For results on the new first-run and off-network strips, click here.
To sum it all up, it may be curtains for Merv Griffin's Crosswords and Temptation sooner than we think, while I have one word about the ratings for the three new off-network sitcoms that debuted this week: disappointing.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Chances of XM, Sirius merger looks better
Make that much better. And it always helps to have Wall Street in your corner. Analysts are predicting that the XM/Sirius merger may go through as soon as next month, and it looks like the chances of the deal going though looks better than ever - inconceivable when it was announced last February.
The FCC however, said that it will review the merger as soon as the 180-day comment period by year's end. In order for the merger to go through the FCC and the Justice Department must approve the deal.
T Dog Media Blog Think Tank: Could XM/Sirius merger mean more consolidation?
The FCC however, said that it will review the merger as soon as the 180-day comment period by year's end. In order for the merger to go through the FCC and the Justice Department must approve the deal.
T Dog Media Blog Think Tank: Could XM/Sirius merger mean more consolidation?
Mancow sues Emmis and Q101
Erich "Mancow" Mueller has filed a lawsuit against Emmis Communications, his former employer who dismissed him last year as morning jock at the company's alternative rock station, WKQX-FM, or Q101.
The suit he filed was for $6 million dollars.
In the lawsuit, Mueller alleges that Emmis kept him from employing him on another radio station in the market (he nearly had a deal with Urban WPWX-FM); claimed that Q101 personalities made fun on the air and management made disparaging remarks about him; and sabotaged his efforts to lease studio space - he claims four handshake agreements fell though.
Check this out: A banner ad for his morning show on this industry web site claims that Mancow's program is still on in Chicago, even though it hasn't been on in this market for the past year (those numbers are dated from the Summer 2006 book.)
The suit he filed was for $6 million dollars.
In the lawsuit, Mueller alleges that Emmis kept him from employing him on another radio station in the market (he nearly had a deal with Urban WPWX-FM); claimed that Q101 personalities made fun on the air and management made disparaging remarks about him; and sabotaged his efforts to lease studio space - he claims four handshake agreements fell though.
Check this out: A banner ad for his morning show on this industry web site claims that Mancow's program is still on in Chicago, even though it hasn't been on in this market for the past year (those numbers are dated from the Summer 2006 book.)
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Tepid returns for new first-run and off-network strips (updated)
To no one's surprise, the five first-run strips that debuted yesterday got off to a mixed start, with only one (Steve Wilkos) up from its lead-in and all down from year-ago time period averages.
Here's a metered-market ratings rundown of the five new syndicated first-run strips from Monday:
Source: Nielsen Media Research, TV Week
Meanwhile, the battle of the two off-network series between Two and a Half Men and Family Guy went down like this: Two averaged a 2.0/4, flat from lead-in, but down 13 percent from year-ago time period averages. Family Guy averaged a 1.9/4, flat from year-ago time period, but down 5 percent from year-ago time slot. Family Guy's ratings for its debut in syndication was higher than those of South Park in 2005, but well below those of fellow animated series The Simpsons in 1994 and King of the Hill in 2001.
Results for another new off-network sitcom that debuted yesterday, The George Lopez Show, were not available. Half & Half does not begin until next Monday.
To read a syndication cuts list for Family Guy, click here.
To read a review of one of those new first-run strips, TMZ, click here.
Here's a metered-market ratings rundown of the five new syndicated first-run strips from Monday:
| Program | Rtg/Shr | Lead-in | 9/06 TP | Best performer |
| TMZ | 2.0/4 | 1.9/4 | 1.9/4 | St. Louis (KTVI): 5.2/10 at 10:30p |
| Steve Wilkos | 1.1/4 | 0.9/3 | 1.1/4 | Charlotte (WCCB): 3.3/11 at 2p |
| Crosswords | 1.0/3 | 1.2/3 | 1.3/4 | Tulsa (KJRH): 3.6/7 at 4p |
| David Young | 0.9/3 | 1.0/3 | 1.0/3 | Memphis (WLMT): 4.5/11 at 12:30a |
| Temptation | 0.7/2 | 0.8/3 | 1.1/3 | Dayton (WHIO): 2.9/11 at 1:30a |
Source: Nielsen Media Research, TV Week
Meanwhile, the battle of the two off-network series between Two and a Half Men and Family Guy went down like this: Two averaged a 2.0/4, flat from lead-in, but down 13 percent from year-ago time period averages. Family Guy averaged a 1.9/4, flat from year-ago time period, but down 5 percent from year-ago time slot. Family Guy's ratings for its debut in syndication was higher than those of South Park in 2005, but well below those of fellow animated series The Simpsons in 1994 and King of the Hill in 2001.
