Another new NCIS show. Also: Daytime soap Beyond The Gates renewed for two more seasons

CBS became the first broadcast network to unveil its schedule for the 2026-27 television season, a month ahead of everyone else as the top-rated network looks to maintain its ratings lead. 

It’s also the first under new Paramount ownership under David Ellison, who is looking to remake its news division to make it appeal more to middle America, and its’ primetime lineup reflects that, to a degree. The schedule relies on the same formulas: spinoffs, familiar faces, and paint-by-number procedurals. 

New series include yet another spinoff: NCIS: New York, which features LL Cool J back as Sam Hanna, a role he originated in NCIS: Los Angeles. Scheduled for Tuesday nights, it’s sandwiched between related programs NCIS and NCIS: Origins. Another new show is from Good Wife/Good Fight/Elsbeth creators Robert and Michelle King, called Cupertino. Set in the city where tech giant Apple is headquartered, it stars former Luke Cage star Mike Colter as a lawyer taking on…what else? The tech industry. The show is slotted for Thursday nights after Elsbeth, which moves an hour earlier – forcing Matlock to midseason. 

Midseason sees the premiere of Einstein, another procedural starring Matthew Gray Gubler as the great-grandson of Albert Einstein, who’s paired with a detective to consult on cases so he can stay out of jail (the show sounds more like the former CBC drama Tom Stone – which was syndicated as Stone Undercover in the U.S.)

The lone comedy on the schedule is from Ghosts creators Eternally Yours, featuring a family of vampires. The show is slotted after Goergie’s & Mandy’s First Marriage on Thursday nights. In fact, it’s the only sitcoms on the entire schedule, as CBS has abandoned comedies Monday nights to air an all-drama block of FBI, CIA, and Harlen Coben’s Final Twist – ending a tradition dating back to the days of I Love Lucy, Gilligan’s Island, M*A*S*H, and Newhart (Ghosts returns in midseason.)

As for other areas of the schedule, Survivor and The Amazing Race remains on Wednesdays; Fridays remain unchanged with Sheriff Country, Fire Country, and Boston Blue, Saturdays have encores and 48 Hours; and Sundays are also unchanged with 60 Minutes, Yellowstone spin-off Marshals, and Tracker. 

Out are Waston and DMV, as both were canceled weeks ago, and The Neighborhood is closing up shop after eight seasons. As it has done in previous years, look for CBS to launch its new lineup in mid-October, once football season settles in and all the other fall premieres have taken place. 

Meanwhile, CBS also announced Wednesday the renewal of daytime serial Beyond The Gates for two more seasons, through the 2027-28 season. The soap opera – the second featuring a majority-Black cast, has improved ratings in the time slot formerly occupied by The Talk. The series premiered on February 24, 2025. 

Last week, CBS announced it was upgrading Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed to the time slot now occupied by the Late Show With Stephen Colbert starting May 22, in a time-buy, with game show Funny You Should Ask following. CBS president George Cheeks said Wednesday in a press briefing that the move was “temporary” as the network plans to develop a low-cost alternative for the 2027-28 season. 

The post CBS releases 2026-27 schedule first appeared on T Dog Media.

He’s the latest personality to join the station

In another coup, NBC-owned WMAQ-TV, or NBC 5, announced on Monday the hiring of Richard Roeper as entertainment and cultural critic, starting April 10. Roeper will appear on the station’s afternoon and early-evening newscasts, and make regular appearances on Chicago Today, the station’s daily fifteen-minute local entertainment show. Roeper will appear on NBC 5’s digital platforms as well.

“Richard is a respected and notable voice in Chicago media,” said Sally Ramirez, who is NBC 5’s Senior Vice-President of News. “His unparalleled insight into the entertainment industry, his unique cultural perspective, and his deep connection with the Chicago community make him an exceptional addition to our team. Richard’s voice will elevate our coverage and enrich the experience for viewers across all of our platforms.”

Most known as being a Chicago Sun-Times columinst from 1988 until he took a buyout from the paper in March 2025, Roeper took the reins of the late Gene Siskel in 2000 in the syndicated At The Movies With Ebert & Roeper, until 2008 (Ebert left in 2006 due to health reasons, but still used the title.) 

Most recently, Roeper appeared as a film critic on ABC 7’s Windy City Weekend, as he was on WLS-TV for eight years on its successor, Windy City Live. 

