Bulls looking for new radio home
The Chicago Tribune's Ed Sherman is reporting that the Chicago Bulls are looking for a new radio home after speculation has surfaced that CBS Radio's WCKG-FM may flip from a FM Talk format to a Spanish-language one - perhaps as soon as the next couple of days.
The Spanish-language format is one of the options that WCKG is considering after yet another book of poor performance for the once-proud radio station. Speculation has run rampant on message boards that the station may flip to Soft AC (aka a "Lite" clone - like we need another one of those) or Active Rock.
The real question is what to do with Steve Dahl - he has a multi-year contract that was just renewed and he must approve any move regarding his afternoon time slot at WCKG. A possibility is a move to sister sports talk WSCR-AM.
The Bulls are looking to move to a new radio station perhaps as soon as next week when the new NBA season tips off.
Thought: Remember what happened last year when Clear Channel flipped a successful AC station in Philadelphia (WSNI-FM) to a Spanish format called "Rumba"? Lasted a mere nine months. If WCKG goes through with this, they are making a huge mistake.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Hawks home games to be televisied (finally!)
There are certain things in life that are guaranteed. CBS' morning show languishing in the ratings basement. Wheel of Fortune topping the syndicated ratings chart every week. And Chicago Blackhawks home games blacked out on local TV.
Well, one of things may be coming to an end.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting on its website that the Chicago Blackhawks are considering televising some home games over Comcast Sportsnet beginning sometime this season. Rocky Wirtz, who took over operations after the death of his father, longtime owner William (Bill) Wirtz, is considering such a move.
This comes as attendance and interest for the Blackhawks has waned over the years.
Up to a half-dozen games are to be televised, the majority coming toward the end of the season. The first is likely to air November 11, when the Detroit Red Wings come to town.
Any conflicting sporting event televised by CSN is cleared on CLTV, the local news channel owned by the Tribune Co. (The Trib and four of Chicago's six pro teams own a financial stake in the channel.) Other sporting commitments are limiting the number of Blackhawks home games available to air this season.
Rocky Wirtz's decision marks a huge departure from the home blackout policies his grandfather (Arthur Wirtz) instituted in the 1950's, and later, his son Bill. They feared television - even cable or satellite TV - would hurt attendance. The Chicago Blackhawks are the last professional sports team in North America (outside the NFL) to have such a policy.
updated 12:17 a.m. on 2007-10-23
Well, one of things may be coming to an end.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting on its website that the Chicago Blackhawks are considering televising some home games over Comcast Sportsnet beginning sometime this season. Rocky Wirtz, who took over operations after the death of his father, longtime owner William (Bill) Wirtz, is considering such a move.
This comes as attendance and interest for the Blackhawks has waned over the years.
Up to a half-dozen games are to be televised, the majority coming toward the end of the season. The first is likely to air November 11, when the Detroit Red Wings come to town.
Any conflicting sporting event televised by CSN is cleared on CLTV, the local news channel owned by the Tribune Co. (The Trib and four of Chicago's six pro teams own a financial stake in the channel.) Other sporting commitments are limiting the number of Blackhawks home games available to air this season.
Rocky Wirtz's decision marks a huge departure from the home blackout policies his grandfather (Arthur Wirtz) instituted in the 1950's, and later, his son Bill. They feared television - even cable or satellite TV - would hurt attendance. The Chicago Blackhawks are the last professional sports team in North America (outside the NFL) to have such a policy.
updated 12:17 a.m. on 2007-10-23
Viva Las Whacked
After a very lackluster debut Thursday night, CBS' new critically-scathed musical Viva Laughlin collapsed last night, drawing a historically low 1.2 among adults 18-49, finishing fourth in the time slot. Only the CW's Life is Wild drew lower ratings, but that program is expected to be around for the long haul.
See, this is what happens when you cast the Miami Dolphins in a TV show...
UPDATE: As of 6 p.m. Central Time, CBS has officially canceled Viva Laughlin. No word yet on the Rams and Dolphins, whose seasons also deserve to be canceled.
UPDATE 2: Fox's Nashville, pulled after two airings, is also gone for good.
See, this is what happens when you cast the Miami Dolphins in a TV show...
UPDATE: As of 6 p.m. Central Time, CBS has officially canceled Viva Laughlin. No word yet on the Rams and Dolphins, whose seasons also deserve to be canceled.
UPDATE 2: Fox's Nashville, pulled after two airings, is also gone for good.
WBBM-TV continues to struggle in the ratings
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 WMAQ-TV in the time period, but also CW affiliate WGN-TV and Fox-owned WFLD-TV in a few time periods. The newscasts aren't delivering viewers to CBS' prime-time lineup, which ranked behind other CBS-owned stations and CBS affiliates in most major markets.
At a time when formerly moribund Tiffany network affiliates such as CBS-owned KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and New Vision Broadcasting's WIAT in Birmingham, Ala. are finally starting to show some life, WBBM continues to go downward. In fact, one week last month, WIAT drew higher ratings in prime than WBBM did. Yes, that WIAT - Channel 42, or the former WBMG-TV, whose 10 p.m newscasts once finished behind reruns of Sanford & Son and The Andy Griffith Show.
Shows that are talked about most in Chicago are Dancing With The Stars and Desperate Housewives; CBS programming such as Survivor are hardly talked about at all.
To be fair, CBS prime-time traditionally has not fared well in Chicago. In the 1986-87 season for example, WLS' prime lineup was number one despite the fact that ABC finished a distant third in the ratings with a schedule that featured such sinkers as The Charmings and Life With Lucy (Lucille Ball's comeback sitcom - and you thought Cavemen was bad.) CBS, which finished second behind a dominant NBC nationally, finished a distant third in Chicago.
In May 2007, WBBM finished fourth in total-day ratings, just like it did in the May 1987 book.
WLS still has The Oprah Winfrey Show, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy! in its lineup - the very same lineup the station had when Ahern ran the station. And now, like then, WLS dominates the ratings, and not even the introduction of the Local People Meters in 2005 - which measures demographic information on an overnight basis - has changed that.
Thanks to corporate cousin CBS, the station has upgraded its afternoon lineup, which once showcased outdated programs such as Real TV and Hard Copy and reruns of Who's the Boss? The station currently runs Rachael Ray, Judge Judy and Dr. Phil in early fringe. However, that syndicated lineup has not delivered viewers to its newscasts, particularly at 6 and 10 p.m.
Also not helping the station's image is last summer's fiasco involving former WMAQ-TV anchor Amy Jacobson, in which WBBM secretly taped her in the backyard of Craig Stebic's house in a swimsuit. Mr. Stebic, of course, is the husband of Amy Stebic, who has been missing for several months.
Add to that the station's over-the-air signal woes and a channel number on Comcast even higher than PBS affiliate WYIN in Northwest Indiana and you have a recipe for disaster.
The situation is just as bad now as it was in the early 1970's, when the station's newscasts were fourth in the ratings (the average share was 8), and Walter Jacobson and Bill Kurtis came in the door with the working newsroom as a backdrop, the minicams and ENG (Electronic News Gathering) and changed everything. But those two and any new revolutionary concepts aren't walking through that newsroom door anytime soon.
But what is coming is a brand new street-side studio at State and Washington, which is set to open next year. The station hopes that the new studio will be a promotional platform for everything CBS, including its local news programming (no word on whether or not if the newscasts will be shot in HD when the new studio becomes operable.) WBBM has been broadcasting at its McClurg Court studios since 1956.
And on the good side, the station has increased its share of revenues and its' 10 p.m. newscast no longer finishes behind entertainment programming in households.
CBS management apparently is willing to be patient with Ahern and the rest of station management, particularly with the new studio coming. But are they really being patient? Or are they writing WBBM off as a lost cause? After all, an O&O group is the most profitable of any part of the network. Only time - and from the look of things, a whole lot of it - will tell.
At issue is the station's poorly-rated newscasts, which places behind not only ABC-owned WLS and NBC-owned WMAQ-TV in the time period, but also CW affiliate WGN-TV and Fox-owned WFLD-TV in a few time periods. The newscasts aren't delivering viewers to CBS' prime-time lineup, which ranked behind other CBS-owned stations and CBS affiliates in most major markets.
At a time when formerly moribund Tiffany network affiliates such as CBS-owned KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and New Vision Broadcasting's WIAT in Birmingham, Ala. are finally starting to show some life, WBBM continues to go downward. In fact, one week last month, WIAT drew higher ratings in prime than WBBM did. Yes, that WIAT - Channel 42, or the former WBMG-TV, whose 10 p.m newscasts once finished behind reruns of Sanford & Son and The Andy Griffith Show.
Shows that are talked about most in Chicago are Dancing With The Stars and Desperate Housewives; CBS programming such as Survivor are hardly talked about at all.
To be fair, CBS prime-time traditionally has not fared well in Chicago. In the 1986-87 season for example, WLS' prime lineup was number one despite the fact that ABC finished a distant third in the ratings with a schedule that featured such sinkers as The Charmings and Life With Lucy (Lucille Ball's comeback sitcom - and you thought Cavemen was bad.) CBS, which finished second behind a dominant NBC nationally, finished a distant third in Chicago.
In May 2007, WBBM finished fourth in total-day ratings, just like it did in the May 1987 book.
WLS still has The Oprah Winfrey Show, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy! in its lineup - the very same lineup the station had when Ahern ran the station. And now, like then, WLS dominates the ratings, and not even the introduction of the Local People Meters in 2005 - which measures demographic information on an overnight basis - has changed that.
Thanks to corporate cousin CBS, the station has upgraded its afternoon lineup, which once showcased outdated programs such as Real TV and Hard Copy and reruns of Who's the Boss? The station currently runs Rachael Ray, Judge Judy and Dr. Phil in early fringe. However, that syndicated lineup has not delivered viewers to its newscasts, particularly at 6 and 10 p.m.
Also not helping the station's image is last summer's fiasco involving former WMAQ-TV anchor Amy Jacobson, in which WBBM secretly taped her in the backyard of Craig Stebic's house in a swimsuit. Mr. Stebic, of course, is the husband of Amy Stebic, who has been missing for several months.
Add to that the station's over-the-air signal woes and a channel number on Comcast even higher than PBS affiliate WYIN in Northwest Indiana and you have a recipe for disaster.
The situation is just as bad now as it was in the early 1970's, when the station's newscasts were fourth in the ratings (the average share was 8), and Walter Jacobson and Bill Kurtis came in the door with the working newsroom as a backdrop, the minicams and ENG (Electronic News Gathering) and changed everything. But those two and any new revolutionary concepts aren't walking through that newsroom door anytime soon.
But what is coming is a brand new street-side studio at State and Washington, which is set to open next year. The station hopes that the new studio will be a promotional platform for everything CBS, including its local news programming (no word on whether or not if the newscasts will be shot in HD when the new studio becomes operable.) WBBM has been broadcasting at its McClurg Court studios since 1956.
And on the good side, the station has increased its share of revenues and its' 10 p.m. newscast no longer finishes behind entertainment programming in households.
CBS management apparently is willing to be patient with Ahern and the rest of station management, particularly with the new studio coming. But are they really being patient? Or are they writing WBBM off as a lost cause? After all, an O&O group is the most profitable of any part of the network. Only time - and from the look of things, a whole lot of it - will tell.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
T Dog's Think Tank: Hello? You Play To Win The Game! (TV-MA)
Yours truly posted this on the PI Feedback forum regarding Thursday night's episode of Survivor:
Rant ahead: It gets kind of boring listening to these guys talk about strategy every week for ten minutes. Why "Survivor" still dominates the ratings every week is something I can't figure out, let alone the stupid twists (maybe it's that.) What's with this crap about these girls throwing the challenge? Winning isn't important? In the words of Kansas City Chiefs coach Herman Edwards, "Hello? You play to win the game!" Worst. Episode. Ever. Vote all these guys off, they suck. Get your popcorn ready, because I'm watching another show. Thank you. (and thanks to T.O. for that popcorn quote. Hilarious.)
These losers need a talking to from Herman Edwards himself (this is from his days when was head coach of the New York Jets:)
One could wonder if Mr. Edwards or Mike Ditka was coaching this tribe, they would be kicking somebody's ass right about now. Hell, they need a tongue-lashing from Tyra Banks. The actions of this tribe (who can't seem to win anything) says a lot about today's spoiled generation. After two of the girls decided to throw the immunity challenge, one idiot in the losing tribe said, "Yeah, she threw the challenge, but I'm keeping her because I feel safe with her."
This moron is full of it. Winning on this episode of Survivor isn't important? Are these people high? Why even bother showing up for the immunity challenges? You're playing to win a million freaking dollars, not a lifetime supply of Turtle Wax. No wonder reality TV shows have no credibility or integrity (I know, I know, they didn't have any to begin with.)
This tribe is who we thought they were. You want to crown them as complete total idiots, then crown their ass! Someone should send Dennis Green to China and yell at these jackasses for a hour, particularly those two girls.
