Shocking news: Former Chicago Bull and broadcast personality Norm Van Lier died in his Chicago home today at the age of 61. He was found unresponsive at 1 p.m. in his South Loop home. The cause of death is not known at this time.
Van Lier has been a long time in-studio analyst for Chicago Bulls broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet as well as now-defunct Fox Sports Net Chicago and SportsChannel Chicago. In addition, Van Lier also hosted sports talk radio shows for WMVP-AM.
Van Lier became a Chicago Bull in 1971, two years after he broke into the league with the Cincinnati Royals (now the Sacramento Kings.) He was one of the more popular Bull players in the 1970's, helping his team to five straight playoff appearences, including the 1975 Western Conference Finals series with the Golden State Warriors. Van Lier departed the Bulls in 1978 and retired a year later. He was nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" and was a three-time NBA All-Star.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Garry Meier heads to WGN-AM - for one week only
Chicago radio personality and frequent house husband Garry Meier will be getting out of the crib more in the next week - and hoping it leads to a full-time radio job.
Meier has signed on to do the 1 to 4 p.m. shift on WGN-AM next week, in a "test drive". If the stint is successful, Meier could land the slot permanently - the shift has been vacant since last December since John Williams moved to mornings to replace retiring host Spike O'Dell.
Meier filled in for WIND-AM host Cisco Cotto today.
Chicago radio fans know Meier from his association with former on-air partner Steve Dahl, whom he worked with at various stints at WLUP and WLS in the 1980's and 1990's. The duo broke up in 1993 when the relationship decidedly soured. Meier was later paired up with WLS-AM's Roe Conn, until he exited the station in 2004.
After a few years off, Meier resurfaced at WCKG-FM for a few months in 2007 until the station dumped its talk format.
Meier has signed on to do the 1 to 4 p.m. shift on WGN-AM next week, in a "test drive". If the stint is successful, Meier could land the slot permanently - the shift has been vacant since last December since John Williams moved to mornings to replace retiring host Spike O'Dell.
Meier filled in for WIND-AM host Cisco Cotto today.
Chicago radio fans know Meier from his association with former on-air partner Steve Dahl, whom he worked with at various stints at WLUP and WLS in the 1980's and 1990's. The duo broke up in 1993 when the relationship decidedly soured. Meier was later paired up with WLS-AM's Roe Conn, until he exited the station in 2004.
After a few years off, Meier resurfaced at WCKG-FM for a few months in 2007 until the station dumped its talk format.
Chicago's January PPM results
WBBM-AM big winner
These are based on Persons 6+ numbers.
Winners:
WBBM-AM, WLS-AM and FM, Love FM (WILV-FM), WGRB-AM, The Drive (WDRV-FM), US99 (WUSN-FM)
Honorable Mention:
The Mix (WTMX-FM), WOJO-FM, The Loop (WLUP-FM), JACK FM (WJMK-FM)
Down, but potent:
Lite FM (WLIT-FM), V103 (WVAZ-FM)
Losers:
B96 (WBBM-FM), WGCI-FM, Q101 (WKQX-FM), Fresh (WCFS-FM)
Analysis: All news WBBM-AM - with its coverage of Inaguration of President Obama and other hot-button issues, rose to first in the January PPM report. Citadel had a good survey with both of its stations on the upswing. WGN-AM continued its swing upward to third place, and should be back in the top spot once Cubs baseball returns in the spring. WUSN-FM also went up, as did WDRV, WOJO, and WTMX.
On the downside, both WLIT-FM and WVAZ-FM were down, but not out as both stations remained in the Top 10, despite big drops from December. Fresh and Q101 continue to struggle finding an audience, while the tech-savvy young fans of pop and urban formats and their downloading of music aren't helping B96, WGCI, or Power 92 (WPWX-FM). Kiss (WKSC-FM) beats them all, but it ranked outside the Top 10. A slight drop from the last survey keeps Kiss off the winner's list.
On a positive note, Clear Channel's Gospel music station (WGRB-AM) outperformed Power 92 and WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3), WCFS, both sports stations, and Q101. And this is a music station - on an AM stick. Chicago sure loves its gospel!
These are based on Persons 6+ numbers.
Winners:
WBBM-AM, WLS-AM and FM, Love FM (WILV-FM), WGRB-AM, The Drive (WDRV-FM), US99 (WUSN-FM)
Honorable Mention:
The Mix (WTMX-FM), WOJO-FM, The Loop (WLUP-FM), JACK FM (WJMK-FM)
Down, but potent:
Lite FM (WLIT-FM), V103 (WVAZ-FM)
Losers:
B96 (WBBM-FM), WGCI-FM, Q101 (WKQX-FM), Fresh (WCFS-FM)
Analysis: All news WBBM-AM - with its coverage of Inaguration of President Obama and other hot-button issues, rose to first in the January PPM report. Citadel had a good survey with both of its stations on the upswing. WGN-AM continued its swing upward to third place, and should be back in the top spot once Cubs baseball returns in the spring. WUSN-FM also went up, as did WDRV, WOJO, and WTMX.
On the downside, both WLIT-FM and WVAZ-FM were down, but not out as both stations remained in the Top 10, despite big drops from December. Fresh and Q101 continue to struggle finding an audience, while the tech-savvy young fans of pop and urban formats and their downloading of music aren't helping B96, WGCI, or Power 92 (WPWX-FM). Kiss (WKSC-FM) beats them all, but it ranked outside the Top 10. A slight drop from the last survey keeps Kiss off the winner's list.
On a positive note, Clear Channel's Gospel music station (WGRB-AM) outperformed Power 92 and WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3), WCFS, both sports stations, and Q101. And this is a music station - on an AM stick. Chicago sure loves its gospel!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag
News on Heroes, WGN, and The CW.
- Stick a fork in them, they're done: NBC's Heroes hit a series low Monday night, finishing fourth in total viewers (7 million) and a weak third in adults 18-49 behind sitcom repeats on CBS and The Bachelor on ABC - not to mention landing in the loser's circle in Marc Berman's Programming Insider.
Here in Chicago (if anyone cares), Heroes earned a 3.5 household rating and 5 share, placing fourth in the time period.
