This is not the way I wanted to kick off the fourth season of The T Dog Media Blog.
Okay, it seems yours truly generated a lot of heat from TV Week readers on my bashing of Adam Buckman over whether or not Ellen DeGeneres was qualified to be a judge on "American Idol". Yes, yours truly had a Kanye West moment of his own.
Well, I stand by my opinion.
But the way the statement was worded - that's another story. Yours truly went overboard in his critisism of Buckman and it crossed the line to become a personal attack. I apologize to anyone who was offended.
Even worse, I played the Jay Mariotti card - which I use quite often against columnists I don't like. I'm still seething from Buckman giving way plot points to a Family Guy episode in a New York Post article in November 2007 before the episode aired.
I also used inappropriate language toward another poster in the same thread.
While I call it as I see it - and often criticize those who have a different point of view on media issues than I do, the way I ripped Buckman was unprofessional, juvenile, and outright mean. In fact, it makes yours truly no better than Mariotti - engaging in the same type of mean-spiritness and slimeball tactics I have rallied against in the past.
And the fact I still mention Mariotti here - a year after he left the Chicago Sun-Times - indicates the shtick is getting old.
As you can tell, I'm not a fan of Idol - or Ellen DeGeneres and her show. And I will not be watching either one. But I have the right to say what I think on any television or radio program - whether I watch them or not, and any media issue - regardless of what a few humanoids think.
If you've read this blog for the past three years, you know where I stand on many media issues, from the lack of diversity of voices in the media to media consolidation and vertical integration. When a radio company fires employees on Inauguration Day - even denying you a chance to watch the President being sworn in- and having a low-level employee escort you out the door and having your stuff thrown out after you - how can you NOT have an opinion? When your local morning host is fired only to be replaced by a voice-tracked humanoid from Beaver Bay, Oregon so the el cheapos can save some bucks, how can you NOT have an opinion? Big, greedy media companies (and record labels) continue to dominate the entertainment landscape and stifle creativity in the process - how else can you explain why Britney Spears and Kanye West still have jobs? My frustration level only rises when all people want to talk about is those two and Idol, while no one talks about a court decision throwing out cable ownership caps so companies like Comcast can only get bigger and charge consumers even more money.
I'm passionate about these issues, but sometimes yours truly gets carried away here and on numerous message boards, and the message gets lost. And it's hard to rally people to your cause when you lob harsh insults at the very ones you rally against. Worse, you could put your credibility at risk.
If people care about the evils of media consolidation, that's great. If they don't care, that's a problem. And laying into the people who don't care hurts your cause more than helps it - you want to educate people, not berate them.While yours truly will continue to lay into those who deserve it, I'll be more respectful to those individuals and the companies they work for.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Welcome to the fourth season
Wow. It's been three years already?
Welcome to the fourth season of The T Dog Media Blog. Yes, as of today we enter season number four of the blog with yours truly's twisted, satirical take on the media business and the incompetent fools who run it.
Yours truly started this blog on September 18, 2006, and to date more than 10,000 individuals have visited this site. Once again, I thank you for stopping by and showing your support, whether you agree or disagree with me on certain issues.
There has been a significant change, and I alluded to this before. In the past, I posted breaking media news stories on the blog, with a peak of a whopping 81 items in September 2007 (stories posted included items on Jay Mariotti, FCC hearings in Chicago, why Nine-FM was failing, and the closure of The Tube music network.) Some of the stories during the first two years were of the "who cares?" variety (like a relationship expert joining B96's Eddie & JoBo show - well, when they had a show.) Time to tend to this site also became an issue, as I was no longer available to update the site during the day as of August 2008.
And so, I launched a Twitter page earlier this year and now break media news stories there - or more accurately, break them after 6 p.m. weeknights, since I have a gig and can't tweet on the job (conflict of interest issues...) Plus, it helps cut down on clutter on the mothership, without devoting space to minor items - while allowing me to comment on TV events as they happen in real-time. Yours truly is up to 70 followers and could use more. So come on over to The T Dog Media Blog Twitter Page and read my own twisted take on the media items of the day, by clicking here. You can also read Twitter updates right here on this blog on The Sidebar.
But I'm not abandoning the blog by any means - in fact, there will be more items posted here with more in-death analysis of major media stories affecting Chicago, the major networks, radio, television, and more - not to mention coverage of Comic-Con, TCA, and NATPE in addition to the twisted, satirical humor (yes, there will be times I will be serious here.) And if Big Media screws up, yours truly will call them out on it, as I have always done.
And of course, you'll still find T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag, T Dog's Think Tank, and T Dog's Four Pack only here on the blog. (Yours truly finally settled on a name for the latter feature, whose name ran the gamut from Who's in Your Four to T Dog's Freakin' Four to T Dog's Four on the Floor. Yikes!)
And coming soon, yours truly is launching a Facebook page - which will not only feature this blog, but some of my other material I have written over the years, including journal entries, short stories, plays, and some original content (and it's copyrighted, so don't even think about it...) As you know, I love to write, and expanding to Facebook would help get more of my work out to the public to enjoy or suffer through.
Of course, I said some of this stuff last year, before yours truly totally underestimated how much time he had to actually pull this off. But I'm working on it. Hey, at least the Twitter page launched!
And in an attempt to eliminate more unnecessary clutter, there will be no more ads on the blog as of today, as we're going back ad-free (I made only 47 cents so far on this venue, so this tell you how much this is worth...)
The T Dog Media Blog's expansion continues... First the blog itself, then Twitter, soon Facebook, and whatever the next flash-in-the-pan-social networking fad is. We're going places! And thank you for coming along for the ride as the fourth season of The T Dog Media Blog begins. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Terence Henderson
Welcome to the fourth season of The T Dog Media Blog. Yes, as of today we enter season number four of the blog with yours truly's twisted, satirical take on the media business and the incompetent fools who run it.
Yours truly started this blog on September 18, 2006, and to date more than 10,000 individuals have visited this site. Once again, I thank you for stopping by and showing your support, whether you agree or disagree with me on certain issues.
There has been a significant change, and I alluded to this before. In the past, I posted breaking media news stories on the blog, with a peak of a whopping 81 items in September 2007 (stories posted included items on Jay Mariotti, FCC hearings in Chicago, why Nine-FM was failing, and the closure of The Tube music network.) Some of the stories during the first two years were of the "who cares?" variety (like a relationship expert joining B96's Eddie & JoBo show - well, when they had a show.) Time to tend to this site also became an issue, as I was no longer available to update the site during the day as of August 2008.
And so, I launched a Twitter page earlier this year and now break media news stories there - or more accurately, break them after 6 p.m. weeknights, since I have a gig and can't tweet on the job (conflict of interest issues...) Plus, it helps cut down on clutter on the mothership, without devoting space to minor items - while allowing me to comment on TV events as they happen in real-time. Yours truly is up to 70 followers and could use more. So come on over to The T Dog Media Blog Twitter Page and read my own twisted take on the media items of the day, by clicking here. You can also read Twitter updates right here on this blog on The Sidebar.
But I'm not abandoning the blog by any means - in fact, there will be more items posted here with more in-death analysis of major media stories affecting Chicago, the major networks, radio, television, and more - not to mention coverage of Comic-Con, TCA, and NATPE in addition to the twisted, satirical humor (yes, there will be times I will be serious here.) And if Big Media screws up, yours truly will call them out on it, as I have always done.
And of course, you'll still find T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag, T Dog's Think Tank, and T Dog's Four Pack only here on the blog. (Yours truly finally settled on a name for the latter feature, whose name ran the gamut from Who's in Your Four to T Dog's Freakin' Four to T Dog's Four on the Floor. Yikes!)
And coming soon, yours truly is launching a Facebook page - which will not only feature this blog, but some of my other material I have written over the years, including journal entries, short stories, plays, and some original content (and it's copyrighted, so don't even think about it...) As you know, I love to write, and expanding to Facebook would help get more of my work out to the public to enjoy or suffer through.
Of course, I said some of this stuff last year, before yours truly totally underestimated how much time he had to actually pull this off. But I'm working on it. Hey, at least the Twitter page launched!
And in an attempt to eliminate more unnecessary clutter, there will be no more ads on the blog as of today, as we're going back ad-free (I made only 47 cents so far on this venue, so this tell you how much this is worth...)
The T Dog Media Blog's expansion continues... First the blog itself, then Twitter, soon Facebook, and whatever the next flash-in-the-pan-social networking fad is. We're going places! And thank you for coming along for the ride as the fourth season of The T Dog Media Blog begins. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Terence Henderson
Sunday, September 13, 2009
For Leno, it's time to put up - or shut up
You've heard about this for the last nine months. And it arrives tomorrow night.
For the first time in the history of television (and excluding special stunts, like Millionaire or Deal or No Deal), there is a five night a week strip in prime-time on a major broadcast network on a regular basis.
The Jay Leno Show debuts Monday night at 9 p.m., Chicago Time on NBC over WMAQ-TV. Leno, a hard-working comedian who has hosted The Tonight Show for the last seventeen years, makes the jump from late-night to prime with a hour-long variety show. This is a huge gamble for NBC, which has money - and its reputation - on the line. NBC is betting it can save money in the long run since producing Leno every weeknight would cost less than airing a drama that comes with a huge license fee or major production expenses.
Leno agreed in 2004 to give up the Tonight Show throne to Conan O'Brien in 2009 and step aside. But the workaholic had seller's remorse, and was considering jumping to another network - notably Fox or ABC - for a whole new show in 2010. To prevent him from exactly doing just that, NBC decided to renew his deal five more years - and move him in to prime-time.
Critics and advertisers have been divided on wheter or not Leno can do well at 9 p.m. Not only he'll face successful dramas like CSI: Miami and The Mentalist (the latter drew 20 million viewers last season), but he'll also face successful 9 p.m. (or 10 p.m., depending on where you live) newscasts on Fox affiliates and other stations, not to mention cable programs like The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Project Runway, and South Park, which successfully draws more younger and ethnically diverse audiences.
In Chicago, Leno will face stiff competition from newscasts on WGN-TV and WFLD-TV, and sitcom reruns on WPWR and WCIU. WGN's 9 p.m. newscast usually draws anywhere between a 4 and a 5 household rating - a huge worry for Leno, who usually goes after the same audience, the news watching 25-54 audience.
And the effect on NBC's affiliates' late news could also hinge on how well Leno performs as a lead-in. While it might not be a problem in markets where the local NBC affiliate dominates the ratings in news (Detroit; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; St. Louis; and Denver among others), it could be a problem in markets where it doesn't - mainly NBC O&Os in top markets.
Here in Chicago, WMAQ (at 10 p.m.) was nearly beat in late news in August by WGN at 9 p.m., with one-tenth of a ratings point separating the two. Leno as a lead-in could swing the advantage to WGN's advantage.
Meanwhile, Leno is making some tweaks to his show to drive viewers to NBC's late newscasts on local stations, including moving some of his well-known Tonight Show staples like "Jaywalking"and "Headlines" toward the end of the show.
If NBC succeeds with this, they will receive praise from industry analysts - something NBC has lacked for years. If this doesn't work - some executives may be looking for another gig. And maybe that someone could be Jeff Zucker.
Let the fun begin.
T Dog's Media Blog Archive: Jay Leno to stay with NBC - at 9 p.m. Central
For the first time in the history of television (and excluding special stunts, like Millionaire or Deal or No Deal), there is a five night a week strip in prime-time on a major broadcast network on a regular basis.
The Jay Leno Show debuts Monday night at 9 p.m., Chicago Time on NBC over WMAQ-TV. Leno, a hard-working comedian who has hosted The Tonight Show for the last seventeen years, makes the jump from late-night to prime with a hour-long variety show. This is a huge gamble for NBC, which has money - and its reputation - on the line. NBC is betting it can save money in the long run since producing Leno every weeknight would cost less than airing a drama that comes with a huge license fee or major production expenses.
Leno agreed in 2004 to give up the Tonight Show throne to Conan O'Brien in 2009 and step aside. But the workaholic had seller's remorse, and was considering jumping to another network - notably Fox or ABC - for a whole new show in 2010. To prevent him from exactly doing just that, NBC decided to renew his deal five more years - and move him in to prime-time.
Critics and advertisers have been divided on wheter or not Leno can do well at 9 p.m. Not only he'll face successful dramas like CSI: Miami and The Mentalist (the latter drew 20 million viewers last season), but he'll also face successful 9 p.m. (or 10 p.m., depending on where you live) newscasts on Fox affiliates and other stations, not to mention cable programs like The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Project Runway, and South Park, which successfully draws more younger and ethnically diverse audiences.
In Chicago, Leno will face stiff competition from newscasts on WGN-TV and WFLD-TV, and sitcom reruns on WPWR and WCIU. WGN's 9 p.m. newscast usually draws anywhere between a 4 and a 5 household rating - a huge worry for Leno, who usually goes after the same audience, the news watching 25-54 audience.
And the effect on NBC's affiliates' late news could also hinge on how well Leno performs as a lead-in. While it might not be a problem in markets where the local NBC affiliate dominates the ratings in news (Detroit; Washington, D.C.; Seattle; St. Louis; and Denver among others), it could be a problem in markets where it doesn't - mainly NBC O&Os in top markets.
Here in Chicago, WMAQ (at 10 p.m.) was nearly beat in late news in August by WGN at 9 p.m., with one-tenth of a ratings point separating the two. Leno as a lead-in could swing the advantage to WGN's advantage.
Meanwhile, Leno is making some tweaks to his show to drive viewers to NBC's late newscasts on local stations, including moving some of his well-known Tonight Show staples like "Jaywalking"and "Headlines" toward the end of the show.
If NBC succeeds with this, they will receive praise from industry analysts - something NBC has lacked for years. If this doesn't work - some executives may be looking for another gig. And maybe that someone could be Jeff Zucker.
Let the fun begin.
T Dog's Media Blog Archive: Jay Leno to stay with NBC - at 9 p.m. Central
Saturday, September 12, 2009
T Dog's Four Pack
Haven't done it for awhile, so let's bring it back! It's another edition of T Dog's Four Pack:
Winners.
