RTV: The R stands for “ruined”. – Good news for fans of Richard Roeper and Roe Conn – the duo at WLS-AM signed a three-year contract extension to continue their successful afternoon show through the year 2014. The move come as Cumulus is about to take over Citadel Communications, owners of WLS-AM and FM in a merger. If you want […]
After flopping out at CBS, Katie Couric is looking to shine at ABC. In a deal announced today, The Walt Disney Company has signed the former Today and CBS Evening News personality to a multi-year, multi-platform deal, which includes a daily syndicated talk show and beginning this summer, a regular contributor to ABC News. Ms. Couric departed as anchor of […]
Local stations nationwide are wasting little time when The Oprah Winfrey Show signs off on Wednesday. And ABC-owned WLS-TV isn’t the only Chicago station making changes Beginning this Thursday (yes, this Thursday), WLS is replacing Oprah at 9 a.m.with a local effort, Windy City Live. Oprah reruns will air on WLS at 11:05 p.m. until September 9. But WCIU (26.1) […]
Nearly two weeks ago, Judge Judy join an elite club of programs that did the impossible: knock off perennial ratings champ Wheel of Fortune. According to Nielsen Media Research, Judy topped Wheel for the week ending April 24, with a 3% advantage over the long-running game show to become the top-rated show in syndication. Judy also passed over Jeopardy!, The […]
Officials at ABC-owned WLS-TV has decided on a title for its new morning talk show not named Oprah, and it’s blowing into town. The generic-like name of Windy City Live was chosen as the title of WLS’ new local morning show which replaces The Oprah Winfrey Show. Two weeks ago, Robert Feder of Time Out Chicago reported that WLS sports […]
Yes, February has been one hell of the month, with a historic blizzard (the most snowfall ever recorded at one time for the month) and late-season cold snap that paralyzed Chicago earlier in the month. Even The T Dog Media Blog didn’t escape winter’s fury as the world headquarters went without both heat and power for 20 hours at the […]
The latest news coming out of the just-concluded NATPE gathering in Miami with now a second dating/reality strip being launched in syndication from the producers of former CW series Beauty and the Geek. Geek Meets Girl has been cleared by Trifecta Entertainment and Media on WCIU here in Chicago and several CBS-owned CW affiliates and independent stations, including KCAL (Ind.) […]
As have been speculated for the last few weeks, MGM announced today it will team up with Weigel Broadcasting to distribute MeTV nationally. MGM’s domestic television sales department will handle national distribution of the channel and national advertising sales. MeTV airs product from CBS Television Distribution, Twentieth Television, Paul Brownstein Productions, and a few independent producers. Classic shows […]
The industry is morning the death of prolific producer Al Masini, who passed away on Monday at his Honolulu home at the age of 80 due to cancer. Masini was instrumental in creating successful first-run syndicated programming including Solid Gold, Entertainment Tonight, Star Search, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and a spin-off, Runaway with the Rich and Famous. He […]
Jim Laski and Kevin Metheny: Their immortalized testament to their time together at WGN Radio. Guess which one is Metheny… The winners and losers for the past week in local and national media. On we go: The Winning Attitude WGN Radio listeners. With Moo & Oink (Kevin “Pig Virus” Metheny and evening host James “Don’t Drop the Soap” […]
The venerable game show Wheel of Fortune does something it usually doesn’t do: make headlines (and trust me, that’s a good thing.). Syndication’s top-rated program for 26 years running had a stunner on last Friday’s episode as a New York fashion editor correctly guessed the puzzle – with only one letter on the board! And even host Pat Sajak was […]
Anderson Cooper has entered The Race To Replace. Welcome to The Race To Replace! This fancy catch phrase yours truly created (patent pending) is to describe the hysteria over the departure of Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in September and the number of vacated time periods she leaves behind for syndicators – or someone else – to fill. Here is the […]
In honor of the return of Hawaii Five-O to CBS tonight, here’s a syndication sales presentation tape from January 1981, pitching local stations on the original 1968-80 series’ exotic locale, exicting action, and oh yeah… those beautiful women! The mastermind behind this piece was Viacom, which originally sold Hawaii Five-O in syndication. CBS produced the series and owns the copyright. […]
It’s not a good thing: “Golden Girls” reruns had more viewers than Martha’s relocated show on Hallmark. The new crop of first-run and off-network/cable fare has gotten off to a slow start with the The Nate Berkus Show leading the pack with a 1.2 household Nielsen Overnight rating in its first two days. How low is this number? Back in […]
Stations are hoping to strike it rich with “The Nate Berkus Show”. While the official start of the 2010-11 television season is only a week away, syndicators rolled out their new programs this week per tradition, with several new faces. One is interior designer Nate Berkus, who hosts his own talk show courtesy of Sony Pictures Television. A lot of […]
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