New TV era means a new way of doing business Back in the late 1980s when cable TV was growing, a big deal was made about syndicated exclusively, or “syndex” as local broadcasters complained about national “superstations” such as WWOR-TV in New York and WGN-TV in Chicago draining rating points from their programs. And so, on January 1, 1990, […]
Upgrades in several key large markets as future of show was questioned last week Affirming their commitment to Drew Barrymore’s talk show, CBS Media Ventures announced Thursday a sixth-year renewal through the end of the 2025-26 season, as the daytime talker was upgraded in several large markets. Since season three, the show split into two separate half-hours, with most stations […]
On Tuesday, the Toons take over WCIU Channel 26.7 Judging by the large number of YouTube videos, Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting’s new MeTV Toons arriving Tuesday is perhaps the most highly-anticipated digital subchannel in quite some time, if not ever. After all, some of the content MeTV Toons plans to carry hasn’t been on broadcast television in a long time […]
Also: Final Wheel with Pat Sajak draws four-year viewership high; Tegna’s Daily Blast Live to end The WNBA continues to soar to new ratings heights as Sunday’s Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game illustrated thanks to the heated rivalry between the two teams courtesy of Caitlin Clark. Despite the 11 a.m. Chicago start time, the contest airing on CBS drew 2.252 million […]
The latest beat addition to the network’s news operation and its station group Paramount Global’s CBS News And Stations unit is forming a new Crime And Public Safety Unit and tapped an NBC News veteran to lead it. Heading the new unit is Anna Schecter Zigler, who spent the last thirteen years at NBC News most recently as a senior […]
Also: Judge Judy and Hot Bench renewed through 2026; Bulls’ regular-season ratings fall; WLS-AM host falls for phishing scam Digital subchannel Bounce could soon have a new owner, according to CNBC. Cincinnati-based Scripps has hired a financial firm to evaluate potential offers. Bounce was founded by Katz Communications and launched in 2011, offering various dramas, sitcoms, and sporting events targeted […]
Also: WXRT hires a new afternoon host; Judge Judy reruns renewed in syndication through 2027; Weigel’s stations get ready to cover March madness After 35 years on the morning traffic beat, ABC 7’s (WLS-TV) traffic reporter Roz Varon is calling it a career. Her last day is April 5. Varon was a fixture starting in 1989 as Chicago’s first traffic […]
Fox, CBS stations commit to new projects, respectively While Ken Jeong’s talk show project couldn’t get off the ground, two others did on Monday, scoring much-needed station group anchor deals. Warner Bros. Television Group announced Monday a new hour-long strip called True Crime News, hosted by ABC News’ 20/20 contributor Ana Garcia, who also hosts a podcast called True Crime […]
Renewals mean Ken Jeong’s daytime project sits on the bench for now In a move coming as no surprise, Fox and Hearst stations have renewed Warner Bros.’ The Jennifer Hudson Show for a third season while CBS Media Ventures’ The Drew Barrymore Show was picked up for a fifth season by the CBS-owned stations. These renewals are for those who […]
Bold move as linear cable TV subscriptions continue to decline In a mind-boggling move, Dr. Phil McGraw announced Monday he is launching a new network. But instead of taking the streaming route, McGraw is launching Merit Street Media via traditional cable TV. Yes, you heard it right in the Year Of Our Lord 2023 – a new linear cable network […]
Also: Lakers and Spectrum announce DTC option; record set for shortest affiliation deal; Too much Judy? Have Chicagoans had enough of the Bears? An interesting take surfaced Monday as Chicago’s radio ratings were released. Radio Insight noted most cities’ sports talkers went up at the dawn of the NFL season – with the exception of Chicago’s 670 The Score/WSCR , […]
Shows put season premieres on hold after WGA With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes heading into fall and no resolution in sight, the latest battleground is the daytime talk show arena. Last week, Drew Barrymore decided to return her CBS Media Ventures-distributed show to production, angering the WGA and picketed her program last week outside CBS Broadcast Center in New […]
…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 […]
Repackaged episodes of CBS Newsmagazine sold to local TV stations [Editor’s Note: This story was updated on August 28.] Following in the footsteps of NBC’s Dateline, CBS’ Saturday mainstay 48 Hours is heading the syndication route starting September 11, with nearly 600 repackaged episodes. The newly repackaged episodes are hosted by Jericka Duncan and Jonathan Viglotti and features updates and […]
Takes over from retiring Pat Sajak in fall 2024 In news talked about for weeks, Ryan Seacrest will succeed Pat Sajak as host of Wheel Of Fortune beginning next fall. On June 12, Sajak announced he was retiring from Wheel after the 2023-24 season. Wheel and sister show Jeopardy! was renewed thru 2028 by the ABC-owned stations as both shows […]