More on Joe Ahern’s sudden departure from CBS-owned WBBM-TV in Chicago: – The Sun-Times Robert Feder looks back at the The Life and Times of Joe Ahern – his rise at WLS-TV and his fall at WBBM. It’s a rather critical look at what he accomplished – or actually didn’t accomplish – at the station. – Phil Rosenthal has a […]
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 […]
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 […]
Tribune’s KPLR-TV in St. Louis is moving its half-hour 9 p.m. newscast to 7 p.m. and expanding it to a hour beginning on Sept. 8. This means CW primetime fare currently airing at 7 p.m. is shifting to 8 p.m., with KPLR taking the Mountain Time feed. For example, when 90210 airs in St. Louis (8 p.m. Central), it’ll air […]
NBC Universal recently unveiled details of its new Deal or No Deal strip hosted by Howie Mandel (who continues hosting the prime-time version.) The daily half hour is being assembled along the lines of the version that airs in the United Kingdom. Among the changes: – The top prize won in the syndicated version is $500,000. – There are only […]
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 […]
… except at 10 p.m., where NBC affiliate WTMJ (despite lousy network lead-ins) won. But WISN, Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate owned by Hearst-Argyle, dominated everything else. WISN won at 5 and 6 p.m. and in prime-time and total-day numbers, but finished behind WTMJ at 10 p.m. by a hair. WTMJ actually increased its rating at 10, while WISN dropped two share […]
A crew from CBS affiliate WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, S.C. were attacked by four people while reporting on a homicide story. The attackers also used racial slurs. The incident happened Monday in Union, S.C., where WSPA reporter Charmayne Brown and the cameraman, both African-American, were reporting on a homicide case across the street from the family’s home, when members of the […]
The latest from the convention: WCIU picks up Judge Penny: Independent WCIU-TV in Chicago picks up its first-ever syndicated program from Program Partners by acquiring the company’s new first-run courtroom strip Family Court with Judge Penny. The program has cleared 70 percent of the country, including Fox-owned stations in New York and Los Angeles. Additional clearances include CBS/CW stations in […]
Milwaukee CBS affiliate WDJT-TV, owned by Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting (owner of WCIU and WWME), is launching a 9 p.m. newscast on its independent sister sation, WMLW-TV beginning Jan.1. The newscast is to compete with Fox-owned WITI’s newscast, which airs at the same time. Sinclair’s CW affiliate WVTV had a 9 p.m. newscast from 1989-94 and again from 2003-06, but low […]
Note: The link to the story may require registration. NBC Universal’s Deal or No Deal weekday syndicated strip has been sold to a few NBC O&Os, including WMAQ-TV in Chicago, as well as to stations owned by CBS, Allbritton, Scripps, and Sinclair. The program will be hosted by Howie Mandel and feature the same elements as the prime-time show – […]
Digital music video channel The Tube has ceased operations. The network, which was seen over WGN’s second digital channel here in Chicago, has been struggling financially since its launch. The Tube suffered a huge blow last year when original partner Sinclair Broadcasting pulled out over a dispute regarding three-hour FCC mandated children’s educational programming on the music channel. The Tube’s […]
Though not at the TCA Press Tour, two major syndicators have big news of their own: – As expected, NBC Universal has renewed Jerry Springer and Maury on the Tribune stations that currently carries them until 2010. Sinclair stations in Pittsburgh, Columbus (OH), and Cincinnati also renewed the duo. Separately, Maury was also renewed on Tribune’s WGN-TV in Chicago and […]
WISN-TV, Hearst-Argyle’s ABC affiliate in Milwaukee, beat NBC affiliate WTMJ-TV at 10 p.m. for the first time in seven years in the recent May sweeps, proving once again that prime time on NBC these days is a drag on its local stations. Meanwhile, Bart is also watching The King of Queens in Milwaukee, because the off-network sitcom beat The Simpsons […]
Mark Hyman, who created those “Point” commentaries for Baltimore-based Sinclair NewsCentral stations (including for Sinclair owned ABC affiliates WICS-TV in Springfield and WICD-TV in Champaign), has decided to stop annoying what little viewers they have left for their newscasts and decided to annoy his family instead…. http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-bz.to.hyman03nov03,0,214203.story?coll=bal-artslife-today Those commentaries often featured views that were tilted to the right, which hurt […]