Also: Planned iHeart/SiriusXM merger shelved; Scripps and DirecTV engage in TV’s latest feud The stadium saga continues: The Chicago Bears announced Friday they are moving forward with a move to Hammond, Ind., right across the state line from Chicago – or so they say. Despite being at Soldier Field for more than fifty years and the stadium being renovated in […]
Channels dropped in the middle of primetime In the ultimate April Fools’ prank that really wasn’t, channels owned by Scripps were yanked off the air Tuesday evening from Comcast systems after their contract expired. The move stunned Comcast subscribers, whose company uses the Xfinity name to brand their products. Channels were yanked during primetime; in one instance, during a Ottawa […]
Also: Court TV sold; Trump endorses Nexstar-Tegna deal Super Bowl LX wasn’t much to look at on the field, but it still drew a large crowd. Ratings released by Nielsen Tuesday showed the game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks averaged a 39.4 household rating and 79 share and drew 124.9 million viewers across all platforms for NBC, […]
Back to the drawing board as merger media continues Tuesday saw more rejections happen than what Snoopy gets from his publisher. Scripps’ board unanimously rejected rival Sinclair’s $622 million takeover bid, stating it wasn’t in the best interest of their shareholders. Sinclair started buying up Scripps stock, up to 9.9 percent. That prompted Scripps to adopt a “poison pill” strategy, […]
Comes after Trump expresses disdain The bid to increase scale in local television has turned into an arms race. Sinclair is the latest to make a bid to acquire a rival, this time Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps, a company that was founded in 1878 as a newspaper chain. If successful, Sinclair would own and/or operate around 250 stations in the […]
Another case of broadcasters challenging FCC regulations In yet another instance where broadcasters are challenging the FCC’s media ownership rules, Scripps’ WRTV in Indianapolis is being sold to Circle City Broadcasting, which already owns CW affiliate WISH-TV and independent WNDY-TV, creating a triopoly in the nation’s 26th-largest market for $83 million. “As a native of Indianapolis and a career small […]
Steve Dolinsky takes job at Levy Restaurants; Chicago Sky expands distribution; 93.9 The Lite returns to the top of the PPMs [Editor’s Note: The first item of this piece was updated on May 22 to add Facebook post.] “The Food Guy” has reviewed his final plate on Chicago television. Steve Dolinsky announced this week he was departing NBC 5 (NBC-owned […]
Former Scripps News stations on board Back in 2020, the fallout from George Floyd’s death led syndicators and cable networks to pull all law enforcement-related programming from the air. A&E canceled Live PD. Syndicated repeats of Cops and Live PD: Police Patrol were pulled. Texas even passed a law banning televised police ride-a-longs. What a difference five years makes. […]
No replacement has been named as of yet If you’re wondering where Leila Rahimi’s been regarding her nightly sports anchor position, well, wonder no more. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Rahimi left NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) a few weeks ago, leaving Mike Berman as the only sports person on staff at the NBC-owned station. Rahimi’s exit follows Ruthie Polinsky’s last month […]
WGN-TV is set to return to the network after a ten-year absence; CW also moving to new stations in other markets While the fall season doesn’t start for a few weeks, The CW will make numerous station switches this weekend, including in Chicago. On Saturday, WGN-TV officially returns to The CW affiliate lineup after eight years away. In a move […]
Also: Scripps Sports signs Stanley Cup champs; diginet Defy changes owners As first reported by the Sun-Times, CBS 2 (WBBM-TV) main sports anchor and sports Marshall Harris has exited the station, effective immediately. Harris verified the report on X/Twitter Tuesday: “In case you haven’t heard, I’ve officially moved on from CBS Chicago. I’m grateful for my time there. And I’m […]
Also: Judge Judy and Hot Bench renewed through 2026; Bulls’ regular-season ratings fall; WLS-AM host falls for phishing scam Digital subchannel Bounce could soon have a new owner, according to CNBC. Cincinnati-based Scripps has hired a financial firm to evaluate potential offers. Bounce was founded by Katz Communications and launched in 2011, offering various dramas, sitcoms, and sporting events targeted […]
Deals made as CBS sitcom wraps up five-season run In a move that was expected given it was approaching the five-season mark, Warner Bros.’ sitcom Bob Hearts Abisola was sold in broadcast off-network syndication to several station groups this fall with 92 episodes available to air, announced last week. Warner did not announce what percentage of the country is cleared, […]
Owner of rival Ion couldn’t agree on new deal with Nexstar-owned network [Editor’s Note: This post was updated April 25.] Seven Scripps stations currently affiliated with The CW will not be in September as the broadcaster and the network couldn’t agree on terms to renew their deal, as first reported by The Desk Friday. Of the seven, two are in […]
Must also sell station in twelve months In a decision that could have ripple effects for local television, the FCC has fined both Nexstar and Mission Broadcasting over their relationship with one another regarding WPIX in New York City, the market’s CW affiliate. The FCC has also ordered Mission to sell the station in the nation’s largest media market. The […]
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