“Growing up in south suburban Dolton and having lived in the Chicago area my entire life, I’ve long been a fan and viewer of NBC 5 Chicago,” said Roeper. “I’m thrilled to be joining an incredible team led by (President & GM) Kevin Cross and the best newsroom leader in the business, Sally Ramirez, who have put together one of the very best on-air and behind-the-scenes teams in local television today. I’m ready to get to work and bring my insights, reviews, and more to NBC 5 Chicago viewers wherever and whenever they watch.”

Dolton is where Robert Prevost, a.k.a. Pope Leo XIV, grew up, and more infamously, where Tiffany Henyard was mayor for four turbulent years (she has since left the Chicago area.)

Roeper’s resume also includes stints at CBS’ WBBM-TV and Fox’s WFLD-TV, where he was one of the original members of Good Day Chicago when it launched in 1993, and collaberated with Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano when it became Fox Thing In The Morning in 1994. He returned to Good Day Chicago for a two-year stint beginning in 2015. He’s also appeared on several Chicago radio stations, including WGN-AM, WLS-AM, WLS-FM (where he had a regular talk show in the mid-1990s), and the former WLUP AM & FM. 

While one station in town has been cutting back on talent as its owner attempts to seize another station group, NBC 5 has been adding to its roster for the last year, poaching sports anchor Lou Canellis from WFLD and investigative reporter Chuck Goudie from WLS-TV, while adding Kevin Pang to the culinary beat as the station’s new “Food Guy”. The station unveiled a new, $70 million state-of-the-art newsroom at the NBC Tower two months ago, which has earned rave reviews.

The moves have impressed viewers, as in February, NBC 5 beat ABC 7 in the 10 p.m. news race for the first time in two years, with help from the Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX.

The post Richard Roeper jojns NBC 5 as entertainment reporter first appeared on T Dog Media.

A headline you thought you would never see. But here we are.

If I were to tell you three years ago that Byron Allen would replace Stephen Colbert in late-night, you’d be questioning my sanity.

But he we are, and that’s exactly what’s happening. In a signal that linear TV is on its deathbed, CBS announced Monday it was replacing the 33-year-old Late Show franchise with the “successful” comedy program Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, a worthless ass show that somehow has staggered on the air for 20 years on various platforms – a show that at one point averaged a 0.2 household rating. 

Comics Unleashed currently airs after Colbert, which replaced After Midnight last September. Starting Friday May 22, Unleashed is being upgraded to the 11:35 p.m. ET/ 10:35 p.m. CT time slot, a day after Late Show ends its’ run, which was announced last July. Occupying the slot after Unleashed will be Funny You Should Ask, a syndicated game show produced by Allen that ran in various time slots on The U (WCIU-TV) since its September 2017 premiere and is hosted by former NBC 5 sports anchor and Fox 32 morning anchor Jon Kelley. Both shows are expected to remain in syndication on local stations.

Byron Allen and CBS actually has had a relationship dating back to 2010, when the network’s owned-and-operated stations started airing Unleashed after the Late Late Show with James Corden, including CBS Chicago (WBBM-TV) in what was believed to be a time buy.

“I created and launched COMICS UNLEASHED 20 years ago so my fellow comedians could have a platform to do what we all love – make people laugh,” said Byron Allen, founder/chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “I truly appreciate CBS’ confidence in me by picking up our two-hour comedy block of COMICS UNLEASHED and FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, because the world can never have enough laughter.” 

Allen Media Group is leasing the two-hour block from CBS and is selling the national advertising in lieu of the network. CBS is expected to make a profit on the deal, which lasts through September 2027; the network and its owner Paramount claims The Late Show was losing money for them, saying the current late-night model was no longer financially sustainable.

Since this is a time buy, both programs won’t be rated by Nielsen, but ratings would be available through the firm’s overnight local people meter measurements located in 44 markets, including Chicago.

Despite being a timebuy, both Unleashed and Ask is network programming, and CBS expects its affiliates to clear each show. But that won’t be a problem, as station groups are probably relieved they would not face viewer backlash as Allen’s shows avoids politics and controversial content, unlike Colbert’s show. Last September, station groups Nexstar and Sinclair briefly pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show from the airwaves, forcing ABC to suspend it from its schedule for a few days. You can say Allen’s content is “safe” and “non-threatening” for advertisers and affiates alike. 