- WGN-TV has promoted Sandy Pudar to executive producer of its morning newscast, succeeding Jennifer Lyons, who was promoted to assistant news director.
- The CW has renewed six of its programs for next season: Gossip Girl, 90210, Smallville, Supernatural, America's Next Top Model, and One Tree Hill. The CW also picked up a drama from Ashton Kutcher about models living in New York City, and a Melrose Place revival.
Thought: I keep wondering why The Church of Tisch and Time Warner keep throwing their money away on this waste of a network. Aside from Smallville and Supernatural, there isn't one show here that deserves to be renewed, period. A revival of Melrose Place? A rip-off of mid-90's dud Models, Inc.? Innovative ideas are bankrupt at The CW, where a 0.0 rating is considered a success. But hey, it's good news for The T Dog Media Blog, as The CW will no doubt continue to be its' whipping boy right on through 2010 (somebody has to, given Nine-FM - another low-rated waste - doesn't exist anymore...)
- Stick a fork in them, they're done: NBC's Heroes hit a series low Monday night, finishing fourth in total viewers (7 million) and a weak third in adults 18-49 behind sitcom repeats on CBS and The Bachelor on ABC - not to mention landing in the loser's circle in Marc Berman's Programming Insider.
Here in Chicago (if anyone cares), Heroes earned a 3.5 household rating and 5 share, placing fourth in the time period.
- WGN-TV has promoted Sandy Pudar to executive producer of its morning newscast, succeeding Jennifer Lyons, who was promoted to assistant news director.
- The CW has renewed six of its programs for next season: Gossip Girl, 90210, Smallville, Supernatural, America's Next Top Model, and One Tree Hill. The CW also picked up a drama from Ashton Kutcher about models living in New York City, and a Melrose Place revival.
Thought: I keep wondering why The Church of Tisch and Time Warner keep throwing their money away on this waste of a network. Aside from Smallville and Supernatural, there isn't one show here that deserves to be renewed, period. A revival of Melrose Place? A rip-off of mid-90's dud Models, Inc.? Innovative ideas are bankrupt at The CW, where a 0.0 rating is considered a success. But hey, it's good news for The T Dog Media Blog, as The CW will no doubt continue to be its' whipping boy right on through 2010 (somebody has to, given Nine-FM - another low-rated waste - doesn't exist anymore...)
Chicago Journalism: The future and you
Sunday at the Allegro, a group of journalists, reporters, and media personalities gathered together for a tailgate on the future of Journalism in Chicago. It was basically a clash between old media (newspapers, television, radio) and new media (The Internet, iPhone, iPods.)
Representing the "old school" were John Calloway, Carol Marin, Robert Feder, and Eric Zorn, among others, and repping the "new school" (of Internet journalism) included Ben Goldberger of The Huffington Post (Chicago edition), Geoff Dougherty from ChiTown Daily News, and Andrew Huff from Gaper's Block.
A lot of issues were discussed from the viability of newspapers to online advertising, from theft of intellectual property to the cost of running a newsroom ($2 million to 4 million!)
The most startling statement at the tailgate came from John Calloway, who declared newspapers "dead", given the financial troubles media companies are having with them (Philadelphia's newspapers were the latest to file for Chapter 11 on Sunday.)
Also discussed was the lack of preparation of the upcoming digital TV transition, with an estimated 230,000 in Chicago proper not ready for the changeover from analog to digital television, and the lack of Internet access in some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods.
Yours truly listened to this conference via podcast and it is a very interesting, entertaining, and educational listen. It provided a rare glimpse into what Chicago's media personalities are thinking in this era of unprecedented change in the industry.
The town hall meeting has its own blog page - there, you can view video highlights, find a link to download the podcasts, and links to the panelists' blogs on the event.
Chicago Public Radio also has a blog on Sunday's meeting, with a twitter feed on the front page. The podcast pages to download and/or listen to the meeting are here and here.
Representing the "old school" were John Calloway, Carol Marin, Robert Feder, and Eric Zorn, among others, and repping the "new school" (of Internet journalism) included Ben Goldberger of The Huffington Post (Chicago edition), Geoff Dougherty from ChiTown Daily News, and Andrew Huff from Gaper's Block.
A lot of issues were discussed from the viability of newspapers to online advertising, from theft of intellectual property to the cost of running a newsroom ($2 million to 4 million!)
The most startling statement at the tailgate came from John Calloway, who declared newspapers "dead", given the financial troubles media companies are having with them (Philadelphia's newspapers were the latest to file for Chapter 11 on Sunday.)
Also discussed was the lack of preparation of the upcoming digital TV transition, with an estimated 230,000 in Chicago proper not ready for the changeover from analog to digital television, and the lack of Internet access in some of Chicago's poorest neighborhoods.
Yours truly listened to this conference via podcast and it is a very interesting, entertaining, and educational listen. It provided a rare glimpse into what Chicago's media personalities are thinking in this era of unprecedented change in the industry.
The town hall meeting has its own blog page - there, you can view video highlights, find a link to download the podcasts, and links to the panelists' blogs on the event.
Chicago Public Radio also has a blog on Sunday's meeting, with a twitter feed on the front page. The podcast pages to download and/or listen to the meeting are here and here.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Oscar ratings up from last year - thanks to a Slumdog?
Dark Knight who?
Or is that your Final Answer?
The 81st Annual Academy Awards were up in household overnight ratings, total viewers, and 18-49 demo from last year. The increases come despite the lack of a big name in the Best Picture category, which Slumdog Millionaire won - as well as seven other Academy Awards.
The movie of course, revolves around a plot featuring the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, a real-life game show import from Britain which took off here in the States a decade ago, making host Regis Phillbin a household name and made the phrase Is that your Final Answer? into pop-culture lore.
Millionaire faded from ABC's prime-time lineup in 2002 (after the network ran it as many as four nights per week), but has since resurrected itself as a successful first-run syndicated strip hosted by Meredith Vierra.
Here's how the Oscars fared Sunday night:
- The Oscars drew 36.3 million viewers for ABC, up from 32 million last year.