You play to win the game. Plain and simple. If that isn't the point, then what is? Some people in the next generation don't seem to understand that.
Survivor and snack foods
And what is with these stupid twists on this show? They switched two of the strongest members of each tribe in a rather uneventful part of the show. There are so many twists in this show, it's basically become a pretzel, and a stale one at that (and someone feed that skinny girl, she needs twenty bags of potato chips, stat!)
The producers of Survivor are a bunch of dips who are clearly missing their chips. They completely waste my time and everyone else's with their crap each and every week. Like the contestants of this show, the producers of Survivor are utter morons. Thursday night's episode was total bullshit, and they know it. Get your popcorn ready, because as far as I'm concerned, this show is over.
Herman Edwards said if winning doesn't matter, then retire. It's time for Survivor to do the same.
Rant ahead: It gets kind of boring listening to these guys talk about strategy every week for ten minutes. Why "Survivor" still dominates the ratings every week is something I can't figure out, let alone the stupid twists (maybe it's that.) What's with this crap about these girls throwing the challenge? Winning isn't important? In the words of Kansas City Chiefs coach Herman Edwards, "Hello? You play to win the game!" Worst. Episode. Ever. Vote all these guys off, they suck. Get your popcorn ready, because I'm watching another show. Thank you. (and thanks to T.O. for that popcorn quote. Hilarious.)
These losers need a talking to from Herman Edwards himself (this is from his days when was head coach of the New York Jets:)
One could wonder if Mr. Edwards or Mike Ditka was coaching this tribe, they would be kicking somebody's ass right about now. Hell, they need a tongue-lashing from Tyra Banks. The actions of this tribe (who can't seem to win anything) says a lot about today's spoiled generation. After two of the girls decided to throw the immunity challenge, one idiot in the losing tribe said, "Yeah, she threw the challenge, but I'm keeping her because I feel safe with her."
This moron is full of it. Winning on this episode of Survivor isn't important? Are these people high? Why even bother showing up for the immunity challenges? You're playing to win a million freaking dollars, not a lifetime supply of Turtle Wax. No wonder reality TV shows have no credibility or integrity (I know, I know, they didn't have any to begin with.)
This tribe is who we thought they were. You want to crown them as complete total idiots, then crown their ass! Someone should send Dennis Green to China and yell at these jackasses for a hour, particularly those two girls.
You play to win the game. Plain and simple. If that isn't the point, then what is? Some people in the next generation don't seem to understand that.
Survivor and snack foods
And what is with these stupid twists on this show? They switched two of the strongest members of each tribe in a rather uneventful part of the show. There are so many twists in this show, it's basically become a pretzel, and a stale one at that (and someone feed that skinny girl, she needs twenty bags of potato chips, stat!)
The producers of Survivor are a bunch of dips who are clearly missing their chips. They completely waste my time and everyone else's with their crap each and every week. Like the contestants of this show, the producers of Survivor are utter morons. Thursday night's episode was total bullshit, and they know it. Get your popcorn ready, because as far as I'm concerned, this show is over.
Herman Edwards said if winning doesn't matter, then retire. It's time for Survivor to do the same.
WTMJ tops Arbitrons again
News-talk WTMJ-AM is much like WGN-AM in Chicago - news, talk, community connections - and the uncanny ability to stay at number one. WTMJ finished first overall in Milwaukee's summer book, but fourth in adults 25-54 - the crown in that all-important demo went to country station WMIL-FM. To see the complete list, click here.
By the way, WGN finished 23rd in the Milwaukee book.
By the way, WGN finished 23rd in the Milwaukee book.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Whoopi's out; Forman's in
Clear Channel-owned WLIT-FM (The Lite) in Chicago has axed Whoopi Goldberg's poorly-rated syndicated morning show and has reinstated Melissa Forman as morning personality.
Since August 2006, when Melissa Forman was replaced by Whoopi, the morning drive ratings dropped like a rock. Among adults 25-54, the daypart went from 11th place with Forman to 19th place with Goldberg. Forman was let go from WLIT, but returned to the station earlier this year to do afternoons.
Forman will now do mornings from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30, but the afternoon shift she does will now be voice-tracked.
Fans of Whoopi (if any), don't fret - she's still on The View on ABC weekday mornings and her syndicated radio morning show will continue. However, with the loss of Chicago, she has only a dozen affiliates remaining - not a good sign.
Analysis: For once, the egg is on Clear Channel's face. Management finally fessed up and made a mistake with Forman. One of the reasons why Chicago radio is in such shambles is because of a over-reliance of voice-tracking and overuse of syndication, and Clear Channel is the worse offender. Instead of hiring an afternoon personality, they decided to voice track Melissa Forman in that daypart. Not a smart move (after all, this is Clear Channel we're talking about.)
WLIT's ratings are terrible and it's pitiful that the station has to rely on repetitive Christmas music in the fourth quarter to skew the book. Enough with Delilah and the Flashback Weekends, they both suck.
Why did WLIT play Ice, Ice, Baby from Vanilla Ice and You Can't Touch This from M.C. Hammer on a Flashback Weekend last year? WLIT didn't dare touch this when those records were burning up Top 40 charts back in the day. So why now? Did it ever occur to them their target audience doesn't like rap music? No wonder the Adult Contemporary format is steadily going downhill on terrestrial radio (Look at what happened to WLTW-FM in New York, which recently fell out of the number one spot.) If you want a real Adult Contemporary station, listen to The Heart or The Blend on XM, or through AOL.com.
Meanwhile, ratings came out this week showing Steve Harvey failing to match his local predecessor in the morning daypart. It's time for executives at Clear Channel to also admit they made a mistake regarding WGCI as well. But it's not likely. Admitting a mistake twice in the same century? Forget it.
Clear Channel is to radio what Bill Wirtz was to the Blackhawks - they won't spend anything to improve their operations and always looking to cut corners to save money. As a result, the performance of the product suffers, the fans get pissed off, and they leave for other choices. How many people were at the Hawks game the other night? 8,000? Most of them were probably WLIT listeners.
Now that Whoopi has been replaced, it's time for local Clear Channel radio executives to be replaced as well before "The Lite" gets turned off for good. But don't be surprised if that happens. Clear Channel wants to cut corners on its electric bill, too.
(P.S. - I apologize for the misspelling of Ms. Forman's name in the post that showed up here earlier. - T.H.)
updated at 6:00 p.m. on 2007-10-19
Since August 2006, when Melissa Forman was replaced by Whoopi, the morning drive ratings dropped like a rock. Among adults 25-54, the daypart went from 11th place with Forman to 19th place with Goldberg. Forman was let go from WLIT, but returned to the station earlier this year to do afternoons.
Forman will now do mornings from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30, but the afternoon shift she does will now be voice-tracked.
Fans of Whoopi (if any), don't fret - she's still on The View on ABC weekday mornings and her syndicated radio morning show will continue. However, with the loss of Chicago, she has only a dozen affiliates remaining - not a good sign.
Analysis: For once, the egg is on Clear Channel's face. Management finally fessed up and made a mistake with Forman. One of the reasons why Chicago radio is in such shambles is because of a over-reliance of voice-tracking and overuse of syndication, and Clear Channel is the worse offender. Instead of hiring an afternoon personality, they decided to voice track Melissa Forman in that daypart. Not a smart move (after all, this is Clear Channel we're talking about.)
WLIT's ratings are terrible and it's pitiful that the station has to rely on repetitive Christmas music in the fourth quarter to skew the book. Enough with Delilah and the Flashback Weekends, they both suck.
Why did WLIT play Ice, Ice, Baby from Vanilla Ice and You Can't Touch This from M.C. Hammer on a Flashback Weekend last year? WLIT didn't dare touch this when those records were burning up Top 40 charts back in the day. So why now? Did it ever occur to them their target audience doesn't like rap music? No wonder the Adult Contemporary format is steadily going downhill on terrestrial radio (Look at what happened to WLTW-FM in New York, which recently fell out of the number one spot.) If you want a real Adult Contemporary station, listen to The Heart or The Blend on XM, or through AOL.com.
Meanwhile, ratings came out this week showing Steve Harvey failing to match his local predecessor in the morning daypart. It's time for executives at Clear Channel to also admit they made a mistake regarding WGCI as well. But it's not likely. Admitting a mistake twice in the same century? Forget it.
Clear Channel is to radio what Bill Wirtz was to the Blackhawks - they won't spend anything to improve their operations and always looking to cut corners to save money. As a result, the performance of the product suffers, the fans get pissed off, and they leave for other choices. How many people were at the Hawks game the other night? 8,000? Most of them were probably WLIT listeners.
Now that Whoopi has been replaced, it's time for local Clear Channel radio executives to be replaced as well before "The Lite" gets turned off for good. But don't be surprised if that happens. Clear Channel wants to cut corners on its electric bill, too.
(P.S. - I apologize for the misspelling of Ms. Forman's name in the post that showed up here earlier. - T.H.)
updated at 6:00 p.m. on 2007-10-19
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Jon Stweart re-ups with Comedy Central
This was a very good day for fans of The Daily Show. Not only Jon Stewart has re-upped with the show until 2010 in a contract extension, but The Daily Show website also got a complete overhaul, including the sweetest thing - every video clip from the show's existence is available online, dating all the way back to 1999, when Stewart took over for Craig Kilbourn. To see the new, redesigned site, click here.
But what about those episodes with Craig Kilbourn, you ask? Well, rumor has it that those pre-Jon Stewart episodes of The Daily Show were found burning in a dumpster behind the KFC the other night...
But what about those episodes with Craig Kilbourn, you ask? Well, rumor has it that those pre-Jon Stewart episodes of The Daily Show were found burning in a dumpster behind the KFC the other night...
Get your full season pickups here
For Private Practice, The Big Bang Theory, and The Unit (and thankfully, none for Cavemen.) Fox also picked up more episodes of Kitchen Nightmares.
NLCS bombs in the ratings
No surprise here: The National League Championship Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies averaged an anemic 2.8 rating and 6 share on TBS, down 61 percent from last year's series between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals, which aired on Fox.
This year's NLCS ended in a four game sweep with the Rockies sweeping the Diamondbacks.
A combination of late starting times (two games started after 9 p.m.), and "small" markets (where do the teams play? Tuscon and Colorado Springs?), and the four game sweep pretty much killed any ratings momentum this series had.
Then again, we don't have to endure anymore commercials for "Frank TV", with this generation's answer to Pauly Shore, Frank Caliendo.
This year's NLCS ended in a four game sweep with the Rockies sweeping the Diamondbacks.
A combination of late starting times (two games started after 9 p.m.), and "small" markets (where do the teams play? Tuscon and Colorado Springs?), and the four game sweep pretty much killed any ratings momentum this series had.
Then again, we don't have to endure anymore commercials for "Frank TV", with this generation's answer to Pauly Shore, Frank Caliendo.
Hannity & Idiot
It's St. Petersburg (Tampa) Times TV critic Eric Deggans getting shouted down by Alan Colmes on Fox News' Hannity & Colmes over Don Imus returning to radio soon. Wait a minute, isn't Colmes the liberal one?
Lucky for Colmes it wasn't PTI's Michael Wilbon sitting in that chair, or Colmes would've gone home crying to mommy.
As for this program, it's nice to see The Jerry Springer Show in prime time.
Lucky for Colmes it wasn't PTI's Michael Wilbon sitting in that chair, or Colmes would've gone home crying to mommy.
As for this program, it's nice to see The Jerry Springer Show in prime time.
Fox makes midseason shifts
The new television show based on The Terminator movie franchise debuts on Monday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. (CT) Titled The Sarah Connor Chronicles, the action-adventure program focuses on the character and her son. Sarah Connor will lead in to 24, which begins its new (and hopefully better) season at 8 p.m.
Fox announced at the upfronts that Sarah Connor was scheduled for Sundays at 8 beginning in January, but many immediately began to suspect that the time period the show got was not going to stick.
Now, Fox will keep its popular animated comedy block on Sundays from 7-9 p.m., while Prison Break -the program Sarah Connor will replace -closes its season on Dec. 17. Prison Break resumes in April.
No word on the fate of K-Ville, which now occupies the slot 24 will inherit.
Fox announced at the upfronts that Sarah Connor was scheduled for Sundays at 8 beginning in January, but many immediately began to suspect that the time period the show got was not going to stick.
Now, Fox will keep its popular animated comedy block on Sundays from 7-9 p.m., while Prison Break -the program Sarah Connor will replace -closes its season on Dec. 17. Prison Break resumes in April.
No word on the fate of K-Ville, which now occupies the slot 24 will inherit.
Three way battle for off-net supremacy
A big race is shaping up for off-network sitcom supremacy. Yours truly has been following the syndication business since 1984, and I haven't seen a race like this since The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Married... With Children were all battling for the crown in the early '90's.
