T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

Ah, it’s good to be back… because of several scheduling snafus (eliminating any free time I had), The T Dog Media Blog was unexpectedly put on hiatus last week. But we’re back -and better – and snarkier – than ever before. Let’s celebrate by reaching into the Grab Bag… – A word about this article in TV Week regarding reality’s […]

NATPE News

The National Association of Television Program Executives convention got underway today in Las Vegas. While it won’t be as jumping as it was in recent years, there is business to be done here in the world of syndication and beyond. Plus, look for not one, but two T Dog Think Tanks on the state of syndication in 2009. We’ll have […]

Can syndication find the next hit?

Quick, when was the last true first-run syndicated hit? Though many syndicators would argue, it was six years ago with Dr. Phil averaging a 4.4 Nielsen rating in its freshman season. Before that, you would have to go all the way back to June 1996 for the last breakout hit – Warner Bros.’ The Rosie O’Donnell Show. And if you […]

NATPE News

The latest from the convention: – In a coup for small syndie Program Partners, the company signed Marie Osmond to host a one-hour talk show strip for fall 2009. Marie Osmond last co-hosted a talk show with her brother Donny back in the late ’90’s for Sony. – MGM has decided to bring back Gladiators 2000, a teen-oriented game show […]

WLS, WGN clear new weekend shows

New weekend off-network hours that are making the rounds for syndication in 2008 have cleared Chicago stations. Boston Legal, the Emmy-award series from Twentieth Television, has cleared WLS-TV in Chicago for weekend runs next fall, as well as fellow ABC O&O’s in Los Angeles (KABC), San Francisco (KGO), and Houston (KTRK). Other stations clearing the hour include Scripps’ WXYZ-TV in […]