- Here is a listing of the Oscar household ratings in the ten largest markets, courtesy of Mediaweek and Douglas of PIFeedback.com. (you'll find ratings for the Barbara Walters special, Jimmy Kimmel, and even NASCAR.) In Chicago, the Oscars earned a 31.6 household rating, up from last year's 28.5. Chicago's rating was second only to New York (34.0/51).
- The Oscars recorded across-the-board increases in most demos, including 18-49 (+13%) and men 18-34 (+22%).
Or is that your Final Answer?
The 81st Annual Academy Awards were up in household overnight ratings, total viewers, and 18-49 demo from last year. The increases come despite the lack of a big name in the Best Picture category, which Slumdog Millionaire won - as well as seven other Academy Awards.
The movie of course, revolves around a plot featuring the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, a real-life game show import from Britain which took off here in the States a decade ago, making host Regis Phillbin a household name and made the phrase Is that your Final Answer? into pop-culture lore.
Millionaire faded from ABC's prime-time lineup in 2002 (after the network ran it as many as four nights per week), but has since resurrected itself as a successful first-run syndicated strip hosted by Meredith Vierra.
Here's how the Oscars fared Sunday night:
- The Oscars drew 36.3 million viewers for ABC, up from 32 million last year.
- Here is a listing of the Oscar household ratings in the ten largest markets, courtesy of Mediaweek and Douglas of PIFeedback.com. (you'll find ratings for the Barbara Walters special, Jimmy Kimmel, and even NASCAR.) In Chicago, the Oscars earned a 31.6 household rating, up from last year's 28.5. Chicago's rating was second only to New York (34.0/51).
- The Oscars recorded across-the-board increases in most demos, including 18-49 (+13%) and men 18-34 (+22%).
Saturday, February 21, 2009
T Dog's Four Pack - Liars, losers, and Joaquin Phoenix
Didn't do one last week, so this is for the last two weeks: The winners and losers...
Fab Four
- Survivor. Another winning edition of Survivor, both in the ratings and in quality. And it drew more viewers in the 18-49 demo than its' lead-out, CSI Thursday night - a first.
- The Simpsons in HD. Had the look and feel of The Simpsons Movie. And the episode wasn't bad, either.
- Conan O' Brien. Yours truly thought Late Night with Conan O' Brien wouldn't last past 1994 (and so did a lot of people.) But persistence paid off for O'Brien, who leaves the post-Tonight Show slot after sixteen years this week to take over The Tonight Show itself June 1. (A side note: Conan O'Brien used to write for The Simpsons way back when.)
- David Letterman slams Joaquin Phoenix. Nice to have the old Dave back. (Click link to read comments and look at interview.)
Flop Four
- Roland Burris. Did you really lie? Not cool.
- Alex Rodriguez. And the same goes for you.
- Bud Selig. You say the steroid allegations annoys the you-know-what-out-of-you? You destroyed the game of baseball, so I say the feeling is more than mutual if we continued to accuse you of turning a blind eye to what was going on all these years, you sniveling jackass. You, Alex Rodriguez, and Roland Burris all should get a room.
- My Network TV. The "network" has decided to cut back on original programming by acquiring repeats of Law and Order: Criminal Intent and now are calling themselves a "programming service" instead of a "network". I call it "throwing in the towel".
Fab Four
- Survivor. Another winning edition of Survivor, both in the ratings and in quality. And it drew more viewers in the 18-49 demo than its' lead-out, CSI Thursday night - a first.
- The Simpsons in HD. Had the look and feel of The Simpsons Movie. And the episode wasn't bad, either.
- Conan O' Brien. Yours truly thought Late Night with Conan O' Brien wouldn't last past 1994 (and so did a lot of people.) But persistence paid off for O'Brien, who leaves the post-Tonight Show slot after sixteen years this week to take over The Tonight Show itself June 1. (A side note: Conan O'Brien used to write for The Simpsons way back when.)
- David Letterman slams Joaquin Phoenix. Nice to have the old Dave back. (Click link to read comments and look at interview.)
Flop Four
- Roland Burris. Did you really lie? Not cool.
- Alex Rodriguez. And the same goes for you.
- Bud Selig. You say the steroid allegations annoys the you-know-what-out-of-you? You destroyed the game of baseball, so I say the feeling is more than mutual if we continued to accuse you of turning a blind eye to what was going on all these years, you sniveling jackass. You, Alex Rodriguez, and Roland Burris all should get a room.
- My Network TV. The "network" has decided to cut back on original programming by acquiring repeats of Law and Order: Criminal Intent and now are calling themselves a "programming service" instead of a "network". I call it "throwing in the towel".
Thursday, February 19, 2009
ESPN launches new Chicago website
The Worldwide Leader in Sports is going local.
ESPN announced it will plan to launch a new Chicago-themed sports site in April named ESPNChicago.com. It will feature local breaking sports news and original content, including three-to-five minute local SportsCenter video segments. Also, ESPN Chicago plans to add social networking to the site as well.
Already, MillerCoors is on board as a prominent advertiser.
Contributors include ESPN writers with Chicago ties: Former Tribune sportswriter Gene Wojciechowski and Chicago native Scoop Jackson, plus WMVP-AM personalities Tom Waddle and Bruce Levine.
Thought: So, the Worldwide Leader in B.S. is getting into the Chicago sports game. Judging from the look of the screenshots I've looked at, this site has a very good chance of drawing Chicago sports fans in, even if many of them hate ESPN (look at the comments section of the linked story. You'd think the site would prominently feature Roland Burris...) The screenshot looks clean, neat and well-organized. I also like the fact it will feature breaking news, and emphanize syngeries between the site, WMVP-AM (ESPN 1000), and WLS-TV. All three are owned by The Walt Disney Company.
The site also plan to staff some Chicago writers, which is a good thing. ESPN Chicago also does not plan to hire Jay Mariotti, which is even a better thing.
If this works, ESPN could launch local websites in other sports-crazed cities including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
ESPN announced it will plan to launch a new Chicago-themed sports site in April named ESPNChicago.com. It will feature local breaking sports news and original content, including three-to-five minute local SportsCenter video segments. Also, ESPN Chicago plans to add social networking to the site as well.
