Or its more like slashing XM jobs: reportedly eighty people have been laid off since Tuesday, though the cuts were discovered Monday by an employee routinely logging in to a payroll system. Oops...
The names axed are too long to list here, but among the fired include '70's on 7 PD John Clay, Kandy Klutch (midday personality on '80's on 8) and Matt the Cat (from '50s on 5.), and almost all the staffers from XM black music-oriented channels.
And there are rumors some channels - mainly from the XM side - may cease operating by Nov. 5, the day after the elections. And DCRTV (a Washington D.C. area media site) reports the recent economic crisis have forced Sirius-XM to abandon its plan to create two separate lineups for each service.
Could we be seeing the end of XM? Stay tuned.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Bruno the Great
More on Joe Ahern's sudden departure from CBS-owned WBBM-TV in Chicago:
- The Sun-Times Robert Feder looks back at the The Life and Times of Joe Ahern - his rise at WLS-TV and his fall at WBBM. It's a rather critical look at what he accomplished - or actually didn't accomplish - at the station.
- Phil Rosenthal has a profile of WBBM's new boss, Mark "Bruno" Cohen (his nickname is "Bruno", named for the former WWE wrestler, Bruno Sammartino.)He comes over from CBS' duopoly in Sacramento-Stockton of CBS-owned KOVR-TV and successful UPN-turned-CW affiliate KMAX-TV. Bruno oversaw the successful morning news show Good Day, Sacramento during his tenure and finally made KOVR competitive after years of being wasted away as a Sinclair Broadcasting-owned station, which it unloaded in 2005.
Fans of Guiding Light - don't worry, your soap will continue to air in Chicago. KOVR currently doesn't air Light - a provision that dates back to its Sinclair and River City Television ownership eras and is still in effect today even as a CBS-owned station.
KOVR was an ABC affiliate until 1995, when CBS affiliate KXTV dumped the Tiffany network to hook up with ABC. KOVR switched to CBS and was acquired by Sinclair in 1997. KOVR is also the only station on the West Coast to start its prime-time programming at 7 p.m.
- The Sun-Times Robert Feder looks back at the The Life and Times of Joe Ahern - his rise at WLS-TV and his fall at WBBM. It's a rather critical look at what he accomplished - or actually didn't accomplish - at the station.
- Phil Rosenthal has a profile of WBBM's new boss, Mark "Bruno" Cohen (his nickname is "Bruno", named for the former WWE wrestler, Bruno Sammartino.)He comes over from CBS' duopoly in Sacramento-Stockton of CBS-owned KOVR-TV and successful UPN-turned-CW affiliate KMAX-TV. Bruno oversaw the successful morning news show Good Day, Sacramento during his tenure and finally made KOVR competitive after years of being wasted away as a Sinclair Broadcasting-owned station, which it unloaded in 2005.
Fans of Guiding Light - don't worry, your soap will continue to air in Chicago. KOVR currently doesn't air Light - a provision that dates back to its Sinclair and River City Television ownership eras and is still in effect today even as a CBS-owned station.
KOVR was an ABC affiliate until 1995, when CBS affiliate KXTV dumped the Tiffany network to hook up with ABC. KOVR switched to CBS and was acquired by Sinclair in 1997. KOVR is also the only station on the West Coast to start its prime-time programming at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Ahern out at Channel 2
One of the deacons at The Church of Tisch has been shown the door.
WBBM-TV General Manger Joe Ahern was fired today after six years at the CBS-owned station, this after they moved into new digs on Washington Blvd. in the Loop and started broadcasting their news in HD.
Replacing Ahern is Bruno Cohen, who is currently GM at CBS' duopoly in Sacramento, KOVR-TV and KMAX-TV.
Ahern was brought in to boost the ratings for the perennial low-rated station in 2002 by conducting talent raids, purchasing more viable programming (including Rachael Ray, Judge Judy, and stealing Dr. Phil from crosstown rival WMAQ-TV), and increasing the station's presence in the community.
But it was all to no avail as WBBM continued to struggle in the ratings, well behind the station he used to work for, ABC-owned WLS-TV.
Ahern recently made headlines for all the wrong reasons from having employees foot the bill for an expensive lunch to marble showers installed in his private bathroom. He was also named in a lawsuit by Amy Jacobson and one member of the Stebic family, for secretly videotaping Jacobson at their house and putting the video on the air. As a result, Jacobson lost her job at WMAQ.
Thought: For anyone who thought Joe Ahern turned WLS-TV into a powerhouse and thought he would do the same for WBBM, you're wrong. Keep in mind when Ahern started at WLS in 1985 succeeding Dennis Swanson, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and The Oprah Winfrey Show were already there - not to mention WLS' hiring of familiar faces like Jerry Taft, Linda Yu, Roger Ebert, and John Drury. All of this happened under Swanson's watch. He bought the shows, he hired those personalities, he turned WLS around from a laughingstock to a ratings dynamo. When WLS took over the top spot in local news in March 1986, Ahern was only there a couple of months.
Give Ahern credit though, for keeping WLS on the top of the ratings charts during the twelve years he was there. Though he acquired hit syndicated shows under his watch (Win, Lose, or Draw and Inside Edition), there were misses as well (game show strip The Challengers, and talk shows hosted by Carnie Wilson and Byron Allen.)
But one of the most asinine things he did at WLS was forbade the station's personalities from appearing on local telethon or on WTTW's Chicago Tonight because they aired on competing stations. It's understandable for your talent not to appear on your rivals - but not for a telethon or a non-profit public TV station? Give me a break.
When Ahern arrived at WBBM, he did acquire Judy and Phil - but accomplished little else (he did hire Diann Burns away from WLS. Does that count?) There was no Oprah Winfrey to groom (that was Swanson's job, anyway.) There was no Wheel or Jepoardy! -type of blockbuster for them to air. The station is no better off before he arrived.
If he really wanted to accomplish something, maybe he could have improved both the analog and HD over-the-air signal (which I still can't get) for WBBM. Instead, he did nothing and decided to dump WBBM's signal on Channel 22 on cable for Comcast subscribers. One person from Indiana noted on a local message board that he can get a clearer signal on nearby WSBT-TV in South Bend than over WBBM where he lived. And WSBT is on an UHF channel.
It's a shame America's most watched network is ranked fourth or fifth in the ratings locally. Poor programming decisions have been part of the problem, from whomever decided to schedule the schlocky Real TV at 3 in the afternoon back in 1998 to canceling the 6 p.m. newscast for Hollywood Squares two years later (and the all-time toppers - airing the very horrid Dr. Joy Browne and Dr. Laura afternoon talk shows in 1999 and 2000, respectively.)