Outside of The Late Show, CBS has never really had success in late-night, not even programming the daypart until 1969, as the network launched Merv Griffin’s talk show, which lasted only three years. In 1972, CBS started airing various movies and TV shows under the CBS Late Movie/Late Night banner, until 1989 when it premiered the ill-fated Pat Sajak Show. Before the Late Show premiered in August 1993 with David Letterman, CBS programmed the slot with various crime dramas under the Crimetime After Primetime banner.

The decision to lease the late-night block to Allen Media Group is disappointing, but not surprising. Allen’s programming is very lackluster – especially Comics Unleashed, which bombed in the ratings during its primetime Chicago run 20 years ago, but the program continued despite low ratings. CBS could have returned to a late night movie (or air a potpourri of programs from various distributors on the cheap), or even a news program like America Tonight in 1990, although given the turmoil surrounding CBS News these days, this wouldn’t have been a good idea.

And while it’s nice to see a Black person back regularly hosting a late-night show, you are probably saying “why does it have to be this guy?” Allen bought Black News Channel, This TV, and Light TV only to later close them, put in bids for media companies to only increase the price, and mismanaging his own station group, feeling he didn’t need meteorologists. I said in a piece I wrote last year, “Allen is doing more harm than good” when it came to minority ownership in media. “It’s not only disappointing…it’s insulting and infuriating.” He has done nothing to contribute to Black culture – other than telling lame ass jokes, I suppose.

This dumb decision is not a good look for the network, nor linear TV in general. It sends a signal that the platform is dying and CBS is basically waiving the white flag, but as anyone knows, being cheap and uninnovative is, as Jim Nantz says every year describing The Masters on the very same network, “a tradition like no other“. 

Welcome to the newly-rebranded Church Of Ellison. Maybe Byron Allen can solicit donations and pass around a collection plate to keep his entire media empire going. 

The post CBS to replace “Late Show” with “Comics Unleashed” first appeared on T Dog Media.

Channels dropped in the middle of primetime

In the ultimate April Fools’ prank that really wasn’t, channels owned by Scripps were yanked off the air Tuesday evening from Comcast systems after their contract expired.

The move stunned Comcast subscribers, whose company uses the Xfinity name to brand their products. Channels were yanked during primetime; in one instance, during a Ottawa Senators-Florida Panthers game on Scripps-owned independent WSFL-TV in the Miami area, and WHDT in West Palm Beach.

Sixty Scripps channels were dropped. Scripps also owns the Ion network and its affiliate here, WCPX-TV (Channel 38). T Dog Media was unable to verify if the station was dropped by Xfinity systems here as this writer is not a subscriber (a Michigan media message board did confirm Ion programming on its main channel was still airing on Comcast systems in the Detroit area.) In 2020, Scripps said the main Ion network was a “must-carry” outlet on cable systems, meaning the company does not receive any retransmission payments for it.

Non-Ion Scripps stations in Detroit, Denver, and Baltimore were also impacted as Comcast is the dominant cable and broadband provider in those markets. The contract was to expire March 31 at midnight ET, but Scripps decided to pull the channels early, signaling any talks that were taking place weren’t producing any results.

“Scripps has been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement that reflects this value and is fair for both parties and viewers,” the company said in a statement. “We hope Comcast recognizes the critical value we play for our communities and restores our stations’ signals so we can continue to serve their customers. Until then, Xfinity customers can still find our local news and sports programming for free over-the-air, on our station websites, streaming apps and on other locally available cable and satellite providers. Our mission is to connect our communities with accessible local news, weather, live sports and entertainment programming. Comcast’s tactics won’t change our commitment to that.”

According to Sports Media Watch, Scripps is asking Comcast to carry the local stations which owns rights to the NHL’s Utah Mammoth (KUPX), Tampa Bay Lightning (WXPX), and an unnamed future outlet for the Nashville Predators, whose rights are being taken over by Scripps this fall as a condition for carrying its stations across the country.

Scripps has a growing sports portfolio. In addition to the NHL teams for its local markets, Scripps’ Ion has rights to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), and the recently-reupped WNBA, whose season kicks off May 5.

The impasse involving Comcast is unusual given the cable and broadband provider doesn’t get into these types of public disputes and yanks channels, unlike DirecTV, Dish, and YouTubeTV. Last year, Comcast was involved in a spat with YES over being shifted to a premium tier, which nearly deprived Yankees and Nets fans in the New Jersey and Connecticut portions of the New York City market to watch their games. Comcast temporarily dropped YES from its lineup in 2016.

