Comcast, Paramount Global renews deal

CBS Chicago to stay on Xfinity systems; subscribers to get Paramount Plus Paramount Global and Comcast announced a new carriage deal on Tuesday. The multi-year deal includes Paramount’s portfolio of networks, including CBS and its owned stations, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and others. Comcast subscribers will also continue to gain access to streamers Paramount Plus, BET Plus, and Pluto […]

CBS Chicago unveils new virtual weather presentation

CBS-owned WBBM-TV turns to virtual and augmented reality to present weather A significant development occurred in the post-Tom Skilling era as Chicago TV viewers were introduced to the “Weather Sphere.” CBS-owned WBBM-TV—branded locally as CBS Chicago—debuted a new weather technology on October 1 using 3D virtual and augmented reality technology (VR/AR technology for short) in a separate, brand-new studio. The debut […]

CBS Mornings expands to three hours – in some places

And one of those places is Chicago, as CBS Chicago sacrifices 9 a.m. newscast on linear [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on September 27.] Tony Dokoupil and Adriana Diaz were named anchors of CBS’ new third-hour extension of CBS Mornings called CBS Morning Plus, airing live weekday mornings at 9 a.m. beginning September 30. But instead of airing the […]

“Drew Barrymore Show” renewed through 2026

Upgrades in several key large markets as future of show was questioned last week Affirming their commitment to Drew Barrymore’s talk show, CBS Media Ventures announced Thursday a sixth-year renewal through the end of the 2025-26 season, as the daytime talker was upgraded in several large markets. Since season three, the show split into two separate half-hours, with most stations […]

Sinclair charges up Charge for more upgrades

Replace Circle in some markets, including Chicago’s WBBM-TV Sinclair’s digital subchannel Charge returns to the Chicago area, landing at CBS-owned WBBM-TV as part of a deal with the CBS News And Stations Group, who saw several stations also take sci-fi-based channel Comet.  “We are thrilled to announce the expansion of our networks’ distribution and the strengthening of our impactful partnership […]

The Media Notepad: WBBM Newsradio names Craig Schwalb news director

Also: Mayoral debates scheduled; CBS-owned stations to rebrand news properties Audacy’s all-news WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM announced last week the hire of Craig Schwalb as brand manager and news director of the station effective January 23. He succeeds Ron Gleason, who retired last month.  Schwalb comes from Hubbard’s dominant all-news station WTOP in Washington, D.C., a station who typically leads the country in […]

Report: NBC may cut back prime-time hours

  Move as a result of waning interest in linear TV In what could be potentially the biggest shake-up in prime-time since the implantation of the PrimeTime Access Rule in 1971, NBC is mulling a plan to give the 10 p.m. ET/ 9 p.m. CT slot to affiliates – likely for them to program local news. “While NBC is the […]

Internal Investigation sweeps GMs out of CBS 2 in both Chicago, L.A.

CBS 2 Chicago GM Derek Dalton out after three years; L.A. GM out too After ViacomCBS concluded its six-month investigation into racial and sexual harassment at its 28 CBS-owned television stations, the network relived two local station executives of their duties.  Fired from their positions Thursday were WBBM-TV/CBS 2 general manager Derek Dalton and Los Angeles’ KCBS/KCAL GM Jay Howell […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: “All In” special on Chicago violence draws decent numbers

Discussion on Chicago violence draws over a million viewers; also, news on CBS, The Bulls, and Big Bang As gun violence continues to plague Chicago, the national spotlight on the city isn’t dimming anytime soon with MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes the latest television program to come here to discuss the issue. Despite a last-minute scheduling change (originally scheduled […]

Grab Bag: CBS 2’s Jay Levine attacked in a live shot

(Editor’s note: under circumstances not under my control, the videos for Jay Levine’s story have since been removed. You’ll just have to take my word for it. – T.H.) – In the latest incident of TV news personnel being attacked on (or off camera), WBBM-TV’s Jay Levine was attacked by a crazed protester in a live shot outside a restaurant […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: Syndication special

Also: WLS-TV dominates November ratings With the NATPE gathering just weeks away, syndicators are gearing up their sales teams to pitch new projects for the fall of 2014, including Celebrity Name Game (see below) and The Real – both recently receiving “firm gos”. Several freshman and sophomore series are on the bubble including Queen Latifah, The Arsenio Hall Show, Katie, […]

Swearin’ Super Bowl Sunday

  Super Bowl XLVII down from last year, but still pulls in an audience; CBS to be investigated for F-bomb; and so is WMVP for unrelated incident The Super Bowl matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers drew a huge audience on Sunday – but not as high as the two previous Super Bowls. According to Nielsen […]

Confirmed: “Queen Latifah” to CBS 2… and WCIU

As reported here and on other trade sites last week, Queen Latifah’s return to daytime TV snared its first major deal with Sony Pictures Television: CBS’ owned and operated TV stations signed on for the show in sixteen markets. According to an article in Broadcasting & Cable last Monday, Latifah’s show will in fact, be shown on WBBM-TV next fall, […]

Marty Wilke jumps to WBBM-TV as GM

As first reported by Robert Feder at Time Out Chicago Friday morning, WGN-TV general manager Marty Wilke is exiting the Chicago CW affiliate and heading to CBS-owned WBBM-TV (CBS 2) in the same capacity. She replaces Bruno Cohen, who is returning to central California to run CBS’ duopoly of KPIX and KBCW in the Bay Area (consisting of San Francisco, […]

WISN expands 10 p.m. newscast

In a first for a Midwest Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) affiliate, Hearst’s WISN-TV in Milwaukee is expanding its 10 p.m. newscast from 35 minutes to an hour beginning January 24. The move sends NBC Universal’s Access: Hollywood (the current 10:35 p.m. occupant) to 12:30 a.m., after Jimmy Kimmel Live. Nightline retains the 11:05 p.m. slot, but now gets to […]