And oh yeah, the newscasts. When the station debuted in HD on September 22, the station unveiled what I thought was the worst news set I've ever seen in any market. Are all those monitors behind the anchors really necessary? Or is that the legacy of Joe Ahern in the back? (or perhaps Bill Applegate?)
No, Ahern's legacy will be remembered as a tyrant who made people do what he wants the way he wanted it. Whether it's making you pay for his lunch or his marble shower, he symbolized the boss every employee loved to hate. And to think this man was employed by the same people who employed Bill Kurtis, Walter Jacobson, and Walter Cronkite. But when the ownership changed from the legendary William Paley to Larry "Cheapskate" Tisch, everything started to suffer. And much like the days when Tisch ran CBS - and into the ground mind you - someone had to take the fall when things go wrong. And that's true not only under current CBS ownership, but of all the major broadcast networks and a few broadcast groups (like Sinclair.)
You know what they say: What goes around - comes around. Ahern may be gone - but his stench remains and will take a lot of time to get rid of. With the ghost of Larry Tisch hanging around, it's not going to be easy.
T Dog's Think Tank Archive: The Mess at Channel 2
WBBM-TV General Manger Joe Ahern was fired today after six years at the CBS-owned station, this after they moved into new digs on Washington Blvd. in the Loop and started broadcasting their news in HD.
Replacing Ahern is Bruno Cohen, who is currently GM at CBS' duopoly in Sacramento, KOVR-TV and KMAX-TV.
Ahern was brought in to boost the ratings for the perennial low-rated station in 2002 by conducting talent raids, purchasing more viable programming (including Rachael Ray, Judge Judy, and stealing Dr. Phil from crosstown rival WMAQ-TV), and increasing the station's presence in the community.
But it was all to no avail as WBBM continued to struggle in the ratings, well behind the station he used to work for, ABC-owned WLS-TV.
Ahern recently made headlines for all the wrong reasons from having employees foot the bill for an expensive lunch to marble showers installed in his private bathroom. He was also named in a lawsuit by Amy Jacobson and one member of the Stebic family, for secretly videotaping Jacobson at their house and putting the video on the air. As a result, Jacobson lost her job at WMAQ.
Thought: For anyone who thought Joe Ahern turned WLS-TV into a powerhouse and thought he would do the same for WBBM, you're wrong. Keep in mind when Ahern started at WLS in 1985 succeeding Dennis Swanson, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy!, and The Oprah Winfrey Show were already there - not to mention WLS' hiring of familiar faces like Jerry Taft, Linda Yu, Roger Ebert, and John Drury. All of this happened under Swanson's watch. He bought the shows, he hired those personalities, he turned WLS around from a laughingstock to a ratings dynamo. When WLS took over the top spot in local news in March 1986, Ahern was only there a couple of months.
Give Ahern credit though, for keeping WLS on the top of the ratings charts during the twelve years he was there. Though he acquired hit syndicated shows under his watch (Win, Lose, or Draw and Inside Edition), there were misses as well (game show strip The Challengers, and talk shows hosted by Carnie Wilson and Byron Allen.)
But one of the most asinine things he did at WLS was forbade the station's personalities from appearing on local telethon or on WTTW's Chicago Tonight because they aired on competing stations. It's understandable for your talent not to appear on your rivals - but not for a telethon or a non-profit public TV station? Give me a break.
When Ahern arrived at WBBM, he did acquire Judy and Phil - but accomplished little else (he did hire Diann Burns away from WLS. Does that count?) There was no Oprah Winfrey to groom (that was Swanson's job, anyway.) There was no Wheel or Jepoardy! -type of blockbuster for them to air. The station is no better off before he arrived.
If he really wanted to accomplish something, maybe he could have improved both the analog and HD over-the-air signal (which I still can't get) for WBBM. Instead, he did nothing and decided to dump WBBM's signal on Channel 22 on cable for Comcast subscribers. One person from Indiana noted on a local message board that he can get a clearer signal on nearby WSBT-TV in South Bend than over WBBM where he lived. And WSBT is on an UHF channel.
It's a shame America's most watched network is ranked fourth or fifth in the ratings locally. Poor programming decisions have been part of the problem, from whomever decided to schedule the schlocky Real TV at 3 in the afternoon back in 1998 to canceling the 6 p.m. newscast for Hollywood Squares two years later (and the all-time toppers - airing the very horrid Dr. Joy Browne and Dr. Laura afternoon talk shows in 1999 and 2000, respectively.)
And oh yeah, the newscasts. When the station debuted in HD on September 22, the station unveiled what I thought was the worst news set I've ever seen in any market. Are all those monitors behind the anchors really necessary? Or is that the legacy of Joe Ahern in the back? (or perhaps Bill Applegate?)
No, Ahern's legacy will be remembered as a tyrant who made people do what he wants the way he wanted it. Whether it's making you pay for his lunch or his marble shower, he symbolized the boss every employee loved to hate. And to think this man was employed by the same people who employed Bill Kurtis, Walter Jacobson, and Walter Cronkite. But when the ownership changed from the legendary William Paley to Larry "Cheapskate" Tisch, everything started to suffer. And much like the days when Tisch ran CBS - and into the ground mind you - someone had to take the fall when things go wrong. And that's true not only under current CBS ownership, but of all the major broadcast networks and a few broadcast groups (like Sinclair.)
You know what they say: What goes around - comes around. Ahern may be gone - but his stench remains and will take a lot of time to get rid of. With the ghost of Larry Tisch hanging around, it's not going to be easy.
T Dog's Think Tank Archive: The Mess at Channel 2
Monday, October 13, 2008
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag
Back to the future with KOFY
Granite Broadcasting has decided to bring back the KOFY calls to Channel 20 in the Bay Area. The call letters were in use on the frequency between 1986 and 1998.
The independent station, which serves the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market, was previously known as KBWB-TV, a holdover of when it was a WB affiliate. The WB merged with UPN to become CW, which moved to KBCW-TV (formerly KBHK) in 2006. The station maintained its KBWB calls even after the network folded.
The station plans to air original local programming in prime-time on Monday and Tuesdays, featuring local versions of HGTV programs; hold trivia contests; cruise around in the Bay Area in a KOFY van and asking people what's on their mind; plus letting viewers vote on what retro shows they want to see in prime-time on Sunday nights. Viewers can also join the KOFY club on the station's website (kofytv.com) and register to become a guest host and win prizes.
Also, KOFY is taking a page from WCIU's playbook by featuring dogs in the station's top and bottom of the hour IDs.
