Back when the year started, T Dog Media look at the stories to watch in 2018. So how did we do? Let’s find out: 1. The proposed merger of Disney and 21st Century Fox and AT&T and Time Warner. All eyes will be on these two as they make a case to federal regulators to combine as we see how […]
Year marked by scandals, futility, and other things 2018 wasn’t exactly a repeat of the last two horrendous years in the media world, but scandals and deceit still ruled the roost. Though not topping 2017’s Disney-Fox deal, 2018 had some mega transactions – though the second-biggest merger of 2017 went bust as Sinclair Broadcasting’s $4 billion deal to buy Tribune […]
New Katz network signs with Tribune Media’s WGN-TV and 21 others First, we have TV shows such as Magnum P.I. and Murphy Brown being rebooted. Now, we have whole cable networks getting the treatment. Scripps-owned Katz Broadcasting announced Monday it has acquired the intellectual rights to the Court TV name from Turner Broadcasting and re-launching it as a digital subchannel […]
DFW-area company to buy Chicago-based broadcaster for record price (Editor’s Note: This post has been updated with new information.) Nexstar Broadcasting is purchasing Chicago-based Tribune Media for $4.1 billion or $46.50 a share, making them the country’s largest broadcaster. The bid is larger than the one Sinclair made for Tribune in May 2017 before the FCC derailed the deal due […]
Plus: Classic Hip-Hop loses ground as Soft AC makes a comeback; Tribune Media bidding heats up; another cable channel is in the works In a move widely anticipated, conservative talk show host and podcaster Ben Shapiro is joining WLS-AM’s weekday afternoon lineup. Beginning January 7, Shapiro has been slotted in the 2 to 5 p.m. slot replacing Steve Dahl, who […]
Also: Jerry Springer gets a new show; another new talk show to debut; 11 series get full-season pickups In yet another chapter of how absurd this business can be, a feud between the owners of Madison Square Garden and Entercom is having implications in Chicago and elsewhere. Madison Square Garden Entertainment has suspended any future relationships with Entercom’s radio stations […]
Also… Iron Fist canceled; Sun-Times outsources its website; an old post about Ramonski Luv receiving a lot of traffic It’s kind of like WFAN host Mike Francesca’s sudden return, only more warmly received: after only a few weeks away, WGN-TV news director Jennifer Lyons has returned to the Tribune Media station as reported by Robert Feder. She originally left WGN […]
LaQuan McDonald trial has city on edge; local media is ready to cover with CLTV airing live proceedings September 5th began the biggest trial the city has seen in decades. Police officer Jason Van Dyke is being tried for the murder of LaQuan McDonald, videotaped in October 2014 and wasn’t released until a year later, when it was shown worldwide. […]
The team plans to launch their own RSN in 2020 is full steam ahead After years of planning, it looks like the Chicago Cubs’ plan to launch their own regional sports network is one step closer to reality. As first reported by Bruce Levine at 670 The Score (WSCR-AM) Monday, the Cubs hired Mike McCarthy, a former president of New […]
And in a surprising twist, Tribune is suing Sinclair for breach of contract Captain Chesapeake isn’t coming to Chicago after all. Blame overpaying a hand in a regulatory poker game leading to his ship sinking faster than the Exxon Valdez. Approximately fifteen months after it was announced, Chicago-based Tribune Media announced Thursday morning it was walking away from its merger […]
Also: WLUP to return? While Arrested Development might not. Plus, WGN-TV’s newscasts does well in July sweeps It’s official: Robert Feder is reporting Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh has joined Entercom’s The Score (WSCR) as Mike Mulligan’s new morning drive co-host. As speculated during the last few weeks, Haugh joined Mulligan on Monday morning’s show, replacing longtime Score veteran […]
Sinclair thought a change in administration would enable to get what they wanted. They thought wrong, but botched deal might not stop more consolidation While Sinclair Broadcasting is in trouble with the FCC on how it misrepresented itself in its proposed merger with Tribune Media, it won’t slow down the merger and acquisition activity expected. That’s because an appeals court […]
In order to have government regulators approve the merger with Tribune, Sinclair agree to withdrew controversial plans to sell stations in three markets including Chicago FCC votes to send matter to Administrative Law Judge (Editor’s Note: This story is frequently changing. Follow @tdogmedia on Twitter for updates.) Aren’t you sick of this already? After being smacked down by FCC Chairman […]
FCC Chairman has concerns about the deal; could be knockout blow – Sinclair and Tribune both pledge to fight on (Editor’s Note: Updated at 4:10 p.m. on July 17 with new information.) Even Ajit Pai is seeing through the scam. On Monday, the FCC Chairman released a statement saying he had “serious concerns” about the $3.9 billion deal between Sinclair […]
They want to get “bigger and broader” to compete with Netflix – but they use language only a commercial broadcaster would use If you are a fan of HBO or any premium cable service you have to be concerned about what was reported in the New York Times on July 8. Blaring the headline “HBO Must Get Bigger And Broader […]
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