Scripps purchased Ion in 2020, using the funds they received from their sale of WPIX New York, which they owned for only a few months. There is no word on when negotiations between Scripps and Comcast would continue or when the blackouts end.

The post Scripps, Comcast in carriage dispute, channels yanked off air first appeared on T Dog Media.

Brings back “ET” for 46th season, adds new courtroom show, off-network “AFHV”

With NBCUniversal Syndication Studios recently withdrawing first-run syndication, CBS Media Ventures is taking a different approach by renewing existing properties and even launching a new courtroom show.

Earlier this week, the Paramount-owned syndicator officially renewed the rest of its current shows: Entertainment Tonight, Inside Edition, Flip Side, and The Perfect Line. ET is entering its 46th season this fall, and remains a 6:30 p.m. stable on CBS-owned WBBM-TV, where it’s aired without interruption since January 4, 1988. Inside Edition enters its 39th season, and is still airing on ABC-owned WLS-TV at 3 p.m. weekdays, where it’s been since December 3, 1990 (excluding the two years where it was occupied by a failed talk show), and is now anchored by Eva Pilgrim.

Game shows Flip Side (entering season three) and Perfect Line (entering season two) air in primetime on Weigel independent WCIU.

The four shows joined the recently renewed Drew Barrymore Show and longtime stalwarts Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, which will handle distribution of both shows until September 2028, when Sony takes over.

CMV is also introducing a new courtroom show – the first in years – with Adam’s Law, featuring Adam Levy, who is Judy Sheindlin’s son, and is producing the project. Oddly enough, his mother helmed Judge Judy for 25 seasons with Paramount/CBS (and predecessor Worldvision Enterprises) until their amicable yet ugly split in 2021, but continues to distribute reruns to stations and to produce new episodes of Hot Bench, another show created by Sheindlin.

Also new is American Mayhem, a new video clip show (CBS did not specify if it is a daily strip or a weekly one). CBS syndication predecessors Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Television Distribution previously syndicated similar video clip shows Real TV and Maximum Exposure, respectively. CBS Television Distribution also distributed a similar show, Smash Cuts from 2009 to 2011. CMV also secured rights to distribute off-network episodes of America’s Funniest Home Videos, hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro. Previous versions hosted by Bob Saget and Tom Beregon have aired in off-network syndication from 1995 to 2001 (via MTM and Twentieth Television) and 2009 to 2013 (via Disney Media Distribution), respectively. 

“From beloved franchises to breakout new series, this upcoming slate reflects the incredible momentum across our entire portfolio and our continued commitment to deliver top-tier original programming for our stations and partners,” said John Budkins, executive vice president of programming and syndication production for CBS Media Ventures and Stations. “With seven of the top 10 most-watched first-run syndicated titles currently on the air, we’re proud to continue to produce and distribute a wide range of high-quality shows that deliver for audiences, bringing engaging, proven entertainment to viewers in the season ahead.”

Absent from CBS Media Ventures’ announcement were current off-network shows The Neighborhood (which is ending its network run this spring) and 48 Hours. It is not known if these programs will return to syndication next season. 

The post CBS Media Ventures releases 2026-27 lineup first appeared on T Dog Media.

The Star falls as the Hot AC format is replaced with Classic Hits

After 22 years, Joilet’s Star 96.7 fell on Friday morning, went “on hold,” and was replaced with the new phrase the kids are using these days and posting on social media: “6-7”. 

However, there is a key difference: there is a “9” in front of the “6-7”. And there isn’t a chance that “The 9-6-7” will catch on social media.

But it’s good enough for radio, and Connoisseur Media (formerly Alpha Media) rebranded and flipped WSSR-FM from Hot AC to Classic Hits, featuring pop hits from the 1980s to 2000s. The move puts them in direct competition with WTBC’s Throwback 100.3 FM, which also has the same format, minus the ’80s tunes. 

The on-air lineup is unchanged, with Eddie Volkman continuing as morning personality. 

“We all grew up and cruised these Chicagoland suburbs with this music as the soundtrack. It was everywhere. It’s been so fun building something we know will feel instantly familiar, and in a way that fits where our listeners are today”, said Operations Manager Gordon Hays. 

The format is similar to what Connoisseur did in Dayton, where they dropped Jack FM from WGTZ-FM late last year and rebranded as “Z93” (in a creative stunt, WGTZ pulled the plug on the Jack FM format by playing Ray Charles’ Hit the Road, Jack on a loop).

“After the success we’ve had in Dayton with Z93, we decided the next station that makes sense for the brand-new classic pop format is WSSR,” Connoisseur Media SVP of Programming Keith Dakin says. “With morning show host Eddie V’s history with this sound, it’s a match made in heaven: the pop music Chicagoland grew up with and the DJ they listened to.”

In the midnight-12:30 a.m. timeframe Tuesday morning, the following was played: “Since You’ve Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson”; “Baby Got Back” by Sir-Mix-A-Lot; “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry feat. Juicy J; “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” by Dr. Dre; “Africa” by Toto; “Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down”; “Always Be By Baby” by Mariah Carey; and “Royals” by Lorde. The oldest of these songs was “Africa” (1983) and the latest was “Royals” (2013) – a thirty-year stretch on their playlist. 

For the WSSR flip, the station stunted starting on Friday using “on-hold” music, and mixed it with the type of messaging when you are put on hold (at least the music they played was far better than the on-hold crap I had to endure when I was calling the Friend Family Center when I was a caregiver to my Dad.)

Even though the station is still targeted to suburban listeners, WSSR is branding the station as “The 9-6-7: Chicagoland’s Classic Pop”, although the term “Chicagoland” does rankle some locals here. Two years ago, Star 96.7 began simulcasting over Waukegan’s WXLC-FM and Crystal Lake’s WZSR-FM. But a year later, WXLC became Free Country Radio with a Country format, simulcasting Joilet’s WCCQ-FM. WZSR retains its Hot AC format and the “Star 105.5” branding. 

In the just-released radio PPM ratings for February, WSSR earned a 0.7 rating overall (Cumulus Media’s stations are delisted due to its dispute with Nielsen). Audacy’s WBBM-AM led the market with a 5.9 rating. 

The post The “6-7” arrives in the ‘burbs (with a 9 in the back) first appeared on T Dog Media.

Launched in 1927, the long-running news service is a victim of budget cuts by the Paramount-owned network

In a stunning decision, Paramount’s CBS News announced Friday that it was closing its radio division after 99 years, leaving nearly 700 radio stations affiliated with the network scrambling for replacements.

The news impacts Audacy-owned WBBM-AM here in Chicago; the station has been affiliated with CBS since 1928, and launched its all-news format in 1968. When it was known as CBS Corporation, the company sold its radio stations in 2017 to Entercom (now Audacy), but kept its CBS News affiliation. In a statement posted on the station’s website, WBBM said its news operations will continue as normal. 

The closure was part of another round of layoffs at CBS News, which cut 6 percent of its staff on Friday as part of a restructuring effort. CBS News Radio is set to close on May 22, as Paramount implements cuts while the company acquires Warner Bros. Discovery, which will result in significant debt. 

Here’s an email sent to employees by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski:

Today we are reducing the size of our workforce, and employees who are affected will be notified by the end of the day.

We recognize that this is a difficult time for those who will be leaving CBS News. Because these aren’t just names on a list. They are talented, committed colleagues who have been critical to our success. We’ll treat them all with care and respect.

It’s no secret that the news business is changing radically, and that we need to change along with it. New audiences are burgeoning in new places, and we are pressing forward with ambitious plans to grow and invest so that we can be there for them. That means some parts of our newsroom must get smaller to make room for the things we must build to remain competitive.

But these are very hard choices and today is a difficult day.

This is a tough message to receive at any time, and especially in the middle of an exceptionally intense news cycle. This organization is working its heart out to deliver for our audience. We’re so grateful to all of you, and we thank you for handling this difficult news with compassion.

CBS News Radio has been home to several esteemed journalists, including Edward R. Murrow and Charles Osgood. It’s World News Roundup – with its familiar six-note chime at the top of the hour- remains the longest-running newscast in the U.S. 

Both branches of the Writers’ Guild (East and West) released a statement about Friday’s layoffs: “Once again, our members have lost their jobs due to the recklessness and greed of their bosses. CBS News Radio is an institution, where generations of the finest journalists in the country spent their careers reporting the news and holding people in power to account… The dozens of CBS journalists laid off today have served the American people through their talent and dedication.”

