Super Bowl ratings: Super Dud

Viewers tune out Patriots-Rams; lowest ratings in over a decade Thanks to numerous punts and less-than-inspiring play, Super Bowl LIII turned into a Super Dud. In the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history – sixteen points in total, the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams settled for a 3-3 tie at halftime in a game featuring numerous punts and […]

Sinclair amends Tribune deal…again

Would keep WPIX New York but spin-off WGN to an LLC Maybe the fourth time’s the charm: Hunt Valley, Md. based Sinclair Broadcasting has filed another amended proposal to purchase Tribune Media. In their new filing with the FCC, Sinclair is proposing to sell 23 stations in 18 markets in order to satisfy the broadcast ownership rules. In the new […]

Indianapolis to get new CBS affiliate

In a surprise move, CBS announces its moving its affiliation to WTTV, ending a 58-year relationship with WISH-TV The current battle over retransmission money has claimed another victim – and ended a longtime relationship. Tribune Broadcasting and CBS Corporation announced a new affiliation deal which shifts CBS from LIN Broadcasting’s WISH-TV – which has been a CBS affiliate since 1956 […]

Tribune buys Local TV LLC for $2.7 billion

    Tribune adds stations from Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Memphis to its stable About a year or so ago, there was speculation on whether or not Tribune Broadcasting, planning to exit Chapter 11, would stay in the broadcast business. Consider this a definite answer. Chicago-based Tribune announced Monday it was acquiring Newport, Ky.-based Local TV LLC for $2.7 billion. The […]

You have 30 days to sell your TV station. Time’s a tickin’….

It’s a station ownership mess in Virginia: In a follow-up to a story in yesterday’s Groovy Grab Bag, The Department of Justice has told Raycom to sell its CBS affiliate in Richmond, Va. (WTVR) – and you have thirty days to do so. Or else. Raycom acquired NBC affiliate WWBT-TV in Richmond as part of the company’s acquisition of the […]

T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

Let’s reach into the bag today and see what we can scoop out… – New fall syndication updates: WPWR plays the Feud again: Debmar-Mercury’s Family Feud returns to WPWR-TV for the third time beginning on Sept. 8, airing back-to-back episodes at 2 p.m, while Debmar’s new Trivial Pursuit: America’s Plays airs at 3 p.m. Family Feud aired on WPWR from […]

The media news roundup (aka A bunch of stuff)

I thought I’d just slap together these stories for you… – Here are The Daytime Emmy Award winners, held last Friday Night. The biggest surprise here was Tyra Banks beating out Dr. Phil in the best talk show/informative category (and Tyra also told off her critics as well…) – Mike North didn’t show up Monday at WSCR-AM – told by […]

Raycom buys Lincoln TV for $583 million

Lincoln TV, the former Jefferson-Pilot station group, was sold to Raycom for $583 million. The group includes CBS affiliates WBTV in Charlotte and WCSC in Charelston, S.C., and NBC affiliate WWBT in Richmond, Va. Lincoln’s sports production unit was also sold, and will be folded into Raycom Sports. Lincoln (and its predecessor Jefferson-Pilot), was responsible for syndicating a package of […]