Welcome to “The Cutler Factor”

Jay Cutler signs with Fox Sports. Caution! You’re about to enter “The No Fumble Zone”. That’s because we now know Jay Cutler won’t be anywhere near a football anymore. But the former Chicago Bears quarterback did decide to trade in his cleats for a broadcasting career by joining Fox Sports’ NFL crew. Beginning next season, he’ll hoof it up with play-by-play […]

The “Empire” is crumbling

Fox’s highest-rated show is fading fast You wonder at this point if the Empire Carpet Man can draw better ratings than Empire itself these days. Wednesday episode of the serialized hip-hop drama drew its lowest ratings to date: a 1.9 rating in the key 18-49 demo, down 47 percent from the May 4, 2016 airing as  Empire was barely ahead of […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: Bulls dragging down NBA ratings

Also: ABC 7 and WGN-TV are February sweeps winners; Tribune Broadcasting update; T.D. Jakes show is canceled; Legion, Good Wife renewed; Iron Fist debuts  With the 33-37 Bulls once again struggling in the ratings locally, it comes as no surprise Chicago’s NBA team is dragging down the league’s ratings nationally. According to Nielsen via Sports Media Watch, March 12’s game on ABC […]

Think Tank Express: “Idol” moving to NBC?

The rich could get richer Well, that didn’t take long – NBC and Fremantle Media are in talks about bringing back American Idol sometime next season. American Idol, of course, ended its run ten months ago on Fox after a fourteen-season run. During its peak, Idol drew more thirty million viewers a week and attracted nearly half of all 18-49 […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: America is suffering from Chicago fatigue

Non-Chicagoans tired of hearing about Chicago  Will advertisers bail out of the Windy City because of negative media coverage? During NHL All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, Chicago Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Corey Crawford were all booed by fans at the Staples Center. Maybe because of the Kings’ rivalry with the Blackhawks? Keep in mind San Jose […]

Super Bowl LI: Historic, but not in the ratings department

New England Patriots come from behind and beat the Atlanta Falcons History was made in Super Bowl LI – but not in the ratings. Tom Brady led the New England Patriots from behind to beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-28 in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. Airing on Fox, Super Bowl LI was epic in many ways: not only […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: CSN to stream Cubs, White Sox games

  Also: Eric and Kathy reup; Blackhawks continue to slide in ratings; CW changes stations in San Diego…again; This is Us renewed two years; Esquire Network closes   In good news for Chicago baseball fans, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Major League Baseball Thursday announced a live streaming deal for Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games beginning with the 2017 season, […]

2016 in review: The highs and the lows…a lot of lows

“Jessica Jones” tops odd year in media – and life When you look back at 2016, there isn’t much to rave about – way too many celebrity and industry deaths (Prince, Garry Shandling, Carrie Fisher, Grant Tinker, Doug Banks, Herb Kent, etc.), the election of Donald Trump, the rise (again) of Rahm Emanuel, continuing media consolidation, and other awful things. But […]

“Simpsons” renewed for two more seasons

Historic deal takes animated series to 2019, making it the all-time episodes champ in primetime for a scripted series On Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs made history as the team won their first World Series title in 108 years. On Friday, The Simpsons made history of their own. The long-running animated series was renewed for its 29th and 30th seasons Friday, […]

Cubs World Series’ victory is also one for all involved

Fox, WFLD, MLB, advertisers also have reason to pop out the bubbly The Chicago Cubs’ World Series win is historic in many ways – and not just for the team. Wednesday night’s achievement – the first championship for the team since 1908, brought dividends for Fox, advertisers, the game of baseball, and over-the-air television in general. For one – the edge-of-your-seat, […]

Local media prepares as Cubs head to the World Series

Media outlets in Chicago, Cleveland expect major windfall – including stations carrying games Batten down the hatches, Chicagoans – the Cubs have did something they haven’t done in 71 years – make the World Series. Beginning tonight, the former lovable losers (now the lovable winners) will play Game 1 against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field in the Fall Classic, […]

Cubs post-season run begins

Media outlets looking for boost – even those who aren’t carrying games For better or worse, the worldwide spotlight on Chicago lately hasn’t been a positive one: the city continues to make headlines for its gun violence epidemic, as Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has name-dropped Chicago every chance he got as a symbol of what’s wrong in America – […]

Think Tank Express: “Son Of Zorn” doesn’t make grade

Bad writing sinks “innovative” show During the 1968-69 season, NBC premiered a new Sunday night show titled The New Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn, becoming the first television series to use a hybrid of live-action and animation. Based on the characters of Mark Twain’s book of the same name (minus the “New”), the Hanna-Barbera series lasted only one season and wound […]

Sunday Night Television: The Brown Bag Club

Sad sack Bears, lackluster ABC and Fox lineups dampen night Note: numbers are 18-49 preliminary unless otherwise noted.  And you thought Friday night television was bad. Sunday is fast becoming Tune-Out Night In America. And the lackluster Bears (and two of their oldest animated sitcoms who are like Steve Dahl and Jonathan Brandmeier – past-their-prime acts who won’t get off the […]

“MacGyver” tops Friday ratings

CBS remake scores decent sampling; Church of Tisch dominates the evening Note: These results are based on adults 18-49 preliminary ratings. On The Simpsons, Patty and Selma said they’re favorite TV show was MacGvyer, the 1985-92 ABC series featuring Richard Dean Anderson (it was even part of a plot of one 1992 episode where Selma marries Sideshow Bob.) So you […]