KOFY's syndicated lineup includes Desperate Housewives, Punk'd, According to Jim, and Tyler Perry's House of Payne, plus classics like The Munsters and favorite son The Streets of San Francisco. The stations also airs news from ABC-owned KGO-TV at 9 p.m. every weeknight.
The station signed on as KEMO-TV in 1968, and became KTZO in 1980, before assuming the KOFY calls in 1986.
Stations returning to their previous calls isn't new. In 1985, then-CBS affiliate WJKW-TV in Cleveland returned the calls to WJW-TV after eight years (WJW is now a Fox affiliate.)
- How's Friday Night Smackdown doing on My Network TV? Quite well, thank you - the program (recently relocated from CW) grew week-to-week from 3.2 to 3.5 million viewers, and beat all networks in the men 18-49 demo. And CW said it wouldn't miss the show...
- As for the Media Rights Capital block on CW Sunday nights, let's just say this - these numbers are even worse than those for infomercials at 2 a.m. or for paid religion on Sunday mornings. The good news keeps coming for The CW!
Granite Broadcasting has decided to bring back the KOFY calls to Channel 20 in the Bay Area. The call letters were in use on the frequency between 1986 and 1998.
The independent station, which serves the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market, was previously known as KBWB-TV, a holdover of when it was a WB affiliate. The WB merged with UPN to become CW, which moved to KBCW-TV (formerly KBHK) in 2006. The station maintained its KBWB calls even after the network folded.
The station plans to air original local programming in prime-time on Monday and Tuesdays, featuring local versions of HGTV programs; hold trivia contests; cruise around in the Bay Area in a KOFY van and asking people what's on their mind; plus letting viewers vote on what retro shows they want to see in prime-time on Sunday nights. Viewers can also join the KOFY club on the station's website (kofytv.com) and register to become a guest host and win prizes.
Also, KOFY is taking a page from WCIU's playbook by featuring dogs in the station's top and bottom of the hour IDs.
KOFY's syndicated lineup includes Desperate Housewives, Punk'd, According to Jim, and Tyler Perry's House of Payne, plus classics like The Munsters and favorite son The Streets of San Francisco. The stations also airs news from ABC-owned KGO-TV at 9 p.m. every weeknight.
The station signed on as KEMO-TV in 1968, and became KTZO in 1980, before assuming the KOFY calls in 1986.
Stations returning to their previous calls isn't new. In 1985, then-CBS affiliate WJKW-TV in Cleveland returned the calls to WJW-TV after eight years (WJW is now a Fox affiliate.)
- How's Friday Night Smackdown doing on My Network TV? Quite well, thank you - the program (recently relocated from CW) grew week-to-week from 3.2 to 3.5 million viewers, and beat all networks in the men 18-49 demo. And CW said it wouldn't miss the show...
- As for the Media Rights Capital block on CW Sunday nights, let's just say this - these numbers are even worse than those for infomercials at 2 a.m. or for paid religion on Sunday mornings. The good news keeps coming for The CW!
WMAQ relaunches website
WMAQ-TV here in Chicago has become the first station in the NBC Local Media Group to re-launch its website. The site's new name - NBCChicago.com - provides photos, improved traffic and weather information, separate sections for news, sports, and entertainment, as well as videos, blogs, and other goodies.
Compare this right now to sis station WNBC-TV in New York. WMAQ's website is cleaner, more organized, easy to navigate, and less cluttered than it was previously (don't worry New Yorkers, your site and WVIT in Hartford will be getting the same upgrade on Oct. 27.)
In fact, all of the nine NBC O&Os are getting the upgrades this month with KNBC-TV in Los Angeles (NBCLosAngles.com), KNSD-TV in San Diego (NBCSanDiego.com, whose domain is already in use by the station); and KNTV in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose market (NBCBayArea.com) launching Thursday, and the rest (Washington, D.C.; Dallas; and Philadelphia) launching next Monday.
The monkier for the sites is "Locals Only".
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
T Dog's Four on the Floor - Edition 7
Yes, the four feature is back! But with a new name. The feature that was Who's in your four is now the much-catchier T Dog's Four on the Floor. Why the name change? Because the previous one no longer made sense (and T-Mobile has scaled back national advertising, meaning no more "who's in your five" spots.) And it's not original.
There are four items on two floors each: A Fabulous Floor and a Flopulous one. It's been awhile since we did one, and here it is:
T Dog's Fabulous Four
- Windows Vista ads (that do not star Jerry Seinfeld.) Though yours truly loves those PC vs. Mac ads, Microsoft's ads featuring the lonely PC as someone who can do more than stand around in a suit and tie was awesome. This generation's McDonald's vs. Burger King.
- South Park. The season premiere scored its highest ratings in nine years, thanks to Matt Stone and Trey Parker sticking it to two people who thoroughly deserved it (though yours truly hated yet another edition of the Butters & Cartman show.)
- Matt Millen fired as the Detroit Lions' GM. Finally, the worst sports executive in history gets canned by the Detroit Lions, who went 31-84 under his watch. Next stop for Millen? Maybe low-rated outlets WKBD-TV (CW) and sister station WWJ-TV (CBS). After all, they are owned by The Church of Tisch and they know a thing or two about hiring bad executives...
- Robert Feder. It sucks he's leaving soon, but a toast to the man who peaked inside the door of Chicago's Media outlets and brought us all the dirt.
T Dog's Flopulous Four (the non-Chicago baseball and non-Heroes edition)
- The Emmy Awards. Regarding the opening sketch: all right, what the hell was that? Five hosts bumbling, stumbling around like they're drunk and not knowing what they're doing? Weak. This lousy skit, along with low ratings are more than enough to put award shows out of existence.
- Family Guy. For a lame Jennifer Hudson joke in the season premiere. Which manatee came up with that one? Whatever the case, he probably works on the Heroes writing staff as well.
- ABC Wednesday. How about those ratings for Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money? Makes you long for the days of Dinosaurs and Doogie Howser, M.D. -mid-level fare that ran on the network on Wednesdays in the early '90's.
- Rush Limbaugh vs. Mary Mitchell. Really, who cares?
There are four items on two floors each: A Fabulous Floor and a Flopulous one. It's been awhile since we did one, and here it is:
T Dog's Fabulous Four
- Windows Vista ads (that do not star Jerry Seinfeld.) Though yours truly loves those PC vs. Mac ads, Microsoft's ads featuring the lonely PC as someone who can do more than stand around in a suit and tie was awesome. This generation's McDonald's vs. Burger King.