- Diane Sawyer to World News Tonight. She replaces the retiring Charles Gibson, and she certainly has the ability to anchor a major network evening newscast - unlike a certain former Today co-host (and the ratings more than tells that story.)
- The Vampire Diaries. Could this be the show that saves The CW? A record-breaking performance - with 4.9 million viewers for its premiere, but let's see what week two holds.
- Sons of Anarchy. Lost in the "hype" of the return of The New Melrose Place, was this FX drama, whose second season premiere outdrew the season premieres of CW's Melrose and 90210 with 4.3 million viewers. So where's the trade press hype over that?
- Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Speech. Some called it arrogant. Some called it a sad display. I call it brilliant. The PC crowd just doesn't get it (and that's PC in "politically correct", not John Hodgeman from those Apple ads.)
Losers.
- Tyra Banks. With a ratings decline of this week's season premiere of America's Next Top Model from a year ago and a combative interview with Nightline's Cynthia McFadden, this may mean the public is finally tiring of Tyra's unbearable diva act.
- White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. For slamming the Fox broadcast network (not Fox News) for not airing Obama's speech Wednesday night, when the speech was available on Fox News Channel, CNN, PBS, the Big 3 networks, and C-SPAN. Quote from Gibbs: " I do hope the viewers of Fox will find a way to watch the speech tonight. I know that the network, instead of dealing with the reality of millions of people on health insurance reform, have decided to show a reality show called something like, So You Think You Can Dance. I do hope that people will check into the reality of what’s going on in America rather than the distraction of a reality TV show."
Well, here's some reality you and the Obama administration need to face - this health care overhaul is in serious trouble. Maybe you need to focus on that instead of what Fox is doing.
And in case you're wondering, Dance tanked in the ratings Wednesday night.
- South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson. And speaking of the speech, this guy yelled out "You lie!" to President Obama during his speech Wednesday Night after he said the health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants. You can disagree with the President on any given issue, but show some damn respect will ya?
- American Idol. For picking Ellen DeGeneres to replace Paula Abdul as a judge on the music talent show. Seriously, what the hell the producers thinking? They could have picked many, many others with solid credentials (Queen Latifah, Mya, Billy Corgan, Missy Elliott, Deborah Gibson, Jody Watley, Bette Milder, Peter Cetera, etc.), but they went - with a comedian? And one who has an absolutely hokey and stupid daytime TV talk show? Bullshit. Complete bullshit. What credibility this show had - or had left - is gone now.
Did anyone see Ellen's "judging" on So You Think You Can Dance? Horrible. She offers no insight on anything related to music. In addition, she is not funny or entertaining at all.
And they could have keep the judges at three, as it was before Kara DioGuardi came on board. Why do they still think they need four judges?
Chicagoans have already tuned out this waste-of-time talent show (the May finale ranked 51st here out of 56 metered markets nationwide), as evidenced by the screw-over job hometown favorite Jennifer Hudson got in 2004. With this choice, America will do the same. Stick a fork in it, Idol is about as done as the Cubs and White Sox are this baseball season.
And yeah Ellen fans, you can hate on me all you want for my opinion on this decision. But it doesn't change the fact that American Idol - whose ratings have been declining for the last several years, will decline even further.
But they could have made an even worse decision... they could have picked Jim Belushi.
Updated 11:25 p.m. on 2009-09-14.
Winners.
- Diane Sawyer to World News Tonight. She replaces the retiring Charles Gibson, and she certainly has the ability to anchor a major network evening newscast - unlike a certain former Today co-host (and the ratings more than tells that story.)
- The Vampire Diaries. Could this be the show that saves The CW? A record-breaking performance - with 4.9 million viewers for its premiere, but let's see what week two holds.
- Sons of Anarchy. Lost in the "hype" of the return of The New Melrose Place, was this FX drama, whose second season premiere outdrew the season premieres of CW's Melrose and 90210 with 4.3 million viewers. So where's the trade press hype over that?
- Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Speech. Some called it arrogant. Some called it a sad display. I call it brilliant. The PC crowd just doesn't get it (and that's PC in "politically correct", not John Hodgeman from those Apple ads.)
Losers.
- Tyra Banks. With a ratings decline of this week's season premiere of America's Next Top Model from a year ago and a combative interview with Nightline's Cynthia McFadden, this may mean the public is finally tiring of Tyra's unbearable diva act.
- White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. For slamming the Fox broadcast network (not Fox News) for not airing Obama's speech Wednesday night, when the speech was available on Fox News Channel, CNN, PBS, the Big 3 networks, and C-SPAN. Quote from Gibbs: " I do hope the viewers of Fox will find a way to watch the speech tonight. I know that the network, instead of dealing with the reality of millions of people on health insurance reform, have decided to show a reality show called something like, So You Think You Can Dance. I do hope that people will check into the reality of what’s going on in America rather than the distraction of a reality TV show."
Well, here's some reality you and the Obama administration need to face - this health care overhaul is in serious trouble. Maybe you need to focus on that instead of what Fox is doing.
And in case you're wondering, Dance tanked in the ratings Wednesday night.
- South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson. And speaking of the speech, this guy yelled out "You lie!" to President Obama during his speech Wednesday Night after he said the health care plan would not cover illegal immigrants. You can disagree with the President on any given issue, but show some damn respect will ya?
- American Idol. For picking Ellen DeGeneres to replace Paula Abdul as a judge on the music talent show. Seriously, what the hell the producers thinking? They could have picked many, many others with solid credentials (Queen Latifah, Mya, Billy Corgan, Missy Elliott, Deborah Gibson, Jody Watley, Bette Milder, Peter Cetera, etc.), but they went - with a comedian? And one who has an absolutely hokey and stupid daytime TV talk show? Bullshit. Complete bullshit. What credibility this show had - or had left - is gone now.
Did anyone see Ellen's "judging" on So You Think You Can Dance? Horrible. She offers no insight on anything related to music. In addition, she is not funny or entertaining at all.
And they could have keep the judges at three, as it was before Kara DioGuardi came on board. Why do they still think they need four judges?
Chicagoans have already tuned out this waste-of-time talent show (the May finale ranked 51st here out of 56 metered markets nationwide), as evidenced by the screw-over job hometown favorite Jennifer Hudson got in 2004. With this choice, America will do the same. Stick a fork in it, Idol is about as done as the Cubs and White Sox are this baseball season.
And yeah Ellen fans, you can hate on me all you want for my opinion on this decision. But it doesn't change the fact that American Idol - whose ratings have been declining for the last several years, will decline even further.
But they could have made an even worse decision... they could have picked Jim Belushi.
Updated 11:25 p.m. on 2009-09-14.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Chicago's August PPM results
Here are the results for the August PPMs for 12+ and for adults 25-54. Among the findings:
- Winners include WSCR, WPPN, WXRT, WUSN, and drumroll please.... Q101! Yes, Q101 - or WKQX-FM grew 27% in 12+ month-to-month.
- The biggest winner of all is WTMX-FM (The Mix), who dominated the 25-54 ratings and 12+ with Eric & Kathy leading the way.
- Steve Harvey on WVAZ-FM (V103) continues his growth.
- WKSC-FM continues its run over rival WBBM-FM, but B96's numbers are up month-to month in 12+.
- All-sports WSCR trounced WMVP in the 12+ ratings, but let's see what the male demos have to say.
- Sliding to the losers' side, WOJO and WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3) saw decreases month-to-month. Given Soul 106.3 acquired The Tom Joyner Morning Show earlier this year, the station's performance should have been better.
- WGN-AM remained number one, but slid the new Greg Jarrett morning show is a disappointment, down 19% from July and finishing 22nd overall. Given these circumstances, it keeps the station off the winner's list, but the #1 ranking keeps them off the loser's one.
- Another morning loser is WGCI's new Morning Riot, which was anything but with a 23rd-place finish overall among morning shows and did not even make the top 20 among the adult 25-54 demo.
- Winners include WSCR, WPPN, WXRT, WUSN, and drumroll please.... Q101! Yes, Q101 - or WKQX-FM grew 27% in 12+ month-to-month.
- The biggest winner of all is WTMX-FM (The Mix), who dominated the 25-54 ratings and 12+ with Eric & Kathy leading the way.
- Steve Harvey on WVAZ-FM (V103) continues his growth.
- WKSC-FM continues its run over rival WBBM-FM, but B96's numbers are up month-to month in 12+.
- All-sports WSCR trounced WMVP in the 12+ ratings, but let's see what the male demos have to say.
- Sliding to the losers' side, WOJO and WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3) saw decreases month-to-month. Given Soul 106.3 acquired The Tom Joyner Morning Show earlier this year, the station's performance should have been better.
- WGN-AM remained number one, but slid the new Greg Jarrett morning show is a disappointment, down 19% from July and finishing 22nd overall. Given these circumstances, it keeps the station off the winner's list, but the #1 ranking keeps them off the loser's one.
- Another morning loser is WGCI's new Morning Riot, which was anything but with a 23rd-place finish overall among morning shows and did not even make the top 20 among the adult 25-54 demo.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
"Cold Case Files" heads to syndication
WBBM-TV picks up series, bringing Bill Kurtis back to station.
CBS-owned WBBM-TV has picked up repeats of a reality series titled Cold Case Files, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The series will air on the CBS O&O in a 1:07 a.m. Tuesday thru Saturday time slot, beginning Sept. 22.
But in a rather odd twist in the deal (but a positive one), Bill Kurtis will do one-minute Cold Case Update vignettes during WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. newscasts, which provides updates on local and national unsolved homicides (vignettes are one-minute inserts stations can air during newscasts, such as the Mr. Food segments that appears on WLS-TV's midday newscasts.)
The move marks a homecoming of sorts for Kurtis, who is best known in local circles for pairing up with Walter Jacobson to co-anchor WBBM's newscasts, which dominated the market during the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Kurtis left the station in 1982 to anchor CBS' morning newscasts, but returned to WBBM in 1985 where he faced a station whose ratings - in news and syndicated programming (America, anyone?) were in very quick decline. While at WBBM, Kurtis started his own documentary company and departed the station in 1996 to devote full time to those projects. A&E has aired many of them, including Cold Case Files from 1999 to 2005.
Kurtis has also become a pitchman for AT&T Mobile Internet services.
The acquisition fits like a glove for WBBM, which already airs procedural dramas Without A Trace and Cold Case on weekends.
Did you know? The last time WBBM aired reruns of any off-network reality series in late fringe was during the 1994-95 season with the former CBS series Top Cops, which was distributed by Genesis Entertainment.
CBS-owned WBBM-TV has picked up repeats of a reality series titled Cold Case Files, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The series will air on the CBS O&O in a 1:07 a.m. Tuesday thru Saturday time slot, beginning Sept. 22.
But in a rather odd twist in the deal (but a positive one), Bill Kurtis will do one-minute Cold Case Update vignettes during WBBM-TV's 10 p.m. newscasts, which provides updates on local and national unsolved homicides (vignettes are one-minute inserts stations can air during newscasts, such as the Mr. Food segments that appears on WLS-TV's midday newscasts.)
The move marks a homecoming of sorts for Kurtis, who is best known in local circles for pairing up with Walter Jacobson to co-anchor WBBM's newscasts, which dominated the market during the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Kurtis left the station in 1982 to anchor CBS' morning newscasts, but returned to WBBM in 1985 where he faced a station whose ratings - in news and syndicated programming (America, anyone?) were in very quick decline. While at WBBM, Kurtis started his own documentary company and departed the station in 1996 to devote full time to those projects. A&E has aired many of them, including Cold Case Files from 1999 to 2005.
Kurtis has also become a pitchman for AT&T Mobile Internet services.
The acquisition fits like a glove for WBBM, which already airs procedural dramas Without A Trace and Cold Case on weekends.
Did you know? The last time WBBM aired reruns of any off-network reality series in late fringe was during the 1994-95 season with the former CBS series Top Cops, which was distributed by Genesis Entertainment.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
T Dog's Think Tank: The white flag
On Monday, the Chicago White Sox traded veterans Jim Thome to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jose Contreras to the Colorado Rockies, bringing back memories of the July 1997 White Flag Trade which sent Wilson Alvarez and two others to the San Francisco Giants.
The move was sent as a signal the White Sox has given up on the season - as GM Kenny Williams traded the two for basically nothing. After winning the division last year, the White Sox are back in Chicago's sports basement just four years after winning the World Series - a scenario yours truly wrote about in a think tank two years ago (even worse, Sean Kingston still has a musical career.)
But if the White Sox have slid into oblivion - network television certainly has followed - most notably NBC. During the recent Television Critics Association tour, producer Peter Tolan of Rescue Me had this to say about NBC's decision to strip The Jay Leno Show five nights a week at 9 p.m. (CT):
"I feel they should take the American flag down in front of [NBC's]building and just put up a white one, because they've clearly have given up. They've clearly just said, 'Look, we can't develop. We can't develop anything that's going to stick. We have - clearly can't find anything with any traction, so we quit.' "
Yes, Ken Williams' inspiration may have came from those guys at the Nitwit Bumbling Company, who practically gave up before the season began by announcing an abomination of a prime-time schedule - with a Jay Leno strip as its' centerpiece (anyone who thinks Jeff "Doogie" Zucker and Ben "Party All The Time" Silverman is an inspiration for anything should be rushed into intensive care. ) While yours truly praised the idea back in December, now he's having second thoughts: given NBC's pathetic fall line-up, Leno now might not get the lead-in he needs to succeed. Given they had only ten hours a weeknight to deal with, NBC could have - and should have - done better than this.
But while this summer has been dreadful for the White Sox and the Cubs, it has been worse for network television. An item in Marc Berman's Programming Insider on Tuesday caught my eye: A study done by Turner Broadcasting on summer TV ratings showed in a decade's time, ad-supported cable nets grew by 48 percent in household rating and 67 percent in adults 18-49, while the Big Four broadcast nets dropped 39 percent and 48 percent respectively, in those same demographics. This summer, the Big Four have recorded historical rating lows.
While increased cable and satellite distribution factored in cable's rating increase, it doesn't underscore the fact the networks continue to lose audience in the summer (and in all seasons), even though they're offering fresher fare and other first-run programming. But when the programming consists of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, Crash Course, and Shaq vs... , you have a sense the networks have indeed raised the white flag this summer by just throwing crap on the wall to see what sticks, hoping to find the next Survivor or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire by luck.
