CBS unveils 2025-26 lineup

  Dominated by procedurals, the schedule features four comedies on the lineup Despite winning the total viewership crown for the seventeenth consecutive season, the 2024-25 season has one to forget for CBS, which is battling President Trump over whether 60 Minutes defamed him, and the continued limbo the Paramount-Skydance deal is in as the FCC is continuing to investigate the […]

Trump installs tariffs on movies: “The movie industry is dying”

  Could TV shows be next? Those dreaded tariffs have now been extended to the entertainment industry. President Trump announced Sunday he is imposing a 100 percent tariff on movies made outside of the United States, saying foreign movies are a “national security threat.” Trump claims movies shot overseas not only draw filmmakers away from the U.S., but also bring […]

The Media Notepad: Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox go a different direction to launch new RSN

Also: Daily Herald makes changes; CBS releases fall sked early; US 99’s Drew Walker exits  The new proposed regional sports network featuring the Blackhawks, Bulls, and White Sox now may have a behind-the-scenes change. In a surprising move reported by The Athletic Saturday night, the new regional sports network Jerry Reinsdorf is looking to launch will now be handled by […]

Rewinding media in 2023

  A year dominated by labor strife, awful Chicago sports teams, and – oh yeah, Elon  If you watched the WWE, you remember Vince McMahon playing himself as an arrogant CEO and billionaire, ruling over anything and everything – the ultimate heel. It’s a real-life trend we’re seeing as we close 2023. Led by billionaire Elon Musk, CEOs – whether […]

The Media Notepad: MeTV FM’s Rick O’Dell to retire

Also: Timberwolves strike iHeartMedia deal; CBS affiliates decline Bears game in large numbers; Survivor names a tribe after an old media company Longtime Chicago radio veteran Rick O’Dell is the latest media figure to announce his retirement, doing so on Facebook. His final day is October 4. Currently the program director of MeTV FM (WRME-FM), O’Dell is best known for […]

What’s on TV for fall 2023: The best we can do

Schedules affected by writer’s strike with possibly more labor unrest to come This post has been updated.  The 2023 Writer’s Strike has put a monkey wrench into the fall schedules of the five broadcast networks as a few are holding off on making announcements and erecting temporary schedules as it’s likely scripted programs will be delayed. The wild card in […]

NBC 5, WVON partner for mayoral forum targeting Black community

Tired of all these mayoral forums yet? There are more to come. If you watch Survivor, then you know about Tribal Council, where the strategies and backstabbing come out in full play. The Chicago mayoral forums have been like Tribal Councils every single night with insults, personal attacks, and language that makes the last few Survivor seasons look peaceful by […]

Chris Harrison out as “Bachelor” host

Reportedly gets a huge severance in return When you announce you are “stepping away” from a franchise temporarily, believe me – it usually isn’t “temporarily”. This is exactly what happened to Chris Harrison, The Bachelor host who now isn’t The Bachelor host as he was fired by ABC and Warner Horizon Television Tuesday after nearly two decades with the franchise. […]

What’s new in primetime this fall (if you still care)

Fewer new shows reflect today’s reality of network television With television viewership shifting to streaming preferences, it seems a “fall schedule” for linear TV networks seems antiquated, especially when viewers are watching shows on their own schedules. Plus, the pandemic has all but canned the in-person upfronts experience. But old habits are hard to break, and despite plunging ratings, the […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Diversity matters

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s untimely death, the world is calling for reform – and the media business must follow the lead [Editor’s Note: This post was updated on July 1 and on December 1.] As one of the few African-Americans who writes a media blog, for years I’ve been pushing for more diversity in the media business, whether […]

Entercom, iHeartMedia announce layoffs and furloughs

Thanks to coronavirus pandemic, tough times for radio just got together Two of radio’s biggest chains announce layoffs and furloughs as the economy continues to collapse amid the coronavirus epidemic infecting the globe with Entercom and iHeartMedia announcing a reduction of their workforce, suspension of 401k contributions and pay cuts. Entercom announced Thursday morning numerous layoffs across its clusters nationwide, […]

Rewinding 2019 in media

  Disney Plus made the biggest splash of the year 2019 saw the end of several institutions, big media battles, and disappointing sports teams. Let’s start with the huge changes in big media, as Disney closed on its purchase of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Viacom reuniting with CBS again with a new name (ViacomCBS) as the race […]