New Year’s Eve programming: Same as last year

Networks, local stations remain status quo as hosts return There’s nothing like ringing in 2019 than watching the same people who did so with 2018. No major changes are expected in New Year’s Eve programming December 31, both nationally and locally as viewers will same the same familiar faces they saw last year. The stability is a nod to the […]

The Media Notepad: Lisa Madigan opposes Sinclair-Tribune merger

Also: Sinclair passes on O’Reilly; Grim reaper closing in on WYCC; World Series a ratings hit; The Twilight Zone to be rebooted. Again. Given the huge number of items making news this week, it’s time for another edition of The Media Notepad: Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is among those calling for the Sinclair-Tribune deal to be rejected. According to […]

T Dog Media’s Notepad: ABC 7 leads in social media rankings

Tamron Hall seeking talk show; Hulu strikes deal for Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, and more; DuckTales returns on Aug. 12   Now you can add social media to ABC 7’s dominance: according to Share Rocket data over the last thirty days, the ABC-owned station ranks first in social media usage with an overall share of 33.8, followed by Fox 32’s 31.2, and […]

“The Good Fight” off to a good start

First test for new show heading to CBS’ premium service When CBS’ new All-Access service was wheeled out in 2014, many thought the first original series to be rolled out and marketed as a flagship brand for the service would be the new Star Trek series – a well-known brand name to draw in viewers. Unfortunately, the new Star Trek […]

Richard Matheson dies

Acclaimed science-fiction writer Richard Matheson died last week, according to a statement his family released via a protected Facebook account. Matheson was known for many short stories, including I Am Legend, which was adapted into several screenplays over the years (the latest version starred Will Smith.) In TV circles, Matheson wrote several episodes of the first Twilight Zone. Among the […]

Remembering Ray Bradbury

Last week, noted science-fiction/fantasy author Ray Bradbury passed away at the age of 91. The Waukegan native is best known for his many literary works, including novels Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Martian Chronicles. But Bradbury also made numerous contributions to television, particularly in the early days of the medium. Bradbury’s works were adapted for many […]

T Dog’s Think Tank: Dan Harmon, “Community”, their fans, and you

As you know by now, Community creator and executive producer Dan Harmon was fired by the studio who produces the show (Sony Pictures Television) on the evening of Friday May 18. I’m sure you’ve read the reasons why he was fired, including from Harmon himself. Fans of Community took to social media and the Internet to express their outrage over […]

MeTV’s national clearance hits 45 percent

Charlotte’s WCCB added MeTV last month. Now nearly half of the country will hear the word “Berwyn”. Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Co. and MGM announced today its MeTV digital subchannel network has now cleared 45 percent of U.S. households after three and a half months on the air.  Station groups who have cleared MeTV on their digital subchannels include Bahakel Communications, […]