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, […]
Stunning deal builds streaming’s clout and is a huge blow to linear TV In a stunning deal with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – and one that could be the death knell to linear TV, Google’s YouTube – yes, the video portal where you can watch anything from cat videos to old commercials, has landed the Oscars […]
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 […]
But not without a defense of taking the show off the air Sinclair and Nexstar decided to return Jimmy Kimmel Live! to the airwaves Friday, after over a week off the air due to the host’s comments about the person who assassinated Charlie Kirk. Both parties were “engaged in discussions” with the network after ABC reinstated Kimmel on Tuesday night. […]
Sinclair and Nexstar stand their ground; they won’t air show [Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 8:45 p.m. on September 22 and at 1:30 p.m. on September 23.] Disney-owned ABC announced Monday it is returning Jimmy Kimmel Live to its regular late-night time slot on Tuesday night, after the network forced him to sit out a week due to […]
Kimmel dustup showcases a forever battle, one FCC Chairman Carr has taken a side on If one were to understand the decision by ABC to temporarily pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air this past week due to the influence of local stations, one would have to look back to the past. Mirroring the attitude of many Southern network affiliates in […]
Network makes move after Nexstar, Sinclair drops show indefinitely, and comes after FCC chair threatens ABC In a bold move, ABC has put late-night show Jimmy Kimmel Live on hiatus after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC and Disney after Kimmel committed on Charlie Kirk’s assassination Monday night. Kimmel mistakenly said that suspect Tyler Robinson was a Trump supporter (he […]
Must-run segments parrot Sinclair’s Nexstar Media Group is taking its crusade for deregulation to the streets – and the home viewer. According to a report by The Desk, the broadcaster has instructed its 160-plus local stations to air a brief segment encouraging viewers to contact the FCC regarding potential changes to broadcast regulations that Chairman Brendan Carr is considering. Broadcasters […]
Also: “Flip Side” renewed, “Perfect Line” a firm go; WCIU reveals Sky schedule [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on April 3.] Longtime news legend Walter Jacobson gave his final “Perspective” last Thursday morning on WGN Radio, but it seemed more of a “see you later” than a retirement as he left the door open for a possible return. In […]
Sale includes Sinclair’s SSA agreements in Springfield and Decatur [Editor’s note: This story was updated March 14 and again on March 15.] In a surprise, Sinclair, Inc., the nation’s second-largest station group, announced Tuesday that it is selling five stations, including three in Illinois as first reported by The Desk. The five are being sold to Rincon Broadcasting, a […]
As viewers abandon linear TV, the people who run these stations are doing more harm than good Being a meteorologist in the post-Tom Skilling era has been rough. In an unthinkable move just five years ago, Allen Media Group announced nearly two weeks ago that it was firing its entire roster of meteorologists across the station group. The company planned […]
Also: Diginet changes in the new year: KSDK becomes the latest media property to leave downtown St. Louis; Diamond becomes Main Street In another blow to local linear TV, non-profit news organization Block Club Chicago and Weigel independent WCIU have parted ways on On The Block after nearly three years. The announcement was made on X Friday with the last […]
Comcast impasse with both fueling speculation According to a report from the Puck newsletter, local regional sports networks CHSN (Chicago Sports Network) and Marquee may be seeking to merge. CHSN and Marquee have a common enemy: Comcast, the largest cable provider in Chicago, had refused to add CHSN to its network and plans to move Marquee to a higher, more […]
Cable networks such as USA Network and E! under new ownership by 2026 With the business in freefall, Comcast Corp. has decided to part ways with its cable networks. As hinted a few weeks ago, Comcast announced Wednesday it is spinning off its cable networks from its NBCUniversal into a new company. Tentatively titled SpinCo (we hope it’s a temporary […]
Also: Kenya Moore out at Housewives; Fox and Sinclair team up for new syndicated true crime show; Paramount looking to sell assets Even though the recent NBA Finals naturally drew a larger audience on average, the excitement of the Stanley Cup Final was unparalleled as the series lasted seven games with historic implications. The Edmonton Oilers – who won four […]
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