Emmy-winning and Tony-winning actress Beatrice Arthur (better known as Bea Arthur) died today at her Los Angeles home due to complications from cancer. She was 86. Ms. Arthur starred as the lead in two major influential TV series: Maude (CBS, 1972-78) and The Golden Girls (NBC, 1985-92.) She was also a stage actress, who had performed on Broadway. Before her […]
For the first time ever in Chicago, viewers will have a real option to the network evening newscasts. As expected, Tribune-owned WGN-TV has signed former WMAQ-TV and WFLD-TV Mark Suppelsa, renewed the contract of longtime veteran Steve Sanders and is expanding the station’s newscasts. Suppelsa left Fox-owned WFLD in a contract dispute a few months ago and was slated to […]
Katie, Brian, and Charles: you met your match. Beginning Monday, Harvey Levin’s syndicated celebrity gossip paparazzi show TMZ will face off against network newscasts in Chicago with the show moving to 5:30 p.m. on Fox-owned WFLD-TV. The program currently airs on sister station WPWR-TV at 6:30 p.m. TMZ will continue to air at 11:35 p.m. on WFLD. Fox-owned stations in […]
The CW has pulled the plug on WWE Smackdown after nine seasons, after failing to come to an agreement on renewal. The program’s final CW airing is scheduled for September 12. The program began on April 29, 1999 as a one-shot special on UPN, and joined that network’s lineup on August 26, 1999. Smackdown originally aired on Thursday nights, but […]
– NBC has shelved plans to launch a spin-off of the TV series Heroes indefinitely. The move comes as a looming writers’ strike plans to wreak havoc with the networks’ schedules. The toast of the 2006-07 season, both Heroes and Ugly Betty are not having great sophomore seasons, with both programs down in the ratings from last year and both […]
News and notes from the world of syndication today: -Media Life reports that TMZ, the top freshman strip in syndication, is drawing more men than the other fluff-entertainment programs. 41.8 percent of its audience was men, and among the men 18-34 demo, the program pulled a 0.9 rating. Perhaps the reason this show is doing well among men because TMZ […]
Have WGN’s and WFLD’s weekday fall lineup, courtesy of Zap2it. Among the changes starting Sept. 10 (unless otherwise noted): WGN: -As noted before, Family Guy will air at 6:30 and 10, and Two and a Half Men will air at 6 and 10:30. – Teacher vs. student – The Steve Wilkos Show will air at 2 p.m. -up against Jerry […]
Interesting notes from Feder’s column today: * The game show Let’s Play Crosswords won’t be done in Chicago after all. After the producers decided to shoot the program without a studio audience, Program Partners’ new syndicated strip will originate in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, daytime soap star Ty Treadway has been tapped as host. * The FreeFM (or FraudFM) slogan at […]
Welcome to the first annual T Dog Blog Turkey Awards. We’re here to reward stupidity and simpletonism in the fields of broadcasting and in media in 2006 (so far.) Judging by the long list of winners (or shall we say “losers”? ), 2006 was a busy year for being stupid, ignorant, lame, boring, moronic, etc… You get the point. So, […]
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