Three sitcoms - Warner's Two and a Half Men, Twentieth's Family Guy, and CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond are neck and neck - for the week ending Oct. 7, Two and Raymond had a 3.7 rating, and Family Guy had a 3.6. Two and a Half Men's performance is remarkable given that it has no cable clearances.
Also, don't forget CBS' weekend CSI: Miami: it averaged a 3.7, and is the top-rated weekend hour.
As for the new syndication shows, Judge David Young, Merv Griffin Crosswords, and The Steve Wilkos Show each averaged 0.8, while Temptation was at 0.4. TMZ topped them all with a 1.8 and growing.
Wheel of Fortune was the top syndicated show with a 7.2.
Three sitcoms - Warner's Two and a Half Men, Twentieth's Family Guy, and CBS' Everybody Loves Raymond are neck and neck - for the week ending Oct. 7, Two and Raymond had a 3.7 rating, and Family Guy had a 3.6. Two and a Half Men's performance is remarkable given that it has no cable clearances.
Also, don't forget CBS' weekend CSI: Miami: it averaged a 3.7, and is the top-rated weekend hour.
As for the new syndication shows, Judge David Young, Merv Griffin Crosswords, and The Steve Wilkos Show each averaged 0.8, while Temptation was at 0.4. TMZ topped them all with a 1.8 and growing.
Wheel of Fortune was the top syndicated show with a 7.2.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
"Online Nation" first casualty of season
The CW has axed the little-watched Online Nation after four episodes, making it the first official cancellation of the 2007-08 season. The program had an anemic 0.2 last week in the 18-49 demographic in the Sunday 6:30 p.m. (CT) time slot.
Replacing it will be same-week repeats of Aliens in America.
Nashville, a docu-soap that aired on Fox Friday nights last month, was pulled after two airings but Fox says it plans to bring the show back in November.
In case you're wondering what was last season's first casualty (or you just plain forgot), it was NBC's Kidnapped which had that dubious distinction. That show was yanked in October 2006 after three episodes, with the rest recently burned off in a 1:45 a.m. Monday morning time slot.
Replacing it will be same-week repeats of Aliens in America.
Nashville, a docu-soap that aired on Fox Friday nights last month, was pulled after two airings but Fox says it plans to bring the show back in November.
In case you're wondering what was last season's first casualty (or you just plain forgot), it was NBC's Kidnapped which had that dubious distinction. That show was yanked in October 2006 after three episodes, with the rest recently burned off in a 1:45 a.m. Monday morning time slot.
Stephen Colbert to run for President
What you see above is not a typo. He is running for president. His character, that is. I think. And he is running only in South Carolina as a Democrat and a Republican. Maybe his running mate is Pat Paulsen. Or Scooby-Doo.
Man, yours truly wishes he lived in South Carolina so he could vote for Colbert. And no, that's not a typo, either.
Man, yours truly wishes he lived in South Carolina so he could vote for Colbert. And no, that's not a typo, either.
WGN-AM sweeps Chicago summer book
A clean sweep of every major daypart kept WGN on top of the ratings in Arbitron's summer book. WGN's dominance started with Spike O'Dell in the mornings and went through John Williams and Cubs baseball in the afternoon. Other news of note:
Mornings:
- WGCI paid dearly for replacing top-rated (in 18-34) Howard McGee with syndicated Steve Harvey, with WVAZ's Tom Joyner decisively beating the comic in the ratings (don't get too giddy - Harvey posted his best ever ratings here.)
- WKSC's (Kiss) Drex beat WBBM-FM's Eddie & JoBo & Erica in the ratings, who did not show up in the top 10. However, B96's morning show shows its most strength in the female demos, where it is in the top 10. Likewise, WLUP's Jonathan Brandmeier didn't make the top 10 either, but flexes his muscles in the male demos.
Middays:
- WZZN's Scott Shannon tied WGCI's Beyonce Foxx for eighth place (surprise, surprise...) WOJO was the top-rated music station, with WNUA the top-rated English-language FM station.
Afternoons:
- Dave Koz's syndicated show on WNUA finished second behind WGN and slightly ahead of Tony Sculfield on WGCI, while WKSC's Ty Bentli topped WBBM-FM's Stylz & Roman.
If you are looking for any changes, there will beat least one in the coming weeks ahead - WLIT is expected to flip to Christmas music soon. Otherwise, stations are going to hold tight for quite a while, as the PPMs will replace the paper-and-diary method Arbitron has been using for nearly 60 years.
In other words, goodbye decimal points - hello numbers measured in the thousands.
Mornings:
- WGCI paid dearly for replacing top-rated (in 18-34) Howard McGee with syndicated Steve Harvey, with WVAZ's Tom Joyner decisively beating the comic in the ratings (don't get too giddy - Harvey posted his best ever ratings here.)
- WKSC's (Kiss) Drex beat WBBM-FM's Eddie & JoBo & Erica in the ratings, who did not show up in the top 10. However, B96's morning show shows its most strength in the female demos, where it is in the top 10. Likewise, WLUP's Jonathan Brandmeier didn't make the top 10 either, but flexes his muscles in the male demos.
Middays:
- WZZN's Scott Shannon tied WGCI's Beyonce Foxx for eighth place (surprise, surprise...) WOJO was the top-rated music station, with WNUA the top-rated English-language FM station.
Afternoons:
- Dave Koz's syndicated show on WNUA finished second behind WGN and slightly ahead of Tony Sculfield on WGCI, while WKSC's Ty Bentli topped WBBM-FM's Stylz & Roman.
If you are looking for any changes, there will beat least one in the coming weeks ahead - WLIT is expected to flip to Christmas music soon. Otherwise, stations are going to hold tight for quite a while, as the PPMs will replace the paper-and-diary method Arbitron has been using for nearly 60 years.
In other words, goodbye decimal points - hello numbers measured in the thousands.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sports broadcasts continue to struggle in the ratings
If you thought Chicago sports teams were having a bad year... ratings for live sports broadcasts are still struggling just as badly, and no wonder:
- The National League Championship Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies on TBS had a household rating of 2.2 for Game 1. Colorado swept the series from Arizona 4-0 with last night's victory. This will likely be the lowest rated NLCS ever, given the fact that two of those games had start times at 9 p.m. Central and ended past midnight.
What is up with the late start times for some of these playoff games? This is the NLCS we're talking about, not the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Major League Baseball handled this very poorly, and they (and TBS) got what they deserved in the ratings department.
The American League Championship Series between Boston and Cleveland, is faring somewhat better, averaging a 5.3. household rating for the first two games.
The Indians lead 2-1 in that series. If Cleveland advances, it will create a Cleveland-Colorado matchup in the World Series, which could be a ratings disaster. Already, the NBA Finals (Cleveland Calivers vs. San Antonio Spurs) and Stanley Cup Finals (Ottawa Senators vs. Anaheim Ducks) recorded all-time ratings lows this year.
- It looks like we may have a repeat of what happened with the White Sox this year - the Chicago Bears, after a successful couple of seasons. are falling fast - and so are the television ratings.
The Vikings-Bears game averaged a 25.4 household rating, down from the 30 rating for the Bears-Packers game in prime time the previous week. Keep in mind however, that HUT levels are lower in daytime than they are in prime time, and that 25.4 alone would top most prime time network programs.
But that's no excuse as the Bears' poor play is taking it toll, and fans (notably casual ones) are starting to bail.
If the Bears continue to stumble, the ratings could fall behind Dancing With The Stars, and then you've got a real problem.
- The National League Championship Series between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies on TBS had a household rating of 2.2 for Game 1. Colorado swept the series from Arizona 4-0 with last night's victory. This will likely be the lowest rated NLCS ever, given the fact that two of those games had start times at 9 p.m. Central and ended past midnight.
What is up with the late start times for some of these playoff games? This is the NLCS we're talking about, not the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Major League Baseball handled this very poorly, and they (and TBS) got what they deserved in the ratings department.
The American League Championship Series between Boston and Cleveland, is faring somewhat better, averaging a 5.3. household rating for the first two games.
The Indians lead 2-1 in that series. If Cleveland advances, it will create a Cleveland-Colorado matchup in the World Series, which could be a ratings disaster. Already, the NBA Finals (Cleveland Calivers vs. San Antonio Spurs) and Stanley Cup Finals (Ottawa Senators vs. Anaheim Ducks) recorded all-time ratings lows this year.
- It looks like we may have a repeat of what happened with the White Sox this year - the Chicago Bears, after a successful couple of seasons. are falling fast - and so are the television ratings.
The Vikings-Bears game averaged a 25.4 household rating, down from the 30 rating for the Bears-Packers game in prime time the previous week. Keep in mind however, that HUT levels are lower in daytime than they are in prime time, and that 25.4 alone would top most prime time network programs.
But that's no excuse as the Bears' poor play is taking it toll, and fans (notably casual ones) are starting to bail.
If the Bears continue to stumble, the ratings could fall behind Dancing With The Stars, and then you've got a real problem.
Happy "They are who we thought they were" day
On October 16, 2006, Dennis Green created that famous phase after the Cardinals lost to the Bears 24-23 in an amazing game. Here's a Coors Light parody (not the commercial that's on the air now, but created a few months after Green's press conference.)
Monday, October 15, 2007
WLS, WGCI big losers in book
Both down a full point since last summer, while WGN blows out the competition (like the Colorado Rockies, WGN may never lose a book again!) For the complete results, click here.
Update (10-16-06): No Feder today for some reason, so the daypart breakdowns will have to wait. In the meantime, here's a Tribune story on the numbers, which contains some demo information.
Quick Thoughts: "Crazy" Howard McGee's exit hurt WGCI; WOJO had a very good book - the best in its history; WKQX's morning fix needs to be fixed; and WLS hit a twenty-year low (the last time numbers were this bad, the station was still playing adult Top 40 music with Larry Lujack in the afternoons.)
WHTZ Number One in Big Apple
Meanwhile, Clear Channel's Top 40 outlet WHTZ-FM (Z100) hit number one in New York for the first time since the 1980's, when Scott Shannon's morning show held sway. Z100 knocked off sister WLTW-FM out of the top slot and into third place. Urban AC outlet WRKS-FM finished second.
updated 2007-10-16 at 9:09am
Update (10-16-06): No Feder today for some reason, so the daypart breakdowns will have to wait. In the meantime, here's a Tribune story on the numbers, which contains some demo information.
Quick Thoughts: "Crazy" Howard McGee's exit hurt WGCI; WOJO had a very good book - the best in its history; WKQX's morning fix needs to be fixed; and WLS hit a twenty-year low (the last time numbers were this bad, the station was still playing adult Top 40 music with Larry Lujack in the afternoons.)
WHTZ Number One in Big Apple
Meanwhile, Clear Channel's Top 40 outlet WHTZ-FM (Z100) hit number one in New York for the first time since the 1980's, when Scott Shannon's morning show held sway. Z100 knocked off sister WLTW-FM out of the top slot and into third place. Urban AC outlet WRKS-FM finished second.
updated 2007-10-16 at 9:09am
WADL steps up in the Motor City
After years of crummy programming (infomercials, home shopping, etc.), Adelll-owned WADL-TV in Detroit is making a serious bid to compete for those TV advertising dollars with the other stations in town - by targeting the market's African-American population.
The station, which signed on in 1985, had been airing mostly paid religious fare and infomericals. At one time, the station was a outlet for CBS programming that then-affiliate WJBK-TV did not clear.
Blacks make up 21 percent of Detroit's DMA, and historically, programs with predominately African-American casts have traditionally done well in the Motor City. If fact, Fox, WB and UPN performed better in Detroit than the national average when those networks had that type of programming on.
But when the WB and UPN folded up shop in September 2006, it left a hole for African-American targeted programming.
WADL has stepped up and acquired many programs targeted to African-Americans, including 1970's sitcoms Good Times and Sanford and Son, plus the critically acclaimed drama In The Heat Of The Night. The station is also stepping up its' local programming efforts, including a weekly talk show hosted by Detroit's mayor, Kwane Kilpatrick.
Granted, the station still airs a large amount of religious, paid programming, and home shopping. And many off-network and first-run syndicated programs popular among blacks are still airing on other outlets, like CBS-owned CW affilate WKBD-TV and Granite's MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYD-TV. But this move is a step in the right direction.
Rant: In the above article I linked from B&C, "community leaders" in Detroit question WADL's airing of Good Times and Sanford & Son, saying the programs reinforce negative stereotypes about African-Americans.
Oh, please. Are these people still living in the 1970's? Those two shows air here in Chicago on WWME-TV, and there are no complaints from the black community (I know because I live there.)
Gee, what about the programs that currently air on VH-1, BET, and MTV? What about those hip-hop and rap videos that demean women that constantly air on these channels? You "community leaders" humor me.
The station, which signed on in 1985, had been airing mostly paid religious fare and infomericals. At one time, the station was a outlet for CBS programming that then-affiliate WJBK-TV did not clear.
