Latest twist in on-going saga involving regional sports networks Adding to the latest saga surrounding regional sports networks – and with weeks to go before the start of MLB season, Warner Bros. Discovery have told sports teams they’re shuttering AT&T SportsNet and asking them to reclaim their rights. March 31st is set for the closure, and if WBD can’t reach […]
Also: Fox re-ups Animation Domination as White Sox voices Jason Benetti and Steve Stone get reneweals, too; DirecTV adds a NewsMax replacement; Blackhawks’ ratings sag as does the rest of the NHL Even though it’s a ratings period most radio stations not playing Christmas music ignore, the “Holiday” book for iHeartMedia’s 93.9 FM The Lite dominated to no one’s surprise […]
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 […]
Welcome to the 17th annual T Dog Media Turkey Awards! This year, 22 unlucky recipients (with one shared) are honored for being awful people, terrible companies, and those who are jerks in every walk of life. If there’s a theme, it’s the year of being a CEO or billionaire – or both as they’re throwing their power and influence around, […]
Continues with morning radio show and YouTube channel Longtime NBC Sports Chicago host David Kaplan announced Thursday night his decision to leave the regional sports network, effective at the end of the year. “This presents me with a chance to pursue the next chapter of my career,” Kaplan said. “It will also give me a great opportunity to spend more […]
Raises questions about teams having stakes in regional sports networks Outside of the Sky’s WNBA Championship, the last nine months have been utter hell for Chicago sports fans, from a sexual abuse scandal to sports team owners chewing out reporters, not to mention a certain Green Bay QB “owning” local fans. Now credibility problems has become the latest headache, with […]
Live, daily sports talk programming returns to NBC Sports Chicago For the first time since the cancellation of Sports Talk Live, NBC Sports Chicago is launching new local half-hour nightly sports program Unfiltered With David Kaplan beginning Monday, coinciding with the start of baseball season later in the week. According to a press release, Kaplan “will bring the entertainment to […]
Gives up full-time position as 670 The Score co-host but remains to co-host on Wednesdays Appearing on NBC 5/WMAQ-TV’s Sports Sunday has now led Leah Rahimi to a full-time position handling sports anchor duties, beginning next month, becoming the first full-time female sports anchor in the history of the station. She’ll appear on the station’s 5, 6, and 10 p.m. […]
Once one of the premier teams in sports, a sex scandal sends the team’s popularity into the toilet Scandal gives Chicago’s image yet another black eye – one of a lot as the team’s decline also reflects the city’s If you’ve read the blog over the years, this space has devoted quite a bit to Chicago sports and how […]
New rights holders TNT, ESPN begin new deals The puck dropped on a new NHL season a few days ago, and it also marked a new era in broadcasting rights in the U.S. ESPN and Turner each began separate seven-year deals with the league last week, with ESPN broadcasting their first game in 17 years last Tuesday night from […]
Johnny Green Jr. becomes first African-American in position in WCBS’s history ViacomCBS announced Wednesday the promotion of interim news director Johnny Green Jr. to president and general manager of WCBS-TV, the CBS flagship station in New York City, becoming the first Black executive to hold the title at the CBS-owned station. “Since returning to CBS nine weeks ago, I have […]
Takes over role June 1 In a masterful stroke of corporate synergy, current NBC Sports Chicago senior vice president and general manager Kevin Cross will assume the same responsibilities (as president and GM) for NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) and Spanish-language Telemundo Chicago (WSNS-TV) effective June 1, succeeding a retiring David Doebler, who is exiting after eight years. The news was first […]
Becomes first woman to co-host a sports radio talk show on a regular basis in Chicago Entercom-owned The Score (WSCR-AM) announced Monday the promotion of part-time/fill-in host Leila Rahimi to full-time, teaming up with Dan Bernstein in the new Bernstein and Rahimi show, airing weekday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon. It marks the first time a female host has […]
Also: Fox News wins election night; NBA season to start Dec. 22 IHeartMedia’s WLIT launched its Holly Jolly format (or Christmas music as everyone else calls it) starting at 4 p.m. Friday, and is likely to last through the end of the year. This is the 20th year WLIT has turned its playlist to a Christmas Jukebox, playing Mariah Carey’s […]
NBC 5, Telemundo also announce layoffs At a time when the Covid pandemic has hammered advertising revenues, it isn’t surprising media companies are making cuts. And it hit home today with Comcast’s NBCUniversal division announcing layoffs with NBC Sports’ regional sports networks taking the hardest hits. NBC Sports Chicago laid off several personnel Tuesday on-air and off as Leah Rahimi […]