CBS releases 2026-27 schedule

Another new NCIS show. Also: Daytime soap Beyond The Gates renewed for two more seasons CBS became the first broadcast network to unveil its schedule for the 2026-27 television season, a month ahead of everyone else as the top-rated network looks to maintain its ratings lead.  It’s also the first under new Paramount ownership under David Ellison, who is looking […]

CBS to replace “Late Show” with “Comics Unleashed”

A headline you thought you would never see. But here we are. If I were to tell you three years ago that Byron Allen would replace Stephen Colbert in late-night, you’d be questioning my sanity. But he we are, and that’s exactly what’s happening. In a signal that linear TV is on its deathbed, CBS announced Monday it was replacing […]

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, […]

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 […]

Byron Allen’s AMG buys bankrupt Black News Channel

The media entrepreneur comes to the rescue with an $11 million buyout Black media entrepreneur Byron Allen has been building his empire one by one and this week, he added another piece. A bankruptcy court judge in Tallahassee, Fla. approved an $11 million buyout of the Black News Channel by Allen Media Group, a company whose holdings include The Weather […]

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: Bears, NFL score ratings wins

Also: Don’t Bet Your Life; Bids made for Tegna; Johnny B to host RHOF ceremony The NFL continues to rack up impressive numbers at a time when viewers are abandoning linear TV in droves. Case in point: The Bears game on Sunday against the Bengals drew a household 22.9 rating and 60 share for Fox-owned WFLD-TV Chicago Sunday, easily making […]

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 […]