Since David Ellison took over Paramount, CBS News has undergone a more Trump-friendly makeover, installing Weiss as editor-in-chief with no journalism experience, installing Tony Dokoupil as anchor of The CBS Evening News, and moving it toward a more conservative-leaning direction. Critics and viewers panned these decisions, and ratings for the newscast fell further behind ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News. But the negative headlines and poor ratings results haven’t detoured Weiss, who is a right-of-center individual who ran the website Free Press before Paramount bought it and brought her on board. 

The move also cuts the last ties CBS has to radio. 

Like linear television, radio has struggled in the digital age. CBS News Radio was reportedly losing money as listeners have shifted to on-demand products and podcasts. 

The post CBS News Radio to shutter after nearly 100 years first appeared on T Dog Media.

Marquee lands on Prime Video and Hulu + Live TV; the White Sox to air ten games in The U this season

With the baseball season officially starting in a week, Chicago’s baseball teams have announced additional ways fans can tune in. 

The Cubs’ Marquee Sports announced Wednesday it has struck a deal with Disney’s Hulu + Live TV virtual streamer to carry the channel in the Chicago area, and is making it available on Amazon’s Prime Video service in the same footprint. Hulu + Live TV carried Marquee when the regional sports network launched in 2020, but dropped the channel after only a year due to cost. With its return, Hulu + Live TV joins Fubo as the only virtual streamers carrying the Cubs’ channel. Hulu + Live TV and Fubo now share a corporate parent in Disney. 

Prime Video subscribers can access Marquee for an additional $19.99 per month via Prime Video Channels. 

“We’re committed to delivering world-class game broadcasts to our fans through our linear channel and our direct-to-consumer product. By expanding our streaming distribution, we’re providing more ways than ever to follow the Cubs all season long,” said Crane Kenney, Cubs President of Business Operations.

“These agreements represent meaningful momentum as we continue expanding distribution and providing greater flexibility for fans,” said Will Bell, SVP, Head of Distribution and Network Relations of Sinclair, which operates the network.  “With the addition of Hulu + Live TV and the launch on Prime Video, we are ensuring comprehensive access to Cubs coverage across both traditional streaming bundles and direct-to-consumer platforms in time for Opening Day.”

Marquee is the only regional sports network Sinclair operates, following the bankruptcy of the former Bally Sports networks and Diamond. Cubs fans living outside the Cubs’ television footprint can watch games through MLB.TV, which is available through ESPN Unlimited. 

On the other side of town, the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) announced Thursday that they will make some games available to Weigel Broadcasting’s The U (WCIU-TV) for the second consecutive year, with a small package of ten games with pre- and post-game coverage.

Of those ten, four of those games feature the Cubs, including one game at Wrigley Field. The others include the New York Yankees, the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Seattle Mariners, which kicks off the package on May 8. The U is simulcasting two spring training games on March 21 (a spring training prospects game) and March 22. Last year, The U simulcasted seven White Sox games from CHSN. 

The White Sox are following a pattern set by other MLB teams, offering a small package of games for over-the-air viewers. Others who have done so include the Atlanta Braves (WPCH/Peachtree TV), Cincinnati Reds (WXIX), Milwaukee Brewers (WITI), and St. Louis Cardinals (KMOV). Nearly half of MLB teams stream their games via MLB.TV this year, after the collapse of FanDuel Sports Network.

The U will also carry all non-network Chicago Sky games this year after the WNBA and the WNBPA reached a tentative agreement Tuesday night, averting a work stoppage that could have canceled games this season.  

The post Cubs, White Sox announce media deals first appeared on T Dog Media.

Approved despite lawsuits by states, DirecTV

In a historic move, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice approved the $6.2 billion merger between Irving, Tex.-based Nexstar and McLean, Va.-based Tegna, despite a lawsuit filed by eight state attorneys general and DirecTV. The deal officially closed Thursday night. 

The FCC granted waivers to Nexstar despite the national ownership cap being at 39 percent of the country. Now, Nexstar will own more than 250 stations reaching 80 percent of the country, including seventeen of the top twenty markets. 

Nexstar and other broadcasters have long complained about the cap, saying the legislation stymies them from competing against better-funded tech streaming companies such as Netflix, Google, and Amazon – not to mention the “Big 4” networks owned by Disney (ABC), Comcast (NBC), Paramount (CBS), and Fox. In Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, the networks own their stations, with Nexstar owning the CW affiliate (except New York City, where they operate WPIX through Mission Broadcasting.) The NFL has begun negotiations to increase its rights fees with the Big Four, starting with Paramount, which could pay $3 billion more than it does now, as that increase will likely be passed onto its affiliates in the form of “reverse compensation”. 

