This week’s issue of Crain’s Chicago Business details the continuing ratings struggle of CBS-owned WBBM-TV. Joe Ahern, who helped rocket competing WLS-TV into a ratings powerhouse in the ’80’s and ’90’s, is finding it a difficult task to repeat the same feat at WBBM. At issue is the station’s poorly-rated newscasts, which places behind not only ABC-owned WLS and NBC-owned […]
One could wonder if the announcement yesterday hiring of Mai Martinez as the new weekend anchor of WBBM-TV’s weekend newscasts coincided with the FCC hearings on media diversity scheduled on the same day- or the fact that they are broadcasting Saturday’s Mexican Independence Parade (don’t ask about her qualifications.)
The Cleveland Plain Dealer profiled former WBBM-TV boss Bill Applegate last week at his latest venue as GM of beleaguered CBS affiliate WOIO-TV and My Network TV affiliate WUAB-TV, both owned by Raycom Media. Like WBBM, WOIO has struggled in the news ratings (placing fourth) and has credibility issues (such as news anchor Sharon Reed posing nude for a report […]
This move must have bombed in the ratings: WCIU is moving The Insider back to 5 p.m. from 6 and to 11 p.m. from 10:35 p.m. next Monday (Aug. 27) instead of waiting for Sept. 10 when newly syndicated repeats of The George Lopez Show takes over at 6 p.m. Girlfriends, which is being withdrawn from broadcast syndication nationwide on […]
It’s dated two weeks ago, but Chicago rapper Twista fires back at his critics in his Red Eye column – namely Rev. Pflager, who applauded McDonalds for dropping him from a Chicago concert sponsored by the food chain. The bigger question is, what the heck Twista’s doing having a column in Red Eye to begin with (and not the Chicago […]
From the blog that gave you “The NHL blows it again” and “Radio blows it again”, now we proudly present “Local media blows it again.” Yes, we now have a “blows it again” franchise. As you know by now, Amy Jacobson, a reporter for NBC-owned WMAQ-TV in Chicago was fired from her job after a video surfaced of her at […]
It’s worst enough the Chicago media has been angering everyone with the shenanigans over the Amy Jacobson- Craig Stebic controversy, and now ESPN has decided to join in, at least angering White Sox fans. In a SportsNation poll, ESPN asked viewers “Which sports team do you most associate with Chicago?” and listed were the Bulls, Cubs, Bears, and even the […]
CBS’ WBBM-TV now admits it was stalking the home of Craig and Lisa Stebic from a neighbor’s yard, but the station was basically spying on the husband, and Amy Jacobson just happened to be in the way. And no, it didn’t explain a damn thing and the reason why you guys were in the neighbor’s yard to begin with.
Check out the hubbub over another controversial news personality, Sharon Reed (yes, that’s the one who posed nude for a story on the station she worked for) at Raycom-owned CBS affiliate WOIO-TV in Cleveland, a station that’s had its own share of problems. Both WOIO and WBBM shares a lot of traits, aside that they’re CBS stations: tabloid newscasts, poor […]
The gloves are off in a battle over the videotape that cost a local television reporter her job. According to the Sun-Times’ Rob Feder, the general managers of the stations involved- Joe Ahern of CBS-owned WBBM-TV and Larry Wert of NBC-owned WMAQ-TV were involved in a shouting match over the phone Tuesday, regarding WBBM’s decision to air a “misleading and […]
What’s WMAQ-TV reporter Amy Jacobson doing at Craig Stebic’s house? Wearing that? It’s been a weird time in media lately (both locally and nationally), with firings, resignations, fake “deaths” and real deaths, and not-so-pleasant surprises. (It’s been enough to keep this blog busy, even though this weekend.) And it’s now getting weirder…. Amy Jacobson, a reporter for NBC-owned WMAQ-TV was […]
CBS-owned WBBM-TV 5 p.m. newscast’s lead story today and on the front page of their websiteat the same time: http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_167144811.html On a day when there were several anti-violence marches all across the city, a bunch of brawlers take center stage at Wrigley. No wonder these guys are in last place in the ratings. Great month for journalism, huh? People dying […]
No, we’re not talking about former NFL coach Jim Mora talking about not going to the playoffs. But if WBBM’s newscasts were a sports team, it wouldn’t make the playoffs. And as a result, changes must be made. And so, Antonio Mora is out and Rob Johnson is in after a shakeup at CBS-owned WBBM-TV’s perennially low-rated 10 p.m. newscast. […]
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