Results for another new off-network sitcom that debuted yesterday, The George Lopez Show, were not available. Half & Half does not begin until next Monday.
To read a syndication cuts list for Family Guy, click here.
To read a review of one of those new first-run strips, TMZ, click here.
Milwaukee TV schedule changes
For our friends north of the border, this week bring changes to TV schedules in Milwaukee, including Better TV, a new female-oriented lifestyle show airing on WTMJ at 3 p.m. Locally-oriented Morning Blend moving to 9 a.m. on the same station, Martha's move to WISN-TV at 11 a.m., a two-hour game show block n WMLW-LP in primetime, and WVTV slotting Judge David Young at noon, followed by an hour of Coach reruns. (Coach?)
Bob Costas makes humorous cameo on Fox NFL Sunday sketch
But NBC bosses were in the dark.
Come on, it wasn't that funny.... Mad TV's Frank Caliendo was in the sketch (okay, maybe it was... Costas knocks Caliendo on his ass...)
Come on, it wasn't that funny.... Mad TV's Frank Caliendo was in the sketch (okay, maybe it was... Costas knocks Caliendo on his ass...)
Doin' "The Barz"
Chicagoland Radio and Media titled a post "Dancin' With the Barz" (clever) on this Feder story, as Mike Barz from WFLD's Good Day, Chicago was doing some after-hours dirty dancing at a night club with a female staffer last Friday - and he actually won something - not a trophy, but a one-day time out from management.
And yes, The Barz is married with three kids.
And yes, The Barz is married with three kids.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Update to WCIU's fall schedule
Scroll down or click here to read post, with updated information on two shows (Becker, Girlfriends) that are no longer on the schedule (actually, it's information that I wrote on this blog before - this is WCIU's explanation of it...)
Oh yeah, I forgot. Happy belated birthday, My Network TV.
So did everybody else, it appears. But what you'd expect when not one show on this network - created by News Corp. after the WB and UPN merged - has been memorable? This story from B&C is about several My Network TV affiliates deciding to take matters into their own hands, as Meredith's KSMO in Kansas City decided to do. And it's paying off, with locally created shows by those stations attracting viewers - and advertisers - particularly those who can't afford to buy time on a big four station.
WPWR here, has wisely decided to do the same thing - by acquiring the rights to simulcast the Dec. 6 Bears-Redskins game from the NFL Network, and airing a few Northern Illinois football and Chicago Fire soccer games. For the last two years, WPWR has also aired IHSA high school football and basketball downstate tournaments, but no word if those will return to the station this season.
A website to check out: Here's an online example on how a My Network TV affiliate is promoting itself on the web: Raycom's WUAB-TV in Cleveland has My43.net, a My Space-like portal where people can post profiles, check out photo galleries, get info on nightlife, read and write blogs, and view videos. The site focuses heavily on local bands, where they can submit their material and listeners can download their mp3 for free (and without DRM, too!)
This is the best local TV website for a non-Big Four station (not affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC, or Fox) in the country. Let's hope more stations (are you listening, Chicago?) take this novel approach WUAB has embarked upon.
WPWR here, has wisely decided to do the same thing - by acquiring the rights to simulcast the Dec. 6 Bears-Redskins game from the NFL Network, and airing a few Northern Illinois football and Chicago Fire soccer games. For the last two years, WPWR has also aired IHSA high school football and basketball downstate tournaments, but no word if those will return to the station this season.
