TV news and notes: WFLD/WPWR gets "Better"

A lot of television news and notes for a Monday: – Fox’s duopoly in Chicago (WFLD and WPWR) has acquired Meredith’s Better for airing this fall. The acquisition of the lifestlyle magazine show was a part of a deal that also included Fox duopolies in Orlando (WOFL/WRBW) and Houston (KRIV/KTXH). The program was also renewed at NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV in […]

WCIU hails "Cash Cab" and boards "Stargate: Universe"

The next time you hail a cab in New York City, you might be on a game show and not even know it. Call it a game show – on wheels. Discovery Channel’s New York-based game show Cash Cab has been picked up by WCIU-TV in Chicago for airing this fall as a weekday strip on a straight barter basis. […]

It’s "Sunny" for stations

In the latest of a slew of off-cable programs hitting the broadcast syndication marketplace, Twentieth Television has cleared FX sitcom It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia for Fall 2011 in 45 percent of the country. Clearing the show are a wide variety of stations, meaning no over-the-board group deals (which is good.) The clearences include WPSG-TV in Philadelphia, the CBS-owned CW […]

,NBC local stations on Leno: Flat is the new up

It appears Jay Leno’s new 9 p.m. (Central) show isn’t having the drag many affiliates feared it would have on their late local newscasts. While ratings in the key 25-54 audience were down 12 percent from NBC affiliates and O&Os, ratings declines were also clocked in at ABC and CBS stations as well. To sum it up – ratings for […]

"Millionaire" finds windfall in Chicago again

“Is that your final answer?” is becoming a popular phrase in Chicago again. While Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has not caught fire in the ratings like it did in August 1999 when it first premiered, it has rekindled its love affair in the Windy City. According to Nielsen, Millionaire’s return to ABC’s prime-time lineup has paid dividends for […]

WFLD dumps Mike Barz

Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 has dumped morning news anchor Mike Barz after just two years amid allegations he acted at a off-site party. The former WGN-TV morning sports anchor joined the station in 2007 from ABC’s Good Morning America, and fronted Good Day Chicago alongside Jan Jeffcoat. He was suspended from WFLD shortly after he joined the station, after allegations he […]

And the number one show in African-American households is…

No surprise here, it’s Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. But there is a surprise when compared to other programs in the viewer’s landscape: When you take the rating from its’ syndication airings and its cable runs on TBS, Payne tops everything else among African-Americans in all of television among adults 18-34, 18-49, and 25-54, including network prime-time, beating Grey’s Anatomy […]

T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

– Fox O&Os, including WFLD-TV here in Chicago, have renewed Warner Bros.’ TMZ on TV nightly strip through the 2010-11 season. So more celebrity paparazzi junk from producer and alleged lawyer Lionel Hutz – I mean, Harvey Levin. – Check out Battlestar Galactica’s new promo for its’ fourth-season premiere, coming in January. – The first broadcast station sale of Twentieth’s […]

CW scores an upset with "90210" premiere

The CW scored its highest ratings ever with the two-hour premiere of 90210 Tuesday night, the anticipated sequel to Beverly Hills 90210, which ran on Fox for ten seasons (1990-2000.) Courtesy of PIFeedback.com, here are the results: – Households (3.9/6, #3); Adults 18-34 (3.0/9, #1); Women 18-34 (4.3/12, #1); Adults 18-49 (2.6/7, #1); Women 18-49 (3.6/9, #1); persons 12-34 (2.7/8, […]

AOL, CBS Radio team up

XM ends partnership with AOL, launches new online radio initiative CBS Radio and AOL struck a major deal Friday, which allows AOL to stream all CBS-owned radio stations on its Internet Radio service. The deal will mesh CBS-owned radio stations with AOL’s existing radio stations, and it also calls for CBS to create custom radio stations exclusively for the Internet. […]

Worst Person In Media This Week – 12/14/07

Hi, my name is Bobby Petrino. I just abandoned my owner, players, and fans in Atlanta – just to be with you guys. Because you’re special. And I am too. And one day, I may do to you what I did to the people in Atlanta. Now, lets call those hogs! Woooooooooooo Pig slop!Kind of a slow week for evil […]

WCIU snags ‘Chris’

Weigel Broadcasting’s Chicago independent WCIU-TV scored another urban sitcom coup by acquiring CBS Television Distribution’s Everybody Hates Chris. The program will air in off-network syndication as a strip beginning in the fall of 2009, assuming the CW renews the show for next season. WCIU is likely to pair Chris with Debmar’s Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, another urban sitcom that’s […]

"Dr. Phil" spinoff clears half of the country

CBS Television Distribution has cleared a spin-off of Dr. Phil called The Doctors in 50 percent of the country. Among station groups clearing the show include CBS, Belo, Gannett, Scripps, and Cox. Stations grabbing the strip include WCBS-TV in New York, KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, KYW-TV in Philadelphia, KTVU-TV in San Francisco, WSB-TV in Atlanta (which will likely replace Montel […]

Peachtree TV’s new schedule

As noted before, WPCH, or Peachtree TV will premiere on Oct. 1. in Atlanta, replacing WTBS. To see the new schedule, click here (note that the schedule may change.) WPCH will take over WTBS’ dial position over-the-air channel 17 and cable channel 7, while the national feed of TBS will become available for the first time in the Atlanta area […]