The Media Notepad: WBBM Newsradio celebrates 50 years

The original is still the best: WBBM-AM (Newsradio 78) celebrated fifty years in the all-news format this week, with the anniversary of the switch taking place May 6. Believe it or not at one time, WBBM was known for something other than news: the station launched in 1924 , with the calls standing for World’s Best Battery Maker as the […]

The Media notepad: “The Lite” glows again

Also: WYCC and Chiller sign-off; Cumulus files for Chapter 11 The Lite is back: on Friday, iHeartMedia-owned WLIT-FM returned to its “Lite” branding, effective immediately, effectively ending the “My” branding it has used for the last few years. iHeartMedia rebranded several of its Adult Contemporary stations “My FM”, including KBIG-FM in Los Angeles (My 104.3), which unlike WLIT, is a […]

The bidding war is on for 21st Century Fox

Comcast, Verizon throw their hats into the ring The possible sale of 21st Century Fox’s assets has now become an all-out battle royale. CNBC reported Thursday its parent company Comcast is now exploring joining in the race to buy the studio and the Wall Street Journal reported that Verizon has also joined in. They join Disney in seeking the rights […]

San Diego Comic-Con is ready to roll

The 48th annual gathering in San Diego has something for everyone – especially if you’re a TV fan San Diego may have lost the Chargers, but they’re keeping the Con. The city is preparing for the four-day festival known as San Diego Comic-Con, which starts tonight and runs for five days. The gathering began in a hotel basement in 1970 […]

T Dog’s Media Notepad: CSN to stream Cubs, White Sox games

  Also: Eric and Kathy reup; Blackhawks continue to slide in ratings; CW changes stations in San Diego…again; This is Us renewed two years; Esquire Network closes   In good news for Chicago baseball fans, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Major League Baseball Thursday announced a live streaming deal for Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games beginning with the 2017 season, […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: T Dog Media at 10

Happy anniversary to T Dog Media! It’s a different media world today than it was when I started this. As we mark the ten-year anniversary of T Dog Media this weekend, I would like to take a look back – not at dopey posts from the early years such as these (really bad idea)…or getting involved in feuds (Wil Wheaton and […]

San Diego Comic-Con gears up

SyFy to broadcast from Comic-Con; new SVOD platform with Lionsgate ramps up The last few years, television coverage from San Diego’s Comic-Con has been hard to come by. But this year, that’s going to change. Recently, SyFy announced it would be broadcasting live from the 47th annual pop culture celebration, which runs from July 21-24. The cable net coverage titled Syfy […]

Cubs headed to WLS-TV

  ABC-owned station to run 25 games a season from 2015 through 2019 “Catch the action on WLS”… That’s right, you heard me… ABC-owned WLS-TV (that’s TV, not AM) struck a five-year deal with the Chicago Cubs to air 25 games a season beginning this spring. According to the station’s website, WLS would air games in daytime, primetime, and weekend […]

Comcast, TimeWarner Cable agree to merge

In what can be described as a historic deal, Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. – the country’s largest cable operator – is purchasing New York City-based Time Warner Cable – the second-largest cable operator for $45 billion, or $159 a share in an all-stock deal. The combined entity will boasts 30 million subscribers when Comcast plans to divest three million households due […]