A website to check out: Here's an online example on how a My Network TV affiliate is promoting itself on the web: Raycom's WUAB-TV in Cleveland has My43.net, a My Space-like portal where people can post profiles, check out photo galleries, get info on nightlife, read and write blogs, and view videos. The site focuses heavily on local bands, where they can submit their material and listeners can download their mp3 for free (and without DRM, too!)
This is the best local TV website for a non-Big Four station (not affiliated with ABC, CBS, NBC, or Fox) in the country. Let's hope more stations (are you listening, Chicago?) take this novel approach WUAB has embarked upon.
New syndicated season starts today
Five new shows debut today, including the highly anticipated game show Merv Griffin's Crosswords and magazine TMZ . Other new shows include Temptation, Judge David Young, and The Steve Wilkos Show (which debuts in Chicago on WGN tomorrow at 2 p.m. A Cardinals-Cubs game is airing in that time slot today.)
Don't forget, the debut of two new off-network sitcoms as well - Two and a Half Men and Family Guy.
Merv Griffin's Crosswords, produced by the late Merv Griffin and syndicated by Program Partners, has key time afternoon periods on five NBC O&O's, including 4 p.m. on WNBC in New York and 2 p.m. on WMAQ in Chicago (Read a review of Crosswords here.)
Meanwhile, TMZ has nailed a hat trick of 6:30 p.m. slots on Fox O&O's WNYW in New York, KTTV in Los Angeles and WPWR in Chicago.
Don't forget, the debut of two new off-network sitcoms as well - Two and a Half Men and Family Guy.
Merv Griffin's Crosswords, produced by the late Merv Griffin and syndicated by Program Partners, has key time afternoon periods on five NBC O&O's, including 4 p.m. on WNBC in New York and 2 p.m. on WMAQ in Chicago (Read a review of Crosswords here.)
Meanwhile, TMZ has nailed a hat trick of 6:30 p.m. slots on Fox O&O's WNYW in New York, KTTV in Los Angeles and WPWR in Chicago.
Former WBBM boss Applegate profiled
The Cleveland Plain Dealer profiled former WBBM-TV boss Bill Applegate last week at his latest venue as GM of beleaguered CBS affiliate WOIO-TV and My Network TV affiliate WUAB-TV, both owned by Raycom Media. Like WBBM, WOIO has struggled in the news ratings (placing fourth) and has credibility issues (such as news anchor Sharon Reed posing nude for a report on the station.) The interview also features Rob Feder of the Sun-Times, reminiscing on Applegate's days back at 'BBM.
WOIO and Applegate haven't made many friends in Cleveland, particularly with City Hall and the Cleveland Browns, who lost the rights to pre-season football games to NBC affiliate WKYC-TV after several controversial news reports.
The station, however, is starting to turn some corners. Recently, WOIO hosted an one-hour special to address the city's escalating homicide rate hosted by Ms. Reed titled "Taking Back Our Streets". The town-hall setting featured community leaders and city residents trying to find solutions to stem the growing tide of violence in Cleveland this summer.
WOIO and WUAB occupy the bottom rung of Cleveland TV stations ratings-wise. The duopoly is often accused of leasing too many time slots out to paid programming, or infomercials. WUAB, a former UPN affiliate, passed on the CW affiliation mainly because it did not want to pay "reverse compensation", or pay the CW, to hook up with them - plus, WUAB did not want to give up the 3-5 p.m. weekday time slots to the network to air reruns (The CW went to WBNX-TV instead.)
WOIO on UHF Channel 19, became a CBS affiliate on September 3, 1994 after losing its Fox affiliation to top-rated WJW-TV (Channel 8) in the New World-Fox affiliation deal. That deal saw twelve stations then owned by New World Communications - eight of them CBS affiliates - switch to Fox. Cleveland was the first market to switch.
WOIO and Applegate haven't made many friends in Cleveland, particularly with City Hall and the Cleveland Browns, who lost the rights to pre-season football games to NBC affiliate WKYC-TV after several controversial news reports.