- South Park. The season premiere scored its highest ratings in nine years, thanks to Matt Stone and Trey Parker sticking it to two people who thoroughly deserved it (though yours truly hated yet another edition of the Butters & Cartman show.)
- Matt Millen fired as the Detroit Lions' GM. Finally, the worst sports executive in history gets canned by the Detroit Lions, who went 31-84 under his watch. Next stop for Millen? Maybe low-rated outlets WKBD-TV (CW) and sister station WWJ-TV (CBS). After all, they are owned by The Church of Tisch and they know a thing or two about hiring bad executives...
- Robert Feder. It sucks he's leaving soon, but a toast to the man who peaked inside the door of Chicago's Media outlets and brought us all the dirt.
T Dog's Flopulous Four (the non-Chicago baseball and non-Heroes edition)
- The Emmy Awards. Regarding the opening sketch: all right, what the hell was that? Five hosts bumbling, stumbling around like they're drunk and not knowing what they're doing? Weak. This lousy skit, along with low ratings are more than enough to put award shows out of existence.
- Family Guy. For a lame Jennifer Hudson joke in the season premiere. Which manatee came up with that one? Whatever the case, he probably works on the Heroes writing staff as well.
- ABC Wednesday. How about those ratings for Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money? Makes you long for the days of Dinosaurs and Doogie Howser, M.D. -mid-level fare that ran on the network on Wednesdays in the early '90's.
- Rush Limbaugh vs. Mary Mitchell. Really, who cares?
Friday, October 10, 2008
Reasons No. 345 and 346 why network prime-time TV sucks
NBC renewing the awful Knight Rider revival for four more episodes and ABC renewing the very ultra-lame I Survived a Japanese Game Show for next summer. And you wonder why the networks are losing audiences. Maybe they should bring back National Bingo Night as well...
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Layoffs hit Denver's KWGN-TV
As expected, Tribune Co.'s KWGN-TV announced layoffs after the station agreed to merge its operations with Local TV's KDVR-TV.
KWGN, the market's CW affiliate, laid off "a significant amount of employees", including its news director and veteran anchorman Ernie Bjorkman.
Despite the fact both stations are under separate ownership, the stations are being run jointly, in a "local marketing agreement"- type of fashion, something that was commonplace before duopolies became legal by the FCC.
KDVR was owned by Fox until a year ago when Local TV brought it and seven other stations, while Tribune has owned KWGN since 1966 (when it was known as WGN Continental Broadcasting.)
KWGN, the market's CW affiliate, laid off "a significant amount of employees", including its news director and veteran anchorman Ernie Bjorkman.
Despite the fact both stations are under separate ownership, the stations are being run jointly, in a "local marketing agreement"- type of fashion, something that was commonplace before duopolies became legal by the FCC.
KDVR was owned by Fox until a year ago when Local TV brought it and seven other stations, while Tribune has owned KWGN since 1966 (when it was known as WGN Continental Broadcasting.)
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag
- WWE's move of Friday Night Smackdown to My Network TV drew 3.2 million in its first airing Friday night, finishing first in the time period among males 18-34 and 18-49, and giving the small net its largest audience ever. However, the premiere of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network drew 4 million viewers, setting a record as the most-watched debut of any program in its' 15-year history.
- TBS has renewed My Boys for a third season, in early 2009, while FX dumps The Riches.
- Finally, a place where Darkmane hasn't shown up, at least not yet: CBS has renewed crime drama The Mentalist for the full season. The program looks to be a bona fide hit, with an average of 15 million viewers.
- Is DirectTV's Poltergeist ad in bad taste given Heather O'Rouke's tragic death some 25 years ago? (Yes.)
- A new book from Scott Childers is coming out on October 20, celebrating powerhouse WLS-AM. Titled Chicago's WLS Radio, the book mentions Herb Morrison's famous description of the Hinderburg crash and the Prairie Farmer days, but covers WLS' Top 40 era in significant detail, when the place was run by Larry Lujack, "Animal Stories", and of course, the spirited feud with rival WCFL.
WLS-AM's Top 40 era came to an end in August 1989 (it actually came to an end sooner, when the station dropped Top 40 for a Soft AC/MOR mix) and flipped to all-talk, the format it currently holds.
- TBS has renewed My Boys for a third season, in early 2009, while FX dumps The Riches.
- Finally, a place where Darkmane hasn't shown up, at least not yet: CBS has renewed crime drama The Mentalist for the full season. The program looks to be a bona fide hit, with an average of 15 million viewers.
- Is DirectTV's Poltergeist ad in bad taste given Heather O'Rouke's tragic death some 25 years ago? (Yes.)
- A new book from Scott Childers is coming out on October 20, celebrating powerhouse WLS-AM. Titled Chicago's WLS Radio, the book mentions Herb Morrison's famous description of the Hinderburg crash and the Prairie Farmer days, but covers WLS' Top 40 era in significant detail, when the place was run by Larry Lujack, "Animal Stories", and of course, the spirited feud with rival WCFL.
WLS-AM's Top 40 era came to an end in August 1989 (it actually came to an end sooner, when the station dropped Top 40 for a Soft AC/MOR mix) and flipped to all-talk, the format it currently holds.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Welcome to Floptober
Forget the goat, it's this guy's fault the Cubs didn't win.
There's only one Floptober...
Remember when I said Darkmane (from those X Games spots) couldn't foil the X Games but could show up at Wrigley to foil the Cubs chances at going to the World Series?
Not only he succeeded, but he also managed to find time to show up at U.S. Cellular Field to foil the White Sox's chances, too. Leave it to a character created by ESPN to promote (if you can call it that) last summer's X Games to summarize what has gone wrong with the month so far (and judging by his MySpace page, Darkmane would make a great radio executive...)
Welcome to Floptober, the month of shocking surprises and twists and turns - more of them than you find in a pretzel.
What a month so far - and it's only eight days old. The theme of the month is the song Free Fallin' by Tom Petty. It's going to be played all month long.
The Chicago Cubs, who were favorites to win the World Series for the first time in one hundred years, were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers in three, breaking the hearts of Cub fans everywhere. That was followed by the White Sox being eliminated from the preliminary round by the Tampa Bay Rays two days later, creating a spectacular baseball playoff flop for the city.
On September 21, the Chicago Bears lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So now we can't beat teams from Tampa? When did this happen? I hope the Blackhawks can beat the Tampa Bay Lightning this season - it's our only hope...
If it isn't the Cubs and White Sox, it's the stock market and the economy, which continues to bottom out every day. Congress recently passed a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street. Wow, more money coming out of our pocket, making you and me more broke.