But here's the difference: CBS with Survivor and Big Brother, ABC with Millionaire, and to a lesser extent, NBC with America's Got Talent and Fox with So You Think You Can Dance?, invested money in promoting those programs and viewers have responded. The rest is basically throwaway fare to fill time period. The nets are better off bringing back Busted Pilot Theater.
And the troubles will definitely continue through the fall: many experts are predicting the median age for the average prime-time viewer will rise this fall, thanks to Leno and the lack of youth-oriented fare of the Big Four prime-time skeds. Cable is now premiering new programming in September, no longer fearing the networks. The effect will be felt at 9 p.m. when young viewers - if any are left watching the broadcast networks - will flee for racier fare on cable, which they have done for years.
And let's not forget another reason viewers are turning away from the dreadful summer programming, White Sox and Cubs included: the burgeoning alternatives from DVDs to the Internet (mainly YouTube) to VOD from your cable and satellite providers. Unless you're a very die-hard Chicago baseball fan, you're not going to waste your time given the wealth of entertainment options out there - especially if you are a younger viewer (baseball is an older-skewing sport, even in Chicago. And those under 30 who do show up usually are there for the liquor or chat on their cell phone.)
And given the teams' mediocre front-office dealings this season, the Cubs and White Sox (not to mention the Nationals, Orioles, Royals, Reds, A's, and Pirates) have proven they are no better running a business than the major networks are - especially at NBC, where it has been one embarrassment after another. All you have to do is watch Heroes to figure that out.
And so, the white flag has been raised at U.S. Cellular Field. What's so uncanny about this is after the trade was made, NBC decided to move its headquarters to the ballpark while opening up a satellite office at Wrigley Field. What a coincidence.
The move was sent as a signal the White Sox has given up on the season - as GM Kenny Williams traded the two for basically nothing. After winning the division last year, the White Sox are back in Chicago's sports basement just four years after winning the World Series - a scenario yours truly wrote about in a think tank two years ago (even worse, Sean Kingston still has a musical career.)
But if the White Sox have slid into oblivion - network television certainly has followed - most notably NBC. During the recent Television Critics Association tour, producer Peter Tolan of Rescue Me had this to say about NBC's decision to strip The Jay Leno Show five nights a week at 9 p.m. (CT):
"I feel they should take the American flag down in front of [NBC's]building and just put up a white one, because they've clearly have given up. They've clearly just said, 'Look, we can't develop. We can't develop anything that's going to stick. We have - clearly can't find anything with any traction, so we quit.' "
Yes, Ken Williams' inspiration may have came from those guys at the Nitwit Bumbling Company, who practically gave up before the season began by announcing an abomination of a prime-time schedule - with a Jay Leno strip as its' centerpiece (anyone who thinks Jeff "Doogie" Zucker and Ben "Party All The Time" Silverman is an inspiration for anything should be rushed into intensive care. ) While yours truly praised the idea back in December, now he's having second thoughts: given NBC's pathetic fall line-up, Leno now might not get the lead-in he needs to succeed. Given they had only ten hours a weeknight to deal with, NBC could have - and should have - done better than this.
But while this summer has been dreadful for the White Sox and the Cubs, it has been worse for network television. An item in Marc Berman's Programming Insider on Tuesday caught my eye: A study done by Turner Broadcasting on summer TV ratings showed in a decade's time, ad-supported cable nets grew by 48 percent in household rating and 67 percent in adults 18-49, while the Big Four broadcast nets dropped 39 percent and 48 percent respectively, in those same demographics. This summer, the Big Four have recorded historical rating lows.
While increased cable and satellite distribution factored in cable's rating increase, it doesn't underscore the fact the networks continue to lose audience in the summer (and in all seasons), even though they're offering fresher fare and other first-run programming. But when the programming consists of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here, Crash Course, and Shaq vs... , you have a sense the networks have indeed raised the white flag this summer by just throwing crap on the wall to see what sticks, hoping to find the next Survivor or Who Wants To Be A Millionaire by luck.
But here's the difference: CBS with Survivor and Big Brother, ABC with Millionaire, and to a lesser extent, NBC with America's Got Talent and Fox with So You Think You Can Dance?, invested money in promoting those programs and viewers have responded. The rest is basically throwaway fare to fill time period. The nets are better off bringing back Busted Pilot Theater.
And the troubles will definitely continue through the fall: many experts are predicting the median age for the average prime-time viewer will rise this fall, thanks to Leno and the lack of youth-oriented fare of the Big Four prime-time skeds. Cable is now premiering new programming in September, no longer fearing the networks. The effect will be felt at 9 p.m. when young viewers - if any are left watching the broadcast networks - will flee for racier fare on cable, which they have done for years.
And let's not forget another reason viewers are turning away from the dreadful summer programming, White Sox and Cubs included: the burgeoning alternatives from DVDs to the Internet (mainly YouTube) to VOD from your cable and satellite providers. Unless you're a very die-hard Chicago baseball fan, you're not going to waste your time given the wealth of entertainment options out there - especially if you are a younger viewer (baseball is an older-skewing sport, even in Chicago. And those under 30 who do show up usually are there for the liquor or chat on their cell phone.)
And given the teams' mediocre front-office dealings this season, the Cubs and White Sox (not to mention the Nationals, Orioles, Royals, Reds, A's, and Pirates) have proven they are no better running a business than the major networks are - especially at NBC, where it has been one embarrassment after another. All you have to do is watch Heroes to figure that out.
And so, the white flag has been raised at U.S. Cellular Field. What's so uncanny about this is after the trade was made, NBC decided to move its headquarters to the ballpark while opening up a satellite office at Wrigley Field. What a coincidence.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Weigel's Chicago stations new fall lineups
Weigel Broadcasting, owner of independent WCIU-TV in Chicago and classic TV stations Me-TV (WCIU-DT, 26.2) and Me-Too (WMEU-TV and WCIU-DT 26.3) has released its fall schedules for the 2009-10 season. Click the links to view each schedule, all in PDF form:
WCIU 2009 Fall Schedule
Me-TV Fall Schedule
Me-Too Fall Schedule
Similar to what Turner has done to TBS and TNT and the WWE has done to its roster (splitting up between Smackdown and Raw), Weigel has split its classic TV stations into different genres: Me-TV is mostly comedy while Me-Too is drama.
Among the highlights:
- My Wife & Kids moves to WCIU from WGN-TV, where the sitcom will air at 8 p.m. (My Wife also moves in New York, from WPIX-TV to WWOR-TV.)
- You & Me, a new local lifestyle-news show hosted by Jeanne Sparrow airs weekdays at 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
- Scrubs shifts to Me-TV at 4:30 p.m. and WCIU at 12:30 a.m.
- The new Brian McKnight Show airs at 7 p.m. Sundays on WCIU, beginning Sept. 27
- Even though Star Trek: The Next Generation repeats were sold to the Tribune station group, CBS Television Distribution bypassed WGN-TV to sell the series to MeToo. It'll run weeknights at 9 p.m. beginning Sept. 14.
Usually when the trades announce a sale of a program to a major station group, it is assumed all stations in the group will air the show - and sometimes this isn't the case. For example, even though the trades reported the NBC O&Os renewed Deal or No Deal and Martha for another season, NBC's WRC in Washington doesn't air either show.
WCIU 2009 Fall Schedule
Me-TV Fall Schedule
Me-Too Fall Schedule
Similar to what Turner has done to TBS and TNT and the WWE has done to its roster (splitting up between Smackdown and Raw), Weigel has split its classic TV stations into different genres: Me-TV is mostly comedy while Me-Too is drama.
Among the highlights:
- My Wife & Kids moves to WCIU from WGN-TV, where the sitcom will air at 8 p.m. (My Wife also moves in New York, from WPIX-TV to WWOR-TV.)
- You & Me, a new local lifestyle-news show hosted by Jeanne Sparrow airs weekdays at 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
- Scrubs shifts to Me-TV at 4:30 p.m. and WCIU at 12:30 a.m.
- The new Brian McKnight Show airs at 7 p.m. Sundays on WCIU, beginning Sept. 27
- Even though Star Trek: The Next Generation repeats were sold to the Tribune station group, CBS Television Distribution bypassed WGN-TV to sell the series to MeToo. It'll run weeknights at 9 p.m. beginning Sept. 14.
Usually when the trades announce a sale of a program to a major station group, it is assumed all stations in the group will air the show - and sometimes this isn't the case. For example, even though the trades reported the NBC O&Os renewed Deal or No Deal and Martha for another season, NBC's WRC in Washington doesn't air either show.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Heard around the blogs...
Yours truly had a thing or two to say about Thursday's White Sox-Cubs interleague game on Steve Rosenbloom's blog Monday night:
Cubs-Sox game on Thursday? Yawn. Thank god I have a job. The players and management on these two loser teams shouldn't have theirs.
Cubs-Sox game on Thursday? Yawn. Thank god I have a job. The players and management on these two loser teams shouldn't have theirs.
Pat Mullen out at Fox Chicago duopoly, Renda in
Another GM shake-up at Fox-owned WFLD-TV and WPWR-TV has led Pat Mullen out the door after three rather unproductive years at the duopoly, and was replaced by Michael Renda of sister station WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, which is also a Fox O&O.
In turn, Patrick Paolini takes over the WTXF job after his stint as vice president and director of sales at WNYW and WWOR, Fox's O&O duopoly in New York.
Under Renda's watch, WTXF launched a successful 5 p.m. newscast where it finished first among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 during May, ending the decades-long dominance of ABC-owned powerhouse WPVI-TV in the time period. (WPVI still won in households.)
But this is going to be more challenging: Renda will be running a station which is generally considered the weakest in the Fox O&O chain in a market which is home to one of the highest-rated ABC affiliates in the country.
As for the departing Mullen, he came to WFLD in April 2006 from Tribune (where he was head of the company's station group), replacing Debbie Carpenter as GM. During his tenure, he expanded WFLD's newscasts to 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., with disappointing results. News personalities Walter Jacobson, Mark Suppelsa, and Mike Barz departed the station in controversy, while ratings for the newscasts have not improved. The station's 10 p.m. newscast was recently canceled.
Currently, WFLD does not plan to launch a 5 p.m. newscast - given WGN-TV's ratings for its local newscast at 5:30 p.m. (which also have been disappointing), but WGN is sticking with it for the long-term in the hope of ratings improving.
Meanwhile, ratings for WFLD's syndicated programming - notably aging reruns of The Simpsons and Seinfeld have declined due to tougher off-network sitcom competition from WGN and WCIU, though TMZ is somewhat of a ratings hit. WPWR has been a disaster, with ratings for most of its shows hovering around a 1 while Everybody Loves Raymond - which it lured from WGN back in March 2008 - has not lived up to expectations.
Another of WPWR's somewhat reliable ratings performers (The Tyra Banks Show) is leaving for a daytime slot on CW beginning next week. First-run shows on the station - notably Temptation and Trivial Pursuit - have bombed and were not awarded second seasons. Other programs (like Jerry Springer and Cops) have clearly overstayed their welcome.
But the good news for WFLD and WPWR is the arrival of some new highly anticipated programs to the duopoly this fall. Reruns of NBC's demo hit The Office begins airing on WFLD weeknights beginning Sept. 21 at 6:30 P.M. and 10 p.m, while My Name is Earl reruns are expected to land on sister station WPWR.
Dr. Oz, a new talk show from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment, takes the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. time slots on WFLD beginning Sept. 14, while The Wendy Williams Show (which premiered July 13) owns the 3 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. time slot on the same station. Wendy Williams has done well in several key demos at 3 p.m. (in women 18-34 and women 18-49.) thus far.
In turn, Patrick Paolini takes over the WTXF job after his stint as vice president and director of sales at WNYW and WWOR, Fox's O&O duopoly in New York.
Under Renda's watch, WTXF launched a successful 5 p.m. newscast where it finished first among adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 during May, ending the decades-long dominance of ABC-owned powerhouse WPVI-TV in the time period. (WPVI still won in households.)
But this is going to be more challenging: Renda will be running a station which is generally considered the weakest in the Fox O&O chain in a market which is home to one of the highest-rated ABC affiliates in the country.
As for the departing Mullen, he came to WFLD in April 2006 from Tribune (where he was head of the company's station group), replacing Debbie Carpenter as GM. During his tenure, he expanded WFLD's newscasts to 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., with disappointing results. News personalities Walter Jacobson, Mark Suppelsa, and Mike Barz departed the station in controversy, while ratings for the newscasts have not improved. The station's 10 p.m. newscast was recently canceled.
Currently, WFLD does not plan to launch a 5 p.m. newscast - given WGN-TV's ratings for its local newscast at 5:30 p.m. (which also have been disappointing), but WGN is sticking with it for the long-term in the hope of ratings improving.
Meanwhile, ratings for WFLD's syndicated programming - notably aging reruns of The Simpsons and Seinfeld have declined due to tougher off-network sitcom competition from WGN and WCIU, though TMZ is somewhat of a ratings hit. WPWR has been a disaster, with ratings for most of its shows hovering around a 1 while Everybody Loves Raymond - which it lured from WGN back in March 2008 - has not lived up to expectations.
Another of WPWR's somewhat reliable ratings performers (The Tyra Banks Show) is leaving for a daytime slot on CW beginning next week. First-run shows on the station - notably Temptation and Trivial Pursuit - have bombed and were not awarded second seasons. Other programs (like Jerry Springer and Cops) have clearly overstayed their welcome.
But the good news for WFLD and WPWR is the arrival of some new highly anticipated programs to the duopoly this fall. Reruns of NBC's demo hit The Office begins airing on WFLD weeknights beginning Sept. 21 at 6:30 P.M. and 10 p.m, while My Name is Earl reruns are expected to land on sister station WPWR.
Dr. Oz, a new talk show from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment, takes the 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. time slots on WFLD beginning Sept. 14, while The Wendy Williams Show (which premiered July 13) owns the 3 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. time slot on the same station. Wendy Williams has done well in several key demos at 3 p.m. (in women 18-34 and women 18-49.) thus far.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Disney acquires Marvel Entertainment
I can see it now... Goofy and Captain America starring in the new buddy comedy, The Goofball and the Superhero.