In a statement, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said, “The FCC has been focused on empowering broadcast TV stations to serve their local communities, consistent with their public interest obligations. Today’s agency decision does exactly that as both the record and Nexstar’s enforceable commitments demonstrate. For too long, the FCC stood by while newspapers closed by the dozen in communities all across the country. Those trusted sources of local news and information shuttered while the FCC dithered. If you care about local news, you should care about the future of local broadcast TV stations.” This is the same Carr who threatened local stations’ broadcast licenses on Saturday after President Trump blasted the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal for what he said were “inaccurate reporting” on the War in Iran. 

Regardless of what Carr says, the deal would consolidate news operations in cities where Tegna and Nexstar own stations, likely leading to layoffs. In a surprise ruling, the Justice Department told Nexstar to sell just six stations within a two-year timeframe. They are KTVD Denver; WTHR Indianapolis; WCTX-TV New Haven, CT (Hartford); WAVY-TV in Norfolk-Portsmouth, VA; WUPL-TV in New Orleans; and KNWA Rogers, Ark. The agencies will let Nexstar keep KSDK St. Louis, despite owning KTVI and KPLR in the same market, reducing the local news operations in that city to only two, as Sinclair’s KDNL does not produce news. 

In the last few weeks, Nexstar has laid off on-air personnel in some markets, including Chicago’s WGN-TV, where they laid off eight people last month. 

The Nexstar-Tegna deal was all but sealed after President Trump reversed course on the ownership cap, giving his blessing, followed by Chairman Carr’s. 

The FCC also wasn’t concerned – or more bluntly, didn’t care – about DirecTV’s and others’ claim that the deal would lead to higher retransmission fees, meaning subscribers would pay more in monthly bills, leading to even more cord-cutting. “We do not believe that an increase in retransmission consent rates, by itself, is necessarily a public interest harm”, said the FCC Media Bureau in a statement separate from Carr’s. The deal was also opposed by the American Cable Association, Black congressional lawmakers, and conservative news network Newsmax, a rival to Nexstar’s NewsNation. 

One wonders if this approval by the DOJ and the FCC was rushed due to a lawsuit filed by eight state AGs Thursday, including Kwame Raoul here in Illinois. Other parties to the suit are California, Colorado, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DirecTV filed a separate suit on Thursday: “This merger would create a massive concentration of market power. The acquisition would give Nexstar control of 228 broadcast stations reaching 80% of television households in 132 local markets and increase concentration in more than a dozen local markets by more than 10 times the amount that is presumptively unlawful under the antitrust laws. That enormous increase in market power will enable Nexstar to raise prices and reduce the amount, variety, and quality of local news without having to worry about losing business to competition.” 

Although the deal has been approved and finalized, lawsuits will continue, according to DirecTV and California AG Rob Bonta, and additional lawsuits may follow.

Anybody who lives in a Tegna market should get a glimpse of what’s in store if one watched WGN’s election night coverage on Tuesday as it was panned by viewers for reasons I brought up here two years ago (in all fairness, Fox 32’s wasn’t any better, and NBC 5 had limited coverage because of an NBA game they were carrying in primetime.) Given Nexstar’s likely layoffs in the months ahead, in addition to those that have already taken place, the FCC’s notion that local news can be saved because of this merger is just plain bullshit. 

The post Nexstar-Tegna merger approved by DOJ and FCC first appeared on T Dog Media.

New channel to air over WGCI HD-2 ; TikTok’s new life began March 13

TikTok Radio made its official move to the iHeartRadio platform on March 13, and it seems the company – which was once known as Clear Channel and earned the moniker “Cheap Channel” for its known cost-cutting and voice tracking, seems to be pouring more effort and money into TikTok Radio than SiriusXM ever did. 

For once, there are live radio personalities – well, assuming they are. The contemporary hit radio streamer will have an around-the-clock voice lineup for iHeart’s portfolio of stations, with KQBT Houston’s Ashlee Young helming the morning shift from 5 to 10 a.m. (ET), with KBIG-FM Los Angeles’ John Comouche handling middays, KMYI San Diego’s Becky Mits holding down the afternoon drive slot, and  KYLD San Francisco’s Angelina Navaraez evenings. Kayla Thomas from KIIS-FM Los Angeles handles overnights. 