Already, MillerCoors is on board as a prominent advertiser.
Contributors include ESPN writers with Chicago ties: Former Tribune sportswriter Gene Wojciechowski and Chicago native Scoop Jackson, plus WMVP-AM personalities Tom Waddle and Bruce Levine.
Thought: So, the Worldwide Leader in B.S. is getting into the Chicago sports game. Judging from the look of the screenshots I've looked at, this site has a very good chance of drawing Chicago sports fans in, even if many of them hate ESPN (look at the comments section of the linked story. You'd think the site would prominently feature Roland Burris...) The screenshot looks clean, neat and well-organized. I also like the fact it will feature breaking news, and emphanize syngeries between the site, WMVP-AM (ESPN 1000), and WLS-TV. All three are owned by The Walt Disney Company.
The site also plan to staff some Chicago writers, which is a good thing. ESPN Chicago also does not plan to hire Jay Mariotti, which is even a better thing.
If this works, ESPN could launch local websites in other sports-crazed cities including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sirius-XM saved by Liberty Media
It looks like Sirius-XM received a bailout plan of its own: and it's not from the government....
Liberty Media (headed by John Malone) has come to the rescue of the beleaguered satellite radio operator, with a $530 million dollar investment. The money will come in two phases - both in the form of loans. One of the phases is being used to pay debt owed to investor Echostar at $171.6 million, due today.
Echostar owns Dish Network; Liberty owns arch-rival Direct TV.
As a result of today's deal, Liberty gains several seats on Sirius-XM's board.
Liberty Media (headed by John Malone) has come to the rescue of the beleaguered satellite radio operator, with a $530 million dollar investment. The money will come in two phases - both in the form of loans. One of the phases is being used to pay debt owed to investor Echostar at $171.6 million, due today.
Echostar owns Dish Network; Liberty owns arch-rival Direct TV.
As a result of today's deal, Liberty gains several seats on Sirius-XM's board.
Amy Jacobson vs. CBS: Round one goes to Amy
A Cook County judge is allowing a lawsuit filed by former WMAQ-TV reporter Amy Jacobson against CBS and its O&O here (WBBM-TV) to go forward after the station videotaped her at Craig Stebic's house in July 2007. The tape aired on the station and cost Ms. Jacobson her job. Stebic is a suspect in the disappearence of his wife, who still hasn't been found.
Four of the eight counts in the lawsuit are going forward, including "Intentional inflection of Emotional Distress" and "False Light".
Thought: Not about this case (I've said a lot on that already), but to the linked article and the haphazard way this story was written: Come on Eric Zorn, can you do a better job in writing this? The second paragraph of your story looks like it was written by someone in the sixth grade. You can do better than that!
Four of the eight counts in the lawsuit are going forward, including "Intentional inflection of Emotional Distress" and "False Light".
Thought: Not about this case (I've said a lot on that already), but to the linked article and the haphazard way this story was written: Come on Eric Zorn, can you do a better job in writing this? The second paragraph of your story looks like it was written by someone in the sixth grade. You can do better than that!
Monday, February 16, 2009
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag
Syndication switcheroo; Universal Sports add more clearances; Young files Chapter 11.
- With another ratings period ahead, two Chicago stations have made some major changes to their syndicated lineups:
* Beginning today, WCIU-TV is swapping time periods with Warner Bros.' The People's Court and Sony's now-canceled Judge Karen. With Karen now out of production, WCIU has moved the show to 10 a.m. with The People's Court moving to 2 p.m. (in addition to another run at 4 p.m.)
* Next Monday, CBS Television Distribution's Dr. Phil and Judge Judy exchanges time periods on WBBM-TV, with Dr. Phil moving to 3 p.m. and Judge Judy to 4 p.m. The move is being made to give WBBM's 5 p.m. newscast a better lead-in. Judy leads into local news in many major markets, including New York and Washington, D.C.
If you recall, WBBM aired the original version of The People's Court at 4 p.m. from 1987-93, leading into a 4:30 p.m. newscast, which usually placed a solid second behind WLS-TV.
- Universal Sports recently added 19 million homes to bring its total distribution to 45 million. The digital subchannel network was known as World Championship Sports Network until last August, when NBC Universal bought it. Here in Chicago, Universal Sports is carried on WMAQ-DT 5.3, Comcast channel 251, and RCN channel 51.
Before you get too excited, the sports channel mainly features sporting events usually seen in the Olympics. So if you're into downhill skiing, track and field, and equestrian, this network's for you.
- The latest broadcasting company to land on the Bankrupt space of the Wheel of Financial Misfourtune is Young Broadcasting, which filed for Chapter 11 over the weekend. Young owns KRON-TV in San Francisco, a one-time NBC powerhouse now a lagging independent station.
Young also owns ABC affiliates WBAY-TV in Green Bay/Appelton, Wis. and WKRN-TV in Nashville.
- With another ratings period ahead, two Chicago stations have made some major changes to their syndicated lineups:
* Beginning today, WCIU-TV is swapping time periods with Warner Bros.' The People's Court and Sony's now-canceled Judge Karen. With Karen now out of production, WCIU has moved the show to 10 a.m. with The People's Court moving to 2 p.m. (in addition to another run at 4 p.m.)
* Next Monday, CBS Television Distribution's Dr. Phil and Judge Judy exchanges time periods on WBBM-TV, with Dr. Phil moving to 3 p.m. and Judge Judy to 4 p.m. The move is being made to give WBBM's 5 p.m. newscast a better lead-in. Judy leads into local news in many major markets, including New York and Washington, D.C.
If you recall, WBBM aired the original version of The People's Court at 4 p.m. from 1987-93, leading into a 4:30 p.m. newscast, which usually placed a solid second behind WLS-TV.
- Universal Sports recently added 19 million homes to bring its total distribution to 45 million. The digital subchannel network was known as World Championship Sports Network until last August, when NBC Universal bought it. Here in Chicago, Universal Sports is carried on WMAQ-DT 5.3, Comcast channel 251, and RCN channel 51.