Maybe not.
But the owners of those properties are hooking up with each in a $4 billion dollar cash and stock deal.
In a rather rare merger deal in this magnitude in this economic climate, The Walt Disney Co. announced Monday it was acquiring Marvel Entertainment. The deal gives The Mouse House control over characters from the comic-book conglomerate including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and thousands of others.
Some of those characters have headlined several big-time motion pictures, notably the Spider-Man franchise and Fantastic Four, bringing in millions upon millions of dollars in box-office revenue.
For Disney, the acquisition is good news for its television and film properties as the Marvel franchise attracts male teenagers and young men - as opposed to Disney's traditional offerings for young girls and young women.
The deal also gives Disney access to hours of Marvel-related television series - which it can fill on its male 9-14-targeted Disney XD digital cable channel, which competes with Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network for the same audience, especially with the latter's success (at least in this demo) of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
For the time being, all existing contracts with non-owned Disney properties (such as Cartoon Network) will be honored. And Marvel-themed rides with Universal Studios Theme Parks (which is a rival to Disney's parks) will also continue, for now. But don't be surprised if the word "synergy" between Disney and Marvel becomes common down the road.
Meanwhile, comic-book fans are weary of the new found relationship between Marvel and Disney, fearing The Mouse House's squeaky-clean reputation would interfere with the storylines, which feature some characters who are hardcore alcoholics, wife-beaters, drug dealers, and murderers.
It's enough to make The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon to go on a rant for days... and days.... and...
Maybe not.
But the owners of those properties are hooking up with each in a $4 billion dollar cash and stock deal.
In a rather rare merger deal in this magnitude in this economic climate, The Walt Disney Co. announced Monday it was acquiring Marvel Entertainment. The deal gives The Mouse House control over characters from the comic-book conglomerate including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and thousands of others.
Some of those characters have headlined several big-time motion pictures, notably the Spider-Man franchise and Fantastic Four, bringing in millions upon millions of dollars in box-office revenue.
For Disney, the acquisition is good news for its television and film properties as the Marvel franchise attracts male teenagers and young men - as opposed to Disney's traditional offerings for young girls and young women.
The deal also gives Disney access to hours of Marvel-related television series - which it can fill on its male 9-14-targeted Disney XD digital cable channel, which competes with Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network for the same audience, especially with the latter's success (at least in this demo) of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
For the time being, all existing contracts with non-owned Disney properties (such as Cartoon Network) will be honored. And Marvel-themed rides with Universal Studios Theme Parks (which is a rival to Disney's parks) will also continue, for now. But don't be surprised if the word "synergy" between Disney and Marvel becomes common down the road.
Meanwhile, comic-book fans are weary of the new found relationship between Marvel and Disney, fearing The Mouse House's squeaky-clean reputation would interfere with the storylines, which feature some characters who are hardcore alcoholics, wife-beaters, drug dealers, and murderers.
It's enough to make The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon to go on a rant for days... and days.... and...
Thursday, August 27, 2009
"Real Housewives" head to NBC O&Os for 2010
The NBC-owned stations have made a deal with co-owned NBC Universal Television Distribution to begin airing off-cable repeats of The Real Housewives Of... as a weekday strip beginning in the fall of 2010. Locally, the program will air in a unspecified time period on WMAQ-TV.
The program has also been sold to Hearst Broadcasting, which means the series will also air as a strip over ABC affiliates WISN-TV in Milwaukee and WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, plus NBC affiliate WBAL-TV in Baltimore. The series is being sold on an all-barter basis.
The series currently airs on Bravo!, which is also owned by NBC Universal.
The program usually follows the lives of five housewives in a real-life docu-soap version of Desperate Housewives. The activities can range from the gals attending charity events to... well, fighting one another.
Four editions of the show have been shot - in New Jersey, New York, Atlanta, and Orange County (Calif.) The Atlanta version has been extremely popular, drawing 2.7 million viewers for its second season premiere. Plus, the Atlanta version has been a huge draw among African-American viewers, ranking at or near the top every week among cable in black homes according to Nielsen.
Meanwhile, the season finale of the New Jersey version drew 4.6 million in June.
One negative for the show's broadcast syndication run is the interchangeability of the cast with the different editions, a problem plaguing most reality shows. Keep in mind though, off-network repeats of Cops is set in a different city almost every episode and has been a staple of broadcast syndication since 1992. On the other hand, interchangeability did not help Rescue 911 or America's Most Wanted: Final Justice when they entered off-network syndication.
With the NBC O&Os taking Housewives for 2010, it means one of three shows on NBC O&Os' daytime schedule could be a target for cancellation - NBC Universal's Martha, which has struggled since its' inception; Deal or No Deal, which has so-so numbers; and The Bonnie Hunt Show, which is limping into season two. There's also Ellen, who like Bonnie is syndicated by Warner Bros., but Ms. Degeneres' show continues to perform well, so a defection isn't likely.
NBC's WRC in Washington D.C. does not air Deal or Martha.
As for Real Housewives' future on Bravo, the next edition is expected to take place in D.C. A Chicago edition is also being discussed.
The program has also been sold to Hearst Broadcasting, which means the series will also air as a strip over ABC affiliates WISN-TV in Milwaukee and WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, plus NBC affiliate WBAL-TV in Baltimore. The series is being sold on an all-barter basis.
The series currently airs on Bravo!, which is also owned by NBC Universal.
The program usually follows the lives of five housewives in a real-life docu-soap version of Desperate Housewives. The activities can range from the gals attending charity events to... well, fighting one another.
Four editions of the show have been shot - in New Jersey, New York, Atlanta, and Orange County (Calif.) The Atlanta version has been extremely popular, drawing 2.7 million viewers for its second season premiere. Plus, the Atlanta version has been a huge draw among African-American viewers, ranking at or near the top every week among cable in black homes according to Nielsen.
Meanwhile, the season finale of the New Jersey version drew 4.6 million in June.
One negative for the show's broadcast syndication run is the interchangeability of the cast with the different editions, a problem plaguing most reality shows. Keep in mind though, off-network repeats of Cops is set in a different city almost every episode and has been a staple of broadcast syndication since 1992. On the other hand, interchangeability did not help Rescue 911 or America's Most Wanted: Final Justice when they entered off-network syndication.
With the NBC O&Os taking Housewives for 2010, it means one of three shows on NBC O&Os' daytime schedule could be a target for cancellation - NBC Universal's Martha, which has struggled since its' inception; Deal or No Deal, which has so-so numbers; and The Bonnie Hunt Show, which is limping into season two. There's also Ellen, who like Bonnie is syndicated by Warner Bros., but Ms. Degeneres' show continues to perform well, so a defection isn't likely.
NBC's WRC in Washington D.C. does not air Deal or Martha.
As for Real Housewives' future on Bravo, the next edition is expected to take place in D.C. A Chicago edition is also being discussed.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
WLIT names new morning show
WLIT-FM announced its new morning show team - with a familiar voice.
That's because the new morning man (Sean Valentine) has worked in Chicago radio before - he was the morning personality for WKSC-FM from 2001 to 2003, before Drex took over.
And like it was when Valentine was doing mornings at WKSC, his new morning show will be piped-in from - you guessed it, Los Angeles.
Both WLIT and WKSC are owned by Clear Channel Communications.
The move is being made after the Adult Contemporary outlet canceled Melissa Forman's show after two years of low ratings.
Joining Valentine (from a studio in Chicago) is former WNUA personality Karen Williams, who will provide traffic and weather, and Irma Blanco, formerly of Mancow's Morning Madhouse, when it was on WRCX, one of the forerunners of WKSC on the 103.5 frequency.
The festivities begin Sept. 2.
Thought: Was going to put the headline on Twitter first, but when you have a rant, 140 characters isn't just enough.
This is by far, the most stupidest move Clear Channel has made.... this month. This from a company that has a history of making them, and this inane move gives us just more proof of how Cheap Channel continues to destroy radio.
This new morning show is nothing but a sloppy cut-and-paste job Clear Channel has foisted on its Chicago Adult Contemporary audience. If this company can surprise veteran employees by giving them the pink slip unexpectedly, ushering them out the door at a moment's notice by mailroom employees, and having their stuff they left behind being thrown out the windows, what makes you think they have any respect for their listening audience? With this move, they have admitted local voices don't matter anymore.
And don't give me this economy bullcrap. With more than a few local television stations expanding local programming (from adding local newscasts to adding local sports, talk, and magazine shows) across the country - even in this shaky economy, this move makes Cheap Channel even more foolish.
Clear Channel may be headed for bankruptcy because of its heavy debt burden - which could force the company to sell off stations. Maybe its all for the best, because Clear Channel has already inflicted enough damage on the radio industry.
That's because the new morning man (Sean Valentine) has worked in Chicago radio before - he was the morning personality for WKSC-FM from 2001 to 2003, before Drex took over.
And like it was when Valentine was doing mornings at WKSC, his new morning show will be piped-in from - you guessed it, Los Angeles.
Both WLIT and WKSC are owned by Clear Channel Communications.
The move is being made after the Adult Contemporary outlet canceled Melissa Forman's show after two years of low ratings.
Joining Valentine (from a studio in Chicago) is former WNUA personality Karen Williams, who will provide traffic and weather, and Irma Blanco, formerly of Mancow's Morning Madhouse, when it was on WRCX, one of the forerunners of WKSC on the 103.5 frequency.
The festivities begin Sept. 2.
Thought: Was going to put the headline on Twitter first, but when you have a rant, 140 characters isn't just enough.
This is by far, the most stupidest move Clear Channel has made.... this month. This from a company that has a history of making them, and this inane move gives us just more proof of how Cheap Channel continues to destroy radio.
This new morning show is nothing but a sloppy cut-and-paste job Clear Channel has foisted on its Chicago Adult Contemporary audience. If this company can surprise veteran employees by giving them the pink slip unexpectedly, ushering them out the door at a moment's notice by mailroom employees, and having their stuff they left behind being thrown out the windows, what makes you think they have any respect for their listening audience? With this move, they have admitted local voices don't matter anymore.
And don't give me this economy bullcrap. With more than a few local television stations expanding local programming (from adding local newscasts to adding local sports, talk, and magazine shows) across the country - even in this shaky economy, this move makes Cheap Channel even more foolish.
Clear Channel may be headed for bankruptcy because of its heavy debt burden - which could force the company to sell off stations. Maybe its all for the best, because Clear Channel has already inflicted enough damage on the radio industry.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Weigel's South Bend deal falls through
A deal to sell for Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting to sell three low-power TV stations to WSBT owner Schurz Communications in South Bend has fallen through.
Weigel, who owns ABC affiliate WBND-TV, CW affiliate WCWW-TV and My Network TV affiliate WMYS-TV planned to sell the trio to Schurz, who in addition to the ratings-dominant CBS affiliate also owns the South Bend Tribune.
The deal was supposed to approved by the FCC after it was announced in August 2008, but was continuously delayed. Weigel officials were so adamant about the deal getting done, President Howard Shapiro reportedly showed up at the FCC one day last month with a sign that said "Please Decide".
If the deal had gone through, Schurz would have owned one full-powered station and three LPTVs.
With the deal off the table, the trio will focus on its fall syndicated lineup for 2009-2010 season, which includes new fare such as The Wendy Williams Show and the most recent incarnation of America's Funniest Home Videos.
The other two full-powered stations in the South Bend/Elkhart market are Gray Communications WNDU-TV, an NBC affiliate located on Notre Dame University; and Fox affiliate WSJV-TV, which was an ABC affiliate until 1995.
Weigel, who owns ABC affiliate WBND-TV, CW affiliate WCWW-TV and My Network TV affiliate WMYS-TV planned to sell the trio to Schurz, who in addition to the ratings-dominant CBS affiliate also owns the South Bend Tribune.
The deal was supposed to approved by the FCC after it was announced in August 2008, but was continuously delayed. Weigel officials were so adamant about the deal getting done, President Howard Shapiro reportedly showed up at the FCC one day last month with a sign that said "Please Decide".
If the deal had gone through, Schurz would have owned one full-powered station and three LPTVs.
With the deal off the table, the trio will focus on its fall syndicated lineup for 2009-2010 season, which includes new fare such as The Wendy Williams Show and the most recent incarnation of America's Funniest Home Videos.
The other two full-powered stations in the South Bend/Elkhart market are Gray Communications WNDU-TV, an NBC affiliate located on Notre Dame University; and Fox affiliate WSJV-TV, which was an ABC affiliate until 1995.
Monday, August 24, 2009
T Dog's Four Pack
The last few weeks had some noteworthy stories, and here's how it all went down: the good and the bad.
Winners
- Rick Bayless win Top Chef: Masters. Yes, our town's own Rick Bayless won Top Chef: Masters last week, just giving us more proof he's more talented than his brother, Skip.
- Project Runway. The move to Lifetime and a year off the year didn't faze this fashion-design reality program: the season premiere drew 4.2 million viewers.
- Brett Favre is back. Good news for the NFL, the networks, and especially the Minnesota Vikings - not so for the rest of us.
- Futurama voice cast signs new deal. And you were worried... that is, unless your name was Paula Abdul.
Losers
- Chicago media coverage of a Wrigley Field beer-thrower. It was the top local story on all outlets the day after it happened. And once again, all of Chicago has to stop because of some idiot misbehaving at Wrigley Field. Gee, maybe they should've gone all-out, break into local programming, and had helicopters hover over the guy until he turned himself in. This isn't L.A., you morons.
- Cartoon Network. Ratings for toons declining, and most of their new live-action series have tanked (except for Destroy Build Destroy, which was recently renewed for a second season. ) Idenity crisis?
- WWJ-TV's coverage of Detroit Lions pre-season games. Click this thread and read the reactions by Detroiters on the CBS O&O's (yes, a CBS O&O) lackluster production of a pre-season game between the Lions and the Falcons. It was so bad, airing it in black-and-white would have been an improvement. Who said the production quality of the team's games on TV would exactly match the product on the field?