The station, however, is starting to turn some corners. Recently, WOIO hosted an one-hour special to address the city's escalating homicide rate hosted by Ms. Reed titled "Taking Back Our Streets". The town-hall setting featured community leaders and city residents trying to find solutions to stem the growing tide of violence in Cleveland this summer.
WOIO and WUAB occupy the bottom rung of Cleveland TV stations ratings-wise. The duopoly is often accused of leasing too many time slots out to paid programming, or infomercials. WUAB, a former UPN affiliate, passed on the CW affiliation mainly because it did not want to pay "reverse compensation", or pay the CW, to hook up with them - plus, WUAB did not want to give up the 3-5 p.m. weekday time slots to the network to air reruns (The CW went to WBNX-TV instead.)
WOIO on UHF Channel 19, became a CBS affiliate on September 3, 1994 after losing its Fox affiliation to top-rated WJW-TV (Channel 8) in the New World-Fox affiliation deal. That deal saw twelve stations then owned by New World Communications - eight of them CBS affiliates - switch to Fox. Cleveland was the first market to switch.
Sunday, September 09, 2007
What a day in Chicago sports
The Bears lose, the Cubs fall out of first place, and the White Sox lose as usual. Right now, these three teams make any of the new fall shows look good by comparison. If these three were TV shows, they all would be gone after the first episode.
Anyone who watched Anchorwoman sure were lucky. Unlike these three, they didn't have to suffer through a second episode.
Anyone who watched Anchorwoman sure were lucky. Unlike these three, they didn't have to suffer through a second episode.
Welcome to the NFL season!
And as a public service, every Friday, we'll post NFL distribution maps, courtesy of J.P. Kirby's the506.com, to find the regional Sunday afternoon game in your area. Click to see Week 1's regional TV schedules:
Single game: CBS - Early games (no late games because of U.S. Open Men's Tennis Finals)
Doubleheader - Fox Early games Late games
Single game: CBS - Early games (no late games because of U.S. Open Men's Tennis Finals)
Doubleheader - Fox Early games Late games
Friday, September 07, 2007
A suggestion: Move Katie to 7:30/6:30 Central
Brain Steinberg of Ad Age reviews The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and makes a couple of suggestions, including moving the beleaguered network newscast to the 7:30 Eastern (6:30 Chicago Time) prime access time slot.
One problem with that - actually two: The affiliates won't go for it, because they would lose that lucrative ad revenue in the hour before prime time. Second, the shows in those prime access time slots on some CBS-owned stations - namely The Insider and Entertainment Tonight (which airs at 6:30 on CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2) - are owned by CBS.
One problem with that - actually two: The affiliates won't go for it, because they would lose that lucrative ad revenue in the hour before prime time. Second, the shows in those prime access time slots on some CBS-owned stations - namely The Insider and Entertainment Tonight (which airs at 6:30 on CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2) - are owned by CBS.
TMZ, CTV get the hook-up
The entertainment website TMZ and Warner Bros. International Television, has struck a deal with Canadian broadcaster CTV to provide the network with multiplatform content, including exclusive TMZ-branded material to air on CTV's Star! entertainment cable network and CTV.ca.
The deal is effective Sept. 10, the same day TMZ is launching in first-run syndication in the United States by Warner. CTV will air its own version called Scoop: TMZ.
This comes as CanWest Global is relaunching its CH over-the-air channels (including flagship CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario - which is re-branded locally as CHCH News) as E! in a deal with Comcast's E! networks, effective today.
The deal is effective Sept. 10, the same day TMZ is launching in first-run syndication in the United States by Warner. CTV will air its own version called Scoop: TMZ.
This comes as CanWest Global is relaunching its CH over-the-air channels (including flagship CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ontario - which is re-branded locally as CHCH News) as E! in a deal with Comcast's E! networks, effective today.
Cubs dominate the ratings
This summer's reality shows are taking a back seat to the ultimate reality show: The Cubs chase for the National League's Central Division Championship.