And if it isn't that, it's the Oakland Raiders, who continue to re-define "Commitment to Excellence" by firing their coach in the most embarrassing way possible. Owner Al Davis is actually making the late Bill Wirtz look good. Maybe Davis should black out home games next - oh wait, that's probably happening, with the NFL doing the job for him because nobody in Oakland wants to go to Raiders games.
And if it isn't that, it's the fading fortunes of the broadcast networks' prime-time schedules, whose ratings are down 5 percent from a year ago with season premieres of Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, House, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and others all down from last year. Fox has already canceled Do Not Disturb, with Hole in the Wall likely next. And The CW continues to stumble, even though their Monday night lineup has stabilized. Have you looked at the ratings for their new outscored Sunday night lineup from Media Rights Capital? Even The 700 Club draws better ratings than this sorry group of programs (though I'm rooting for Easy Money to at least draw a decent number.)
And let's not forget the ultimate symbol of Floptober: Heroes, whose amazing ratings and creative decline have even hard-core fans giving up on the show (I'll have a future Think Tank on this.) If I wanted inconsistent material, mediocre performances, and people who just don't outright give a shit anymore, I'll watch the Detroit Lions (or a Cubs playoff game.) Sylar, Hiro, Roy Williams, Carlos Zambrano, what's the difference?
And not even radio have escaped from Floptober, as two radio stations in Peoria recently closed their doors and a possible debacle involving Arbitron's new Portable People Meter looming.
And hell, not even ultimate fighting escaped, with one of the more established and well-known stars of the sport (Kimbo Slice) losing in the first round in fourteen seconds in an Elite XC match Saturday night to an unknown fighter who was a last-minute replacement for Ken Shamrock in the main event.
And to top it off, it's election time so we're punished further with campaign ads featuring self-serving windbags who make promises and later do nothing.
So there you go. If October 2008 will be known for anything, it'll be known as Floptober. So boys and girls, get on down there and join Darkmane's Army. If you want to be a winner, this is the place you want to go, because it seems Darkmane has been winning all month long.
Updated 10:18 p.m. on 2008-10-08
NBC subtracts Weather Plus
NBC and its affiliate board announced it was pulling the plug on NBC Weather Plus, a digital subchannel network focusing exclusively on weather, much like cable's The Weather Channel, which NBC Universal recently acquired.
A total of 90 stations used NBC Weather Plus, which launched as the nation's first all-digital subchannel network in 2004. It provided stations with 24-hour weather reports.
No word on what Weather Plus will be replaced by on stations' digital subchannels. NBC recently launched Universal Sports as a digital and satellite network in June, when it bought World Championship Sports Network. It already airs on digital subchannels in 22 markets, including nine NBC O&Os (including WMAQ-TV, where you can find it on channel 5.3.)
Weather Plus is the second digital network to go under in the last thirteen months, with The Tube (a music video network) ceasing operations in September 2007 due to financial constraints.
A total of 90 stations used NBC Weather Plus, which launched as the nation's first all-digital subchannel network in 2004. It provided stations with 24-hour weather reports.
No word on what Weather Plus will be replaced by on stations' digital subchannels. NBC recently launched Universal Sports as a digital and satellite network in June, when it bought World Championship Sports Network. It already airs on digital subchannels in 22 markets, including nine NBC O&Os (including WMAQ-TV, where you can find it on channel 5.3.)
Weather Plus is the second digital network to go under in the last thirteen months, with The Tube (a music video network) ceasing operations in September 2007 due to financial constraints.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Chicago's PPM results are here
Here they are... the first official Portable People Meter results for the Chicago market. Arbitron decided to release the numbers today instead of Wednesday for Chicago, New York, and six other markets to avoid an injuction by the New York State Attorney General, who isn't happy with the system because he feels the system discriminates against minorities (never mind that those results released today showed Steve Harvey's morning show on New York City's WBLS-FM tied for first among adults 25-54.)
Moreover, those "pre-currency" numbers Arbitron released in July and August are now "currency".
Borrowing a page from Marc Berman's Programming Insider, here's how the stations fared. Remember, these are based on persons 6+ shares only, with demos (other than what Arbitron put in their press release) hopefully coming later.
Winners:
- WGN-AM, WLS-AM/FM, WDRV-FM (The Drive), WOJO-FM.
Honorable Mention:
- WUSN-FM (US 99), WKSC-FM (Kiss FM), WILV-FM (Love FM)
Losers:
- WGCI-FM, WBBM-FM (B96), WFMT-FM
Waiting For the Axe to Swing:
- WPWX-FM (Power 92), Nine-FM, WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3)
Of note, Spanish-language WOJO-FM finished first among adults 18-34 in morning drive, with WUSN-FM taking second and Drex on WKSC taking third. WLS-FM finished fourth while Spanish-language WLEY-FM finished fifth.
The PPM results (also released in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco area markets) showed higher listenership among minorities than previously thought.
This just in: Here's how Chicago's stations fared among adults 25-54.
Moreover, those "pre-currency" numbers Arbitron released in July and August are now "currency".
Borrowing a page from Marc Berman's Programming Insider, here's how the stations fared. Remember, these are based on persons 6+ shares only, with demos (other than what Arbitron put in their press release) hopefully coming later.
Winners:
- WGN-AM, WLS-AM/FM, WDRV-FM (The Drive), WOJO-FM.
Honorable Mention:
- WUSN-FM (US 99), WKSC-FM (Kiss FM), WILV-FM (Love FM)
Losers:
- WGCI-FM, WBBM-FM (B96), WFMT-FM
Waiting For the Axe to Swing:
- WPWX-FM (Power 92), Nine-FM, WSRB-FM (Soul 106.3)
Of note, Spanish-language WOJO-FM finished first among adults 18-34 in morning drive, with WUSN-FM taking second and Drex on WKSC taking third. WLS-FM finished fourth while Spanish-language WLEY-FM finished fifth.
The PPM results (also released in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco area markets) showed higher listenership among minorities than previously thought.
This just in: Here's how Chicago's stations fared among adults 25-54.
Inside "Soul Train"
As Soul Train rides into the into the rail yard for good (for now, anyway), an article in the Chicago Reader Thursday features a new book that takes a behind-the-scenes look at the dance program's Chicago days at WCIU-TV in the early 1970's.
Titled A Critical History of Soul Train on Television, author Chris Lehman takes a look at the program's WCIU era, unearthing many little-known facts. Among the findings:
- Though most programming of the era was produced and shown in color, the Chicago version of Soul Train was produced and aired in black-as-white, as WCIU did not broadcast in color until the late 1970's (the major American networks had full color prime-time schedules by September 1966; Canadian public broadcaster CBC didn't broadcast fully in color until 1974.)