- Advertisers, the Glenn Beck controversy, and television in general. After Glenn Beck called President Obama "a racist" on a Fox News show, some advertisers shifted their money out of his show on the same network after a left-leaning political group complained. Now a right-leaning political group is threatening to boycott advertisers who pull out of Beck's show.
Advertisers absolutely hate being in the middle of political controversy. It's basically the case of pleasing one group and alienating the other. And with these watchdog groups' control over the medium these days (especially after the Superbowl Halftime Show debacle a few years back), it's the television and radio industries that turns out to be the biggest losers of all, with already more than a few advertisers cutting back spending on both mediums. I don't think we need to be sold anymore Sham-Wows and Craftmatic Adjustable Beds.
Winners
- Rick Bayless win Top Chef: Masters. Yes, our town's own Rick Bayless won Top Chef: Masters last week, just giving us more proof he's more talented than his brother, Skip.
- Project Runway. The move to Lifetime and a year off the year didn't faze this fashion-design reality program: the season premiere drew 4.2 million viewers.
- Brett Favre is back. Good news for the NFL, the networks, and especially the Minnesota Vikings - not so for the rest of us.
- Futurama voice cast signs new deal. And you were worried... that is, unless your name was Paula Abdul.
Losers
- Chicago media coverage of a Wrigley Field beer-thrower. It was the top local story on all outlets the day after it happened. And once again, all of Chicago has to stop because of some idiot misbehaving at Wrigley Field. Gee, maybe they should've gone all-out, break into local programming, and had helicopters hover over the guy until he turned himself in. This isn't L.A., you morons.
- Cartoon Network. Ratings for toons declining, and most of their new live-action series have tanked (except for Destroy Build Destroy, which was recently renewed for a second season. ) Idenity crisis?
- WWJ-TV's coverage of Detroit Lions pre-season games. Click this thread and read the reactions by Detroiters on the CBS O&O's (yes, a CBS O&O) lackluster production of a pre-season game between the Lions and the Falcons. It was so bad, airing it in black-and-white would have been an improvement. Who said the production quality of the team's games on TV would exactly match the product on the field?
- Advertisers, the Glenn Beck controversy, and television in general. After Glenn Beck called President Obama "a racist" on a Fox News show, some advertisers shifted their money out of his show on the same network after a left-leaning political group complained. Now a right-leaning political group is threatening to boycott advertisers who pull out of Beck's show.
Advertisers absolutely hate being in the middle of political controversy. It's basically the case of pleasing one group and alienating the other. And with these watchdog groups' control over the medium these days (especially after the Superbowl Halftime Show debacle a few years back), it's the television and radio industries that turns out to be the biggest losers of all, with already more than a few advertisers cutting back spending on both mediums. I don't think we need to be sold anymore Sham-Wows and Craftmatic Adjustable Beds.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
"Millionaire" finds windfall in Chicago again
"Is that your final answer?" is becoming a popular phrase in Chicago again.
While Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has not caught fire in the ratings like it did in August 1999 when it first premiered, it has rekindled its love affair in the Windy City. According to Nielsen, Millionaire's return to ABC's prime-time lineup has paid dividends for ABC O&O WLS-TV in its 7 p.m. time slot.
Scheduled to run for eleven nights only, the run so far has been a hit in Chicago, with its household ratings the highest among the ten largest markets. For the first seven nights, Millionaire has averaged a 6.4 household rating and 13 share. The program has also been a huge draw in Philadelphia and Atlanta, two markets whose ABC affiliates (like WLS-TV in Chicago) dominate the local ratings in their home markets.
Wednesday's airing of Millionaire in Chicago drew a 7.6/13, the highest among the ten largest markets.
However, the picture nationally is a different story. The results have been disappointing, with the program drawing 7 million viewers overall and drawing only mid-1s in the ad-friendly adult 18-49 demo, meaning the program is skewing older.
The program became a regular series on ABC in January 2000, airing as much as four times a week, and drawing 20 million viewers an airing. Celebrity editions later came along, and with the public tiring of the show, ratings inevitably declined and wound up exiting ABC's schedule in June 2002.
Millionaire moved into first-run syndication in September 2002 as a strip with a new host (Meredith Vierra) and was a surprise hit for Buena Vista Television, coming years after failing with first-run game show strips Win, Lose, or Draw (which stumbled around between 1987 and 1990) and The Challengers.
After one uneventful year at CBS-owned WBBM-TV, the program moved to WGN-TV in 2003, where it has been since. Last year, the program was upgraded to 5 p.m. to lead into a new half hour evening newscast, where it performs decently in the ratings.
Millionaire currently averages a 2.4 rating, ahead of several game shows in syndication, including Deal or No Deal, Family Feud, and the now-canceled Trivial Pursuit. Clearances are above-average for a syndicated show with several ABC O&Os in its lineup (WABC-TV in New York, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, KGO-TV in San Francisco, and KTRK-TV in Houston, among others.)
Recently, the Indian version of Millionaire was centered around a plot for Slumdog Millionaire, which took home an Oscar Award for Best Movie.
Millionaire's prime-time run wraps up this Sunday.
T Dog Media Blog Archive: A change is afoot for Millionaire
While Who Wants To Be A Millionaire has not caught fire in the ratings like it did in August 1999 when it first premiered, it has rekindled its love affair in the Windy City. According to Nielsen, Millionaire's return to ABC's prime-time lineup has paid dividends for ABC O&O WLS-TV in its 7 p.m. time slot.
Scheduled to run for eleven nights only, the run so far has been a hit in Chicago, with its household ratings the highest among the ten largest markets. For the first seven nights, Millionaire has averaged a 6.4 household rating and 13 share. The program has also been a huge draw in Philadelphia and Atlanta, two markets whose ABC affiliates (like WLS-TV in Chicago) dominate the local ratings in their home markets.
Wednesday's airing of Millionaire in Chicago drew a 7.6/13, the highest among the ten largest markets.
However, the picture nationally is a different story. The results have been disappointing, with the program drawing 7 million viewers overall and drawing only mid-1s in the ad-friendly adult 18-49 demo, meaning the program is skewing older.
The program became a regular series on ABC in January 2000, airing as much as four times a week, and drawing 20 million viewers an airing. Celebrity editions later came along, and with the public tiring of the show, ratings inevitably declined and wound up exiting ABC's schedule in June 2002.
Millionaire moved into first-run syndication in September 2002 as a strip with a new host (Meredith Vierra) and was a surprise hit for Buena Vista Television, coming years after failing with first-run game show strips Win, Lose, or Draw (which stumbled around between 1987 and 1990) and The Challengers.
After one uneventful year at CBS-owned WBBM-TV, the program moved to WGN-TV in 2003, where it has been since. Last year, the program was upgraded to 5 p.m. to lead into a new half hour evening newscast, where it performs decently in the ratings.
Millionaire currently averages a 2.4 rating, ahead of several game shows in syndication, including Deal or No Deal, Family Feud, and the now-canceled Trivial Pursuit. Clearances are above-average for a syndicated show with several ABC O&Os in its lineup (WABC-TV in New York, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, KGO-TV in San Francisco, and KTRK-TV in Houston, among others.)
Recently, the Indian version of Millionaire was centered around a plot for Slumdog Millionaire, which took home an Oscar Award for Best Movie.
Millionaire's prime-time run wraps up this Sunday.
T Dog Media Blog Archive: A change is afoot for Millionaire
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
You've got to freakin' be kidding me...
For the first time in my life, I feel sorry for Packers fans....
Yeah, I know. It's been a slow month for news.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag- The Animated Edition
A ton of news featuring Family Guy and South Park today here in The Grab Bag. It's like having Cubs fans and White Sox fans together in the same room. Oh-Oh... Hey, no beer throwing!
- To build up Emmy buzz for its nomination as a Best Outstanding Comedy Nominee, the producers of Family Guy held a live table reading Wedensday night in Los Angeles, and the episode being read was centered on Lois agreeing on being a surrogate mother and complicating whether or not to have an abortion. Series creator Seth McFarlane stated that Fox would not air the episode, given the controversial nature of it.
The abortion issue is still a touchy subject in today's circles, and one advertisers won't go near. A two-part Maude episode centering on abortion generated protests from anti-abortion groups and caused 40 CBS affiliates to pre-empt the show when the episodes were reran in August 1973 (Maude's Dilemma originally aired on November 14 and 21, 1972.)
In 1989, NBC lost more than $1 million in revenue after advertisers bailed out of a TV movie, Roe vs. Wade.
An episode dealing with the issue on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi High was banned from airing on U.S. television.
Though Fox won't air the episode, it will likely wind up on a season DVD set. To see video from the table read, click here.
- As for episodes that will air on Fox, conservatives Karl Rowe and radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh will lend their voices on an episode where Brian fins there is nothing to complain about after Obama becomes President, he becomes a Republican. MacFarlane admitted his writing staff is liberal, hence all the conservative bashing. This is not the first time Limbaugh has lent his voice to Family Guy: he did so in Blue harvest, but curiously, not in an episode where he was a "character" played by Fred Savage.
Also on tap: Lois finds out she's Jewish and not Protestant.
- Also on the Family Guy front, Seth McFarlane also revealed something we already knew: Stewie Griffin is gay. In an interview with Playboy magazine (due out next month),MacFarlane talks about an upcoming episode where Stewie gets knocked about it at school, and he winds up going back in time to prevent a passage in the book of Leviticus from being written. Macfarlane and the writers decided to keep Stewie's homosexuality vague because of the toddler's age.
Thought: All right... Stewie's gay, we get it. It's something a fan of the show like yours truly has known for years. But hasn't Stewie shown interest in women before, even in an episode that aired last season? I suppose the proper term here is bisexual. I guess character development isn't Seth MacFarlane's forte.
- Meanwhile, the producers of South Park and Comedy Central were basically tired of their arch nemesis Seth McFarlane grabbing all the headlines. So they announced on Thursday they were making the original version of the first full-length episode of South Park available online at SouthParkStudios.com. It is basically an extended version of Cartman Gets An Anal Probe, which premiered on August 13, 1997 (right to the very day of this announcement.) The episode is only available online through September 12.
Though the linked article and South Park Studios states Cartman Gets An Anal Probe is the pilot of the series, it really isn't. The original "pilot" was a five-minute video Christmas card sent out to friends by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, featuring a duel between Jesus and Santa Claus. Wouldn't be cool if this was posted on the site as well?
- To build up Emmy buzz for its nomination as a Best Outstanding Comedy Nominee, the producers of Family Guy held a live table reading Wedensday night in Los Angeles, and the episode being read was centered on Lois agreeing on being a surrogate mother and complicating whether or not to have an abortion. Series creator Seth McFarlane stated that Fox would not air the episode, given the controversial nature of it.
The abortion issue is still a touchy subject in today's circles, and one advertisers won't go near. A two-part Maude episode centering on abortion generated protests from anti-abortion groups and caused 40 CBS affiliates to pre-empt the show when the episodes were reran in August 1973 (Maude's Dilemma originally aired on November 14 and 21, 1972.)
In 1989, NBC lost more than $1 million in revenue after advertisers bailed out of a TV movie, Roe vs. Wade.
An episode dealing with the issue on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi High was banned from airing on U.S. television.
Though Fox won't air the episode, it will likely wind up on a season DVD set. To see video from the table read, click here.
- As for episodes that will air on Fox, conservatives Karl Rowe and radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh will lend their voices on an episode where Brian fins there is nothing to complain about after Obama becomes President, he becomes a Republican. MacFarlane admitted his writing staff is liberal, hence all the conservative bashing. This is not the first time Limbaugh has lent his voice to Family Guy: he did so in Blue harvest, but curiously, not in an episode where he was a "character" played by Fred Savage.
Also on tap: Lois finds out she's Jewish and not Protestant.
- Also on the Family Guy front, Seth McFarlane also revealed something we already knew: Stewie Griffin is gay. In an interview with Playboy magazine (due out next month),MacFarlane talks about an upcoming episode where Stewie gets knocked about it at school, and he winds up going back in time to prevent a passage in the book of Leviticus from being written. Macfarlane and the writers decided to keep Stewie's homosexuality vague because of the toddler's age.
Thought: All right... Stewie's gay, we get it. It's something a fan of the show like yours truly has known for years. But hasn't Stewie shown interest in women before, even in an episode that aired last season? I suppose the proper term here is bisexual. I guess character development isn't Seth MacFarlane's forte.
- Meanwhile, the producers of South Park and Comedy Central were basically tired of their arch nemesis Seth McFarlane grabbing all the headlines. So they announced on Thursday they were making the original version of the first full-length episode of South Park available online at SouthParkStudios.com. It is basically an extended version of Cartman Gets An Anal Probe, which premiered on August 13, 1997 (right to the very day of this announcement.) The episode is only available online through September 12.
Though the linked article and South Park Studios states Cartman Gets An Anal Probe is the pilot of the series, it really isn't. The original "pilot" was a five-minute video Christmas card sent out to friends by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, featuring a duel between Jesus and Santa Claus. Wouldn't be cool if this was posted on the site as well?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Melissa Forman out at WLIT
WGN wins July PPM survey overall; WTMX dominated 25-54s; Rock stations and WKSC gains; WLS-AM declines.
The second time isn't so great after all.
Clear Channel's WLIT-FM has dropped Melissa Forman and her show from the morning time slot at the station after two years. The move was due to declining ratings.
Forman was one of only two live personalities on the station. No word on who will replace her.
WLIT brought back Forman after the station dropped Whoopi Goldberg's ill-fated syndicated radio show in 2007. Forman previously held down the slot from 2001 to 2006, when Goldberg's morning show debuted.
The move comes a day after the July PPM numbers were released, which showed WTMX-FM's Eric and Kathy Show on top among adults 25-54, handily beating Forman's show in the demo and in Persons 6+.
As for PPM numbers, WGN-AM remained on top in Persons 6+, but WTMX took the crown in Adults 25-54. Gains were recorded in 6+ by WLUP (The Loop), WJMK (Jack FM), and WKSC-FM (Kiss), which dominated CHR rival WBBM-FM.
Along with WBBM-FM, other losers in 6+ included WKQX (Q101), WLS-AM, WPPN-FM, and WNUA-FM, who switched to Spanish Pop music last spring. WNUA's ratings has to be a disappointment, given the market's large Hispanic population.