Blacks make up 21 percent of Detroit's DMA, and historically, programs with predominately African-American casts have traditionally done well in the Motor City. If fact, Fox, WB and UPN performed better in Detroit than the national average when those networks had that type of programming on.
But when the WB and UPN folded up shop in September 2006, it left a hole for African-American targeted programming.
WADL has stepped up and acquired many programs targeted to African-Americans, including 1970's sitcoms Good Times and Sanford and Son, plus the critically acclaimed drama In The Heat Of The Night. The station is also stepping up its' local programming efforts, including a weekly talk show hosted by Detroit's mayor, Kwane Kilpatrick.
Granted, the station still airs a large amount of religious, paid programming, and home shopping. And many off-network and first-run syndicated programs popular among blacks are still airing on other outlets, like CBS-owned CW affilate WKBD-TV and Granite's MyNetworkTV affiliate WMYD-TV. But this move is a step in the right direction.
Rant: In the above article I linked from B&C, "community leaders" in Detroit question WADL's airing of Good Times and Sanford & Son, saying the programs reinforce negative stereotypes about African-Americans.
Oh, please. Are these people still living in the 1970's? Those two shows air here in Chicago on WWME-TV, and there are no complaints from the black community (I know because I live there.)
Gee, what about the programs that currently air on VH-1, BET, and MTV? What about those hip-hop and rap videos that demean women that constantly air on these channels? You "community leaders" humor me.
Samantha What?
News and notes, all wrapped up into one:
- Leno appears to be unhappy about being forced out of the famed 10:35 p.m. (CT) time slot for Conan O'Brien in 2009. Late shift, part II?
- Christiana Applegate returns to the network that launched her career (1986's Heart of the City) and is the lead in Samantha Who? In it, the former Married... With Children star wakes up after eight days in a coma and forgets who she is. Then she finds out that Al and Peg Bundy are her parents and falls back into that coma.
Okay, I made up the last part and yes, that would be the only thing that would make me tune in into this already overrated sitcom.
- In the Huh? department (that's not a typo), Fox Sports Net has sub-leased six of its Pac-10 basketball games to ESPN. Four of those games are slated to air on ABC. FSN will continue to air Pac-10 basketball on its regional sports networks (including Comcast SportsNet).
-Drew Carey debuted today as host of The Price Is Right, taking over Bob Barker's position after 35 years. Mr. Carey was flawless and funny (and the contestants went 6-for-6 in the pricing games), and was quite smooth on his first day and if that's any indication, The Price Is Right will be on the air with Carey at the helm for years to come.
- Leno appears to be unhappy about being forced out of the famed 10:35 p.m. (CT) time slot for Conan O'Brien in 2009. Late shift, part II?
- Christiana Applegate returns to the network that launched her career (1986's Heart of the City) and is the lead in Samantha Who? In it, the former Married... With Children star wakes up after eight days in a coma and forgets who she is. Then she finds out that Al and Peg Bundy are her parents and falls back into that coma.
Okay, I made up the last part and yes, that would be the only thing that would make me tune in into this already overrated sitcom.
- In the Huh? department (that's not a typo), Fox Sports Net has sub-leased six of its Pac-10 basketball games to ESPN. Four of those games are slated to air on ABC. FSN will continue to air Pac-10 basketball on its regional sports networks (including Comcast SportsNet).
-Drew Carey debuted today as host of The Price Is Right, taking over Bob Barker's position after 35 years. Mr. Carey was flawless and funny (and the contestants went 6-for-6 in the pricing games), and was quite smooth on his first day and if that's any indication, The Price Is Right will be on the air with Carey at the helm for years to come.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Syndication Box
News and notes from the world of syndication today:
-Media Life reports that TMZ, the top freshman strip in syndication, is drawing more men than the other fluff-entertainment programs. 41.8 percent of its audience was men, and among the men 18-34 demo, the program pulled a 0.9 rating. Perhaps the reason this show is doing well among men because TMZ isn't wasting time hyping a female-targeted movie or TV show from Hollywood and it doesn't take itself too seriously. You go, TMZ.
- The complete list of ratings for syndicated off-network programs (with barter only) were listed in Marc Berman's Programming Insider today, and it shows that Everybody Loves Raymond returning to number one this week, after losing it last week to Family Guy, which dropped to number two. Observations:
- Two and a Half Men is ranked fourth with a 3.4.
- The King of Queens tied Friends with a 2.8.
- Biggest surprise: George Lopez with a 2.2 (This sitcom even makes According to Jim funny by comparison.)
- Also with a 2.2, is the surprisingly potent Sex and the City, which is in its third season in syndication.
- Despite recently premiering on FX, Malcolm in the Middle nabbed a 1.4, down 30 percent from last year, which is considered a disappointment. A sitcom's overall numbers in syndication usually go up when it's added to a cable network's lineup. Some stations (like KPLR in St. Louis), have downgraded Malcolm to overnight time periods.
- South Park ranked near the bottom with a 0.8 rating, tied with Half & Half. Siberian time slots in major markets (New York, Philadelphia) aren't helping.
-Media Life reports that TMZ, the top freshman strip in syndication, is drawing more men than the other fluff-entertainment programs. 41.8 percent of its audience was men, and among the men 18-34 demo, the program pulled a 0.9 rating. Perhaps the reason this show is doing well among men because TMZ isn't wasting time hyping a female-targeted movie or TV show from Hollywood and it doesn't take itself too seriously. You go, TMZ.
- The complete list of ratings for syndicated off-network programs (with barter only) were listed in Marc Berman's Programming Insider today, and it shows that Everybody Loves Raymond returning to number one this week, after losing it last week to Family Guy, which dropped to number two. Observations:
- Two and a Half Men is ranked fourth with a 3.4.
- The King of Queens tied Friends with a 2.8.
- Biggest surprise: George Lopez with a 2.2 (This sitcom even makes According to Jim funny by comparison.)
- Also with a 2.2, is the surprisingly potent Sex and the City, which is in its third season in syndication.
- Despite recently premiering on FX, Malcolm in the Middle nabbed a 1.4, down 30 percent from last year, which is considered a disappointment. A sitcom's overall numbers in syndication usually go up when it's added to a cable network's lineup. Some stations (like KPLR in St. Louis), have downgraded Malcolm to overnight time periods.
- South Park ranked near the bottom with a 0.8 rating, tied with Half & Half. Siberian time slots in major markets (New York, Philadelphia) aren't helping.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Landecker out at WZZN
The last time radio legend John "Records" Landecker was let go from a position was in 2003 at then-oldies WJMK-FM. In 2005, the oldies format signed off at WJMK, which became Jack FM.
Now, Landecker has been dumped as afternoon jock at oldies outlet WZZN-FM. Landecker's contract expires on Friday, but he did not show up for his afternoon shift today. Management forced him out after the media leaked the story of his pending departure.
See ya, "True Oldies Channel".
Now, Landecker has been dumped as afternoon jock at oldies outlet WZZN-FM. Landecker's contract expires on Friday, but he did not show up for his afternoon shift today. Management forced him out after the media leaked the story of his pending departure.
See ya, "True Oldies Channel".
NBC to leave Burbank for Universal City
NBC is moving their main studios, their network and local news operations, and the Tonight Show with soon-to-be new host Conan O'Brien (in 2009) to Universal City Studios in Los Angeles from its longtime home in Burbank, Calif. NBC has been operating from the Burbank facility since 1955, when it opened as NBC Color City (aptly named since NBC was the first network to broadcast in color.)
General Electric - NBC's owner since 1986 -purchased Universal Studios in 2004, merged it with NBC and became NBC Universal.
The NBC Studios in Burbank was home to Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, who moved the late-night talk show from New York City in 1972. The facility was also home to numerous TV shows including Wheel of Fortune, Chico & The Man, Sanford and Son, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the original version of Hollywood Squares.
Current shows taped or filmed at NBC include Access: Hollywood, Ellen, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
The Burbank studios also house the operations of KNBC-TV, NBC's O&O station in Los Angeles, and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo affiliate KVEA-TV.
The moves are expected to be complete by 2011.
Official press release: NBC Universal Announces Long-Term Strategic Plan For West Coast Operations
Official press release: NBC Universal Announces Long Term Plan To Create West Coast News Headquarters And Content Center in Los Angeles
updated 2007-10-11 at 5:42 p.m.
General Electric - NBC's owner since 1986 -purchased Universal Studios in 2004, merged it with NBC and became NBC Universal.
The NBC Studios in Burbank was home to Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, who moved the late-night talk show from New York City in 1972. The facility was also home to numerous TV shows including Wheel of Fortune, Chico & The Man, Sanford and Son, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and the original version of Hollywood Squares.
Current shows taped or filmed at NBC include Access: Hollywood, Ellen, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
The Burbank studios also house the operations of KNBC-TV, NBC's O&O station in Los Angeles, and its Spanish-language sister station, Telemundo affiliate KVEA-TV.
The moves are expected to be complete by 2011.
Official press release: NBC Universal Announces Long-Term Strategic Plan For West Coast Operations
Official press release: NBC Universal Announces Long Term Plan To Create West Coast News Headquarters And Content Center in Los Angeles
updated 2007-10-11 at 5:42 p.m.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Radio One comes to the rescue for Indy's Top 40 fans
Faced with becoming another San Francisco (or Chicago before KISS-FM signed on in 2001), Indianapolis' Top 40 fans were spared the loss of the format completely when Radio One (yes, the URBAN radio experts) bought the intellectual property, the name RadioNow, and format of WNOU and is putting it on its 100.9 frequency, kicking the smooth jazz format to the curb.
On Monday, Emmis' WNOU flipped from Top 40 to Christmas music in preparation for the company to move its talk format(currently on WIBC-AM) to FM in January.
On Monday, Emmis' WNOU flipped from Top 40 to Christmas music in preparation for the company to move its talk format(currently on WIBC-AM) to FM in January.
"Deal" has highest web traffic
NBC's Deal or No Deal has the highest web traffic of any TV show site last week with 15% of the market share, ahead of second-place Dancing With the Stars, according to Hitwise. Is it because viewers are being drawn to the site for the chance to win prize money? Or is it because guys like me want the prize money and an opportunity to see pictures of the models?
Remember - I report, you decide!
Remember - I report, you decide!
Miller, Coors to merge
The merger of two of the largest beer makers (behind Anheuser-Busch) will create a huge No. 2 presence in the beer industry, and will have a tremendous impact on buying and selling ad time for major sporting events - not the mention the Chicago based ad agencies who create the spots.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Chicago is "Family Guy's" kind of town
It looks like Family Guy has succeeded where The Simpsons succeeded.
According to numbers supplied by Twentieth Television (from a banner ad that appeared on TV Week's website), Family Guy's airing at 10 p.m. on WGN-TV finished number one in the time period between Sept. 17 and Sept. 21 among men 18-34 (2.2) and women 18-34 (2.6). It beat not only The King of Queens and Law and Order: Criminal Intent but all four network O&O newscasts in those demos, including WFLD's new 10 p.m. newscast, which continues to record losses in households and in demos held by The Simpsons last year.
Family Guy outdrew WFLD's newscast in households, 3.4/6 to 2.0/3. Family Guy also outdrew The Simpsons' 10:35p.m. airing, which had a 2.0/4.
Family Guy's airing at 10 p.m. also ranked number one for the entire day on WGN in those 18-34 demos, outdrawing fare such as Maury, Reba, According to Jim, and the CW primetime lineup.
Meanwhile, WLS-TV continued to lead the 10 p.m. news race in households, with NBC's WMAQ-TV second, and CBS-owned WBBM-TV's late newscast still a distant third.
Sources: Nielsen Media research, WRAP overnights, 9/17-9/21, Katz Media Group.
"Gossip Girl" picked up for full season
And the funny thing about it, Variety labeled this show a hit. Are these people dumb or just plain stupid? (Let's not call it a hit just yet... while the numbers are solid, they are still disappointing.)
WNBC blinks first
The first station to make a move in the new fall season is NBC-owned WNBC-TV in New York, which is dropping its soft news-oriented News4You, and replacing it with a traditional newscast at 5:30 p.m. Ratings for the show were behind ABC-owned WABC-TV, which ranks number one at 5 and 5:30 p.m.
WNBC has also removed the second half-hour of Merv Griffin's Crosswords at 4:30 p.m., replacing it with Access: Hollywood, which also retains its 7:30 p.m. time slot. Crosswords remains at 4.
These changes at WNBC does not affect other NBC O&Os, including WMAQ-TV in Chicago, which will stay the course for now.
WNBC has also removed the second half-hour of Merv Griffin's Crosswords at 4:30 p.m., replacing it with Access: Hollywood, which also retains its 7:30 p.m. time slot. Crosswords remains at 4.
These changes at WNBC does not affect other NBC O&Os, including WMAQ-TV in Chicago, which will stay the course for now.