Before you get too excited, the sports channel mainly features sporting events usually seen in the Olympics. So if you're into downhill skiing, track and field, and equestrian, this network's for you.
- The latest broadcasting company to land on the Bankrupt space of the Wheel of Financial Misfourtune is Young Broadcasting, which filed for Chapter 11 over the weekend. Young owns KRON-TV in San Francisco, a one-time NBC powerhouse now a lagging independent station.
Young also owns ABC affiliates WBAY-TV in Green Bay/Appelton, Wis. and WKRN-TV in Nashville.
T Dog's Think Tank: The state of syndication, Part 2
Second of two parts.
A new morning show which debuted on Comcast SportsNet last month pairing up former WSCR-AM (Score) partners Mike North and Dan Jiggetts titled Monsters in the Morning.
While the three-hour program offers up sports news and weather every morning from 6 to 9 a.m., the deal on how the show got on the air - is something producers - especially syndicators - should be taking a look at.
It's a groundbreaking business model (for local TV at least) where the host of the show - in this case, Mike North - has a stake in the program's financial future and burdening some of the risk.
The program is not owned by CSN - it's actually part-owned by North himself - and he actually is one of the show's sales reps.
CSN isn't paying North a salary - his production company (Licorice Ltd.) is producing the show and paying the talent - including Mr. Jiggetts and other behind-the-scenes staff. Comcast SportsNet is paying a license fee to air the show.
CSN and Licorice are splitting the commercial time to sell (similar to a traditional barter syndication arrangement where the syndicator gets time to sell to national advertisers and the station carrying the show gets some to sell locally.) Any profits will be split equally between CSN and Licorice.
And North's company is doing a good job in selling the show so far, closing in on $1 million in ad revenue - with $300,000 coming from a medical staffing firm for the title sponsorship.
With North shouldering some of the risk, the program could become profitable even without a big rating. On its first day on the air, Monsters averaged a meager 0.31 household rating - but did better in its targeted male demos, where it passed competing fare on two network-owned outlets.
This business model may be something other producers in the television business - especially syndicators - need to take a look at.
With more and more projects getting shelved and existing first-run programming being canceled, or on the verge of being canceled, sharing the risk - especially in this economy - is a good idea. Already, several syndicated programs - from Trivial Pursuit: America Plays to Judge Karen have been axed, due to low ratings and poor national advertising sales.
With ratings fragmentation the norm in daytime programming, there has to be a better way of producing - and keeping programs on the air.
Instead of hiring just the talent to host the show, why not involve the person in the risk? (While you say Oprah Winfrey is an example, keep in mind she did not have any financial stake in her talk show when she started.)
The business needs more than just hosts - it needs entrepreneurs - with talent (and for better or worse, Mike North does qualify.) The failure of first-run syndicated product will continue to be high unless the studios find a more innovative way of making their product profitable. They need to look at new alternatives instead of paying such and such millions of dollars to host a talk show and watch it fail within six months.
So far this season, only one show (CBS Television Distribution's The Doctors) you can qualify as a hit with its medical news in a talk show-discussion format, which continues to grow in the ratings every week (now that's what I'm talking about - finding an original, innovative concept - and letting it work for itself. Unfortunately, this does not happen too often in syndication. )
Comcast SportsNet knows they're not going to find the next Matt Lauer and Meredith Vierra. Apparently, syndicators are still trying to find the next Oprah - a strategy that hasn't worked for the last 23 years. It's time for a strategy that does work - and who here would have thought Comcast SportsNet may have come up with it?
A new morning show which debuted on Comcast SportsNet last month pairing up former WSCR-AM (Score) partners Mike North and Dan Jiggetts titled Monsters in the Morning.
While the three-hour program offers up sports news and weather every morning from 6 to 9 a.m., the deal on how the show got on the air - is something producers - especially syndicators - should be taking a look at.
It's a groundbreaking business model (for local TV at least) where the host of the show - in this case, Mike North - has a stake in the program's financial future and burdening some of the risk.
The program is not owned by CSN - it's actually part-owned by North himself - and he actually is one of the show's sales reps.
CSN isn't paying North a salary - his production company (Licorice Ltd.) is producing the show and paying the talent - including Mr. Jiggetts and other behind-the-scenes staff. Comcast SportsNet is paying a license fee to air the show.
CSN and Licorice are splitting the commercial time to sell (similar to a traditional barter syndication arrangement where the syndicator gets time to sell to national advertisers and the station carrying the show gets some to sell locally.) Any profits will be split equally between CSN and Licorice.
And North's company is doing a good job in selling the show so far, closing in on $1 million in ad revenue - with $300,000 coming from a medical staffing firm for the title sponsorship.
With North shouldering some of the risk, the program could become profitable even without a big rating. On its first day on the air, Monsters averaged a meager 0.31 household rating - but did better in its targeted male demos, where it passed competing fare on two network-owned outlets.
This business model may be something other producers in the television business - especially syndicators - need to take a look at.
With more and more projects getting shelved and existing first-run programming being canceled, or on the verge of being canceled, sharing the risk - especially in this economy - is a good idea. Already, several syndicated programs - from Trivial Pursuit: America Plays to Judge Karen have been axed, due to low ratings and poor national advertising sales.
With ratings fragmentation the norm in daytime programming, there has to be a better way of producing - and keeping programs on the air.
Instead of hiring just the talent to host the show, why not involve the person in the risk? (While you say Oprah Winfrey is an example, keep in mind she did not have any financial stake in her talk show when she started.)
The business needs more than just hosts - it needs entrepreneurs - with talent (and for better or worse, Mike North does qualify.) The failure of first-run syndicated product will continue to be high unless the studios find a more innovative way of making their product profitable. They need to look at new alternatives instead of paying such and such millions of dollars to host a talk show and watch it fail within six months.
