Betty White dies at 99

Longtime cultural icon passes just two and a half weeks before she turned 100 In a week filled with devasting deaths, here’s another one: Betty White – a beloved television icon and wonderful all-around person, died Friday, December 31 at the age of 99 – just two and a half weeks before she was to turn 100 on January 17. […]

Legendary network executive Fred Silverman dies

Career spanned ABC, CBS, NBC plus his own production company Media watchers are mourning the death of Fred Silverman, an executive who re-invented CBS and took ABC to the top, and later formed his own production company. Born in the Queens borough of New York, Silverman began his career right here in Chicago at WGN-TV in the early 1960s where […]

Emmys hit ratings pit

Emmys prove futile draw; so does MNF featuring Bears The Emmys were handing out trophies last night, but it won’t get one for Best Ratings Performance. According to Nielsen, last night’s Emmy Awards – airing on NBC this year on Monday because of Sunday Night Football – earned a 7.4 household rating in the metered markets, down from the 8.2 […]

Review: “Man Of The People”

WGN’s new weekly show lives up to hype – and then some Enjoy Man Of The People Chicago, because Lord knows what’s going to happen when new ownership takes over. The series premiered Saturday night at 10 p.m. over Tribune’s WGN-TV with the station’s morning sports anchor Pat Tomasulo. It was billed as the first series taped at the Bradley […]

Predators-Blackhawks game could be moved if headed to OT

As first reported by Sports Media Watch, tonight’s Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoff Quarterfinal between the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks could be moved to CNBC if the game runs past 10 p.m. due to Saturday Night Live. Tonight is the first time ever Saturday Night Live is going live across the country, including the Mountain and […]

New “American Dad” episodes shift to TBS in 2014

Hold the flag high and be proud, kids: In a joint announcement made by Fox and Turner Tuesday, new episodes of American Dad are moving off broadcast television after next season and heading to TBS during the 2014-15 season. Older seasons of Dad already airs in repeats on sister network Adult Swim, and will also get the rights to new […]

NBC unveils 2013-14 schedule

After a season which went through extremes (first place in November 2012 in adults 18-49 to fifth in February 2013), NBC is completely overhauling its primetime slate in 2013-14, with eight new dramas, five new comedies, and three “alternative” reality series. The new schedule was announced Sunday afternoon, a day before NBC’s upfront presentation. Only eight series from this past season […]

“Dallas” looking to ride high in the saddle again

Look who’s riding back into town after 21 years… and look who’s he brought back from the gutter with him… J.R. Ewing – whose seedy antics made even superhero villains look good by comparison, is coming back to television this Wednesday night in a revival of the popular 1978-91 CBS primetime serial Dallas for TNT, which features the dealings of […]