NBC Universal to buy Oxygen
NBC Universal has purchased female-oriented cable network Oxygen for $925 million dollars. To pay for the transaction, NBC Universal will sell two TV stations, one in Los Angeles (KWHY-TV), the other in Puerto Rico.
Here is the official press release.
Here is the official press release.
Tom Joyner to stay on V103
In a very smart move, Clear Channel-owned WVAZ-FM (or V103) has renewed the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show in a multi-year deal. There was speculation that WVAZ would can the show and replace it with a local morning show.
The TJMS and Radio One would have suffered a big blow if WVAZ didn't renew the show. Chicago is the second-largest radio market with a large African-American population to air the program, only behind Atlanta. Joyner does not have a New York clearance.
Joyner's show is broadcast from Dallas, with its studios across the street from where its Radio One affiliate (KSOC-FM) is based.
The TJMS and Radio One would have suffered a big blow if WVAZ didn't renew the show. Chicago is the second-largest radio market with a large African-American population to air the program, only behind Atlanta. Joyner does not have a New York clearance.
Joyner's show is broadcast from Dallas, with its studios across the street from where its Radio One affiliate (KSOC-FM) is based.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Surprise flip in Indianapolis
(Of all of the 687 posts on the T Dog Media Blog - excluding this year's Super Bowl - this is the first item I have ever wrote on Indianapolis media. So a big hearty welcome to Indianapolis readers of The T Dog Media Blog, if any. - T.H.)
Emmis has dumped the Top 40 format on WNOU-FM, flipping to Christmas music as of today (while it's 90 degrees outside no less), and in January, will flip to a talk format on January 8, and change the call letters WIBC-FM. WIBC-AM, now a talk outlet, will flip to sports.
Emmis has dumped the Top 40 format on WNOU-FM, flipping to Christmas music as of today (while it's 90 degrees outside no less), and in January, will flip to a talk format on January 8, and change the call letters WIBC-FM. WIBC-AM, now a talk outlet, will flip to sports.
Programming for the IQ deficient
VH-1's I Love New York begins tonight at 8 p.m. with Tiffany Pollard looking for love. She actually found her man. Now, if she can only find a real job...
Bears dominate prime time in Chicago on Sunday
Read 'em and weep: Chicago ratings: Bears-Packers on NBC Sunday night: 30.9 household rating, Diamondbacks-Cubs on TBS Saturday night: 15.3 household rating. I guess the Cubs are not only losers on the field, but in the TV ratings as well. Ha Ha Ha...
It's a "Deal" for WMAQ-TV
Note: The link to the story may require registration.
NBC Universal's Deal or No Deal weekday syndicated strip has been sold to a few NBC O&Os, including WMAQ-TV in Chicago, as well as to stations owned by CBS, Allbritton, Scripps, and Sinclair. The program will be hosted by Howie Mandel and feature the same elements as the prime-time show - the banker, the models (yes!), and the same production team.
The only differences between the new syndicated Deal and the network prime-time version are the daily strip version is a half-hour long, moves at a faster pace, and the top grand prize would be $250,000.
Here is the official press release from NBC Universal.
updated 2007-10-08 at 8:30pm
NBC Universal's Deal or No Deal weekday syndicated strip has been sold to a few NBC O&Os, including WMAQ-TV in Chicago, as well as to stations owned by CBS, Allbritton, Scripps, and Sinclair. The program will be hosted by Howie Mandel and feature the same elements as the prime-time show - the banker, the models (yes!), and the same production team.
The only differences between the new syndicated Deal and the network prime-time version are the daily strip version is a half-hour long, moves at a faster pace, and the top grand prize would be $250,000.
Here is the official press release from NBC Universal.
updated 2007-10-08 at 8:30pm
T Dog's Think Tank: We are pissed, Part II (well, maybe only Cubs fans...)
Let me start off by saying this is the last sports-related column yours truly will write for a long time (unless if it's providing NFL coverage maps or something ratings-related.) In fact, this is a media blog, and not a sports one, and I can tell you readers are already starting to fall asleep, giving the pathetic state Chicago sports is in right now.
The Cubs were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS as everyone knows and there has been some rumblings from people about being unable to watch the games on broadcast TV (or as the mainstream media would call it, "free TV" - yes, those guys are still living in 1988, and they are fine with that...)
Oh, boo hoo. I don't have cable TV for the games. The games should only be on WGN. Oh, shut the hell up. Some people don't even have food to eat, and you all complain about not having cable TV to watch a baseball game? Leave it to Cubs fans to display such arrogance.
So after the game ended Saturday night, instead of Cubs fans applauding the team after a great season, they booed them off the field.
The fans boo the Cubs. They boo Rex Grossman. They booed the White Sox. They've booed the Blackhawks - wait, there are still Blackhawks fans?
When did Chicago become so vicious you ask? Maybe around the time we recorded our 10,000th murder or something. (That's a play on the Philadelphia Phillies' 10,00th loss they recorded this past season, but on the bright side, Philly suffers worse than Chicago sports fans do.)
Look, there is a lot to despise in this town. Politicians. Government. The media. Traffic. Community leaders who don't know when to shut up. Sports stars were supposed to be our heroes. But when they are taking steroids, drowning dogs, shooting off guns in the parking lots, or getting arrested (and that last part is the Cincinnati Bengals alone), they are not our heroes anymore, aren't they? Like everything else in this town, they let us down.
The Cubs are just a small problem of what's wrong with sports and society at large. They get paid millions of dollars, while we can't get money for public transit, or for a bridge to be replaced, or for gang-prevention programs. And when they suck at it, no wonder we're pissed off. The Cubs obviously haven't been following what's been going on in Illinois as of late.
Sports teams are run by the same type of dolts who have successfully run television and radio stations into the ground - money first, the public later. And yes, the Tribune Co. is so unique that it has managed to pull off two of those three feats.
And of course, the Chicago media is shameful as usual with their excess coverage of a Cubs playoff run, as well as a Bears quarterback switch. You have nobodies writing columns about the Cubs (besides Mariotti, that is), while coverage of the death of a previously missing woman - an African-American woman mind you - gets shuttled off to the back page or to the bottom half-hour of a newscast. Typical.
With the Cubs and White Sox gone, and the Bears struggling (they did win last night though), the state of Chicago sports is not in good shape. Then again, neither is the fall prime-time lineup, where there hasn't been a hit breakout show. Something's wrong when your best buzzed about show is a sitcom based on an insurance ad. What does it tell you when the Cubs get canceled and Cavemen is still on the air? Only in Chicago.
So on Monday morning, we head off to work, resuming our lives. But at least there's that new episode of Heroes to look forward to later that night. A program struggling to get on track after a successful season. Much like the Bears. Hey, Heroes might even nab Rex Grossman as a guest star. If that happens, I'm flipping over to The Game.
The Cubs were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS as everyone knows and there has been some rumblings from people about being unable to watch the games on broadcast TV (or as the mainstream media would call it, "free TV" - yes, those guys are still living in 1988, and they are fine with that...)
Oh, boo hoo. I don't have cable TV for the games. The games should only be on WGN. Oh, shut the hell up. Some people don't even have food to eat, and you all complain about not having cable TV to watch a baseball game? Leave it to Cubs fans to display such arrogance.
So after the game ended Saturday night, instead of Cubs fans applauding the team after a great season, they booed them off the field.
The fans boo the Cubs. They boo Rex Grossman. They booed the White Sox. They've booed the Blackhawks - wait, there are still Blackhawks fans?
When did Chicago become so vicious you ask? Maybe around the time we recorded our 10,000th murder or something. (That's a play on the Philadelphia Phillies' 10,00th loss they recorded this past season, but on the bright side, Philly suffers worse than Chicago sports fans do.)
Look, there is a lot to despise in this town. Politicians. Government. The media. Traffic. Community leaders who don't know when to shut up. Sports stars were supposed to be our heroes. But when they are taking steroids, drowning dogs, shooting off guns in the parking lots, or getting arrested (and that last part is the Cincinnati Bengals alone), they are not our heroes anymore, aren't they? Like everything else in this town, they let us down.
The Cubs are just a small problem of what's wrong with sports and society at large. They get paid millions of dollars, while we can't get money for public transit, or for a bridge to be replaced, or for gang-prevention programs. And when they suck at it, no wonder we're pissed off. The Cubs obviously haven't been following what's been going on in Illinois as of late.
Sports teams are run by the same type of dolts who have successfully run television and radio stations into the ground - money first, the public later. And yes, the Tribune Co. is so unique that it has managed to pull off two of those three feats.
And of course, the Chicago media is shameful as usual with their excess coverage of a Cubs playoff run, as well as a Bears quarterback switch. You have nobodies writing columns about the Cubs (besides Mariotti, that is), while coverage of the death of a previously missing woman - an African-American woman mind you - gets shuttled off to the back page or to the bottom half-hour of a newscast. Typical.
With the Cubs and White Sox gone, and the Bears struggling (they did win last night though), the state of Chicago sports is not in good shape. Then again, neither is the fall prime-time lineup, where there hasn't been a hit breakout show. Something's wrong when your best buzzed about show is a sitcom based on an insurance ad. What does it tell you when the Cubs get canceled and Cavemen is still on the air? Only in Chicago.
So on Monday morning, we head off to work, resuming our lives. But at least there's that new episode of Heroes to look forward to later that night. A program struggling to get on track after a successful season. Much like the Bears. Hey, Heroes might even nab Rex Grossman as a guest star. If that happens, I'm flipping over to The Game.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Say goodbye to Cubs, Phillies
... and possibly to a decently-rated World Series if either the Yankees and/or Red Sox don't advance in the playoffs. Look for the World Series to join the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals in the ratings dumpster if neither team makes it there.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Cubs a ratings flop?
The only reason yours truly is quoting this article is because the numbers are here. Otherwise, I would not recommend it because Sherman failed to note that DVR usage is at an all-time high, as less and less people are watching TV live and time-shifting their programming, and that includes the Cubs. With the late start for the two games, it makes sense. Sherman and the Trib fail to point that out, as usual (forgive them, they are part of the mainstream media.)
Anyway, Game 1 of the Cubs-Diamondbacks NLDS series on TBS had a 18.1 rating and Game 2 had a 13.9 rating, both easily winning their timeslots in the Chicago market. Even at midnight early Friday morning, the 9 rating the game had still won the time period. It seems the only flop the Cubs are accused of is on the field.
Anyway, Game 1 of the Cubs-Diamondbacks NLDS series on TBS had a 18.1 rating and Game 2 had a 13.9 rating, both easily winning their timeslots in the Chicago market. Even at midnight early Friday morning, the 9 rating the game had still won the time period. It seems the only flop the Cubs are accused of is on the field.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Bonaduce not returning to the Loop
Instead, he is expected to renew his deal to continue on Adam Carolla's morning show on KLSX-FM in Los Angeles, which leaves the Loop (WLUP-FM, 97.9 FM) still without an afternoon personality. The drive-home position has been vacant since Zakk Tyler left.
Loop owner Emmis Communications contends that the former Partridge Family star's antics (i.e. the brawl he was involved in at an awards show Tuesday night) was not a factor in the decision.
Loop owner Emmis Communications contends that the former Partridge Family star's antics (i.e. the brawl he was involved in at an awards show Tuesday night) was not a factor in the decision.
LatinNation, American Latino TV get new Chicago home
The Hispanic-targeted weekly syndicated magazines Latination and American Latino TV, which were tolling away in late-night time slots on WCIU-TV and WBBM-TV respectively, moves to WPWR-TV this Saturday where both will air in a hour-long block from 5 to 6 p.m. Both programs are syndicated by Aim Tell-A-Vision group. (Click on the comments section of this post for more information on both programs filming segments in Chicago this coming week. )
Also premiering this weekend is UFC Wired, from Trifecta Entertainment. That show is scheduled to air Sundays at 12:01a.m. on WCIU-TV.
And WFLD-TV has dropped its 5 p.m. Saturday newscast. In its place are repeats of That's '70's Show and Scrubs.
updated 2007-10-06 at 11:08pm
Also premiering this weekend is UFC Wired, from Trifecta Entertainment. That show is scheduled to air Sundays at 12:01a.m. on WCIU-TV.
And WFLD-TV has dropped its 5 p.m. Saturday newscast. In its place are repeats of That's '70's Show and Scrubs.
updated 2007-10-06 at 11:08pm
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Britney joke backfires
Desperate star meets desperate medium... Clear Channel owned WKQI-FM in Detroit DJ Big Boy started a "Britney suicide watch" and was taking calls on from listeners on when Britney will kick the bucket. The only question now is, when Big Boy's employment at WKQI will kick the bucket...
Mojo, the station's morning DJ, ripped the stunt on the air this morning, ripped Clear Channel Detroit executives on the stunt, possibly putting his own job on the line. Another host, Spike, also ripped the stunt. He is hosting a walk this weekend for suicide prevention in the Detroit area.
