Emmys hit ratings pit

Emmys prove futile draw; so does MNF featuring Bears The Emmys were handing out trophies last night, but it won’t get one for Best Ratings Performance. According to Nielsen, last night’s Emmy Awards – airing on NBC this year on Monday because of Sunday Night Football – earned a 7.4 household rating in the metered markets, down from the 8.2 […]

Fall syndication preview: CrimeTime all the time

Only two new shows in syndication this fall (Editor’s Note: This post has been updated. See below.) If you love the true crime genre, you are going to be happy with what’s going to air on local stations this fall. In fact, their are just two new shows: CBS Television’s Face The Truth and Debmar-Mercury’s Caught In Providence, featuring an […]

Bears-Packers season opener a big hit – locally

Chicago, Milwaukee viewers tune in but national ratings hit a ten-year low The excitement surrounding the changes the Chicago Bears have made this off-season – hiring Matt Nagy as the new  head coach and the blockbuster trade acquiring linebacker Khalil Mack in a trade with the Oakland Raiders paid off in the local ratings in the first game of the […]

The T Dog Media TV Hall of Shame

No one expected CNN’s Chicagoland to be a love letter to the city – but no one expected it to be a Rahm infomercial either. A critical and ratings flop, Chicagoland is the one of TV’s lowlights in 2014. Recently, the prime-time portion of The Simpsons marathon on FXX attracted more viewers than Chicagoland did. (As of May 2018, the […]

The Score sees red: WSCR picks up Bulls telecasts

  Multi-year deal shifts broadcasts away from WLS-AM Entercom-owned sports station WSCR-AM (The Score) announced Wednesday it has acquired the rights to air Chicago Bulls games for the rest of this season and future seasons. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but the pact runs though the end of the 2020-21 season. No changes are being made to the broadcasts, […]

2017: How did we do?

Back a year ago, yours truly did a look ahead into 2017. So how did everything turn out? I have the answers right here! 1. The FCC under a Trump administration. With a 3-2 FCC majority, issues the FCC championed under Tom Wheeler: net neutrality, preserving the cross-ownership rule, and other issues are going to get a hard look at […]

The Media Notepad: Meredith Corp. buys Time

Also:  Tom Joyner loses home in Atlanta; Chicago sports hit a rough spot; the Crowd disbands;  In yet another media merger, Meredith Corp. announced its acquisition of Time Inc. for $2.8 billion. The union brings together Time’s magazines (Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Entertainment Weekly, Fortune) with Meredith’s (Better Homes And Gardens, Family Circle, Midwest Living, etc.) Headquartered in Des Moines, […]

The 2017 T Dog Media Turkey Awards

Welcome to the 12th annual T Dog Media Turkey Awards – celebrating the worst in media, sports, and life in general. This year, 23 recipients (including three turkeys sharing an award) have the privilege of getting the Golden Gobblers – we have numerous politicians, sexual harassment predators, and woeful Chicago sports teams, making every night a Netflix or Hulu night. […]

The Media Notepad: Bears ratings up thanks to Mitch Trubisky

Anthem protests, weak record doesn’t deter fans Also news on a former Bears star; NBC 5; FCC (Editor’s Note: An earlier draft of this post mistakenly featured a picture of Drew Brees  for the first item. Apologies. -T.H.)   While ratings for the NFL have declined nationally – allegedly due to anthem protests, that is not the case in Chicago – […]

Bears, Cubs rule Monday evening

Bears game up in the ratings from last MNF appearance  The Bears MVP: Luke Skywalker? Monday was a great day for Chicago sports fans as the Cubs and Bears played in meaningful games. The Cubs played Game 3 of the National League Divisional Series between the Cubs and the Washington Nationals and the Bears played the Minnesota Vikings on Monday […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: Megyn Kelly stumbles, bumbles in premiere

If you are employed during the day, be extremely grateful you don’t have to witness the battle of the mediocre at 9 a.m.: September 25th saw the premiere of Megyn Kelly’s new talk show on NBC competing with Live With Kelly and Ryan on ABC affiliates in most markets, including nine of the ten largest with programs actually tying each […]

“Will & Grace” shines in return; NFL, Bears fall flat

Strong start for veteran sitcom – and oh yeah…Chicago’s NFL Lakefront Team was also in action The return of Will & Grace to NBC Thursday night went better than expected. The “season nine” comedy – starring Eric McCormick and Debra Messing premiered with a 3.0 adults 18-49 rating – better than any season eight episode eleven seasons ago (in 2005-06) […]