- Soul Train actually continued as a local daily show in Chicago until 1976, even as the show went national as a weekly syndicated version from Hollywood debuted in 1971 (according to a TV listing I have from the Chicago Tribune dated August 10, 1974, the weekly version of Train aired locally Saturday afternoons on CBS-owned WBBM-TV.)
- Soul Train aired live from WCIU's Board of Trade headquarters at 141 West Jackson Blvd. on the 43rd floor, in a very cramped space. The size was about the same as a studio apartment.
- The program's Chicago version also featured some well-known political activists in the black community, including Rev. Jesse Jackson and Father George Clements of Holy Angels Church.
- Before the days Tom Joyner became known as "the fly jock" (flying between radio gigs in Chicago and Dallas simultaneously), you could assume Don Cornelius held the title first - from 1971 to 1973, he flew back-and-forth between Chicago and Los Angeles to produce and host both versions of Soul Train.
- There were significant differences in both versions of the show, in the size of studio and the way dancers performed.
- After Cornelius went to Los Angeles to stay, Chicago's version of Soul Train had a new host - childhood friend Clinton Ghent, who coordinated the show, which included booking the dancers and picking the music. Chicago's version of Soul Train ended in 1976 when Ghent became Cornelius' assistant in L.A.; reruns would continue on WCIU until the summer of 1979.
Soul Train continued as a weekly syndicated show until 2006, when new episodes ceased airing. It segued into The Best of Soul Train - featuring reruns of the series from the 1970's and 1980's. But airings of this program ended a week or so ago, when contracts with stations expired.
The show's previous syndicator (Tribune Entertainment) closed last December, forcing Don Cornelius Productions to sign with another syndicator, in which they did with Trifecta Entertainment. But Trifecta declined its option to bring Soul Train reruns back into syndication for the 2008-09 television season.
MadVision Entertainment - which recently acquired the rights to the series - plans to bring the show back in some kind of form in the future. Soul Train still holds the record for the longest running first-run syndicated program at 35 consecutive seasons, with the second-longest (Entertainment Tonight) currently at 28 seasons.
T Dog Media Blog Archive: Soul Train Derails
Titled A Critical History of Soul Train on Television, author Chris Lehman takes a look at the program's WCIU era, unearthing many little-known facts. Among the findings:
- Though most programming of the era was produced and shown in color, the Chicago version of Soul Train was produced and aired in black-as-white, as WCIU did not broadcast in color until the late 1970's (the major American networks had full color prime-time schedules by September 1966; Canadian public broadcaster CBC didn't broadcast fully in color until 1974.)
- Soul Train actually continued as a local daily show in Chicago until 1976, even as the show went national as a weekly syndicated version from Hollywood debuted in 1971 (according to a TV listing I have from the Chicago Tribune dated August 10, 1974, the weekly version of Train aired locally Saturday afternoons on CBS-owned WBBM-TV.)
- Soul Train aired live from WCIU's Board of Trade headquarters at 141 West Jackson Blvd. on the 43rd floor, in a very cramped space. The size was about the same as a studio apartment.
- The program's Chicago version also featured some well-known political activists in the black community, including Rev. Jesse Jackson and Father George Clements of Holy Angels Church.
- Before the days Tom Joyner became known as "the fly jock" (flying between radio gigs in Chicago and Dallas simultaneously), you could assume Don Cornelius held the title first - from 1971 to 1973, he flew back-and-forth between Chicago and Los Angeles to produce and host both versions of Soul Train.
- There were significant differences in both versions of the show, in the size of studio and the way dancers performed.
- After Cornelius went to Los Angeles to stay, Chicago's version of Soul Train had a new host - childhood friend Clinton Ghent, who coordinated the show, which included booking the dancers and picking the music. Chicago's version of Soul Train ended in 1976 when Ghent became Cornelius' assistant in L.A.; reruns would continue on WCIU until the summer of 1979.
Soul Train continued as a weekly syndicated show until 2006, when new episodes ceased airing. It segued into The Best of Soul Train - featuring reruns of the series from the 1970's and 1980's. But airings of this program ended a week or so ago, when contracts with stations expired.
The show's previous syndicator (Tribune Entertainment) closed last December, forcing Don Cornelius Productions to sign with another syndicator, in which they did with Trifecta Entertainment. But Trifecta declined its option to bring Soul Train reruns back into syndication for the 2008-09 television season.
MadVision Entertainment - which recently acquired the rights to the series - plans to bring the show back in some kind of form in the future. Soul Train still holds the record for the longest running first-run syndicated program at 35 consecutive seasons, with the second-longest (Entertainment Tonight) currently at 28 seasons.
T Dog Media Blog Archive: Soul Train Derails
Minneapolis, Cleveland TV stations worry about LPMs
If you think radio stations in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles are worrying about Arbitron's Portable People Meters - then you haven't seen anything yet.
Television executives in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Cleveland are sweating it out over the next several months as Local People Meters - or LPMs, become the standard of measurement for television ratings measured by Nielsen. Both markets' new systems went live Aug. 28.
Like Arbitron's Portable Peter Meters (PPMs), Nielsen's LPMs uses an electronic device which essentially replaces paper diaries as a way to measure audiences. Both devices also measure demographics more accurately, which is more value to advertisers. LPMs establishes overnight ratings from demos quickly in a market - instead of the standard four books a year from the old diary system. The current meter system in both markets measures household numbers only.
Usually, younger-skewing outlets (like CW, My Network TV affiliates, and independents) are happier with the new method since ratings usually go up after a switch from diaries, but older, established stations aren't usually happy because their ratings usually go down.
That's the case with CBS-owned WCCO-TV and Hubbard's ABC affiliate (KSTP-TV) in Minneapolis. Ratings for both stations dropped in a trial run earlier this summer (known as pre-currency.) But Fox's KMSP and Gannett-owned NBC affiliate KARE-TV were actually pleased.
Ironically, Fox was opposed to LPMs in 2004 -when Rupert Murdoch blasted Nielsen officials for their under-measurement of minority audiences on his UPN stations, which aired programs targeting African-Americans. However, their concerns "disappeared" in 2006 when UPN folded into The WB and became The CW, leaving Murdoch's stations behind. Those former UPN stations later became My Network TV affiliates.
In Cleveland, many stations were unhappy with the system - either with the lowered ratings or the high cost of it, or both. Strangely enough, while KARE was happy with the LPMs, its sister corporate station in Cleveland (former NBC O&O WKYC-TV) was not.
