DreXed out

In a surprise move – or maybe not considering his ratings were declining, Clear Channel’s Contemporary Hit WKSC-FM (103.5 FM, better known as Kiss FM) dropped its morning personality Drex (Kevin Buchar) after a seven-year run at the station. Also out are his co-hosts Mel T and Angi Taylor, though they may be asked to stay if there is a […]

Metheny, Laski out at WGN Radio

Cue the cute sitcom laugh track: Awwww….. (Photo courtesy of Robert Feder) This farce starring Randy “Court Jester” Michaels and Kevin “Pig Virus” Metheny running WGN Radio would equal a sitcom where everyone is a boob and feature a laugh track. In fact, there was such a sitcom: WKRP in Cincinnati was certainly one of the best sitcoms of its […]

Tick…tock… the clock runs out on Randy Michaels

Randy Michaels has all but resigned as CEO of the Tribune Co. after a tumulus two-and-a-half years marred with allegations of sexual harassment, and comes a week after Chief “Innovation” Officer Lee Abrams resigned over an e-mail memo he sent containing profanity and racy videos. Reports of Michaels’ resignation first surfaced in the New York Times’ website Monday night – […]

The Grab Bag: “Wendy Williams” renewed through 2014

Wendy Williams has gotten a new lease on life on her syndicated talk show: Debmar-Mercury announced Monday that the three-season old daytime talk show strip has been renewed by Fox O&Os currently carrying the show through 2014, including WFLD-TV, which airs the show at 10 a.m. and at midnight. Williams has been stronger in markets with large African-American audiences such […]

Lee Abrams: The rise and fall of

The resignation of Tribune executive Lee Abrams on Friday was pretty much expected, and came as no surprise. Abrams sent a company-wide e-mail on Monday featuring Not Safe for Work videos and angering employees company-wide, and was suspended Wednesday for doing so. Some of the videos featured stuff you would normally find on a Girls Gone Wild DVD.  And all […]

Tribune CIO Abrams in hot water over memo

Once again, Chicago is living up to its media freak show reputation. Nearly a week after a damaging New York Times article was published on the frat-boy antics at Tribune Tower,  Chief “Innovation” Officer Lee Abrams sent out a company-wide e-mail on Monday, which continued several inapporiate videos, including one labled “Sluts”. Ironically, the story broke Tuesday afternoon – on […]

Tribune to go ahead with "Big Willie"

CBS to launch The Talk to replace As The World Turns Despite anemic ratings, poor reviews, and Twitters unanimously dissing it, Tribune Broadcasting is apparently going ahead with Bill Cunningham’s new talk show, which is now targeted for a Fall 2011 launch. During the four-day test, the program averaged an 1.1 Nielsen household rating in seven markets, including Chicago. While […]

"American Top 40" to celebrate 40 years

American Top 40 – the legendary radio program which counted down the week’s popular hits from number 40 to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave us the Long Distance Dedication, marks its 40th anniversary on July 4 – the exact day the program was born back in 1970, when it was heard on only seven stations. Two […]

Arbitron PPMs results for March: WOJO’s En Fuego!

This is based on 6+ numbers; the 18-34 numbers;  the 25-54 numbers: Male, Female, and Adults. Winners: WOJO-FM, WGCI-FM, V103 (WVAZ), The Mix (WTMX), The Drive (WDRV) , WBBM-FM, WKSC-FM (Kiss) Honorable Mention: US 99 (WUSN-FM), In the Top 5 overall, but very old skewing: WGN-AM Loser: WNUA-FM, ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM) Results: All-news WBBM-AM may have been number one overall, […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: The Court Jester

Last week, A memo Tribune CEO Randy Michaels sent through WGN-AM News Director Charlie Meyerson, had a list of 119 words and phrases his employees at WGN should not say on the air in order to “improve the product”. And if they say any of these “forbidden” words, other employees can “rat them out” by noting the precise date and […]

T Dog’s Four Pack – Don’t fumble it away

In honor of the Super Bowl this weekend, this is who scored the touchdowns this week –  and who fumbled it at the end zone. Touchdown! – WGCI and WVAZ gives back. Clear Channel’s WGCI-FM and WVAZ-FM (V103) are launching the Raise A Hand Campaign to encourage young people to perform good deeds for their schools and their community via […]

T Dog’s Four Pack – We’ll have a grand old time

It’s been two weeks, so a T Dog Media Blog Four Pack is long overdue… with a little bit of a Flintstones twist… Hanging out with Fred and Barney. Yabba Dabba Doo! -V103. The most (and only) surprising item in the recently concluded Arbitron PPM November survey is the strong performance of Urban AC WVAZ-FM, who ranked second in 12+ […]

T Dog’s Four Pack – Put ’em up

It’s a mid-week edition of T Dog’s Four Pack – the winners and losers of the past week: And to describe the contestants, they are split into two groups: Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.  If you follow boxing, you already know which one is the winner.(if you don’t, click the link.) Floating like Pacquiao – WBBM-TV brings back Bill Kurtis […]

WLIT names new morning show

WLIT-FM announced its new morning show team – with a familiar voice. That’s because the new morning man (Sean Valentine) has worked in Chicago radio before – he was the morning personality for WKSC-FM from 2001 to 2003, before Drex took over. And like it was when Valentine was doing mornings at WKSC, his new morning show will be piped-in […]