Another low point for the medium. Obviously, execs haven't learned from the last time a stunt went wrong.
After all, it's radio!
(I wonder how many more times I will use that closing line at the end of a radio item on this blog. A lot, I suppose...)
Mojo, the station's morning DJ, ripped the stunt on the air this morning, ripped Clear Channel Detroit executives on the stunt, possibly putting his own job on the line. Another host, Spike, also ripped the stunt. He is hosting a walk this weekend for suicide prevention in the Detroit area.
Another low point for the medium. Obviously, execs haven't learned from the last time a stunt went wrong.
After all, it's radio!
(I wonder how many more times I will use that closing line at the end of a radio item on this blog. A lot, I suppose...)
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Adrienne the nut at it again
This time, the former Top Model star gored former Partridge Family and Loop star Danny Bonaduce into a fight with former Survivor contestant Johnny Fairplay (or Dalton, or whatever) at the Reality TV Awards (and I thought this stuff only happened at the hip-hop awards...)
Note the word "former" in this post. It's used a lot.
Maybe Ms. Curry should replace Courtney Thorne-Smith as Jim Belushi's wife on According to Jim. They would make a great loser Chicago couple on a loser show (wow, it's been awhile since I attacked that program...)
And as for Danny - look for this incident to cinch the deal for him to return to the Loop. After all, it's radio!
Note the word "former" in this post. It's used a lot.
Maybe Ms. Curry should replace Courtney Thorne-Smith as Jim Belushi's wife on According to Jim. They would make a great loser Chicago couple on a loser show (wow, it's been awhile since I attacked that program...)
And as for Danny - look for this incident to cinch the deal for him to return to the Loop. After all, it's radio!
"Cavemen" gets sampled amptly
Cavemen and Carpooling had solid sampling last night, with Cavemen tying for #1 at 7 p.m. (CT) in adults 18-49 and winning the slot in adults 18-34.
Given the fact Britney Spears' Gimme More is number one on iTunes, it's official - the dumbing down of America is complete.
Given the fact Britney Spears' Gimme More is number one on iTunes, it's official - the dumbing down of America is complete.
Have an annoying turd wake you up
This is the most moronic idea anyone has come up with. Of course, anything the Sun-Times does these days is pretty much considered moronic. More proof that big media is run by a bunch of dum-dums. Go away Sun-Times. Please, go bankrupt and just die.
CW out of kids' business
The CW is discontinuing Kids' WB and handing over the time over to 4KidsTV. The futures of many Kids WB shows (Tom & Jerry Tales, Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue, etc.) are up in the air.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
"Family Guy" new off-net champ
Victory is mine!
Family Guy has surged ahead of Everybody Loves Raymond to become the top-rated off-network sitcom in syndication for the week ending Sept. 23. Twentieth's Family Guy surged 20 percent in the ratings to nab a 4.2, while CBS' Raymond fell 3 percent to a 3.7. Warner Bros.' Two and a Half Men finished with a 3.3, ahead of Warner's Friends but behind Sony's Seinfeld, which had a 3.5.
As for the new first-run rookies, Warner's TMZ was tops at a 2.0 rating (that number is being reprocessed however), doubling NBC Universal's Steve Wilkos Show, which had a 0.9.
Meanwhile, NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent nabbed a 1.3 rating as a strip, but its sister show Special Victims Unit got a 2.1 as a weekend show.
They are who we thought they were!
Aliens in America is exactly who we thought they were - a ratings loser. Meanwhile, Dancing With the Stars seems to be the only show deservingly labeled a winner (in the ratings dept. only), while it's yucksville for the rest of prime-time with the exception of the Padres-Rockies tiebreaker game, a true classic. Other observations:
- Heroes is down in the ratings from last week and last year. Like the Bears, this show is having a subpar season. Time to replace the quarterback?
- Like the New Orleans Saints, K-Ville continues its rapid downward spiral.
- The Game recorded growth from its Girlfriends lead-in and scored a 2.7 in women 18-34. Both shows are sure to be at least in the top five in African-American households this week. (Again, I ask: why did CBS pull Girlfriends from syndication?)
- The Bachelor still sucks. Period. The performance is even worse than last year, and they keep letting them off the hook!
- Heroes is down in the ratings from last week and last year. Like the Bears, this show is having a subpar season. Time to replace the quarterback?
- Like the New Orleans Saints, K-Ville continues its rapid downward spiral.
- The Game recorded growth from its Girlfriends lead-in and scored a 2.7 in women 18-34. Both shows are sure to be at least in the top five in African-American households this week. (Again, I ask: why did CBS pull Girlfriends from syndication?)
- The Bachelor still sucks. Period. The performance is even worse than last year, and they keep letting them off the hook!
Carpooling Cavemen
Only two premieres tonight, Cavemen and Carpooling, and they are the pick to definitely skip. These shows suck so bad... If you might have not noticed, these two shows have no laugh track. That's probably because there are no laughs in either. You can put this crap on the board, no!
Plus, Cavemen is set in San Diego. Hasn't the city suffered enough with the Padres and Chargers?
Plus, Cavemen is set in San Diego. Hasn't the city suffered enough with the Padres and Chargers?
WCKG next in line for format switch?
After a number of format flips of CBS FM Talk stations around the country, it looks like low-rated WCKG-FM could be next. An long-overdue makeover is reportedly in the works. The only question is what to do with Steve Dahl, who has a long-term contract with the station.
Gentlemen, start your speculation engines.
Gentlemen, start your speculation engines.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Cubs fans not happy with playoffs on TBS
And the fact that games one and two are on at 9 p.m, Game 4 on Sunday at noon, etc. (just be grateful your team made the playoffs, okay?) This article from the Trib is about TBS getting the divisional series and the NLCS on an exclusive basis (no over-the-air broadcasts) per the new deal.
Chicago (city proper, excluding the 'burbs) has the lowest cable penetration rate in the country, but remember that cable TV came late to Chicago (1987 in fact), and you can thank the Chicago City Council (particularly those 29 aldermen) for holding the cable TV contracts hostage during the Council Wars era.
Interesting that yours truly didn't remember anybody complaining when most Bulls playoff games were only available on cable TV, even during the Michael Jordan era. Don't you just love selective outrage?
Chicago (city proper, excluding the 'burbs) has the lowest cable penetration rate in the country, but remember that cable TV came late to Chicago (1987 in fact), and you can thank the Chicago City Council (particularly those 29 aldermen) for holding the cable TV contracts hostage during the Council Wars era.
Interesting that yours truly didn't remember anybody complaining when most Bulls playoff games were only available on cable TV, even during the Michael Jordan era. Don't you just love selective outrage?
Fraud FM is dead
Free FM is almost officially done with the next-to-last Fraud FM station, WKRK-FM in Detroit flipping to sports and simulcasting WXYT-AM. This means that the Opie and Anthony Morning Show is gone from that station, too.
Meanwhile, CBS' Pittsburgh FM Talk outlet is toast as well. The last Free FM station remaining is KLSX-FM, Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, CBS' Pittsburgh FM Talk outlet is toast as well. The last Free FM station remaining is KLSX-FM, Los Angeles.
"Aliens in America" - best sitcom ever?
"You want to crown them, then crown their ass!"
- Dennis Green
Can the CW finally get on the map with this show? It may be another program in which the critics love but the audience won't watch (i.e. Party of Five, I'll Fly Away, Arrested Development). Though yours truly dismissed this premise last spring, yours truly feels the pain of being unpopular and being awkward (is this sitcom the story of my life, or what? Well, except the foreign exchange student part and the sister...) I'll make this the pick to click. Sadly, I don't think too many people will do the same.
By tomorrow, we'll see if Aliens in America is who we thought they were...
- Dennis Green
Can the CW finally get on the map with this show? It may be another program in which the critics love but the audience won't watch (i.e. Party of Five, I'll Fly Away, Arrested Development). Though yours truly dismissed this premise last spring, yours truly feels the pain of being unpopular and being awkward (is this sitcom the story of my life, or what? Well, except the foreign exchange student part and the sister...) I'll make this the pick to click. Sadly, I don't think too many people will do the same.
By tomorrow, we'll see if Aliens in America is who we thought they were...
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The Tube shuts down
Digital music video channel The Tube has ceased operations. The network, which was seen over WGN's second digital channel here in Chicago, has been struggling financially since its launch. The Tube suffered a huge blow last year when original partner Sinclair Broadcasting pulled out over a dispute regarding three-hour FCC mandated children's educational programming on the music channel.
The Tube's other partners were Tribune Broadcasting (owner of WGN) and Raycom (owners of WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland.) The music channel was broadcast over the digital sub-channels of their owned stations.
No word on what will replace The Tube on WGN's second digital channel.
The final music video played on The Tube was Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix) by A3 (how appropriate), at 10:55 p.m. (CT). It was the theme to The Sopranos, a program that ended its run last June with its infamous "fade to black" ending.
After the music video was played, The Tube did exactly that.
updated 12:11 a.m. on 2007-10-01
The Tube's other partners were Tribune Broadcasting (owner of WGN) and Raycom (owners of WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland.) The music channel was broadcast over the digital sub-channels of their owned stations.
No word on what will replace The Tube on WGN's second digital channel.
The final music video played on The Tube was Woke Up This Morning (Chosen One Mix) by A3 (how appropriate), at 10:55 p.m. (CT). It was the theme to The Sopranos, a program that ended its run last June with its infamous "fade to black" ending.
After the music video was played, The Tube did exactly that.
updated 12:11 a.m. on 2007-10-01
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wide Open West, RCN strike deal for Big Ten Network (updated)
In a huge victory for the Big Ten Network, Wide Open West, which serves much of Chicago area (the same territory as Comcast), has signed a deal with the fledging sports net to carry the network on an expanded basic cable package in the eight states where there are Big Ten schools.
Later in the day, BTN also struck a deal with RCN Cable, which serves Chicago's lakefront from Rogers Park on the north to Hyde Park on the south. RCN will also carry the sports net on expanded basic.
BTN is already being carried on Dish Network and Direct TV, as well as many smaller cable operators.
This no doubt will put even more pressure on Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter - the three major cable operators that still refuse to carry the network on their systems.
So come on you three - what are you waiting for? For you all to lose business?
updated 2:22 on 2007-09-29
Later in the day, BTN also struck a deal with RCN Cable, which serves Chicago's lakefront from Rogers Park on the north to Hyde Park on the south. RCN will also carry the sports net on expanded basic.
BTN is already being carried on Dish Network and Direct TV, as well as many smaller cable operators.
This no doubt will put even more pressure on Comcast, Time Warner, and Charter - the three major cable operators that still refuse to carry the network on their systems.
So come on you three - what are you waiting for? For you all to lose business?
updated 2:22 on 2007-09-29
Returning shows dominate on Thursday
Thursday's ratings race showed established returning shows picking up where they left off - grabbing lots of viewers. Here's a quick analysis (all times Central):
7 p.m: Four of the five shows had something to crow out, with Survivor winning in adults 18-49 and total viewers. NBC's hour-long season premiere of My Name Is Earl also did well, particularly among men. Fox's 5th Grader and CW's Smallville also did respectively well, at least with staying on course with year-ago ratings levels. Ugly Betty on the other hand, dropped substantially among total viewers and adults 18-49. Freshman hangover?
8 p.m. - CBS' CSI and ABC's Grey's Anatomy : CSI won in total viewers (24.85 to Grey's 20.48), but Grey's won in adults 18-49 (8.7 to 8.0). NBC's The Office and Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics! also did respectively well, with The Office notching a 5.1 in the 18-49's, and improving over Earl's lead-in.
9 p.m. CBS' Without a Trace won in 18-49's and total viewers, defeating ER handily. ABC's new Big Shots (not a click to pick), did finish second, but was down substantially from its Grey's lead-in in total viewers and in 18-49's. Do we need to see Christopher Titus in another show after Titus? Sorry, Stacy Keach will always be your dad to me.
7 p.m: Four of the five shows had something to crow out, with Survivor winning in adults 18-49 and total viewers. NBC's hour-long season premiere of My Name Is Earl also did well, particularly among men. Fox's 5th Grader and CW's Smallville also did respectively well, at least with staying on course with year-ago ratings levels. Ugly Betty on the other hand, dropped substantially among total viewers and adults 18-49. Freshman hangover?
8 p.m. - CBS' CSI and ABC's Grey's Anatomy : CSI won in total viewers (24.85 to Grey's 20.48), but Grey's won in adults 18-49 (8.7 to 8.0). NBC's The Office and Fox's Don't Forget the Lyrics! also did respectively well, with The Office notching a 5.1 in the 18-49's, and improving over Earl's lead-in.
9 p.m. CBS' Without a Trace won in 18-49's and total viewers, defeating ER handily. ABC's new Big Shots (not a click to pick), did finish second, but was down substantially from its Grey's lead-in in total viewers and in 18-49's. Do we need to see Christopher Titus in another show after Titus? Sorry, Stacy Keach will always be your dad to me.