Meanwhile, Raycom's respective CBS and My Network TV affiliates (WOIO and WUAB) hopes to persuade Nielsen to rethink its cost for the new system. And the expense is also likely to affect locally-owned CW affiliate WBNX-TV as well.
Nielsen is pushing the LPM as a more accurate way of measuring ratings in both households and demos, by using larger samples and better technology - much in the same way Arbitron is pushing the PPM to measure radio. Usually when LPMs are introduced in a market, stations targeting younger audiences generally do better in the ratings; older-skewing outlets fare a little worse. However, when LPMs were introduced in Chicago in 2004, it didn't drastically shake up the market like many thought: ABC-owned WLS-TV remained on top, while others (like CBS' WBBM-TV and Fox's WFLD-TV) still struggled in a few dayparts.
Nielsen plans to have all of its 56 metered markets using LPMs by 2011. This month, Miami and Denver rollout their systems; that will be followed by Orlando, Sacramento, and St. Louis come January. Milwaukee gets its LPM system launched in April 2010.
Whether stations, community groups, and others like it or not, the Local People Meters - and the Portable People Meters - are here to stay. Their whining isn't likely to deter Nielsen or Arbitron from what they need to do -to provide a more accurate system of audience measurement, which has been lacking for decades.
Television executives in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Cleveland are sweating it out over the next several months as Local People Meters - or LPMs, become the standard of measurement for television ratings measured by Nielsen. Both markets' new systems went live Aug. 28.
Like Arbitron's Portable Peter Meters (PPMs), Nielsen's LPMs uses an electronic device which essentially replaces paper diaries as a way to measure audiences. Both devices also measure demographics more accurately, which is more value to advertisers. LPMs establishes overnight ratings from demos quickly in a market - instead of the standard four books a year from the old diary system. The current meter system in both markets measures household numbers only.
Usually, younger-skewing outlets (like CW, My Network TV affiliates, and independents) are happier with the new method since ratings usually go up after a switch from diaries, but older, established stations aren't usually happy because their ratings usually go down.
That's the case with CBS-owned WCCO-TV and Hubbard's ABC affiliate (KSTP-TV) in Minneapolis. Ratings for both stations dropped in a trial run earlier this summer (known as pre-currency.) But Fox's KMSP and Gannett-owned NBC affiliate KARE-TV were actually pleased.
Ironically, Fox was opposed to LPMs in 2004 -when Rupert Murdoch blasted Nielsen officials for their under-measurement of minority audiences on his UPN stations, which aired programs targeting African-Americans. However, their concerns "disappeared" in 2006 when UPN folded into The WB and became The CW, leaving Murdoch's stations behind. Those former UPN stations later became My Network TV affiliates.
In Cleveland, many stations were unhappy with the system - either with the lowered ratings or the high cost of it, or both. Strangely enough, while KARE was happy with the LPMs, its sister corporate station in Cleveland (former NBC O&O WKYC-TV) was not.
Meanwhile, Raycom's respective CBS and My Network TV affiliates (WOIO and WUAB) hopes to persuade Nielsen to rethink its cost for the new system. And the expense is also likely to affect locally-owned CW affiliate WBNX-TV as well.
Nielsen is pushing the LPM as a more accurate way of measuring ratings in both households and demos, by using larger samples and better technology - much in the same way Arbitron is pushing the PPM to measure radio. Usually when LPMs are introduced in a market, stations targeting younger audiences generally do better in the ratings; older-skewing outlets fare a little worse. However, when LPMs were introduced in Chicago in 2004, it didn't drastically shake up the market like many thought: ABC-owned WLS-TV remained on top, while others (like CBS' WBBM-TV and Fox's WFLD-TV) still struggled in a few dayparts.
Nielsen plans to have all of its 56 metered markets using LPMs by 2011. This month, Miami and Denver rollout their systems; that will be followed by Orlando, Sacramento, and St. Louis come January. Milwaukee gets its LPM system launched in April 2010.
Whether stations, community groups, and others like it or not, the Local People Meters - and the Portable People Meters - are here to stay. Their whining isn't likely to deter Nielsen or Arbitron from what they need to do -to provide a more accurate system of audience measurement, which has been lacking for decades.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Peoria radio stations go dark
Man, how bad is the economy? So bad that now you even have radio stations shutting down. Two Peoria stations threw in the towel on Friday: Adult standards-formatted WOAM 1350 and Oldies WPMJ-FM, both owned by local businessman Bob Kelly due to "financial reasons".
The stations had been up for sale, but the current credit crunch had scared off many buyers.
WOAM played "Adult standards" music, generally from the '40's to the '60's. WPMJ aired Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel, which can be found here in Chicago on WLS-FM (94.7).
As a result of the stations closing, ten people who worked at the station were laid off.
It is rare a radio or television station literally goes off the air. For the record, the last time a television station went off the air for good was on August 30, 1983, when WKBS-TV in Philadelphia went dark after then-owner Field Broadcasting (which also owned WFLD-TV in Chicago until 1982) could not find a buyer and instead shut down the station and returned the license to the FCC.
The stations had been up for sale, but the current credit crunch had scared off many buyers.
WOAM played "Adult standards" music, generally from the '40's to the '60's. WPMJ aired Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel, which can be found here in Chicago on WLS-FM (94.7).
As a result of the stations closing, ten people who worked at the station were laid off.
It is rare a radio or television station literally goes off the air. For the record, the last time a television station went off the air for good was on August 30, 1983, when WKBS-TV in Philadelphia went dark after then-owner Field Broadcasting (which also owned WFLD-TV in Chicago until 1982) could not find a buyer and instead shut down the station and returned the license to the FCC.
NFL TV Distribution Maps: Week 5
(Sorry for failing to post last week's maps - a busy weekend kept me away from the blog. Also: this week's Bears-Lions came this close to be blacked out on WJBK-TV in Detroit. But the tickets sold, and the game will be on TV.)
Fox: Single Game
CBS: First Game Second Game
Fox: Single Game
CBS: First Game Second Game
Friday, October 03, 2008
Norman Ross dies
Former WLS-TV reporter Norman Ross died today from heart failure at his Chicago home. He was 86.
Ross had been in broadcasting since the 1950's, working at WFMT and WGN-AM, and was a reporter for ABC-owned WBKB-TV (now WLS-TV) in the 1960's.
He left media shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the riots that followed. Ross went into banking, hoping to bring together the city's financial institutions and the African-American inner city.