Wednesday night's Dodgers-Cubs game was the highest rated program in prime-time and the entire broadcast day in Chicago, according to Nielsen with a whopping 11 rating and 19 share (second item. Yeah, there's a first item, but it's pointless given the White Sox is out of the pennant race and the games are getting CW and My Network TV-like numbers.)
Most of this summer's reality TV shows have bombed in the ratings, and certainly to this White Sox fan, even the Cubs are more appealing than this junk. Fat March, anyone?
Wednesday night's Dodgers-Cubs game was the highest rated program in prime-time and the entire broadcast day in Chicago, according to Nielsen with a whopping 11 rating and 19 share (second item. Yeah, there's a first item, but it's pointless given the White Sox is out of the pennant race and the games are getting CW and My Network TV-like numbers.)
Most of this summer's reality TV shows have bombed in the ratings, and certainly to this White Sox fan, even the Cubs are more appealing than this junk. Fat March, anyone?
Thursday, September 06, 2007
WPWR gets more movies for weekends
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution announced a deal with ten Fox-owned My Network TV affiliates, including WPWR-TV in Chicago, for their new 35-title movie package. It was also sold to 123 other markets, bringing the clearance rate to 90 percent of the U.S.
Titles include Batman Begins, March of the Penguins, Million Dollar Baby, Ocean's Twelve, and two Harry Potter movies.
Titles include Batman Begins, March of the Penguins, Million Dollar Baby, Ocean's Twelve, and two Harry Potter movies.
Echostar to carry Big Ten Network
Now on to some real news... In a move that brings rejoice to Big Ten fans (and makes cable look bad), Echostar's Dish Network has struck a deal with the Big Ten Network to carry its collegiate regional sports network on its basic service. The channel will also be carried in HD.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Time to do the "Chicago Huddle"
A new local TV show is debuting this weekend on ABC affiliate WLS-TV. Starting this Saturday night, the station will air a new sports-variety show called Chicago Huddle, which is being taped at ESPN Zone in Chicago's River North area.
The program will air Saturday nights after the station's late news, at 11:05 p.m. (time approximate.)
WLS-TV, ABC, and ESPN are owned by the Walt Disney Corp.
The program is hosted by WLS' sports reporter Ryan Chiaverini and will feature a different member of the Chicago Bears as a co-host every week, and members from Second City will offer comedy segments.
The program will air Saturday nights after the station's late news, at 11:05 p.m. (time approximate.)
WLS-TV, ABC, and ESPN are owned by the Walt Disney Corp.
The program is hosted by WLS' sports reporter Ryan Chiaverini and will feature a different member of the Chicago Bears as a co-host every week, and members from Second City will offer comedy segments.
Chicago drops to third place in total number of black homes in the U.S.
But Chicago remains in fifth place in Hispanic and Asian homes
Nielsen announced its top ten markets ranked by minority TV homes, and Chicago is now the third-largest African-American market in the U.S. , going from 598, 370 homes to 599,620 homes. It was surpassed though, by Atlanta which surged from 597,070 to 634,820 to claim second place. New York remains in first, of course with 1.2 million homes.
Among the total number of Hispanic homes in the U.S., Chicago remained in fifth place with 487,590. Los Angeles is first with 1.25 million. Chicago was also fifth in the total number of Asian homes with 171,060.
To access the top ten list of markets with the most minority homes (and for more information), click here.
Nielsen announced its top ten markets ranked by minority TV homes, and Chicago is now the third-largest African-American market in the U.S. , going from 598, 370 homes to 599,620 homes. It was surpassed though, by Atlanta which surged from 597,070 to 634,820 to claim second place. New York remains in first, of course with 1.2 million homes.
Among the total number of Hispanic homes in the U.S., Chicago remained in fifth place with 487,590. Los Angeles is first with 1.25 million. Chicago was also fifth in the total number of Asian homes with 171,060.
To access the top ten list of markets with the most minority homes (and for more information), click here.
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