Disney, DirecTV in a dispute over retrans fees

Subscribers could lose Disney channels, including ABC 7 Chicago As speculated for the last few weeks, a potential retrans dispute between Disney and DirecTV is about to come to fruition. Cord Cutters News was the first to report on possible service disruptions if a deal between the two wasn’t reached by September 1. The dispute picked up steam as the […]

Iger: ABC, ESPN not for sale

Disney CEO seems to backtrack on comments made last summer Remember earlier this year when Disney CEO Bob Iger was looking at selling ABC and its owned stations, several cable networks, and a stake in ESPN? Never mind.  Is ABC for sale? @andrewrsorkin asks Bob Iger "It is not for sale" — Tim Baysinger (@tim_bays) November 29, 2023 On Tuesday, […]

The Media Notepad: ABC 7’s Ryan Chiaverini named lead sports anchor

Also: SAG-AFTRA strike ends; Jennifer Hudson’s ratings grow; Disney names two cable networks as possible sale candidates It’s official – Ryan Chiaverini was named lead sports anchor by ABC-owned WLS-TV Thursday, succeeding Jim Rose, who retired in September after 41 years at the station. “Ryan knows Chicago sports inside out and cuts right to the heart of what this city’s […]

Disney, Charter settle dispute – but at a price

Disney to permanently remove some channels as it agrees to sell apps through Spectrum in a blueprint others will likely follow   After all the countless pieces over how the Charter-Disney feud could wind up killing linear TV and the cable bundle, customers woke up Monday morning to find their Disney channels back – but not all of them returned.  Disney […]

Disney channels pulled off Dish, Sling

Surprise move came with no warning In a move that has Dish and Sling customers fuming, cable and broadcast channels owned by The Walt Disney Company were pulled off of their systems at 2 a.m. Central Time Saturday morning in a retransmission dispute.  The decision to yank the channels surprised everyone as usually, customers are given a heads-up on if […]

Disney, DirecTV the latest to battle over retransmission consent

Companies upping ante in retrans dispute; ABC 7 could be off DirecTV by Saturday  The latest entity to go toe-to-toe with a satellite and cable provider is the biggest name in cable: ESPN. And it could take Chicago’s most-watched TV station down with it. In a carefully orchestrated move, ESPN on its bottom score ticker alerted viewers about the potential […]

Marvel creator Stan Lee dies

The 95-year old pop culture icon created iconic characters leading to TV and movie success Stan Lee was responsible for creating a pop-culture franchise with unforgettable iconic characters. On Monday, Lee died at the age of 95 in a Los Angeles hospital. The cause of death has yet to be determined. Born in the New York borough of Manhattan in […]

Disney and Fox – the deal no one thought would ever be made

Disney and Fox wheeling and dealing with one another? Laughable, even a year ago. Now, its one step away from reality. In 1990, The Walt Disney Company and the Fox Broadcasting Network battled one another over early fringe afternoon time slots over kids animation: The Disney Afternoon (consisting of DuckTales, Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin, etc.) was expanding […]

21st Century Fox, Disney in talks to merge

The two rivals are discussing, but would not include some Fox properties, including Fox News and Chicago’s WFLD-TV Itchy and Scratchy joining forces with Mickey Mouse? It could happen. As first reported by CNBC Monday, 21st Century Fox is considering selling part of their assets to the Walt Disney Company. The proposed deal would not include Fox Broadcasting, Fox O&Os, […]

Remembering Grant Tinker

The television world is remembering Grant Tinker and the legacy he left as he passed away at the age of 90 on November 28 in his Los Angeles home. While network executives were known for meddling into the creative process, Grant Tinker would be best known for his hands-off approach – which made sense given he headed one of the most […]

WCIU to air special edition of “26 N. Halsted”

Starting this week, WCIU’s 26 N. Halsted public-affairs program is going to tackle one of the hottest issues facing the nation right now: gun violence and police brutality against minorities. This Sunday at 7 p.m., George Blaise is hosting a special edition of the public-affairs program with the title 26 N. Halsted – A Special Community Conversation, featuring guests who’ll […]

Tribune, CW relationship in fragile condition

          Network, station group may split; CW considering OTT option Can this marriage be saved? In a possible blow to The CW, Tribune Broadcasting has reached an impasse with the network on a renewal deal, which could have ramifications for the TV industry. According to TV Newscheck, Tribune – owner of thirteen CW affiliates, is balking at […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: White Sox sink into the ratings abyss

The White Sox may not have the worst record in MLB for 2015, but earned an even-worse honor. According to Sports Business Journal, the South Siders again finished dead last among all 29 U.S. teams, with a 0.8 live-plus-same day household rating on CSN Chicago, down 29 percent from 2014, where they finished 27th out of 27 teams excluding Houston […]