Ross also traveled the world, opening an office in China for the City of Chicago in the 1980's. He retired in 1986, but three years later, rejoined WLS in 1989 (reporting around the world) and retired again in 2001.
Ross is survived by a daughter, Diana Ross Fairweather (no relation to the famous singer.)
Ross had been in broadcasting since the 1950's, working at WFMT and WGN-AM, and was a reporter for ABC-owned WBKB-TV (now WLS-TV) in the 1960's.
He left media shortly after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated and the riots that followed. Ross went into banking, hoping to bring together the city's financial institutions and the African-American inner city.
Ross also traveled the world, opening an office in China for the City of Chicago in the 1980's. He retired in 1986, but three years later, rejoined WLS in 1989 (reporting around the world) and retired again in 2001.
Ross is survived by a daughter, Diana Ross Fairweather (no relation to the famous singer.)
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Senate passes Webcaster Settlement Act
There may be light at the end of the tunnel for Internet radio fans.
The Senate passed the Webcaster Settlement Act on Tuesday, which enables Internet streamers to negotiate lower rates with SoundExchange and the RIAA.
The bill sailed though the House on Saturday, and is now headed to President Bush's desk for signature. It allows SoundExchange to negotiate with Webcasters through 2015 and keeps them running while Congress is in recess. If the bill is signed (which is likely), the rates would be set retroactive back to 2006 (before the Copyright Royalty Board hiked them in 2007) and allow a framework that would resolve future disputes through 2015.
Webcasters have said the current royalty rates are too high for them to make a profit - so high it could put many of them out of business.
The bill had some rather strange alliances and distractors: The RIAA was actually on the side with Pandora and Webcasters to keep the bill afloat while the National Association of Broadcasters - which had opposed the recent Sirius/XM merger - said the bill was unfair to terrestrial radio broadcasters. The NAB later dropped its opposition.
Keep in mind this bill does not guarantee a settlement between the Webcasters and the RIAA and Sound Exchange. They now have until February 15 to reach a deal.
The Senate passed the Webcaster Settlement Act on Tuesday, which enables Internet streamers to negotiate lower rates with SoundExchange and the RIAA.
The bill sailed though the House on Saturday, and is now headed to President Bush's desk for signature. It allows SoundExchange to negotiate with Webcasters through 2015 and keeps them running while Congress is in recess. If the bill is signed (which is likely), the rates would be set retroactive back to 2006 (before the Copyright Royalty Board hiked them in 2007) and allow a framework that would resolve future disputes through 2015.
Webcasters have said the current royalty rates are too high for them to make a profit - so high it could put many of them out of business.
The bill had some rather strange alliances and distractors: The RIAA was actually on the side with Pandora and Webcasters to keep the bill afloat while the National Association of Broadcasters - which had opposed the recent Sirius/XM merger - said the bill was unfair to terrestrial radio broadcasters. The NAB later dropped its opposition.
Keep in mind this bill does not guarantee a settlement between the Webcasters and the RIAA and Sound Exchange. They now have until February 15 to reach a deal.
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag
In celebration of post number 1400, let's see what's in the bag (some celebration, huh?)
- How about this? With the White Sox victory over the Twins in last night's tiebraker game for the American League Central Division Title, both the Cubs and the White Sox are in the postseason for the first time in 102 years. But if you don't have cable (all the divisional game and the ALCS are on TBS), you're out of luck.
- NBC-owned WMAQ-TV debuts a new weekly lifestyle series this weekend titled LX. TV after Saturday Night Live. The program is a half-hour look at entertainment hot spots in the Chicago area (similar to WFLD's Upscale Chicago, which airs a half-hour later at 12:30 a.m.) The LX. TV concept started out on NBC-owned stations in New York (WNBC) and Los Angeles (KNBC) and is landing on NBC's six other O&Os as well. LX. TV was purchased by NBC Universal earlier this year.
And case if you are wondering, yes, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen is still on the air - with NEW episodes?
- Arbitron has rejected a plea by Ilinois senators - Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and Dick Durbin to delay the PPM measurement, which launches next week in Chicago and several other cities. The two claim the Portable People Meter does not measure minority audiences accurately.
Excuse me, but where were they in this fight over the royalties regarding Internet radio? Haven't heard a word. Luckily, a settlement is near - hopefully. But it is disappointing our two senators haven't recoginzed the fact that diversity is threatened if Internet radio goes away. Regardless of what the PPM entails, WGCI and other terristial radio stations - urban and non-urban - will survive.
- And you thought the stock markets are cratering: Ratings for the five major networks during premiere week were down 4. 3 percent from last year. When you have shows like Opportunity Knocks and a remake of Knight Rider - a show nobody cared about when it first aired in 1982 - on network schedules, you can see why.
And as for Heroes (down 28 percent), it may be time for NBC to do the same thing the Bears did with Rex Grossman this season - send it to the bench.
- How about this? With the White Sox victory over the Twins in last night's tiebraker game for the American League Central Division Title, both the Cubs and the White Sox are in the postseason for the first time in 102 years. But if you don't have cable (all the divisional game and the ALCS are on TBS), you're out of luck.
- NBC-owned WMAQ-TV debuts a new weekly lifestyle series this weekend titled LX. TV after Saturday Night Live. The program is a half-hour look at entertainment hot spots in the Chicago area (similar to WFLD's Upscale Chicago, which airs a half-hour later at 12:30 a.m.) The LX. TV concept started out on NBC-owned stations in New York (WNBC) and Los Angeles (KNBC) and is landing on NBC's six other O&Os as well. LX. TV was purchased by NBC Universal earlier this year.
And case if you are wondering, yes, Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen is still on the air - with NEW episodes?
- Arbitron has rejected a plea by Ilinois senators - Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and Dick Durbin to delay the PPM measurement, which launches next week in Chicago and several other cities. The two claim the Portable People Meter does not measure minority audiences accurately.
Excuse me, but where were they in this fight over the royalties regarding Internet radio? Haven't heard a word. Luckily, a settlement is near - hopefully. But it is disappointing our two senators haven't recoginzed the fact that diversity is threatened if Internet radio goes away. Regardless of what the PPM entails, WGCI and other terristial radio stations - urban and non-urban - will survive.
- And you thought the stock markets are cratering: Ratings for the five major networks during premiere week were down 4. 3 percent from last year. When you have shows like Opportunity Knocks and a remake of Knight Rider - a show nobody cared about when it first aired in 1982 - on network schedules, you can see why.
And as for Heroes (down 28 percent), it may be time for NBC to do the same thing the Bears did with Rex Grossman this season - send it to the bench.
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