So far this season, only one show (CBS Television Distribution's The Doctors) you can qualify as a hit with its medical news in a talk show-discussion format, which continues to grow in the ratings every week (now that's what I'm talking about - finding an original, innovative concept - and letting it work for itself. Unfortunately, this does not happen too often in syndication. )
Comcast SportsNet knows they're not going to find the next Matt Lauer and Meredith Vierra. Apparently, syndicators are still trying to find the next Oprah - a strategy that hasn't worked for the last 23 years. It's time for a strategy that does work - and who here would have thought Comcast SportsNet may have come up with it?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
"Simpsons" debuts in HD
The Simpsons finally went HD starting with tonight's episode, which also included an all-new revamp of the opening credit sequence, which has been used in various forms since the series debuted in 1990.
Last Sunday (Feb. 8) King of the Hill went HD, as does Comedy Central's South Park when it returns for its season premiere on March 11.
Tonight's episode of The Simpsons was titled Take My Life, Please - a journey in which Homer Simpson wonders what would his life be like if he was elected high-school president back in 1974 (and thankfully not 1984, if this episode was any indication...)
The episode looked great in high definition, having the same feel as The Simpsons Movie, which aired in HD last year on HBO. And the new opening was pretty good.
And better yet, That '90's Show episode is now considered non-canon, so yours truly can finally stop bitching about it... so, this is the last time this blog will mention the episode and the Think Tank I wrote about it (alright, stop your cheering...)
Last Sunday (Feb. 8) King of the Hill went HD, as does Comedy Central's South Park when it returns for its season premiere on March 11.
Tonight's episode of The Simpsons was titled Take My Life, Please - a journey in which Homer Simpson wonders what would his life be like if he was elected high-school president back in 1974 (and thankfully not 1984, if this episode was any indication...)
The episode looked great in high definition, having the same feel as The Simpsons Movie, which aired in HD last year on HBO. And the new opening was pretty good.
And better yet, That '90's Show episode is now considered non-canon, so yours truly can finally stop bitching about it... so, this is the last time this blog will mention the episode and the Think Tank I wrote about it (alright, stop your cheering...)
Friday, February 13, 2009
News & Notes
The alternative title is being used to describe today's News & Notes, as there is sad news to report:
- Chicago Defender sports journalist Larry Gross passed away Wednesday at the age of 59 due to complications from lung cancer. Gross covered mostly local sports for the paper, including Chicago Public School Prep action.
The wake will be held Feb. 18 from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Gatlings Chapel, 10133 South Halsted (Illinois Route 1), Chicago, IL 60628-1814.
- Fisher Broadcasting, owners of ABC affiliates KATU in Portland, Ore. and KOMO in Seattle, have became the latest outlets to add This TV to their digital subchannels. The deal also includes Fisher's three other Oregon stations. This TV is a joint venture between Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting and MGM.
- Fox O&O WFLD-TV is adding a new Sunday morning show from the Chicago Urban League titled next TV, which debuts on Feb. 22 at 8 a.m. The program features the stories of African-American entrepreneurs in Chicago. WFLD is getting a fee from the Urban League to air the show and split the ad inventory. WPWR is also airing a same-day rerun of next TV.
The move means Fox Chicago Sunday (a public-affairs program), is being cut to a half-hour and moves to Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Disney-ABC has renewed action hour Legend of the Seeker for a second season in 70 percent of the country, including WGN-TV in Chicago.
- Chicago Defender sports journalist Larry Gross passed away Wednesday at the age of 59 due to complications from lung cancer. Gross covered mostly local sports for the paper, including Chicago Public School Prep action.
The wake will be held Feb. 18 from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Gatlings Chapel, 10133 South Halsted (Illinois Route 1), Chicago, IL 60628-1814.
- Fisher Broadcasting, owners of ABC affiliates KATU in Portland, Ore. and KOMO in Seattle, have became the latest outlets to add This TV to their digital subchannels. The deal also includes Fisher's three other Oregon stations. This TV is a joint venture between Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting and MGM.
- Fox O&O WFLD-TV is adding a new Sunday morning show from the Chicago Urban League titled next TV, which debuts on Feb. 22 at 8 a.m. The program features the stories of African-American entrepreneurs in Chicago. WFLD is getting a fee from the Urban League to air the show and split the ad inventory. WPWR is also airing a same-day rerun of next TV.
The move means Fox Chicago Sunday (a public-affairs program), is being cut to a half-hour and moves to Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
- Disney-ABC has renewed action hour Legend of the Seeker for a second season in 70 percent of the country, including WGN-TV in Chicago.
The FCC says no to Rockford (or yes?)
Updated story
The FCC has rejected an application for all of the stations in the Rockford-Freeport area (northwest of Chicago) to switch to all-digital broadcasting.
The stations: CBS affiliate WIFR, NBC affiliate WREX, ABC affiliate WTVO, and Fox affiliate WQRF were among four of 123 stations whose applications to change over on the original switchover date (Feb. 17.) Those stations will have to wait until June 12.
Meanwhile, 368 other stations' applications were accepted, and they can turn off their analog signals on Tuesday.
But here's the rub... Turns out the FCC let Rockford's TV stations switch to digital after all on Tuesday, according to the Rockford Register Star. The story regarding Rockford's analog status in TV Week was wrong (nice job, TV Week. Is Philadelphia still a small market?)
Local station managers in Rockford say the switcher went over quite well, with few complaints.
The T Dog Media Blog apologizes for the error.
Updated at 9:43 p.m. on 2009-02-17.
The FCC has rejected an application for all of the stations in the Rockford-Freeport area (northwest of Chicago) to switch to all-digital broadcasting.
The stations: CBS affiliate WIFR, NBC affiliate WREX, ABC affiliate WTVO, and Fox affiliate WQRF were among four of 123 stations whose applications to change over on the original switchover date (Feb. 17.) Those stations will have to wait until June 12.
Meanwhile, 368 other stations' applications were accepted, and they can turn off their analog signals on Tuesday.
But here's the rub... Turns out the FCC let Rockford's TV stations switch to digital after all on Tuesday, according to the Rockford Register Star. The story regarding Rockford's analog status in TV Week was wrong (nice job, TV Week. Is Philadelphia still a small market?)
Local station managers in Rockford say the switcher went over quite well, with few complaints.
The T Dog Media Blog apologizes for the error.
Updated at 9:43 p.m. on 2009-02-17.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Chicago stations to stick with analog until June 12
Don't look for Chicago TV stations to dump their analog signals until June 12.
