Fall syndication preview: It’s all Drew

Drew Barrymore show set to debut Monday – on TWO local stations [Editor’s Note: An earlier draft listed incomplete time period information for Law & Crime Daily and The First 48. This post was updated on September 19.]  With Nick Cannon’s new syndicated talk show on the shelf for another year, it’s just Drew Barrymore as the lone new syndicated […]

The Media Notepad: WGCI announces new evening personality

Also: Jonathan Brandmeier returns with a podcast; daytime talkers perform from home; changes at Tamron Hall. Even though iHeartMedia and other radio companies are either furloughing or laying off employees due to the loss of advertising revenue caused by COVID-19, one station did manage to announce a promotion: iHeart’s WGCI announced last Tuesday that Zach Boog is the new evening […]

Coronavirus fears forces “Wendy Williams”, others to pull live studio audiences

Syndicated, network daytime shows latest to pull audiences due to coronavirus After Sony’s decision to close tapings of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune to the public as of Monday night due to coronavirus concerns, more shows have followed suit as expected. Tuesday night, Debmar-Mercury and Wendy Williams announced they would not host audiences for their show for now: https://twitter.com/WendyWilliams/status/1237512070100209664 Wendy […]

Coronavirus sacks “Jeopardy”, “Wheel” live studio audiences

Decision made after epidemic spreads across globe; Chicago film studio also affected Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 4 p.m. on March 10.  The coronavirus epidemic has affected sporting events, large gatherings, canceled trade shows (including four at McCormick Place) and other places around the world. Now, it is affecting tapings of television shows. Late Monday evening, the producers […]

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 […]

Broadcasters, cable news networks prepare for impeachment hearings

Viewers, syndicators prepare for regular daytime TV schedules to be disrupted (Editor’s Note: This post will be continuously updated with any information on who is carrying the impeachment hearings. – T.H.)  If you are a fan of daytime TV, get ready for a serious reality check. Beginning Wednesday, the major broadcast networks and cable news channels will begin carrying impeachment […]

Report: Drew Barrymore to launch daytime talk show

New show to air locally over CBS 2 – or somewhere else It’s October and that means it’s already time to start planning for next fall’s syndicated shows. With that said, CBS Television Distribution announced a new talk show featuring Drew Barrymore, scheduled to debut in September 2020. The program cleared the CBS-owned stations in 38 percent of the country, […]

The CW is on the move in Chicago as “My50” returns

Move to WCIU takes place Sunday; rebrands as “CW 26” as WPWR returns to “My 50” Goodbye Taye Diggs, hello Vincent D’Onofrio. Beginning Sunday, WPWR reverts back to a primary My Network TV affiliate as CW programming heads to WCIU, who is rebranding as “CW 26” with WPWR returning to “My50”. The affiliation switch was officially announced April 19 as […]

Weigel Broadcasting snares IHSA tournament rights

Brings local high school sports back to over-the-air broadcast television At a time when WGN-TV is losing rights to major-league teams to cable, one organization has decided to bring back games to local TV. As first reported Monday by the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois High School Association – or IHSA for short – has struck a deal with Chicago-based Weigel […]

Rahm Emanuel, Todd Stroger get new gig

Emanuel, Stroger proves former politicians can really network well in getting media gigs Did you really think we were really getting rid of Rahm? On Tuesday, the former Mayor of Chicago announced he lined up two new gigs: one with ABC News, where he is going to be a paid contributor and an political analyst for Good Morning America, and […]