One of the thirteen hosts on the channel is Chicago’s KeKe Hampton, who is part of 103.5 Kiss FM’s (WKSC-FM) The Fred Show and hosts weekend shows on WGCI-FM. Both are owned by iHeartMedia. 

And yes, there will be “influencers”, and TikTok has a ton of them – and you’ll hear them on the station. iHeart also unveiled a batch of new “creators” for its TikTok podcast network. The initial batch includes Suite 305 with Lele Pons, Caroline’s Closet with fashion editor Caroline Vazzana, and two sports podcasts from creators Clifford Taylor IV and Tim Martin. The new TikTok channel on iHeart is “TikTok’s discovery engine and cultural impact with iHeart’s programming expertise and trusted personalities to give fans a new way to listen to their favorite artists’ full tracks while diving deeper into the stories, trends, and moments that turned them into a cultural phenomenon.”

“This next chapter of our multiplatform partnership with TikTok unlocks the full power of both ecosystems – creators, broadcast radio, podcasts, live moments, and social – all working together in real time,” said iHeart’s Chief Programming Officer Tom Poleman in a statement. “From live broadcasts at SXSW (which they broadcast from on March 13 to launch this new venture) to creator-led podcasts and trend-driven radio programming, we’re merging the best of our platforms to amplify creators, elevate emerging voices, and deliver fans a 360-degree experience across audio, video, and live moments.”

New features on TikTok radio include Hacks On The:20s (twenty minutes past every hour); On The Verge, spotlighting new songs on the verge of breaking through; New Music Fridays, which showcases new songs on Fridays (well, duh);  and Behind-The-Charts, counting down the ten most-streamed songs on TikTok. 

“We couldn’t be more excited to launch TikTok Radio and introduce our inaugural slate of hosts for the TikTok Podcast Network,” said TikTok Global Head of Media and Licensing Partnerships Dan Page. “At TikTok, empowering creators to turn their passions into lasting careers is core to everything we do, and this partnership unlocks powerful new opportunities for them to expand their voices across radio, podcasts, and live moments, while connecting with fans in new ways.”

TikTok Radio announced it would move to iHeart’s platform on November 10, after SiriusXM ended its bare-bones version on November 19. In the United States, national security concerns are forcing the China-based owner of TikTok, ByteDance, to divest the social media platform to a new joint venture, with ByteDance’s stake reduced to 19 percent, Oracle’s at 15 percent, and hedge funds owning the rest. The U.S. company was established on January 22. 

Unlike the subscription-based SiriusXM, the new iHeart version is free for everyone on the iHeart Radio app, with a terrestrial radio presence on iHeart’s 28 HD subchannels, including WGCI-HD 2 Chicago. Other clearances include New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Austin, Tex. It also gains a promotional platform through iHeart’s massive radio station network. 

First listen

A sampling of TikTok Radio on Monday featured songs you would typically find on your local contemporary hit radio station (e.g., Kiss 103.5 FM) or Sirius Hits 1. In between the songs, the Life Hacks segments at twenty past the hour were actually useful (on laundry, cooking, and even how to use salt). There was a short segment on how to shop at the TikTok Shop, as you likely hear about what deals are available (there was a segment on Sunday about…tires), so expect a lot of product pitching. 

Since TikTok reshaped the music industry, many songs are shorter than the typical four-minute length seen in the 1970s. 1980s, and 1990s as singles. So it’s no surprise eleven tunes were crammed into 45 minutes. 

Here’s what was played on Monday, March 16 in the 3:00 p.m to 3:45 p.m CT time frame: 

End of Beginning – Dio

E-85 – Dan Toliver

Positions- Ariana Grande

Sue Me – Audrey Hobert

Die On This Hill – Sienna Spiro

Elizabeth Taylor – Taylor Swift

(Life hack: A talk about salt. Yes, really.)

Chanel – Tyla 

Hold My Hand – Jess Glynee (not a Hootie & The Blowfish cover)

I Just Might – Bruno Mars (this was played two hours earlier)

Dying For You – Charlie XCX

(Shopping tips at the TikTok Shop)

Best I Ever Had – Drake

TikTok Radio’s presentation was polished, solid, and good. With more audience interaction from influencers, iHeart’s version is likely to connect better with younger audiences than SiriusXM, which is expensive and out of reach for its core demographic. Of course, TikTok Radio now being free helps out a lot. 

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