Chicago, along with a lot of other large markets, are keeping their analog signals on the air to avoid confusion from viewers (and perhaps protests from community groups.)
President Obama signed a bill today that would keep analog signals on the air until June 12 instead of February 17, the date those signals were supposed to be shut off.
Stations do have the option to shut off their analogs on February 17, but must have approval from the FCC to do so. Yesterday, the agency released a 49-page document on who would be switching off their analog signals and who would keep theirs on. Many of the 491 stations who are planning to shut their analogs off on the original shut-off date are from smaller markets.
In Illinois, the following are shutting down their full-power analogs on Tuesday, if all go to plan:
- In Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, all stations, except for CBS affiliate WCIA-TV and My Network TV station WCFN-TV
- In Carbondale, Southern Illinois University's WSIU-TV plans to stop analog broadcasts.
- In Peoria-Bloomington, all stations except for ABC affiliate WHOI-TV.
- All stations in the Rockford-Freeport DMA.
- All stations in the Quincy, IL-Hannibal, MO-Keokuk, IA DMA.
- Just two stations in the Paducah, Ky-Cape Giredeau, Mo.-Harrisburg, IL market: Fox affilate KBSI-TV and My Net affiliate WDKA-TV.
- Three stations in St. Louis: My Network TV affiliate WRBU-TV, Independent KNLC-TV, and ABC affiliate KDNL-TV.
- Outside of the state to Milwaukee, Sinclair's duopoly of WVTV and WCGV also plan to shutter their analogs. Sinclair also owns KDNL. In fact, most Sinclair stations plan to end analog broadcasts on Tuesday.
No stations in the Rock Island-Moline-Davenport DMA plan to shut off their analog signals until June 12.
Chicago, along with a lot of other large markets, are keeping their analog signals on the air to avoid confusion from viewers (and perhaps protests from community groups.)
President Obama signed a bill today that would keep analog signals on the air until June 12 instead of February 17, the date those signals were supposed to be shut off.
Stations do have the option to shut off their analogs on February 17, but must have approval from the FCC to do so. Yesterday, the agency released a 49-page document on who would be switching off their analog signals and who would keep theirs on. Many of the 491 stations who are planning to shut their analogs off on the original shut-off date are from smaller markets.
In Illinois, the following are shutting down their full-power analogs on Tuesday, if all go to plan:
- In Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, all stations, except for CBS affiliate WCIA-TV and My Network TV station WCFN-TV
- In Carbondale, Southern Illinois University's WSIU-TV plans to stop analog broadcasts.
- In Peoria-Bloomington, all stations except for ABC affiliate WHOI-TV.
- All stations in the Rockford-Freeport DMA.
- All stations in the Quincy, IL-Hannibal, MO-Keokuk, IA DMA.
- Just two stations in the Paducah, Ky-Cape Giredeau, Mo.-Harrisburg, IL market: Fox affilate KBSI-TV and My Net affiliate WDKA-TV.
- Three stations in St. Louis: My Network TV affiliate WRBU-TV, Independent KNLC-TV, and ABC affiliate KDNL-TV.
- Outside of the state to Milwaukee, Sinclair's duopoly of WVTV and WCGV also plan to shutter their analogs. Sinclair also owns KDNL. In fact, most Sinclair stations plan to end analog broadcasts on Tuesday.
No stations in the Rock Island-Moline-Davenport DMA plan to shut off their analog signals until June 12.
Sirius-XM continues to sink like a rock
So much so, a rock is actually worth more than their stock.
Sirius-XM's shares tumbled to an all-time low of 5 cents per share on reports the satcaster is headed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sirius-XM is in talks with Echostar, the owner of Dish Network about a buyout, since the company assumed some of Sirius-XM's debt. It is also in talks with Liberty Media, who owns properties such as DirectTV, the Atlanta Braves and WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wis.
If it files for Chapter 11, Sirius-XM may beforced to terminate some contracts of high-priced talent, including those of Howard Stern and Martha Stewart.
Thought: Turned out CEO Mel Karmazin turned down an offer from Echostar CEO Charle Ergen to buy the company. Another brillant business move by Mr. Karmazin. Sorry Sirius-XM, but the axe is waiting to swing. And a shame, too.
Sirius-XM's shares tumbled to an all-time low of 5 cents per share on reports the satcaster is headed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sirius-XM is in talks with Echostar, the owner of Dish Network about a buyout, since the company assumed some of Sirius-XM's debt. It is also in talks with Liberty Media, who owns properties such as DirectTV, the Atlanta Braves and WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wis.
If it files for Chapter 11, Sirius-XM may beforced to terminate some contracts of high-priced talent, including those of Howard Stern and Martha Stewart.
Thought: Turned out CEO Mel Karmazin turned down an offer from Echostar CEO Charle Ergen to buy the company. Another brillant business move by Mr. Karmazin. Sorry Sirius-XM, but the axe is waiting to swing. And a shame, too.
Monday, February 09, 2009
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag - The Cable Edition
An all-cable edition of the Grab Bag, with the NBA taking center stage:
- The rematch of the last year's NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics was a ratings blockbuster for TNT Thursday night, with the cable network drawing its highest ratings in 13 years (a Feb. 2 1996 between the Chicago Bulls and Lakers - a season where the Bulls went 72-10), and the highest-rated NBA cable game in five years, since the December 2004 matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers (a month after the infamous brawl that took place between the two teams at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich.)
The Lakers' 110-109 victory over the Celtics drew 4.31 million viewers, and topped the charts among all key male demos.
TNT is having a great year with NBA coverage, with ratings up across the board in total viewers and key male demos from a year ago. TNT hopes to continue the momentum with All-Star Weekend coming up from Phoenix this Saturday and Sunday.
- Cartoon Network has renewed Star Wars: The Clone Wars for a second season. Panned by critics (and most other adults), the series does well in its targeted demo of males 2-11 and 6-11.
- TLC has canceled Trading Spaces after eight seasons. Spaces was one of TLC's longtime signature shows. But don't feel bad for host Paige Davis: she's out shopping a Life for Dummies show in syndication.
