Affiliation realignments rock Peoria, South Bend

Quincy and Sinclair do some wheeling and dealing, moving networks onto digital subchannels In what may become commonplace in small markets across the country, major broadcast networks are winding up on digital subchannels of other stations. In a huge television realignment just 80 miles east of Chicago, Sinclair Broadcasting’s WSBT snagged the Fox affiliation from Quincy Media-owned WSJV, which dropped […]

Weigel chairman Howard Shapiro dies 

Howard Shapiro, chairman of Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting, died from pneumonia today at the age of 86. A graduate in electronic engineering from Purdue, Shapiro was a electronics dealer, with a business called C.E.T. (Chicago Engineers of Television) and was one of the first advertisers who bought commercial time on WCIU, which was launched by the Weigel family in 1964, becoming […]

MGM to make MeTV roar nationally

    As have been speculated for the last few weeks, MGM announced today it will team up with Weigel Broadcasting to distribute MeTV nationally. MGM’s domestic television sales department will handle national distribution of the channel and national advertising sales. MeTV airs product from CBS Television Distribution, Twentieth Television, Paul Brownstein Productions, and a few independent producers. Classic shows […]

Bending for news

For the second time in two days, an ABC affiliate announced plans to get into the local news business. Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting announced on Tuesday the hiring of Aaron Ramey to launch a news operation at WBND-LP (low power) in South Bend, Ind., and plans to develop other programming for the station and sister outlets WCWW-LP (CW) and My Network […]

Weigel’s South Bend deal falls through

A deal to sell for Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting to sell three low-power TV stations to WSBT owner Schurz Communications in South Bend has fallen through. Weigel, who owns ABC affiliate WBND-TV, CW affiliate WCWW-TV and My Network TV affiliate WMYS-TV planned to sell the trio to Schurz, who in addition to the ratings-dominant CBS affiliate also owns the South Bend […]

T Dog’s Groovy Grab Bag

Some news, not enough time: – Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting has sold its three low-power TV stations in South Bend, Ind. to Schurz communications, owners of dominant CBS affiliate WSBT-TV. The three TV stations are WBND (ABC), WCWW (CW) and WMYS (My Network TV.) Weigel has stated its main Chicago and Milwaukee properties are not for sale. – Twentieth Television is […]

WCIU profiled

TV Newsday’s Harry Jessell interviews Weigel Broadcasting executive Neal Sabin – the former general manager of WPWR-TV who jumped to WCIU in that same capacity in 1994 and now runs not only WCIU, but now a group of stations, including low power classic-TV formatted WWME-TV and ethnic WFBT in Chicago; and stations in Milwaukee and South Bend, Ind. Sabin talks […]

The battle of South Bend

Broadcasting & Cable’s Market Eye reports this week on nearby South Bend, Ind., where the battle for number one comes down to two long standing rivals – Schurz’s CBS affilate WSBT and the former Notre Dame-owned station, NBC affiliate WNDU-TV, which is now owned by Gray Television (WNDU is still located on the campus of Notre Dame.) Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting […]