Fox Chicago duopoly announces Sheila Oliver as new VP/GM

Succeeds the retiring Dennis Walsh in role Fox’s Chicago duopoly quickly found a new leader by announcing Tuesday the hire of Sheila Oliver to run Fox 32 (WFLD) and My50 (WPWR). Oliver moves over from the Fox-owned Seattle duopoly of KCPQ and KJZO. “Sheila is a Fox Television Stations veteran of both news and sales who leads with her Midwestern charm […]

The Media Notepad: Chicago native Jason Matheson returns to local airwaves

Also: MLB takes over San Diego Padres local broadcasts; Fox 32’s Mike Flannery calls it a career; Director’s Guild reaches tentative agreement with studios Chicago native Jason Matheson’s talk show is getting another chance in his hometown. Starting today, the Minneapolis-based daytime talk show host returns to the airwaves in Chicago with a two-month run of The Jason Show on […]

The CW expands to Saturday nights

A bold move on a low HUT-level night In a surprising move, The CW announced Thursday it is expanding their prime-time lineup to Saturdays starting in October, giving the network its first full seven-day-a-week schedule in its history. Saturdays this fall,CW Primetime comes to Kansas City's Own KCWE @KCWE29! https://t.co/Eg9DZXdows — Kansas City's Own KCWE (@KCWE29) May 13, 2021 No […]

Derek Chavin murder trial to be streamed, televised

Minneapolis stations, cable networks to carry proceedings in the death of George Floyd The landmark Derek Chavin murder trial began Monday and viewers can get a front row seat to one of the biggest legal proceedings in a generation.  It’s a historic trial to begin with: it marks the first time a Minnesota criminal trial has been televised gavel-to-gavel from […]

Twin Cities riots tests patience, nerves

Media covers disturbances; radio station burns down In what is being described as one of the nation’s worst case of racial disturbances since the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul were hit with an orgy of rioting and looting for the last two nights over the death of African-American resident George Floyd by Minneapolis […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: “It’s not you, it’s me”

WPWR-CW breakup illustrates how some affiliate partnerships don’t work The major networks have enjoyed long, prosperous relationships with their affiliates. For example, Milwaukee’s WTMJ, St. Louis’ KSDK, and Cincinnati’s WLWT each has enjoyed a long relationship with NBC dating back to the late 1940s. CBS and New Orleans’ WWL have been partners since 1957. And ABC and Dallas’ WFAA go […]

The Media Notepad: Mike North calls it a (sports) career; Corey McPherrin promoted

Plus: ABC 7 dominates in ratings AND social media; Minneapolis station latest to drop “My” branding That’s a wrap…for now: Mike North went on television Tuesday night and announced he was “retiring” from sports media, including radio, television, writing, podcasts… you name it. On WTTW’s Chicago Tonight, North told host Phil Ponce talking sports today was just too complicated. He […]

Ex-Chicagoan Jason Matheson goes national with talk show

Or… close to it. Matheson part of four-week test in select markets, including Chicago Chicago native and Minneapolis radio personality Jason Matheson is getting a second shot at national stardom – with another four-week test – this time, including his hometown. The Jason Show, produced by Fox-owned KMSP in Minneapolis is getting tested in several markets for the next four […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Idiocracy strikes local news again

Twin Cities’ KSTP makes gaffe, but has nothing on CBS 2’s history of making them If there’s any doubt local news is sometimes a joke, this item should cement the fact. Hubbard-owned Minneapolis-St.Paul ABC affiliate KSTP, a once-proud beacon of journalism, is involved in “pointergate”: a photo of Minneapolis mayor Betsy Hodges was shown in a photo joyfully exchanging pointing fingers […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: WLS-TV widens lead over rivals

Grab baggin’: – ABC-owned WLS-TV widened its lead over its competitors during the just-completed May sweeps, according to Nielsen. According to CRM, ABC 7 swept all local news time periods in households (25-54 demos weren’t available at press time), with a decisive victory at 10 p.m., surging 11 percent from May 2012 with a 10.0/18, leaving NBC-owned WMAQ-TV (5.9/11, +4% […]

“TMZ Live” heads to Fox Chicago

Ricki Lake changes EPs on her newly relaunched show WFLD and four other Fox-owned stations announced they were slotting Warner Bros.’ TMZ Live, a spin-off of the popular half-hour strip beginning Monday. TMZ Live features TMZ creator and executive producer Harvey Levin talking to his staff about the day’s entertainment stories in an expanded, hour-long format. Launched in 2007 as […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: RIP Kathryn Joosten

Some sad news to start off this edition of notations: Emmy-award winning actress Kathryn Joosten died on Sunday after a long battle with lung cancer at the age of 72. She was best known for her portrayal of presidential secretary Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing, and most recently, the nosy neighbor on Desperate Housewives. Born in Eustus, Fl. in […]

WFLD dumps Mike Barz

Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 has dumped morning news anchor Mike Barz after just two years amid allegations he acted at a off-site party. The former WGN-TV morning sports anchor joined the station in 2007 from ABC’s Good Morning America, and fronted Good Day Chicago alongside Jan Jeffcoat. He was suspended from WFLD shortly after he joined the station, after allegations he […]