Copps against Tribune, XM/Sirius deals
Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps has voiced his opposition against two pending media deals: Sam Zell's acquisition of Tribune and the XM/Sirius merger. Tribune would need a waiver from the FCC so the deal can go through - and that Tribune can keep it radio/TV/newspaper combo intact in Chicago.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
No broadcast TV for Cubs playoff games - unless they go to the World Series
The Daily Southtown lays into Major League Baseball, calling the new deal that puts most playoff games on cable TV isn't friendly to fans, particularly to those of the Chicago Cubs, whose team may make the postseason, and fans without cable or satellite are out of luck.
When ESPN had the rights to the divisional series in the past, they let local stations in the markets playing in the games to simulcast this feed, but that won't happen this time as new rightsholder TBS has exclusive rights (Fox still has rights to one of the championship series and the World Series.)
While the Daily Southown's stance is dated (circa 1986), they do have a point. But don't forget that Fox dumped part of the postseason so they can run their regular programming (and to please ad buyers.) And ratings for playoff baseball have fallen over the last several years, making that attraction much more lucrative. I guess the Southtown forgot to point that out...
If there is any consolation, The NBA and NHL have the majority of their playoff games on cable, and the ratings have stunk.
When ESPN had the rights to the divisional series in the past, they let local stations in the markets playing in the games to simulcast this feed, but that won't happen this time as new rightsholder TBS has exclusive rights (Fox still has rights to one of the championship series and the World Series.)
While the Daily Southown's stance is dated (circa 1986), they do have a point. But don't forget that Fox dumped part of the postseason so they can run their regular programming (and to please ad buyers.) And ratings for playoff baseball have fallen over the last several years, making that attraction much more lucrative. I guess the Southtown forgot to point that out...
If there is any consolation, The NBA and NHL have the majority of their playoff games on cable, and the ratings have stunk.
Wilkos leads first-run syndicated rookies...
with a huge, huge, gigantic 0.9 rating. Meanwhile, Family Guy finished ahead of Friends and Seinfeld among off-network sitcoms and finished only behind Everybody Loves Raymond, whose rating fell thanks in part to downgrades by several stations (including WGN-TV here) into the wee hours because of an expiring contract that comes next spring. In other words, Raymond is in "lame duck" status on these stations.
Keep in mind, though that cable runs are a part of the numbers for all of these shows, and Turner (through TBS and Adult Swim) run "Family Guy" a lot.
Keep in mind, though that cable runs are a part of the numbers for all of these shows, and Turner (through TBS and Adult Swim) run "Family Guy" a lot.
Warner, NBC O&O's come to long-term deal
It doesn't give them TMZ, but it does give the ten O&Os a new talk show hosted by Chicagoan Bonnie Hunt for fall 2008 (with the exception of WCAU in Philly); a renewal for Extra through 2012; and a renewal for Ellen through 2011. Both programs air on NBC-owned WMAQ-TV in Chicago.
"Private", "Bionic" score
NBC's Bionic Woman scored an upset over ABC's Private Practice in the 18-49 demo, 5.5 to 5.1 (though Private drew more viewers, 14.24 to Bionic's 13.59.) CBS' Criminal Minds also was strong in the 8 p.m. (CT) time period, so that may be bad news for CW's Gossip Girl and Fox's Kitchen Nightmares, both turning in less than spectacular ratings in week two of their existence.
Otherwise, Dancing With the Stars dominated the ratings (as usual) while America's Next Top Model and Deal or No Deal's better days seem to be behind them. You also have to ask why Fox did not slot Back to You between Sunday powerhouses The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Otherwise, Dancing With the Stars dominated the ratings (as usual) while America's Next Top Model and Deal or No Deal's better days seem to be behind them. You also have to ask why Fox did not slot Back to You between Sunday powerhouses The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Steve & Garry reunite on TV
Current WCKG hosts and radio legends Steve Dahl and Garry Meier (both have separate shows at the station) appeared together on WGN-TV's morning news today, promoting a charitable event they are co-hosting with the Sun-Times Susanna Hoffman and Gilda's Club Chicago on Friday called "A Night of a Thousand Noogies" at the Park West (it's located at 322 W. Armitage.)
A letter to Jay Mariotti
Usually yours truly doesn't devote a space here to attack someone (yeah, right), but I have to give attention to Jay Mariotti's latest column from the Daily Onion regarding the death of Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz...
From: T Dog
To: Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times
Dear Moron:
Who do YOU THINK YOU ARE when you tell us how to behave? Sure, people are cruel, and yes, unfortunately people are going to say nasty things on talk radio about someone's death. But I can't control their emotions, and neither can you. All of this means that for the first time in decades, Hawks fans actually have some hope after seeing Wirtz drive this franchise into the ground for the last forty years. Yes, the comments are cruel, but there is nothing you can do about it.
And now you have the nerve telling us how to behave, particularly after you have made a living being rude, crude, and outright distasteful?
And when was the last time you wrote anything about the Blackhawks anyway? When it's convenient for you? You paint Jerry Reinsdorf as the city's worst sports owner, but yet he has seven championships and we get to see Bulls and White Sox games on home TV, while you have barely mentioned Wirtz or the Blackawks and their struggles over the past two years.
Maybe you should have attended last week's FCC hearing here in Chicago and see why the public in general is fed up with big media. You, and well as all of Chicago's major media outlets and their cronies, regularly do a disservice to our city with your crap.
You, Skip Bayless, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Steve Harvey... it doesn't matter. As long as big media gives them a platform to say THEY are right and WE are wrong. WE the public, who reluctantly pay your salaries.
You represent big media to a lot of Chicagoans, and people don't like being told how to do this, or how to do that. Big media is the "parent" and we are their "children". It doesn't work like that. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy was right when he said on Saturday that newspapers were garbage.
You are producing nothing but a propaganda machine with your "column" and your "blog". You and your paper are an embarrassment to Chicago. I'm certain when you drop dead, there will be far more negative comments about you after you die than for Mr. Wirtz (believe it or not.) I, and a lot of other Chicago sports fans, can't wait for that day.
T Dog
From: T Dog
To: Jay Mariotti, Chicago Sun-Times
Dear Moron:
Who do YOU THINK YOU ARE when you tell us how to behave? Sure, people are cruel, and yes, unfortunately people are going to say nasty things on talk radio about someone's death. But I can't control their emotions, and neither can you. All of this means that for the first time in decades, Hawks fans actually have some hope after seeing Wirtz drive this franchise into the ground for the last forty years. Yes, the comments are cruel, but there is nothing you can do about it.
And now you have the nerve telling us how to behave, particularly after you have made a living being rude, crude, and outright distasteful?
And when was the last time you wrote anything about the Blackhawks anyway? When it's convenient for you? You paint Jerry Reinsdorf as the city's worst sports owner, but yet he has seven championships and we get to see Bulls and White Sox games on home TV, while you have barely mentioned Wirtz or the Blackawks and their struggles over the past two years.
Maybe you should have attended last week's FCC hearing here in Chicago and see why the public in general is fed up with big media. You, and well as all of Chicago's major media outlets and their cronies, regularly do a disservice to our city with your crap.
You, Skip Bayless, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Steve Harvey... it doesn't matter. As long as big media gives them a platform to say THEY are right and WE are wrong. WE the public, who reluctantly pay your salaries.
You represent big media to a lot of Chicagoans, and people don't like being told how to do this, or how to do that. Big media is the "parent" and we are their "children". It doesn't work like that. Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy was right when he said on Saturday that newspapers were garbage.
You are producing nothing but a propaganda machine with your "column" and your "blog". You and your paper are an embarrassment to Chicago. I'm certain when you drop dead, there will be far more negative comments about you after you die than for Mr. Wirtz (believe it or not.) I, and a lot of other Chicago sports fans, can't wait for that day.
T Dog
T Dog's Think Tank: We are pissed
The FCC came to Chicago last Thursday, for public hearings on media consolidation and diversity.
The whole thing was webcast for the world to hear on the FCC's website, and yours truly hooked it up to listen for eight hours. Eight loooong hours...
The FCC was there at Operation PUSH, and if you listed to the webcast- hell, you'd think Bears QB Rex Grossman was one of the commissioners. Grossman and the FCC have a lot in common - both apparently suck at their job.
We're just about as happy with the media as we are with the CTA. Both are run by pomous windbags who don't seem to care about the public. And both are in broken-down condition.
Media consolidation over the past decade has been blamed for the rise in taseless programming in prime-time (mainly of the reality kind) to layoffs at media outlets, from less local programming to voicetracking at radio stations.
All of this and more was complained about Thursday night. With the event held at Operation PUSH, you know racial overtones were the order of the day. Of course, with Chicago being one of the most segregated cities in the nation, this came as no surprise as the issue of race (from the Grant Park Children's Museum to O.J. to McNabb to the Jena 6) dominated the headlines all week.
Many complained about how the local media treats the areas of the city's West and South Sides, both with almost predominately African-American neighborhoods.
On the local news, it is not uncommon to see it start off with stories about crime from these parts of town, which has been the case for decades. Every time you turn on the news, or log on to the city's two newspapers' websites, you see stories about who got murdered, shot, or raped. One murder reported on one of the papers' websites recently even got the location wrong. What is the point of this? To drive web traffic? For TV ratings?
You are correct, Oh great one!
And the media bias even extends into the South Suburbs,which are being portrayed as "economically struggling", even though Flossmoor, Olympia Fields, Richton Park, Country Club Hills, and Matteson are among Chicago suburbs with the highest incomes, with many of those high-income earners African-Americans. Is racism at work here? Well, duh?
Then there was the issue of minority hiring at these outlets and the way minorities are treated there. One lady who spoke at the hearing claimed that she is being racially harassed at a TV station she works and had to file a complaint with the EEOC.
Another issue was minority ownership. Chicago is the largest major market with the fewest minority owners in the country. The only black radio station owner in town is Melody Spann-Cooper, who owns Talk outlet WVON-AM, and broadcasts on 1690-AM through a sub-leasing deal with Clear Channel. The historic Chicago Defender is on life support and now run from Detroit. The new media incentives on the paper's website heralded by publisher Roland Martin (such as video and podcasts) were disassembled after he left. Many are calling for the restoration of the minority tax certificate, which was abolished in 1995.
There were a host of other issues as well. There were complaints about radio, particularly with many local independent artists and labels, slamming local stations for refusing them airplay. One even charged the industry with payola, with an artist claiming that a local mixer at a station was charging them $25,000 for one play. Others complained about the same songs being played repeatedly and too many commercials. Even old-school rapper KRS-One called out WGCI.
And to top it off, radio is giving talentless hack Britney Spears a shot to return to her former glory. You know you smell a rat when her single Gimme More has been declared a "success" by a dying medium. You don't know which one is more desperate. Even in her decrepit condition, she can get on the radio while more deserving independent artists can't. That rat must be paying for Spears' freight.
And yes, there were complaints about cable TV, from lack of a la carte to how minorities are portrayed on BET and VH1.
Hispanic broadcasters didn't go unscathed, either. One Hispanic individual complained about the domination Univision had over the Spanish-speaking market; others complained about NBC Universal's ownership of Telemundo, and layoffs at its WSNS-TV in Chicago.
And there was the subject of the Iraq War. Many complained about how news have become nothing but propaganda machines - not allowing contradicting views of the war. Many want the Fairness Doctrine restored.
And there were more complaints, from the lightning to how many minutes people got to speak.
But there were defenders of the media there as well. Many TV and radio stations trotted out their employees and charitable organizations that works with these companies. Former WGCI boss Marv Dyson blamed radio's problems not on consolidation, but on the "me too" attitude that plagues the medium. He supports consolidation, but not until a significant amount of minority ownership has been achieved.
But one thing that irked yours truly were the number of those praising the corporations that owned these media outlets - people who are truly hacks. The lone exception was WGN-AM host John Williams, who made a good point about the radio station losing its localism if it was forced to be sold off .
As you know, The Tribune Co. is in the process of being sold to billionaire Sam Zell, and he needs FCC approval to keep his properties - WGN-AM, WGN-TV, and the Chicago Tribune - intact. While the cross-ownership rules bar one company from owning a radio, TV and a newspaper in one market, Tribune's combo was grandfathered in - they owned the properties before 1975 when the rule took effect.
Zell got support from many prominent Illinois politicians, including Democratic senator Dick Durbin, and chances that the Tribune will be busted up is unlikely.
The interesting thing about the meetings Thursday is what wasn't brought up. The XM/Sirius merger for one - how is this going to effect customers of satellite radio? What about the shoddy reporting of the Sun-Times- who like the rest of the media- don't give a damn about Chicago. Who else could give Jay Mariotti a prominent position at the paper so he can use it for personal attacks?
