Marquee inks pact with Mediacom; but still no Chicago-area cable deal

Sinclair strikes deal to bring Cubs channel in 2020 We are now at a point where Cubs games are being shown in Des Moines but not in the Chicago area itself on cable. Thankfully, Marquee isn’t launching until February. As first reported by the Chicago Tribune Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs and Sinclair announced a carriage deal with cable provider Mediacom. […]

“Goldbergs “sold to WGN-TV, Tribune for 2017

Off-network deals include WGN-TV, WQAD In good news for off-network sitcom-starved stations, Sony Pictures Television announced it has sold ABC Wednesday night sitcom The Goldbergs in syndication starting in the fall of 2017, starting with eighteen Tribune markets. Cash-plus-barter deals include WGN-TV in Chicago and ABC affiliate WQAD-TV in the Quad Cities area, consisting of Davenport, Ia., Rock Island, and Moline, […]

Cubs, White Sox invade Indianapolis TV

Deal with WGN sends selected Cubs and White Sox games to former CBS affiliate; nine other Midwestern markets also cleared  In order to fill a programming void left by CBS, a local Indianapolis TV station is turning to two Chicago institutions. Media General-owned WISH-TV announced Friday it was planning to air a package of Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox games produced […]

T Dog’s Grab Bag: Bill Kurtis joins Decades

– Emmy and Peabody winner Bill Kurtis has a new gig: he’ll host a show on the new Decades network called Though the Decades, a weekday strip recalling the events of historical significance between the 1950s and 1990s, beginning in May. The series plans to draw from the vast resources of CBS News and Entertainment Tonight libraries for material. A […]

Illinois’ other Arbitron books released

Here are the Arbitron rating books for other markets in Illinois, plus South Bend-Elkhart. Quad Cities – Clear Channel’s country outlet (WLLR-FM) dominated the market, with a share that doubles its’ nearest competitor. Peoria – Will AC plays in Peoria? You bet, as Triad’s WSWT-FM finished a dominant first. Rockford – A CHR outlet finished first here, with Cumulus’ WZOK-FM […]

Retro Television Network sold

Equity Broadcasting has sold the Retro Television Network to Henry Luken (who is head of Luken Communications), in order to raise cash to pay off debt. Operations of the digital sub-channel network are not affected. In Illinois, RTN is coming soon to digital sub-channels of Rockford’s WREX, Rock Island’s WHBF, Springfield’s WRSP/WBUL, and is already on the air in Mount […]

KWQC cuts staff, cancels newscasts

Young Broadcasting’s KWQC-TV in Davenport, IA-Rock Island, IL has laid off twelve employees and the NBC affiliate has also canceled its Saturday morning newscasts. This move comes as Young is struggling, with its underperforming San Francisco station up for sale and its ABC affiliate in Nashville (WKRN-TV) also getting hit hard with job cuts.

Fox sells eight TV stations to Oak Hill

News Corp. had made good on its promise to sell eight of its Fox TV stations, and it did to the newly-formed Local TV group headed by private equity firm Oak Hill Partners for $1.1 billion. The proceeds from the sale gives News Corp. the cash it needs to purchase the Wall Street Journal. In a separate development, Tribune and […]