Also fading fast is WLS-AM, which dropped to 24th in the adults 25-54 demo. With this performance, it's off to the loser's circle.
To see the 6+ numbers for July, click here. To see the Adults 25-54 numbers, click here. And to see how Chicago's two sports stations are stacking up against each other, click here (and the race between WMVP and WSCR is oh so close...)
The second time isn't so great after all.
Clear Channel's WLIT-FM has dropped Melissa Forman and her show from the morning time slot at the station after two years. The move was due to declining ratings.
Forman was one of only two live personalities on the station. No word on who will replace her.
WLIT brought back Forman after the station dropped Whoopi Goldberg's ill-fated syndicated radio show in 2007. Forman previously held down the slot from 2001 to 2006, when Goldberg's morning show debuted.
The move comes a day after the July PPM numbers were released, which showed WTMX-FM's Eric and Kathy Show on top among adults 25-54, handily beating Forman's show in the demo and in Persons 6+.
As for PPM numbers, WGN-AM remained on top in Persons 6+, but WTMX took the crown in Adults 25-54. Gains were recorded in 6+ by WLUP (The Loop), WJMK (Jack FM), and WKSC-FM (Kiss), which dominated CHR rival WBBM-FM.
Along with WBBM-FM, other losers in 6+ included WKQX (Q101), WLS-AM, WPPN-FM, and WNUA-FM, who switched to Spanish Pop music last spring. WNUA's ratings has to be a disappointment, given the market's large Hispanic population.
Also fading fast is WLS-AM, which dropped to 24th in the adults 25-54 demo. With this performance, it's off to the loser's circle.
To see the 6+ numbers for July, click here. To see the Adults 25-54 numbers, click here. And to see how Chicago's two sports stations are stacking up against each other, click here (and the race between WMVP and WSCR is oh so close...)
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
T Dog's Think Tank: Limo-for-a-Lame-O Jr. finally drives away
How does it feel to become the second Silverman in history to screw up a network - in fact, the SAME network ? Goodbye, Mr. "Party All The Time". Don't hit your head when you get in that limo...
Yours truly doesn't know if the departure of Ben Silverman will immediately improve NBC's fortunes. But it is a start.
Yes, Ben "Party All The Time" Silverman departed the peacock network in a surprising shake-up a few weeks ago, just two years as NBC's Co-Chairman of the network's Entertainment division and of Universal Media Studios to work for IAC, a new start-up headed by former Fox executive Barry Diller.
But the party was over for Silverman basically before it began. While he founded a production company responsible for several TV hits (The Office, Ugly Betty, The Biggest Loser), he was unable to translate that success over to his role to NBC.
And of course, there was his reputation as a partyman and socialite in Hollywood circles - and many say his constant partying hurt his job performance at NBC.
During his tenure, he presided over a prime-time schedule full of bad shows like Kath & Kim and Parks & Recreation - or anything else with an ampersand, remade shows the audience really didn't embrace the first time around (American Gladiators, Knight Rider, and Bionic Woman), and remade reality shows nobody watched to begin with (I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.) In fact, the revival of I'm A Celebrity in June represented the low point of Silverman's tenure at NBC (actually, there have been several.) The program was a critical and ratings failure.
Silverman's disastrous tenure at the network reminded many of another Silverman who jag-bagged NBC thirty years ago - Fred Silverman, who was unable to translate his success at CBS and ABC to the Peacock Network, who was mired in last place at the time. During his tenure as NBC network president between 1978 and 1981, greenlighted gems like Pink Lady and Jeff, Sheriff Lobo, Hello, Larry (that's one name, but no laughs), Supertrain, and BJ and the Bear. Though Fred and Ben aren't related, NBC might want to think twice before hiring anyone named Silverman again to run their network.
This era's Silverman should have been parodied in a Saturday Night Live sketch mocking him in the same way like the elder Silverman was: in 1980, comedian (and now U.S. Senator) Al Franken satirized Fred Silverman in A Limo-for-a-Lame-O mockumentary during a Weekend Update segment. He felt Silverman did not deserve to be riding around in a limousine like a big shot given the way he drove the network into the ground.
But while Ben Silverman has bailed out of the NBC sinking ship, the captain is still on board.
Jeff "Doogie" Zucker, the CEO of NBC Universal - is still there. When he arrived, NBC was on top. But after stalwarts Friends and Fraiser departed, the network failed to develop hits. He screwed over programmer Kevin Reilly, who later went to Fox. And it got even worse with Silverman.
Zucker now wants to focus on the NBC's cable properties, while the broadcast network is falling apart. Prime-time is a mess. Conan O'Brien's inheritance of the Tonight Show throne has gotten the program's median age younger, but ratings in other demos have declined. Some O&Os (notably WNBC in New York and WTVJ in Miami) have struggled. And finally, there is some apprehension over the network airing Jay Leno as a strip this fall at 9 p.m. Central.
And then there are the acres and acres of clueless executives at the network (there's more of them?) who are about as professional as a can of tree stump.
NBC's executive session at the recent Television Critics Association Press Tour was a disaster, with exces Angela Bromstad and Paul Telady looking like deer in headlights not knowing what to say or do, further cementing NBC's reputation as the Nitwit Bumbling Company. They stood there for an half-hour, slinging out a whole bunch of bullshit: "...[Heroes] is doing well creatively.", said Bromstad at the press tour. Everyone run for cover, lightning is about to strike where those two are standing. These morons would be the first in line for the Limos for Lame-Os program.
And then, there's this lovely gem at the press tour from Rescue Me showrunner Peter Tolan on NBC stripping Jay Leno every weeknight: "I feel they should take the American flag down in front of [NBC's] building and just put up a white one, because they've clearly given up. They've clearly just said, 'Look, we can't develop. We can't develop anything that's going to stick. We have - clearly can't find anything with any traction, so we quit.'"
But all the news isn't bad - NBC Universal's cable networks are experiencing terrific growth. WMAQ's late news is growing in households. WRC in Washington D.C. remains the market's top-rated station and news operation. Today continues to be a cash cow for the network.
And so its little wonder why Zucker promote Jeff Gaspin to co-run the entertainment division with Marc Graboff. Gaspin has a solid track record running the network's cable division. The cable side has produced profitable hits such as Project Runway, Burn Notice, Monk, The Bad Girls Club, Battlestar Galactica, and others.
If this was only done in the first place. While yours truly can't predict how Gaspin will do, he should be an improvement over Silverman - a person who clearly wasn't mature enough to run a broadcast network (or a Dairy Queen)- even jointly.
But the negatives outweigh the positives. Keep in mind prime-time broadcast network television is still the bread-and-butter of this business. It still generates more revenue than cable networks does. Zucker's management style is inept at best, and NBC is now in a hole it can't seem to climb out of. We are waiting for the other shoe to drop, and if the new guy can't turn it around and soon, Doogie will be gone too.
Promoting Gaspin is a first step in restoring NBC's prime-time credibility and hopefully, he'll create compelling programming instead of lame revivals of Harper Valley PTA and Adam-12 disguised as Parks & Recreation and Southland, which was the norm under the leadership of Limo for-a-Lame-O Jr.
If you still have doubts on Gaspin's credentials, look at this way: at least Zucker didn't replace Ben Silverman with Gary Coleman.
Hey, let's go retro! This is was what the other Silverman - Fred, that is - was responsible for in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Enjoy!
Sunday, August 09, 2009
TCA: ABC
The final day of the press tour came Saturday, and it was ABC's turn to face the press.
ABC
- During the ABC executive session, Stephen McPherson talked about ABC's aggressive new series push this fall - eight in all - airing Tuesday through Friday (more on this a little later.)
- But the big news is McPherson wants Paula Abdul to become a judge or be a constestant on Dancing With The Stars. Ms. Abdul has become the off-season's most sought after free agent, after she aburptly left American Idol after eight seasons last week. But keep in mind the price could be high if you want her as a judge on Dancing, Mr. McPherson.
- Other than the departures of Rebecca Romajn from Ugly Betty, TR Knight from Grey's Anatomy, and a Scrubs cast shake-up, there are no other major cast changes due at returning ABC shows.
- ABC canceled animated comedy The Goode Family and live-action sitcom Surviving Suburbia.
Wait, these shows were on the air?
- Okay, on to the fall lineup - ABC announced eight spanking new programs, including an all-new Wednesday night line-up and two highly-anticipated science-fiction series.
Four new sitcoms line Wednesday, in consecutive order: Hank, The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town.
Also being added is new Tuesday night drama The Forgotten.
ABC is introdcing two new sci-fi series: Flash Forward, which airs Thursday nights at 7 p.m., and V, a remake of the '80's NBC mini-series and regular series of the same letter. The latter is being moved up from a January debut to a November one, where it replaces new reality series Shark Tank, which had a sneek peek tonight.
Disney/ABC Domestic Television
- This wasn't part of the tour, but it is news nonetheless: Disney/ABC's syndicated At The Movies is dropping Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz after just one season taking over for Richard Roeper and Roger Ebert. Instead, the movie-review show will go back to the "dueling critics" format it once had and is bringing back fill-in host Michael Phillips, a film critic for the Chicago Tribune. New to the show this season is A.O. Scott from the New York Times.
The series plans to continue shooting at WLS-TV's 190 N. State Street studios in Chicago.
ESPN
Announced earlier in the press tour: ESPN plans a documentary on Steve Bartman and the Cubs ill-fated 2003 playoff run, in which he interfered with a foul ball which some say cost the team a chance to go to the World Series.
Can they leave this guy alone? Of course not, since this is The Worldwide Leader in B.S. we're talking about.
ABC
- During the ABC executive session, Stephen McPherson talked about ABC's aggressive new series push this fall - eight in all - airing Tuesday through Friday (more on this a little later.)
- But the big news is McPherson wants Paula Abdul to become a judge or be a constestant on Dancing With The Stars. Ms. Abdul has become the off-season's most sought after free agent, after she aburptly left American Idol after eight seasons last week. But keep in mind the price could be high if you want her as a judge on Dancing, Mr. McPherson.
- Other than the departures of Rebecca Romajn from Ugly Betty, TR Knight from Grey's Anatomy, and a Scrubs cast shake-up, there are no other major cast changes due at returning ABC shows.
- ABC canceled animated comedy The Goode Family and live-action sitcom Surviving Suburbia.
Wait, these shows were on the air?
- Okay, on to the fall lineup - ABC announced eight spanking new programs, including an all-new Wednesday night line-up and two highly-anticipated science-fiction series.
Four new sitcoms line Wednesday, in consecutive order: Hank, The Middle, Modern Family, and Cougar Town.
Also being added is new Tuesday night drama The Forgotten.
ABC is introdcing two new sci-fi series: Flash Forward, which airs Thursday nights at 7 p.m., and V, a remake of the '80's NBC mini-series and regular series of the same letter. The latter is being moved up from a January debut to a November one, where it replaces new reality series Shark Tank, which had a sneek peek tonight.
Disney/ABC Domestic Television
- This wasn't part of the tour, but it is news nonetheless: Disney/ABC's syndicated At The Movies is dropping Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz after just one season taking over for Richard Roeper and Roger Ebert. Instead, the movie-review show will go back to the "dueling critics" format it once had and is bringing back fill-in host Michael Phillips, a film critic for the Chicago Tribune. New to the show this season is A.O. Scott from the New York Times.
The series plans to continue shooting at WLS-TV's 190 N. State Street studios in Chicago.
ESPN
Announced earlier in the press tour: ESPN plans a documentary on Steve Bartman and the Cubs ill-fated 2003 playoff run, in which he interfered with a foul ball which some say cost the team a chance to go to the World Series.
Can they leave this guy alone? Of course not, since this is The Worldwide Leader in B.S. we're talking about.
TCA: Fox
There is a lot to talk about regarding Fox in their press tour presentations, which took place Thursday and Friday:
Fox
- Of course, the big story is Paula Abdul leaving American Idol after eight years. At the Fox executive panel, executives Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice said they were talking to her for the last few months regarding a new contract, but was unable to make any headway. As for who would replace Ms. Abdul, Fox may look to female guest judges to fill the gap until a permanent solution could be found.
- What will this mean for Idol's ratings? While the execs say it shouldn't have any effect on the ratings, the numbers for Idol have slid this past season, and could slide even more with the departure of Paula Abdul. She was an integral part of the show, and there are many who turned into the show to see her give her "unique" view of things.
- On to other shows, Fox premieres several new programs this fall, including Brothers, Glee, The Cleveland Show, and Wanda Sykes' new Saturday night show.
- Brothers - not related to the 1984 Showtime sitcom featuring Joe Walden and Paul Regina - was screened for critics at the tour. And like its sitcom counterpart from a quarter-century ago, the program (starring Michael Strahan and Darryl "Chill" Mitchell) generated few laughs from critcs. Unlike the Showtime sitcom - which lasted for five painstakingly long years - this Brothers probably won't last five episodes. Sadly, this is more suited for Tyler Perry's block of shows on cable's TBS than for Fox.
Maybe they can hire Phillip Charles McKenzie to save the show...
- Glee was screened at the tour as well, but the musical drama got a much better reception from the crowd at Comic-Con. The premise of the show is a teacher trying to make over the high school glee club. But given the track record of musical dramas on TV, this might not work as well as Fox thinks. The show that comes closest to being a hit in this genre was Fame, which ran on NBC for two seasons and then moved to first-run syndication and then pretty much dropped off the face of the earth after that.
- Fox had a table read for The Cleveland Show at the tour. The Family Guy spin-off is replacing last year's occupant (King of the Hill) and should improve the time period's rating and share. As for Hill, it's done - the network said it has no plans to air the six remaining episodes it has in the can. It is likely the unaired episodes will air in broadcast syndication and on Adult Swim (a DVD release though, is not likely.)
A network leaving behind unaired series is nothing new - in 1990, ABC did not air the final episodes of Mr. Belvedere, and the same network passed on airing the last few episodes of Dinosaurs in 1994 (except the controversial series finale, which did air.) The unaired episodes of both series did run in syndication.
- A thought: Why is Fox airing the remaining episodes of Sit Down, Shut Up Saturday nights after Wanda Sykes' new show, but not King of the Hill?
