Leno hampering NBC affiliates’ late news; other November “sweeps” notes ABC-owned WLS-TV dominated the ratings in households and key demos in the just concluded November “sweeps” period (do we still have those in this LPM era?) but it was the two other network O&Os who made headlines. NBC-owned WMAQ-TV slipped to third place in households at 10 p.m., behind a […]
In a coup for Fox-owned WFLD-TV, the station landed one of Chicago’s most popular news personalities. Anna Davlantes, who spent nearly a decade at NBC-owned WMAQ until leaving the station earlier this year, has now signed a multi-year deal with WFLD, where she will be handling contributing anchor and reporting duties. The move is a plus for the struggling station, […]
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 […]
Lots of items of note in today’s Grab Bag: – WCFS-FM (Fresh 105.9) has dumped morning man Mark LeBaron. Rick Hall will take over until a replacement is found. Is this a signal something big is coming? Or is the cancellation clock ticking for Fresh FM? – Speaking of which, the clock is up for The Beautiful Life, which CW […]
WBBM-TV picks up series, bringing Bill Kurtis back to station. CBS-owned WBBM-TV has picked up repeats of a reality series titled Cold Case Files, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The series will air on the CBS O&O in a 1:07 a.m. Tuesday thru Saturday time slot, beginning Sept. 22. But in a rather odd twist in the deal (but a positive […]
Spent so much time on WFLD lately (Mike Barz’s firing and the station’s 10 p.m. newscast cancellation), now there’s a story of Chicago’s other ratings-losing news operation – CBS-owned WBBM-TV. But while both news stations are still trying to find an audience, NBC-owned WMAQ-TV’s 10 p.m. newscast has seen a 13% increase in household ratings since January and is now […]
CBS O&O WBBM-TV plans to overhaul its news operation. Again.According to this article at B&C, WBBM General manager Bruno Cohen plans to once again remake the station’s newscasts, which ratingswise, lag behind others in the market. Cohen, who came from sister station KOVR-TV in Sacramento, said the station is underperforming in many time slots. Despite the fact the station airs […]
The list of winners and losers are back! Yes, they can! Conan. As Conan O’ Brien is settling down in his new Tonight Show role, he has more than proven himself as a successor to Jay Leno (or… maybe not.) Futurama returns. Six years later after Fox canceled this underrated show, Comedy Central comes to the rescue with 26 new […]
Well, I suppose its a sign of the times… Chicago’s news outlets announced they will pool their raw video in order to keep expenses down. The news-sharing model was adopted by NBC-owned WMAQ-TV and Fox-owned WFLD-TV last fall (along with sharing a job), but now they have invited CBS-owned WBBM-TV and CW affiliate WGN-TV to join in. This means a […]
The Church of Tisch has done it again. CBS-owned WBBM-TV underwent numerous staff cuts, including entertainment reporter Bill Zwecker, reporter Joanie Lum, and longtime fill-in sportscaster Howard Sudsberry. In addition, the station also demoted Anne State – who is now only anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast with Rob Johnson, who is anchoring the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscast solo. […]
From the recently concluded March ratings period: Chicago: WLS-TV remained on top, as usual at 10 p.m., but CBS-owned WBBM-TV is up 50 percent in the same time period in households. At 9 p.m., WGN-TV’s newscast had a 43 percent advantage over an above-average WFLD-TV, despite popular Fox prime-time lead-ins. Milwaukee: And lead-ins didn’t matter here either, as NBC affiliate […]
The Guiding Light may soon be extinguished. CBS and Procter & Gamble Productions are expected to decide soon on the fate of television and radio’s longest-running program (combined) currently clocked in at 70 years. Light, which began on radio in 1937 and moved to television in 1952, has fared poorly in the ratings over the last two decades. It is […]
She’s back… and she didn’t even have to be banished to Rockford, Peoria, or Cheyenne, Wyo. to find work… Call it a career reboot… Amy Jacobson was hired Friday by Citadel Broadcasting’s WLS-AM to join Roe Conn’s top-rated afternoon show as a sidekick, beginning in May. As you recall (or probably sick of hearing about), Jacobson was fired by her […]
Syndication switcheroo; Universal Sports add more clearances; Young files Chapter 11. – With another ratings period ahead, two Chicago stations have made some major changes to their syndicated lineups: * Beginning today, WCIU-TV is swapping time periods with Warner Bros.’ The People’s Court and Sony’s now-canceled Judge Karen. With Karen now out of production, WCIU has moved the show to […]
Fox-owned WFLD-TV has hired former WBBM-TV news director Carol Fowler to work in the same capacity. Fowler replaces Andrew Finlayson, who today took a job with News Corp. as director for online content and business for the Fox Television Stations Group. Fowler was news director at CBS-owned WBBM for six years before being fired last fall in a newsroom shakeup. […]
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