- The rematch of the last year's NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics was a ratings blockbuster for TNT Thursday night, with the cable network drawing its highest ratings in 13 years (a Feb. 2 1996 between the Chicago Bulls and Lakers - a season where the Bulls went 72-10), and the highest-rated NBA cable game in five years, since the December 2004 matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers (a month after the infamous brawl that took place between the two teams at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich.)
The Lakers' 110-109 victory over the Celtics drew 4.31 million viewers, and topped the charts among all key male demos.
TNT is having a great year with NBA coverage, with ratings up across the board in total viewers and key male demos from a year ago. TNT hopes to continue the momentum with All-Star Weekend coming up from Phoenix this Saturday and Sunday.
- Cartoon Network has renewed Star Wars: The Clone Wars for a second season. Panned by critics (and most other adults), the series does well in its targeted demo of males 2-11 and 6-11.
- TLC has canceled Trading Spaces after eight seasons. Spaces was one of TLC's longtime signature shows. But don't feel bad for host Paige Davis: she's out shopping a Life for Dummies show in syndication.
Judge Jeanne Pirro sold to Fox O&Os
Warner Bros' move of Judge Jeanne Pirro from The CW to syndication is now complete, with a group deal with the Fox Television Group.
The all-barter deal, which includes Fox's duopoly of WFLD and WPWR, gives Pirro a clearance rate of 75 percent of the United States. Pirro may have benefited from the cancellation of Cristina's Court on Friday, which was carried on those very same stations.
Pirro has also cleared 27 Sinclair markets, as well as stations owned by CBS, Tribune, Raycom, and Belo, among others. In Milwaukee, the series will air on Sinclair's WVTV and WCGV (but not in Sinclair's home market of Baltimore, where Fox-owned My Net affiliate WUTB gets Pirro.)
Pirro currently airs at 3 p.m. on The CW, but is being dropped to make room for Tyra Banks' talk show, which is moving there in September. Pirro is produced here in Chicago at WMAQ-TV.
The all-barter deal, which includes Fox's duopoly of WFLD and WPWR, gives Pirro a clearance rate of 75 percent of the United States. Pirro may have benefited from the cancellation of Cristina's Court on Friday, which was carried on those very same stations.
Pirro has also cleared 27 Sinclair markets, as well as stations owned by CBS, Tribune, Raycom, and Belo, among others. In Milwaukee, the series will air on Sinclair's WVTV and WCGV (but not in Sinclair's home market of Baltimore, where Fox-owned My Net affiliate WUTB gets Pirro.)
Pirro currently airs at 3 p.m. on The CW, but is being dropped to make room for Tyra Banks' talk show, which is moving there in September. Pirro is produced here in Chicago at WMAQ-TV.
"Wilkos" moving to WCIU?
NBC Universal's The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for a third season according to officials at the syndicator, with 70 percent of the country on board.
According to this article in TV Week, Wilkos has cleared Tribune stations in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia - but in Chicago, the article cites a renewal for the "Weigel's station in Chicago", which is identified as WCIU-TV.
The program is still currently airing on Tribune's WGN-TV at 2 p.m. , where it has aired for the last two seasons.
WGN may have dropped the show to make room for Bishop T.D. Jakes' new talk show, which all Tribune stations acquired. However, its' debut has been pushed back to September 2010 due to current economic conditions. There is no word on what will take Wilkos' time slot on WGN in the meantime.
As for WCIU, this is the second syndicated talk show pickup it has made in recent weeks - it recently - or was close to - acquiring Marie from Program Partners, which features Marie Osmond. The last time WCIU had aired a daytime talk show on its schedule was The Montel Williams Show in 2006.
Meanwhile, Sinclair has renewed Wilkos on its stations in Pittsburgh, Columbus (Ohio), and Baltimore, with WLVI-TV in Boston and WESH-TV in Orlando on board.
Wilkos' pickup coincides with the renewal of two other NBC Universal talk shows - Maury and Jerry Springer, all on board until 2010, including Tribune stations (with WGN the notable exception on Springer and Wilkos.)
Wilkos is only two daytime talk show showing year-to-year increases in household ratings, with the program recently hitting a series-high 1.2 rating. (Ellen is the other show showing year-to-year growth.)
Thought: Interesting NBC Universal renewed its trio of talk shows - Maury, Jerry Springer, and Wilkos - but has yet to renew its higher-rated rookie strip Deal or No Deal. Is there something going on behind the scenes with NBC Universal, Endemol, and stations carrying the show we don't know about?
According to this article in TV Week, Wilkos has cleared Tribune stations in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia - but in Chicago, the article cites a renewal for the "Weigel's station in Chicago", which is identified as WCIU-TV.
The program is still currently airing on Tribune's WGN-TV at 2 p.m. , where it has aired for the last two seasons.
WGN may have dropped the show to make room for Bishop T.D. Jakes' new talk show, which all Tribune stations acquired. However, its' debut has been pushed back to September 2010 due to current economic conditions. There is no word on what will take Wilkos' time slot on WGN in the meantime.
As for WCIU, this is the second syndicated talk show pickup it has made in recent weeks - it recently - or was close to - acquiring Marie from Program Partners, which features Marie Osmond. The last time WCIU had aired a daytime talk show on its schedule was The Montel Williams Show in 2006.
Meanwhile, Sinclair has renewed Wilkos on its stations in Pittsburgh, Columbus (Ohio), and Baltimore, with WLVI-TV in Boston and WESH-TV in Orlando on board.
Wilkos' pickup coincides with the renewal of two other NBC Universal talk shows - Maury and Jerry Springer, all on board until 2010, including Tribune stations (with WGN the notable exception on Springer and Wilkos.)
Wilkos is only two daytime talk show showing year-to-year increases in household ratings, with the program recently hitting a series-high 1.2 rating. (Ellen is the other show showing year-to-year growth.)
Thought: Interesting NBC Universal renewed its trio of talk shows - Maury, Jerry Springer, and Wilkos - but has yet to renew its higher-rated rookie strip Deal or No Deal. Is there something going on behind the scenes with NBC Universal, Endemol, and stations carrying the show we don't know about?
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