Fox 32 promotes Cassie Carlson to lead sports anchor

She replaces Lou Caneills in the role and becomes the face of Bears coverage Northwest-suburban Palatine native Cassie Carlson has been promoted by Fox-owned WFLD-TV (Fox 32) to lead sports anchor, succeeding the since-departed Lou Canellis in the role. She will also become the face of Chicago Bears coverage, as the station is the team’s official partner.  In a statement, […]

Front Office Sports to produce a nightly syndicated show

Sports business program already cleared in 85 percent of the country In a first-of-its-kind programming venture, Front Office Sports, a sports business publication owned by Redbird IMI, is launching a nightly, half-hour syndicated strip called Front Office Sports Tonight, already clearing 85 percent of the country with the Fox owned-and-operated stations as the main launch group, debuting September 14. The […]

It’s official: Lou Canellis joins NBC 5 as main sports anchor

He starts this coming Sunday  Lou Canellis has officially made the leap from Fox-owned WFLD, where he spent seventeen years as the main sports anchor, to NBC-owned WMAQ-TV where he will start on February 1.  Caneills will anchor the sports segments from Monday through Thursday at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m., and will host the station’s long-running Sports […]

Fox Chicago duopoly announces management change with Glenn Berk named new SVP/GM

From WITI Milwaukee, he replaces retiring Sheila Oliver As first reported by TVNewsCheck Thursday, Glenn Berk has been named Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Fox-owned WFLD and WPWR, branded respectively as Fox 32 and Fox Chicago Plus. He succeeds Sheila Oliver, who announced her retirement yesterday. The move takes place on June 30th.  Berk comes from Fox-owned sister station WITI […]

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 (@kcwetv) 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% […]