- Fox also had a panel for Human Target, a new action drama targeted for midseason.
- Wanda Sykes' new Saturday late-night series premieres on November 7, after baseball season is over.
FX
FX had an executive panel at TCA on Friday, with President John Landgraf defending his network as the place to be for entertainment programming targeted to an adult audience, as his programming (The Shield and Nip/Tuck) are often targeted by special-interest groups because of their excessive sex and violence.
Landgraf also discussed the network's future, as the network is producing more pilots in its history. One of those pilots is from comedian Louie CK, as the net is trying to broaden out more toward comedy.
-But the most controversial comments coming from the press tour thus far came from Rescue Me showrunner Peter Tolan, while during a panel on his show, shared his thoughts regarding NBC stripping Jay Leno five nights a week:
"I feel they should take the American flag down in front of [NBC's]building and just put up a white one, because they have given up."
Ouch. Given NBC's lousy TCA presentation - especially from those two idiot executives on stage, you think he might be on to something?
- Gee, Fox News didn't have a panel at TCA this year. I wonder why that is...
Fox
- Of course, the big story is Paula Abdul leaving American Idol after eight years. At the Fox executive panel, executives Kevin Reilly and Peter Rice said they were talking to her for the last few months regarding a new contract, but was unable to make any headway. As for who would replace Ms. Abdul, Fox may look to female guest judges to fill the gap until a permanent solution could be found.
- What will this mean for Idol's ratings? While the execs say it shouldn't have any effect on the ratings, the numbers for Idol have slid this past season, and could slide even more with the departure of Paula Abdul. She was an integral part of the show, and there are many who turned into the show to see her give her "unique" view of things.
- On to other shows, Fox premieres several new programs this fall, including Brothers, Glee, The Cleveland Show, and Wanda Sykes' new Saturday night show.
- Brothers - not related to the 1984 Showtime sitcom featuring Joe Walden and Paul Regina - was screened for critics at the tour. And like its sitcom counterpart from a quarter-century ago, the program (starring Michael Strahan and Darryl "Chill" Mitchell) generated few laughs from critcs. Unlike the Showtime sitcom - which lasted for five painstakingly long years - this Brothers probably won't last five episodes. Sadly, this is more suited for Tyler Perry's block of shows on cable's TBS than for Fox.
Maybe they can hire Phillip Charles McKenzie to save the show...
- Glee was screened at the tour as well, but the musical drama got a much better reception from the crowd at Comic-Con. The premise of the show is a teacher trying to make over the high school glee club. But given the track record of musical dramas on TV, this might not work as well as Fox thinks. The show that comes closest to being a hit in this genre was Fame, which ran on NBC for two seasons and then moved to first-run syndication and then pretty much dropped off the face of the earth after that.
- Fox had a table read for The Cleveland Show at the tour. The Family Guy spin-off is replacing last year's occupant (King of the Hill) and should improve the time period's rating and share. As for Hill, it's done - the network said it has no plans to air the six remaining episodes it has in the can. It is likely the unaired episodes will air in broadcast syndication and on Adult Swim (a DVD release though, is not likely.)
A network leaving behind unaired series is nothing new - in 1990, ABC did not air the final episodes of Mr. Belvedere, and the same network passed on airing the last few episodes of Dinosaurs in 1994 (except the controversial series finale, which did air.) The unaired episodes of both series did run in syndication.
- A thought: Why is Fox airing the remaining episodes of Sit Down, Shut Up Saturday nights after Wanda Sykes' new show, but not King of the Hill?
- Fox also had a panel for Human Target, a new action drama targeted for midseason.
- Wanda Sykes' new Saturday late-night series premieres on November 7, after baseball season is over.
FX
FX had an executive panel at TCA on Friday, with President John Landgraf defending his network as the place to be for entertainment programming targeted to an adult audience, as his programming (The Shield and Nip/Tuck) are often targeted by special-interest groups because of their excessive sex and violence.
Landgraf also discussed the network's future, as the network is producing more pilots in its history. One of those pilots is from comedian Louie CK, as the net is trying to broaden out more toward comedy.
-But the most controversial comments coming from the press tour thus far came from Rescue Me showrunner Peter Tolan, while during a panel on his show, shared his thoughts regarding NBC stripping Jay Leno five nights a week:
"I feel they should take the American flag down in front of [NBC's]building and just put up a white one, because they have given up."
Ouch. Given NBC's lousy TCA presentation - especially from those two idiot executives on stage, you think he might be on to something?
- Gee, Fox News didn't have a panel at TCA this year. I wonder why that is...
Saturday, August 08, 2009
TCA: NBC
NBC Universal had its presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour on Tuesday and Wednesday:
NBC
- Two NBC executives (Angela Bromstad and Paul Telady) came out to reporters and pretty much gave the same, usual canned responses you hear at the press tour every year. They downplayed Ben Silverman's departure from the network; vaguely described the ratings expectations for The Jay Leno Show, which will air as a prime-time strip beginning Sept. 14; and said Heroes "is doing well creatively" - which we all know is a flat out lie. Telady also talked about an "NBC Brand". I guess when you have a lineup of programs like Heroes and Parks and Recreation, I guess you can't go wrong - especially when NBC stands for Nothing But Crap.
In other words, look for the peacock network to stay in fourth place next season. Their idiotic exec session pretty much told journalists that.
- New shows coming this fall are Community, Mercy, Trauma, and of course The Jay Leno Show. Parenthood is being held until midseason due to a personal tragedy that happened to one of its stars.
- Midseason has a show called Day One from former Heroes producer Jesse Alexander. Day One indeed, because that's when this stupid project jumped the shark.
- Can anyone tell me why the Nitwit Broadcasting Company has two medical dramas (Mercy, Trauma) on its fall line-up? Sure, they needed a replacement because of the Parenthood situation, but come on...
-Chevy Chase is in the new comedy Community, which will lead out of The Office on Thursday Nights this fall. The last time Chevy Chase was in a regularly scheduled television gig was a late night talk show for Fox, which lasted all of five weeks in 1993, and considered one of the biggest flops in television history.
SyFy
- First it was Imagine Greater. Now the new slogan is House of Imagination. Why don't they call themselves House of Morons and get it over with?
I liked the first two I came up with: Imagine Dumber and Beyond Stupid.
- SyFy announced they ordered a pilot titled Alpha, which is a scripted show which follows five people who have incredible mental skills. With this is hand, they form their own vigilante justice group.
Is it just me, or does this sound a lot like Heroes to you?
USA
USA Network, which is having success with scripted dramas like Burn Notice this summer, is aggressively developing even more dramas for the future. Projects in development include Facing Kate, Crash Dummies, and a project from legendary producer Stephen J. Cannell and Scott Kaufer.
NBC
- Two NBC executives (Angela Bromstad and Paul Telady) came out to reporters and pretty much gave the same, usual canned responses you hear at the press tour every year. They downplayed Ben Silverman's departure from the network; vaguely described the ratings expectations for The Jay Leno Show, which will air as a prime-time strip beginning Sept. 14; and said Heroes "is doing well creatively" - which we all know is a flat out lie. Telady also talked about an "NBC Brand". I guess when you have a lineup of programs like Heroes and Parks and Recreation, I guess you can't go wrong - especially when NBC stands for Nothing But Crap.
In other words, look for the peacock network to stay in fourth place next season. Their idiotic exec session pretty much told journalists that.
- New shows coming this fall are Community, Mercy, Trauma, and of course The Jay Leno Show. Parenthood is being held until midseason due to a personal tragedy that happened to one of its stars.
- Midseason has a show called Day One from former Heroes producer Jesse Alexander. Day One indeed, because that's when this stupid project jumped the shark.
- Can anyone tell me why the Nitwit Broadcasting Company has two medical dramas (Mercy, Trauma) on its fall line-up? Sure, they needed a replacement because of the Parenthood situation, but come on...
-Chevy Chase is in the new comedy Community, which will lead out of The Office on Thursday Nights this fall. The last time Chevy Chase was in a regularly scheduled television gig was a late night talk show for Fox, which lasted all of five weeks in 1993, and considered one of the biggest flops in television history.
SyFy
- First it was Imagine Greater. Now the new slogan is House of Imagination. Why don't they call themselves House of Morons and get it over with?
I liked the first two I came up with: Imagine Dumber and Beyond Stupid.
- SyFy announced they ordered a pilot titled Alpha, which is a scripted show which follows five people who have incredible mental skills. With this is hand, they form their own vigilante justice group.
Is it just me, or does this sound a lot like Heroes to you?
USA
USA Network, which is having success with scripted dramas like Burn Notice this summer, is aggressively developing even more dramas for the future. Projects in development include Facing Kate, Crash Dummies, and a project from legendary producer Stephen J. Cannell and Scott Kaufer.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
TCA: CBS and The CW
CBS Corp. held panels for its CBS and The CW (which it partly owns with Time Warner) and its syndicated series The Doctors on Monday and Tuesday. Among the highlights:
CBS
- An executive session with Nina Tassler kicked off the CBS portion of the tour on Monday. She talked about improved ratings for Letterman (thanks to Leno's departure from late night), blasted NBC for handling Medium poorly (it moves to CBS this fall), explained why the network didn't renew Without A Trace (skewed too old), and refused to comment on Ben Silverman's departure from NBC, but did say she's really "a D girl", whatever that means.
But if she can keep a network Numero Uno in the ratings, we know this: D doesn't stand for dumb.
- The network unveiled its new shows to the press, including Accidentally on Purpose, The Good Wife, Three Rivers, and NCIS: Los Angleles. (the latter two were actually repensented at the set vists the critics attended.)
While some think Wife and the NCIS spin-off will do well, they said boo to Purpose (a really dumb concept) and Rivers.
The CW
The CW had its portion of the press tour on Tuesday, and had an exec session with Dawn Ostroff.
- Don't ask how The CW has stayed afloat in an economy where even Arena Football can't survive. But the show must go on, and Ostroff is forging ahead with the focus on women 18-34 as the net's main demo.
- CW is programming only ten hours in prime-time this fall, but with new shows that are actually generating buzz - Vampire Diaries, Beautiful Life, The New Melrose Place, and midseason entry Life Unexpected.
- Ostroff said the net is staying out of the sitcom business for now. Probably a wise strategy - it has never had a hit in this category.
- She also said she is looking for more retro programs to revive - but if it only fits the core demo of women 18-34. That means no revivals of The Dukes of Hazard or My Name Is Earl.
- If Melrose Place 2009 and Vampire Diaries bring it in the ratings department, it will likely save this struggling network. But even if these shows flop, strong support from the ad community will likely keep The CW afloat. After all, the demo target is also the most likely to go shopping and spend money. Like it or not, the network is here to stay.
LOL: The CW also announced celebrity judges to fill in once a week on America's Next Top Model this fall. Among the names are Iman, Lauren Conrad, and JosieMaran. But one poster at People.com was not impressed when Kim Kardashian was announced as a guest judge (scroll down):
"Why is Kim a judge? Are they doing sex tapes as part of a challenge this season?"
Man, you can't make stuff like this up.
CBS
- An executive session with Nina Tassler kicked off the CBS portion of the tour on Monday. She talked about improved ratings for Letterman (thanks to Leno's departure from late night), blasted NBC for handling Medium poorly (it moves to CBS this fall), explained why the network didn't renew Without A Trace (skewed too old), and refused to comment on Ben Silverman's departure from NBC, but did say she's really "a D girl", whatever that means.
But if she can keep a network Numero Uno in the ratings, we know this: D doesn't stand for dumb.
- The network unveiled its new shows to the press, including Accidentally on Purpose, The Good Wife, Three Rivers, and NCIS: Los Angleles. (the latter two were actually repensented at the set vists the critics attended.)
While some think Wife and the NCIS spin-off will do well, they said boo to Purpose (a really dumb concept) and Rivers.
The CW
The CW had its portion of the press tour on Tuesday, and had an exec session with Dawn Ostroff.
- Don't ask how The CW has stayed afloat in an economy where even Arena Football can't survive. But the show must go on, and Ostroff is forging ahead with the focus on women 18-34 as the net's main demo.
- CW is programming only ten hours in prime-time this fall, but with new shows that are actually generating buzz - Vampire Diaries, Beautiful Life, The New Melrose Place, and midseason entry Life Unexpected.
- Ostroff said the net is staying out of the sitcom business for now. Probably a wise strategy - it has never had a hit in this category.
- She also said she is looking for more retro programs to revive - but if it only fits the core demo of women 18-34. That means no revivals of The Dukes of Hazard or My Name Is Earl.
- If Melrose Place 2009 and Vampire Diaries bring it in the ratings department, it will likely save this struggling network. But even if these shows flop, strong support from the ad community will likely keep The CW afloat. After all, the demo target is also the most likely to go shopping and spend money. Like it or not, the network is here to stay.
LOL: The CW also announced celebrity judges to fill in once a week on America's Next Top Model this fall. Among the names are Iman, Lauren Conrad, and JosieMaran. But one poster at People.com was not impressed when Kim Kardashian was announced as a guest judge (scroll down):
"Why is Kim a judge? Are they doing sex tapes as part of a challenge this season?"
Man, you can't make stuff like this up.
Monday, August 03, 2009
Harry Porterfield returns to Channel 2
One of Chicago's most recognizable faces is coming home after... wait for it... 24 years!
That's right. Harry Porterfield - who was an anchor at WBBM-TV for 21 years before moving over to WLS-TV in 1985, is returning to the CBS-owned station on August 10, anchoring the 11 a.m. newscast.
The 81 year-old Porterfield is also bringing the Someone You Should Know segments back to the station, as well.
Porterfield's contract was not renewed at WLS due to budget cuts.
A lot of people in Chicago media circles certainly remember Porterfield's controversial departure from Channel 2 as a turning point in the ratings in Chicago television.
In 1985, WBBM dropped Porterfield from the station after 21 years, and his firing caused an uproar in the African-American community. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH led a boycott against WBBM, which cost the station ratings and ad revenue.
WBBM's ratings were already declining at the time, thanks to its lineup of aging off-network dramas (Hart to Hart and Quincy), the decline of 9 a.m. talk stalwart Donahue (thanks in part to Oprah Winfrey), and the expensive failure of first-run talk show America, which bottomed out in early fringe after three months on the air.
