* The first shot has been fired in the Chicago’s new sports-talk wars: Robert Feder reports that Tribune’s new Game has stolen Ben Finfer away from CBS’ The Score (WSCR), where he’ll serve as producer – but also as show host, being paired with David Kaplan at Noon and then joins Alex Quigley and Howard Griffith from 1-3 p.m. Finfer […]

Introducing Quick Hits and Bits

Yours truly is testing a brand new feature titled Quick Hits and Bits, a quick roundup of the latest and not-so-latest television, radio, and Internet news – along with a few editorial quips. This is not meant to replace “The Grab Bag” column I’ve been writing about for the last few years, but wanted to get more media items on […]

NATPE at 50: It’s all about the content

(Editor’s Note: Due to illness during the period NATPE took place this year, yours truly unfortunately was not able to write much about the conference. Oh well… there’s always 2014! – T.H.) When the NATPE convention began in the spring of 1964, it began as a small gathering in a New York hotel. Flash forward to 2013 – and after […]

Chicago syndie schedules get dramatic makeover

Local stations, syndicators shuffle the deck As we enter year two in the post-Oprah era, things are finally changing in the syndication marketplace, as five new syndicated talk shows – the most in 17 years – make their debut. As for off-network sitcoms, the pickings are rather slim – just two new entries this year, compared to five in 2011. […]

The Grab Bag: “Brandmeier” renewed; Antenna TV a hit – in Cleveland

This week’s Grab Bag include plenty of local TV items – and some not so local: – In an item first reported Saturday at Chicagoland Radio and Media, Brandmeier has been picked up for a second cycle by NBC-owned WMAQ-TV. The series stars WGN-AM morning host Johnathan Brandmeier where takes on the week’s headlines and interviews special guests. Brandmeier had […]

The Grab Bag: “Dish Nation” to launch; “Rachael Ray” renewed

With NATPE just around the corner (it takes place in Miami later this month), here what’s making waves in the syndication business: – Twentieth Television announced a new syndicated strip titled Dish Nation, a new entertainment magazine show featuring the nation’s radio personalities dishing dirt on the hottest pop culture topics. Dish has already cleared 55 percent of the country, […]

Life After Oprah

              Anderson Cooper’s new syndicated talk show began on Monday.   Welcome to Life… After Oprah. Monday marked a new era in syndication as repeats of The Oprah Winfrey Show came to an end on Friday (her last original episode aired on May 25) as the broadcast business is without the queen of talk […]