The resignation of Tribune executive Lee Abrams on Friday was pretty much expected, and came as no surprise. Abrams sent a company-wide e-mail on Monday featuring Not Safe for Work videos and angering employees company-wide, and was suspended Wednesday for doing so. Some of the videos featured stuff you would normally find on a Girls Gone Wild DVD. And all […]
Once again, Chicago is living up to its media freak show reputation. Nearly a week after a damaging New York Times article was published on the frat-boy antics at Tribune Tower, Chief “Innovation” Officer Lee Abrams sent out a company-wide e-mail on Monday, which continued several inapporiate videos, including one labled “Sluts”. Ironically, the story broke Tuesday afternoon – on […]
The New York Times today made national what was reported in Chicago media circles for months regarding the frat house antics at Tribune Tower. David Carr had a front-page story in the newspaper regarding the dysfunctional nature that has become the Tribune Co., since Sam Zell bought the company in an ill-fated $8.2 million buyout in 2007 with Tribune Chump […]
Ward L. Quaal, a Chicago television and radio pioneer instrumental in laying the groundwork for WGN-AM and WGN-TV, died Friday at the age of 91. Quaal began his career in 1936 at a radio station in Marquette, Mich., and went to WGN Radio in 1941. As a staff announcer, he broke the news that Pearl Harbor was bombed, which brought […]
The party’s over for Doogie and Partyman. Post number 2000. Yes, yours truly is finally written his 2000th post after four years. And what better way to celebrate by writing a Think Tank regarding the departures of biggest boobs to ever grace – or disgrace a media corporation’s executive suite outside of Laurence Tisch. I’m talking about Jeff Zucker and […]
Welcome to the Tribune Company stag party with poker, liquor, and smokes galore. The only things missing were the hookers, drugs, and Lady GaGa performing. Yes, this what took place at Col. Robert McCormick’s old office (now used as a conference room) at the Tribune Tower in spring 2009 with Court Jester Randy Michaels – who hasn’t found a company […]
Last week, A memo Tribune CEO Randy Michaels sent through WGN-AM News Director Charlie Meyerson, had a list of 119 words and phrases his employees at WGN should not say on the air in order to “improve the product”. And if they say any of these “forbidden” words, other employees can “rat them out” by noting the precise date and […]
In honor of the month we all go basketball crazy, we salute the three-point buzzer beaters and the airballs of the last week-and-the-half: March Madness! The Bears spend like no tomorrow. Bears sign Julius Peppers and two other free agents last Friday (March 5.) The Bears had a good week last week, hoping to get the team back to Lakers-like […]
A week of shock and awe – literally. A Halloween edition of T Dog’s Four Pack: Treats – White Collar. USA had a lot of goodies in its bag – to the tune of 5.3 million viewers for the debut of its new Friday night drama White Collar. With the continued success of Dexter on Showtime, being a criminal has […]
Don’t drop Cheryl, Tom! Or she’ll be like The Tribune… All right, I’ve seen some absurd items on Chicago Tribune’s editorial page before… but this one takes the cake. One of Wednesday’s editorials in the paper was titled “Dancing With DeLay” , about former disgraced Texas congressman Tom DeLay competing on the newest season of Dancing With the Stars. You’ve got […]
You ever hear of buyer’s remorse? Well, Sam Zell has a huge case of it. In an interview with Bloomberg News, The Tribune owner said buying the debt-ridden media company was “a mistake”, saying he was “too optimistic.” Zell said he didn’t know the economy would crater like it did, and wouldn’t do the deal if he had to do […]
In a move that comes as surprising and shocking, The Tribune Co. – home to the Chicago Tribune, WGN-TV and WGN-AM and the Chicago Cubs, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It’s no secret Tribune has been under heavy debt load since the company was taken over by Sam Zell for $8.2 billion and was taken private last year. […]
Tribune has scrubbed The CW monkier off almost all of its’ affiliates websites, and its sending a message to the beleaguered network – improve your ratings. Tribune has even changed the branding of many of its CW stations. For example, WDCW-TV in Washington, D.C. goes by the name “DC 50” instead of “CW 50”. For KWGN-TV in Denver, it’s now […]
Every move you make, I’ll be watching you… Creepy! Hold the flag above your heads kids, because there is a network that will make you proud to waive the red, white, and blue this 4th of July. But it doesn’t have an American flag as part of its logo. And the programming (crummy as it is) hasn’t really changed. Yet. […]
Usually, the T Dog Media Blog doesn’t devolve into local politics since this is a media blog (it says that in the name!) and not a political one. But yours truly can’t pass up an opportunity to take this on since it involves the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Last Friday, Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago blasted the Tribune […]
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