Networks drop E-Cig advertising as anti-vaping fever heats up

Local TV stations already shunning ads; Juul halts all advertising  (Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on September 22 and has been updated.) With complaints from viewers increasing on social media and users being hospitalized (including a few in the Chicago area), three major media companies announced they were no longer accepting advertising for vaping products and e-cigarettes. WarnerMedia, […]

FCC approves Tribune, Nexstar deal

Move ends 95 years of local control  I guess this is another way for the Trump administration and Republicans to stick it to Chicago. In another… all together now – partisan divided vote, the FCC approved the transaction of Nexstar Broadcasting, swallowing up Chicago-based Tribune Media for $6.4 billion. This gives Nexstar over 100 stations in 114 markets with a […]

The Media Notepad: 101.9 The Mix, The Drive dominate Chicago radio ratings

Also: Decades finds new station group; FCC votes to modify kidvid rules and strike down San Francisco apartment broadband law Hubbard Broadcasting continued its dominance of local Chicago radio in the recently released May PPM Nielsen rankings. As reported by Robert Feder, WTMX finished first again, with sister station The Drive (WDRV-FM) finishing a strong second.  The Minnepaolis-based company also […]

Newsflash: Clueless member of the media writes about media

McQueary’s piece on radio is a complete waste of time and space, as she is a member of the same political party who helped deregulate radio – leading to piped-in out-of-town voices in the first place.  Every once in a while, you have those who work in the media who write about the media, proving how completely clueless they are […]

Indianapolis TV station sale makes history

First African-American owner in Indianapolis media; buys Nexstar stations A week after Lori Lightfoot made political history as being the first African-American woman and the first openly gay person to be elected mayor, there was history made in Indianapolis – in media. Nexstar announced Monday it sold CW affiliate WISH and My Network TV affiliate WNDY to Circle City Broadcasting […]

Broadcast networks to carry President Trump speech Tuesday night

Despite criticism of their news organizations. For the first time since he’s taken office, President Donald Trump is giving a speech to the nation Tuesday night at 8 p.m local time on the issue of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. All the broadcast networks – especially CBS, NBC, and ABC announced Monday they would carry the speech, despite much […]

2018: So how did we do?

Back when the year started, T Dog Media look at the stories to watch in 2018. So how did we do? Let’s find out: 1. The proposed merger of Disney and 21st Century Fox and AT&T and Time Warner. All eyes will be on these two as they make a case to federal regulators to combine as we see how […]

Tribune’s deal with Sinclair dies

And in a surprising twist, Tribune is suing Sinclair for breach of contract Captain Chesapeake isn’t coming to Chicago after all. Blame overpaying a hand in a regulatory poker game leading to his ship sinking faster than the Exxon Valdez. Approximately fifteen months after it was announced, Chicago-based Tribune Media announced Thursday morning it was walking away from its merger […]

Think Tank: The Sinclair blunder: Where do they go from here?

Sinclair thought a change in administration would enable to get what they wanted. They thought wrong, but botched deal might not stop more consolidation While Sinclair Broadcasting is in trouble with the FCC on how it misrepresented itself in its proposed merger with Tribune Media, it won’t slow down the merger and acquisition activity expected. That’s because an appeals court […]

Sinclair refiles Tribune merger application again

In order to have government regulators approve the merger with Tribune,  Sinclair agree to withdrew controversial plans to sell stations in three markets including Chicago FCC votes to send matter to Administrative Law Judge (Editor’s Note: This story is  frequently changing. Follow @tdogmedia on Twitter for updates.) Aren’t you sick of this already? After being smacked down by FCC Chairman […]

Sinclair-Tribune deal on the ropes

FCC Chairman has concerns about the deal; could be knockout blow – Sinclair and Tribune both pledge to fight on (Editor’s Note: Updated at 4:10 p.m. on July 17 with new information.) Even Ajit Pai is seeing through the scam. On Monday, the FCC Chairman released a statement saying he had “serious concerns” about the $3.9 billion deal between Sinclair […]

21st Century Fox to buy Sinclair stations

Fox re-purchases three stations; Chicago’s WPWR could switch owners as a result Exactly a year after Sinclair Broadcasting announced its purchase of Tribune Media, the Hunt Valley, Md. company announced Wednesdaya the sale of seven Fox affiliates from the deal to 21st Century Fox. Of the seven, three Fox are re-purchasing: KDVR in Denver; WJW in Cleveland; and KSTU in […]

Sinclair amends Tribune deal…again

Would keep WPIX New York but spin-off WGN to an LLC Maybe the fourth time’s the charm: Hunt Valley, Md. based Sinclair Broadcasting has filed another amended proposal to purchase Tribune Media. In their new filing with the FCC, Sinclair is proposing to sell 23 stations in 18 markets in order to satisfy the broadcast ownership rules. In the new […]