The Media Notepad: Marshall Harris exits CBS 2, Ryan Baker returns to sports beat

Also: Scripps Sports signs Stanley Cup champs; diginet Defy changes owners As first reported by the Sun-Times, CBS 2 (WBBM-TV) main sports anchor and sports Marshall Harris has exited the station, effective immediately. Harris verified the report on X/Twitter Tuesday: “In case you haven’t heard, I’ve officially moved on from CBS Chicago. I’m grateful for my time there. And I’m […]

The Media Notepad: Stanley Cup Game 7 scores for ABC

Also: Kenya Moore out at Housewives; Fox and Sinclair team up for new syndicated true crime show; Paramount looking to sell assets Even though the recent NBA Finals naturally drew a larger audience on average, the excitement of the Stanley Cup Final was unparalleled as the series lasted seven games with historic implications. The Edmonton Oilers – who won four […]

Rewinding media in 2023

  A year dominated by labor strife, awful Chicago sports teams, and – oh yeah, Elon  If you watched the WWE, you remember Vince McMahon playing himself as an arrogant CEO and billionaire, ruling over anything and everything – the ultimate heel. It’s a real-life trend we’re seeing as we close 2023. Led by billionaire Elon Musk, CEOs – whether […]

The Media Notepad: Q101 names James Kudziel as new PD

Also: NBA, Stanley Cup Final earns mixed ratings numbers; Nexstar moves CW affiliations to its owned stations in three markets; “Velma” renewed for season two Usually, trades are reserved for sports teams though this one could be compared to the Chicago White Sox trading a player to the Minnesota Twins. Cumulus Media announced Tuesday the appointment of James Kurdziel from […]

White Sox local ratings collapse into basement

Rebuilding team has trouble drawing viewers; Cubs’ ratings grow; Cardinals top MLB In a signal the “rebuild” isn’t chugging along as it should, the Chicago White Sox’s season ratings fell into a ravine this season. According to Nielsen and Forbes, the White Sox fell into last place among Major League Baseball’s 29 teams, averaging a 0.68 household rating on NBC […]

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. […]

Tough season for Chicago sports fans get tougher

                Rose, Kane injuries could have local and national ratings impact Like in golf, Chicago sports fans would like a mulligan and start 2015 all over again. After a fall season of horrendous Bears football, Chicagoans spent the early part of 2015 turning their focus toward the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks, who were […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: Seattle’s KCPQ to stay with Fox after all

– Sun-Times reverses decision on endorsements – Premiere week shows cool off, but Jane The Virgin and Criestla debut to respectable numbers with cancellations coming from other places – Florida Panthers attendance woes * Fox announced Friday morning it had a new affiliation deal with Tribune Broadcasting’s KCPQ, but with a few catches – the deal only runs through July 2018 and […]

Football Championship Sunday draws big

Blackhawks a big draw in Canada over the weekend Even though three of the four teams who participated in last Sunday’s NFL Conference Championship games came from smaller markets, the ratings were certainly big enough. The NFC Championship Game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints drew a whopping 58 million viewers, the most for a NFC Championship […]

Blackhawks sign with WGN-TV

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Tuesday that the team’s entire 82-game schedule will be shown on television. And this is not – I repeat, not – an April Fool’s joke. The Blackhawks signed a deal with WGN-TV on Tuesday, making 20 or so games available to the Tribune-owned station, marking the first time since 1980 games have been made available […]