Meanwhile, WBBM's parent (CBS) had its own problems - a Ted Turner takeover attempt, a drop to second place in prime-time ratings, and cutbacks throughout its CBS-owned station division (by 1988, the network would drop to third place overall in households and adults 18-49.)
When Porterfield joined WLS, their ratings were on the upswing - along with The Oprah Winfrey Show, it added red-hot hits Jeporady! and Wheel of Fortune to the station a year earlier, and the rest was history. in March 1986, WLS swept its news competitors and has done so ever since. Even ABC's prime-time topped the market at a time when the network was struggling against a strong NBC and a much weaker CBS.
Since Porterfield left WBBM, and excluding books with Winter Olympics, WBBM has never been able to return to the top spot in news or programming, and tried gimmicks including tabloid-influenced newscasts and revamping its news set at least a gazillion times - not to mention a thousand anchor switches.
Note: If you click on the link to the story, scroll down to the bottom and check out a video library of Mr. Porterfield's work, including a few profiles on Harold Washington and the historic 1983 election when became Chicago's first African-American Mayor.
That's right. Harry Porterfield - who was an anchor at WBBM-TV for 21 years before moving over to WLS-TV in 1985, is returning to the CBS-owned station on August 10, anchoring the 11 a.m. newscast.
The 81 year-old Porterfield is also bringing the Someone You Should Know segments back to the station, as well.
Porterfield's contract was not renewed at WLS due to budget cuts.
A lot of people in Chicago media circles certainly remember Porterfield's controversial departure from Channel 2 as a turning point in the ratings in Chicago television.
In 1985, WBBM dropped Porterfield from the station after 21 years, and his firing caused an uproar in the African-American community. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH led a boycott against WBBM, which cost the station ratings and ad revenue.
WBBM's ratings were already declining at the time, thanks to its lineup of aging off-network dramas (Hart to Hart and Quincy), the decline of 9 a.m. talk stalwart Donahue (thanks in part to Oprah Winfrey), and the expensive failure of first-run talk show America, which bottomed out in early fringe after three months on the air.
Meanwhile, WBBM's parent (CBS) had its own problems - a Ted Turner takeover attempt, a drop to second place in prime-time ratings, and cutbacks throughout its CBS-owned station division (by 1988, the network would drop to third place overall in households and adults 18-49.)
When Porterfield joined WLS, their ratings were on the upswing - along with The Oprah Winfrey Show, it added red-hot hits Jeporady! and Wheel of Fortune to the station a year earlier, and the rest was history. in March 1986, WLS swept its news competitors and has done so ever since. Even ABC's prime-time topped the market at a time when the network was struggling against a strong NBC and a much weaker CBS.
Since Porterfield left WBBM, and excluding books with Winter Olympics, WBBM has never been able to return to the top spot in news or programming, and tried gimmicks including tabloid-influenced newscasts and revamping its news set at least a gazillion times - not to mention a thousand anchor switches.
Note: If you click on the link to the story, scroll down to the bottom and check out a video library of Mr. Porterfield's work, including a few profiles on Harold Washington and the historic 1983 election when became Chicago's first African-American Mayor.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Let's Make a Deal, CBS
It looks like Howie Mandel isn't the only person making a "Deal" in daytime.
CBS is slotting a revival of Let's Make A Deal in the time slot vacated by Guiding Light beginning Sept. 21, with new host Wayne Brady.
Even though Light is slotted at 3 p.m. (ET) in most areas, Let's Make A Deal is expected to be paired with The Price Is Right at 10 a.m. (ET) to give CBS a two-hour game show block and the 3 p.m. hour is expected to be returned to affiliates. Many of them had been airing Light at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. in Chicago) anyway.
Let's Make A Deal premiered on December 30, 1963 on NBC in color with Monty Hall as host. When NBC and Monty Hall entered an impasse in contract renewal negotiations with NBC in December 1968, he took the popular show to ABC and helped the struggling network gain traction in daytime, eventually passing the peacock network for second place. In fact, the deal would have ramifications for NBC for decades, as the network hasn't climbed out of third place since. The series would run on ABC until July 9, 1977.
In 1971, ABC Films (which became Worldvision Enterprises two years later) sold Let's Make A Deal in weekly first-run syndication where it became a huge early evening prime-access smash hit. This version ended in 1977 as well.
Later versions of the show were less successful. A 1980 syndicated version taped in Canada failed, and a 1984-86 syndicated version of the show (from Telepictures) didn't gain much traction. A 1990-91 NBC daytime version with Bob Hilton as host did not have the success the mid-1960's version did earlier on the network (because of a scheduling conflict, KNBC in Los Angeles - an NBC O&O - aired the program at 3:30 a.m. for its first few months!)
NBC tried again to launch the show in prime-time in 2003, but it too did not go anywhere.
Details of this new version are sketchy, but should be unveiled at the TCA Press Tour on Monday.
CBS is slotting a revival of Let's Make A Deal in the time slot vacated by Guiding Light beginning Sept. 21, with new host Wayne Brady.
Even though Light is slotted at 3 p.m. (ET) in most areas, Let's Make A Deal is expected to be paired with The Price Is Right at 10 a.m. (ET) to give CBS a two-hour game show block and the 3 p.m. hour is expected to be returned to affiliates. Many of them had been airing Light at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. in Chicago) anyway.
Let's Make A Deal premiered on December 30, 1963 on NBC in color with Monty Hall as host. When NBC and Monty Hall entered an impasse in contract renewal negotiations with NBC in December 1968, he took the popular show to ABC and helped the struggling network gain traction in daytime, eventually passing the peacock network for second place. In fact, the deal would have ramifications for NBC for decades, as the network hasn't climbed out of third place since. The series would run on ABC until July 9, 1977.
In 1971, ABC Films (which became Worldvision Enterprises two years later) sold Let's Make A Deal in weekly first-run syndication where it became a huge early evening prime-access smash hit. This version ended in 1977 as well.
Later versions of the show were less successful. A 1980 syndicated version taped in Canada failed, and a 1984-86 syndicated version of the show (from Telepictures) didn't gain much traction. A 1990-91 NBC daytime version with Bob Hilton as host did not have the success the mid-1960's version did earlier on the network (because of a scheduling conflict, KNBC in Los Angeles - an NBC O&O - aired the program at 3:30 a.m. for its first few months!)
NBC tried again to launch the show in prime-time in 2003, but it too did not go anywhere.
Details of this new version are sketchy, but should be unveiled at the TCA Press Tour on Monday.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
T Dog's Four Pack - The Summit
There have been some conflicts in the media world lately. So let's have a T Dog's Four Pack Beer Summit - where we can hash out our differences and make the world a better place. Or not...
A four pack worthy of Budwesier and Miller Genuine Draft
- Mark Burhele's Perfect Game. The first Chicago pitcher to throw a perfecto in more than 70 years. Mark, This Bud's for You.
- Dewaynne Wise. And what about the catch to save the save Burhele's perfect game? Catch of the year. Dewaynne Wise is The Silver Bullet!
- Comic-Con. The 40th anniversary of this gathering has proven to be one of the most successful one yet. Raise a Heineken and toast Comic-Con to 40 more years!
- Ben Silverman leaves NBC. Good riddance to Mr. Party All The Time, who always looks like he chugged down one too many Samuel Adams. Hopefully, Zuckhead is next.
A four pack you need to take back to Kenwood Liquors
- Patricia Heaton's new comedy The Middle at Comic-Con. Wrong target audience, wrong venue, wrong everything. And you wonder why only 75 people showed up. Even worse, they were serving Zima.
- "Asking the Questions". Okay Fox 32, here's a question I'm asking: who created this inane marketing slogan for your newscasts? The same geniuses behind Stroh's? Especially since you're not really getting any answers - and the sub-par ratings show it.
- Adult animation. A recent repeat episode of King of the Hill showed incivility toward Canada - a blatant ripoff of South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. The subject had also been covered on The Simpsons, Family Guy, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and South Park. Remember when the plots on these shows weren't so interchangeable? Can't wait for The Cleveland Show episode where Cleveland drinks Labatts Beer and decides to bomb British Columbia.
- The not-so-hot Summer of 2009. We all knew Summer TV would suck this year. But the weather too? It has been about as nasty as Old Style Beer.
A four pack worthy of Budwesier and Miller Genuine Draft
- Mark Burhele's Perfect Game. The first Chicago pitcher to throw a perfecto in more than 70 years. Mark, This Bud's for You.
- Dewaynne Wise. And what about the catch to save the save Burhele's perfect game? Catch of the year. Dewaynne Wise is The Silver Bullet!
- Comic-Con. The 40th anniversary of this gathering has proven to be one of the most successful one yet. Raise a Heineken and toast Comic-Con to 40 more years!
- Ben Silverman leaves NBC. Good riddance to Mr. Party All The Time, who always looks like he chugged down one too many Samuel Adams. Hopefully, Zuckhead is next.
A four pack you need to take back to Kenwood Liquors
- Patricia Heaton's new comedy The Middle at Comic-Con. Wrong target audience, wrong venue, wrong everything. And you wonder why only 75 people showed up. Even worse, they were serving Zima.
- "Asking the Questions". Okay Fox 32, here's a question I'm asking: who created this inane marketing slogan for your newscasts? The same geniuses behind Stroh's? Especially since you're not really getting any answers - and the sub-par ratings show it.
- Adult animation. A recent repeat episode of King of the Hill showed incivility toward Canada - a blatant ripoff of South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. The subject had also been covered on The Simpsons, Family Guy, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and South Park. Remember when the plots on these shows weren't so interchangeable? Can't wait for The Cleveland Show episode where Cleveland drinks Labatts Beer and decides to bomb British Columbia.
- The not-so-hot Summer of 2009. We all knew Summer TV would suck this year. But the weather too? It has been about as nasty as Old Style Beer.
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag - The TCA edition
More from the bi-annual gathering in Pasadena, with cable on display:
- BET had its presentation and is introducing two new programs: a new reality docu-drama featuring R&B singer Monica, and one featuring comedian Monique Ines-Jackson (better known as Mo'Nique.) Broadcasting & Cable also had an interview with BET Chairman Debra Lee. Click here to read.
- National Geographic is once again planning to air Expedition Week, featuring documentaries about the Amazon, people who capture - and release - sharks, and life on Mars. The channel is also launching a new series titled Rescue Ink, which features tattooed guys - some with criminal backgrounds - who rescue abandoned and abused animals (while yours truly commends them on what they do, this show sounds like a bad 1970s Saturday Morning Cartoon.)
- HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm will stage a Seinfeld reunion - of sorts. The original cast members plan to appear on the show playing themselves in episodes that start this fall. Larry David produced and wrote Seinfeld for several years.
- Keith Carradine and Valerie Perrine will join the cast for the second season of Starz's Crash, which bows on September 18. The series of course, is based on the Oscar-winning film of the same name.
- Among Comcast Entertainment Group's highlights at the tour was a new series titled The Lamas Life, which features aging heartthrob Lorenzo Lamas set to bow on E! this fall; G4's Two Months, Two Million, which uncannily resembles the movie 21 - it's about a group of young online poker players who try to hit it big in Vegas; and Giuliana & Bill, Style network's reality series about the ongoing long-distance relationship between Orland Park native Bill Racnic and his wife (nice change of pace with the title, putting Giuliana's name first.)
- BBC America's panel featured a new mini- series titled Occupation, about three British soliders who return home from Iraq, and a new sitcom called The InBetweeners.
- Animal Planet is launching Animal Planet Investigates, a quaterly series featuring issues involving animals - dog fighting, cloning, and animal abuse. On the lighter side, the channel plans to launch Superfetch, a new series about animal trainer Zak George training pets to do wacky or unexpected tricks (what is with these titles that sound like bad 1970's Saturday Morning Cartoons? Don't be surprised if George winds up training Goober or Dynomutt.)
- BET had its presentation and is introducing two new programs: a new reality docu-drama featuring R&B singer Monica, and one featuring comedian Monique Ines-Jackson (better known as Mo'Nique.) Broadcasting & Cable also had an interview with BET Chairman Debra Lee. Click here to read.
- National Geographic is once again planning to air Expedition Week, featuring documentaries about the Amazon, people who capture - and release - sharks, and life on Mars. The channel is also launching a new series titled Rescue Ink, which features tattooed guys - some with criminal backgrounds - who rescue abandoned and abused animals (while yours truly commends them on what they do, this show sounds like a bad 1970s Saturday Morning Cartoon.)
- HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm will stage a Seinfeld reunion - of sorts. The original cast members plan to appear on the show playing themselves in episodes that start this fall. Larry David produced and wrote Seinfeld for several years.
- Keith Carradine and Valerie Perrine will join the cast for the second season of Starz's Crash, which bows on September 18. The series of course, is based on the Oscar-winning film of the same name.
- Among Comcast Entertainment Group's highlights at the tour was a new series titled The Lamas Life, which features aging heartthrob Lorenzo Lamas set to bow on E! this fall; G4's Two Months, Two Million, which uncannily resembles the movie 21 - it's about a group of young online poker players who try to hit it big in Vegas; and Giuliana & Bill, Style network's reality series about the ongoing long-distance relationship between Orland Park native Bill Racnic and his wife (nice change of pace with the title, putting Giuliana's name first.)
- BBC America's panel featured a new mini- series titled Occupation, about three British soliders who return home from Iraq, and a new sitcom called The InBetweeners.
- Animal Planet is launching Animal Planet Investigates, a quaterly series featuring issues involving animals - dog fighting, cloning, and animal abuse. On the lighter side, the channel plans to launch Superfetch, a new series about animal trainer Zak George training pets to do wacky or unexpected tricks (what is with these titles that sound like bad 1970's Saturday Morning Cartoons? Don't be surprised if George winds up training Goober or Dynomutt.)
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I don't know what's more pathetic...The Cubs... The White Sox... or the fact "Heroes" is still on the air.
Chicago baseball sucks.
When does "Dancing With The Stars" begin again?
It's just amazing yours truly can bash Chicago's baseball teams and slip in a shot at Heroes in the same paragraph. All three are pretty much a trifecta - of a toxic waste dump.