Or WGCI's firing of morning personality Howard McGee for syndicated lout Steve Harvey? A clear example of getting rid of a local voice for one from New York and one who doesn't know much about Chicago, despite having a local show here in the mid 1990's. McGee's firing came despite the fact he was number one in adults 18-34 demo for his morning show.
And of course, what about former WMAQ-TV reporter Amy Jacobson appearing at the Stebic house last July wearing a bikini, caught on tape by rival WBBM-TV, which was there in the neighbor's yard only to embarrass her. WMAQ didn't do itself no favors, by firing Jacobson.
XM/Sirius aside, all of this demonstrates that Chicago is sick of big media, their antics, and the way they treat our communities. We are tired, mad as hell, and we are not going to take it anymore!
The sad part about all this is the FCC (at least the commissioners not named Adlestein or Copps), looked like they were hardly interested. They acted like we were a bunch of whiny individuals who need to get a life.
Bullshit. Chicago's residents - from all walks of life - all colors, all religions - want better from the companies who serve us through the public airwaves - the airwaves WE OWN. The FCC mission is to make decisions regarding telecommunications that serve the public interest, not major corporations.
While the FCC is hell bent on answering for right-wing groups like the Parents Television Council on indecency, it won't do a damn thing for anyone else, particularly minorities, who clearly lack representation in media and is a more pressing issue. You guys are not doing your job.
Let me cut to the point: either do your job to serve the public interest, or we'll elect politicians in 2008 who will no doubt replace you.
To listen to some of the testimony from the hearing (and KRS-One calling out WGCI), click here (thanks to StopBigMedia.com)
The whole thing was webcast for the world to hear on the FCC's website, and yours truly hooked it up to listen for eight hours. Eight loooong hours...
The FCC was there at Operation PUSH, and if you listed to the webcast- hell, you'd think Bears QB Rex Grossman was one of the commissioners. Grossman and the FCC have a lot in common - both apparently suck at their job.
We're just about as happy with the media as we are with the CTA. Both are run by pomous windbags who don't seem to care about the public. And both are in broken-down condition.
Media consolidation over the past decade has been blamed for the rise in taseless programming in prime-time (mainly of the reality kind) to layoffs at media outlets, from less local programming to voicetracking at radio stations.
All of this and more was complained about Thursday night. With the event held at Operation PUSH, you know racial overtones were the order of the day. Of course, with Chicago being one of the most segregated cities in the nation, this came as no surprise as the issue of race (from the Grant Park Children's Museum to O.J. to McNabb to the Jena 6) dominated the headlines all week.
Many complained about how the local media treats the areas of the city's West and South Sides, both with almost predominately African-American neighborhoods.
On the local news, it is not uncommon to see it start off with stories about crime from these parts of town, which has been the case for decades. Every time you turn on the news, or log on to the city's two newspapers' websites, you see stories about who got murdered, shot, or raped. One murder reported on one of the papers' websites recently even got the location wrong. What is the point of this? To drive web traffic? For TV ratings?
You are correct, Oh great one!
And the media bias even extends into the South Suburbs,which are being portrayed as "economically struggling", even though Flossmoor, Olympia Fields, Richton Park, Country Club Hills, and Matteson are among Chicago suburbs with the highest incomes, with many of those high-income earners African-Americans. Is racism at work here? Well, duh?
Then there was the issue of minority hiring at these outlets and the way minorities are treated there. One lady who spoke at the hearing claimed that she is being racially harassed at a TV station she works and had to file a complaint with the EEOC.
Another issue was minority ownership. Chicago is the largest major market with the fewest minority owners in the country. The only black radio station owner in town is Melody Spann-Cooper, who owns Talk outlet WVON-AM, and broadcasts on 1690-AM through a sub-leasing deal with Clear Channel. The historic Chicago Defender is on life support and now run from Detroit. The new media incentives on the paper's website heralded by publisher Roland Martin (such as video and podcasts) were disassembled after he left. Many are calling for the restoration of the minority tax certificate, which was abolished in 1995.
There were a host of other issues as well. There were complaints about radio, particularly with many local independent artists and labels, slamming local stations for refusing them airplay. One even charged the industry with payola, with an artist claiming that a local mixer at a station was charging them $25,000 for one play. Others complained about the same songs being played repeatedly and too many commercials. Even old-school rapper KRS-One called out WGCI.
And to top it off, radio is giving talentless hack Britney Spears a shot to return to her former glory. You know you smell a rat when her single Gimme More has been declared a "success" by a dying medium. You don't know which one is more desperate. Even in her decrepit condition, she can get on the radio while more deserving independent artists can't. That rat must be paying for Spears' freight.
And yes, there were complaints about cable TV, from lack of a la carte to how minorities are portrayed on BET and VH1.
Hispanic broadcasters didn't go unscathed, either. One Hispanic individual complained about the domination Univision had over the Spanish-speaking market; others complained about NBC Universal's ownership of Telemundo, and layoffs at its WSNS-TV in Chicago.
And there was the subject of the Iraq War. Many complained about how news have become nothing but propaganda machines - not allowing contradicting views of the war. Many want the Fairness Doctrine restored.
And there were more complaints, from the lightning to how many minutes people got to speak.
But there were defenders of the media there as well. Many TV and radio stations trotted out their employees and charitable organizations that works with these companies. Former WGCI boss Marv Dyson blamed radio's problems not on consolidation, but on the "me too" attitude that plagues the medium. He supports consolidation, but not until a significant amount of minority ownership has been achieved.
But one thing that irked yours truly were the number of those praising the corporations that owned these media outlets - people who are truly hacks. The lone exception was WGN-AM host John Williams, who made a good point about the radio station losing its localism if it was forced to be sold off .
As you know, The Tribune Co. is in the process of being sold to billionaire Sam Zell, and he needs FCC approval to keep his properties - WGN-AM, WGN-TV, and the Chicago Tribune - intact. While the cross-ownership rules bar one company from owning a radio, TV and a newspaper in one market, Tribune's combo was grandfathered in - they owned the properties before 1975 when the rule took effect.
Zell got support from many prominent Illinois politicians, including Democratic senator Dick Durbin, and chances that the Tribune will be busted up is unlikely.
The interesting thing about the meetings Thursday is what wasn't brought up. The XM/Sirius merger for one - how is this going to effect customers of satellite radio? What about the shoddy reporting of the Sun-Times- who like the rest of the media- don't give a damn about Chicago. Who else could give Jay Mariotti a prominent position at the paper so he can use it for personal attacks?
Or WGCI's firing of morning personality Howard McGee for syndicated lout Steve Harvey? A clear example of getting rid of a local voice for one from New York and one who doesn't know much about Chicago, despite having a local show here in the mid 1990's. McGee's firing came despite the fact he was number one in adults 18-34 demo for his morning show.
And of course, what about former WMAQ-TV reporter Amy Jacobson appearing at the Stebic house last July wearing a bikini, caught on tape by rival WBBM-TV, which was there in the neighbor's yard only to embarrass her. WMAQ didn't do itself no favors, by firing Jacobson.
XM/Sirius aside, all of this demonstrates that Chicago is sick of big media, their antics, and the way they treat our communities. We are tired, mad as hell, and we are not going to take it anymore!
The sad part about all this is the FCC (at least the commissioners not named Adlestein or Copps), looked like they were hardly interested. They acted like we were a bunch of whiny individuals who need to get a life.
Bullshit. Chicago's residents - from all walks of life - all colors, all religions - want better from the companies who serve us through the public airwaves - the airwaves WE OWN. The FCC mission is to make decisions regarding telecommunications that serve the public interest, not major corporations.
While the FCC is hell bent on answering for right-wing groups like the Parents Television Council on indecency, it won't do a damn thing for anyone else, particularly minorities, who clearly lack representation in media and is a more pressing issue. You guys are not doing your job.
Let me cut to the point: either do your job to serve the public interest, or we'll elect politicians in 2008 who will no doubt replace you.
To listen to some of the testimony from the hearing (and KRS-One calling out WGCI), click here (thanks to StopBigMedia.com)
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
FCC to challenge profanity decision in U.S. Supreme Court
Our country's freedom of speech and the First Amendment hinges on this.
Dumber and Dumber
Which one of these assholes deserve the Worst Person Of The Week award for making racist comments this week? Bill O'Reilly or former Top Model winner and Joilet's own Adrianne Curry? (It looks like a tie. And personally, I'm glad Ms. Curry left here. How about you getting over getting screwed by Tyra?)
Go Bionic
Tonight's picks to click (you at home select yours):
Check out the most buzzed about show of the season - Bionic Woman. It's a remake of the 1970's TV show that aired on ABC and NBC. (I would put this as the pick to skip, because remakes of shows usually suck. But I give this show the benefit of the doubt. But it better deliver in the ratings.) Also check out Dirty Sexy Money on ABC at 9 p.m. (CT).
Picks to skip: Private Practice, the Grey's Anatomy spinoff with Kate Walsh, and Life, whose life will likely be short. Mikey's a detective? He hates everything. He likes it! He likes it! You can put those two on the board, no!
Check out the most buzzed about show of the season - Bionic Woman. It's a remake of the 1970's TV show that aired on ABC and NBC. (I would put this as the pick to skip, because remakes of shows usually suck. But I give this show the benefit of the doubt. But it better deliver in the ratings.) Also check out Dirty Sexy Money on ABC at 9 p.m. (CT).
Picks to skip: Private Practice, the Grey's Anatomy spinoff with Kate Walsh, and Life, whose life will likely be short. Mikey's a detective? He hates everything. He likes it! He likes it! You can put those two on the board, no!
Fox pulls "Nashville"
If you had Nashville in the dead TV show pool, you win. Was it even on the air? Fox barely promoted this show. Repeats of K-Ville takes the Friday night 7 p.m. slot for now.
Bill Wirtz dies
The Chicago Blackhawks owner dies at 77. Rather than type something here, I'll just guide you to this link. It sums up my thoughts, exactly. And here's a Think Tank (the first one I wrote) you can read from last year on the Hawks and the NHL.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
"Family Guy", "Men" show growth in Week 2 (corrected)
In what may be encouraging signs for Warner Bros. Two and a Half Men and Twentieth Television's Family Guy, ratings for both off-network programs in syndication are up from the previous week in metered markets, ever so slightly. Both look like they're keepers.
Law & Order: Criminal Intent scored a 1.0/3 as a strip in off-network syndication in its first week, down 9 percent from its lead-in, but flat from year-ago time periods.
As for new first-run shows, TMZ and Steve Wilkos slipped in the ratings a bit, while Merv Griffin's Crosswords, Temptation, and Judge David Young are stagnant.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit led new weekly shows in syndication with a 1.4/3. However, the others - The Dead Zone, Cold Case, and ReGenesis - turned in less than impressive results.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Mediaweek, Broadcasting & Cable
( This is an corrected version of this post at 9:54 p.m. The earlier post had "Family Guy's" numbers in the wrong place and Judge David Young's name misspelled. I apologize for the errors. If you spot an error, let me know in the comments section. Thanks- T.H.)
Law & Order: Criminal Intent scored a 1.0/3 as a strip in off-network syndication in its first week, down 9 percent from its lead-in, but flat from year-ago time periods.
As for new first-run shows, TMZ and Steve Wilkos slipped in the ratings a bit, while Merv Griffin's Crosswords, Temptation, and Judge David Young are stagnant.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit led new weekly shows in syndication with a 1.4/3. However, the others - The Dead Zone, Cold Case, and ReGenesis - turned in less than impressive results.
| Program | RTG/SHR | RTG/SHR |
| w/o 9/17 | w/o 9/10 | |
| First-Run | ||
| TMZ | 1.4/3 | 1.5/3 |
| Morning Show | 1.1/4 | 1.1/4 |
| Steve Wilkos | 1.0/3 | 1.1/3 |
| David Young | 0.8/3 | 0.8/3 |
| Crosswords | 0.8/2 | 0.8/2 |
| Jury Duty | 0.6/2 | ------- |
| Temptation | 0.5/2 | 0.5/2 |
| Off-Network | ||
| Two-Half Men | 2.3/4 | 2.0/4 |
| Family Guy | 2.0/4 | 1.9/4 |
| Criminal Intent | 1.0/3 | -------- |
| George Lopez | 1.0/3 | 1.0/3 |
| Reno 911 | N/A | 0.6/2 |
Weeklies | ||
| Law-Order:SVU | N/A | 1.4/3 |
| Cold Case | N/A | 0.7/2 |
| Dead Zone | N/A | 0.6/3 |
| ReGenesis | N/A | 0.6/1 |
Source: Nielsen Media Research, Mediaweek, Broadcasting & Cable
( This is an corrected version of this post at 9:54 p.m. The earlier post had "Family Guy's" numbers in the wrong place and Judge David Young's name misspelled. I apologize for the errors. If you spot an error, let me know in the comments section. Thanks- T.H.)
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