Streaming power play would elevate Fox into the top five of most-streamed media distributors 

Fox Corporation made a major streaming play on Monday, acquiring Roku, Inc. for $22 billion, or $160 per share in a stock-and-cash transaction, expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.

“This is a defining moment for FOX, and a natural extension of the deliberate and focused strategy we have been executing for nearly a decade., said Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch. “In 2019, we reoriented the company around live news and sports. In 2020, we acquired Tubi and under our stewardship it has become one of the most successful businesses in streaming. Today, we take the next step: bringing together the most valuable live content portfolio in video consumption with the preeminent streaming platform through which America watches it. This combination will transform the scope of our company into high-growth verticals and yield a step change in our overall growth profile. And we are executing this acquisition from a position of financial strength – maintaining our investment grade balance sheet while providing our shareholders with an uninterrupted return of capital program in the form of share buybacks and dividends. Roku pioneered streaming TV and scaled it into a leading CTV platform. Together, we intend to lead its next chapter.”

Fox is paying $96 a share and 0.97 shares of FOX Class A common stock for each Roku Class A and Class B share outstanding stock. Fox shareholders will own 73 percent of the company while Roku shareholders take 27 percent, and already approved by the boards of both companies. Fox is also accusing any debt Roku has, and took out a $12 billion loan to cover the acquisition. Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood will join Fox’s Board of Directors and will have an ongoing role in the combined company.

The acquisition adds Roku to Fox’s portfolio, which includes Fox, FS1, FS2, Fox News, Fox Business, Big Ten Network, Fox’s owned-and-operated stations (including Chicago’s WFLD and WPWR), streaming service Fox One, and Tubi, a FAST (free advertising-supported television) portal that Fox plans to keep separate from Roku as it has a FAST portal of its own, The Roku Channel. Roku also has equipment you can plug in to your TV to watch those FAST channels and a wide variety of on-demand programming.

Fox is touting increased scale and reach, pointing out Roku’s availability in more than 100 million homes worldwide, including more than half of domestic broadband households.  Fox also points out the Roku acquisition gives them an ever bigger footprint in the video ecosystem and the continued growth of connected TV (TV sets hooked up through broadband), and the advertising and subscription revenue benefits that come with it. This comes as Fox is airing the FIFA World Cup, which began Thursday and has the World Series this October and of course, NFL Football starting in two months. 

According to Nielsen’s Gauge Meter for March 2026, Fox’s streaming properties accounted for 7.2 percent of TV viewing via distributor, while Roku Channel accounted for three percent (on a local note, Chicago’s Weigel Bradcasting had a 1.4 percent share.) Combined, Fox would have 10.2 percent, catapulting to third place behind Google’s YouTube and Disney: 

Fox was one of the few who didn’t really have a strong streaming component outside of Tubi. Paramount has Paramount + and Pluto; Disney has ESPN Unlimited, Hulu, and Disney +; and NBCUniversal/Comcast has Peacock and Xumo Play, which teamed up with cable rival Charter to launch a set-top box to compete with Roku. 

As soon as this transaction closes, you can expect to see more Fox content on your Roku device and on The Roku Channel, especially for Fox One. Both Fox and Roku say they will continue to operate the portal as a open, partner-friendly device, meaning yes, you can still use your Netflix, Amazon, and Disney + apps on your Roku device. Wall Street didn’t exactly like the news as Fox Corporation shares dropped fifteen percent in Monday trading. 

The post Fox buys Roku in blockbuster deal first appeared on T Dog Media.

The display will be on exhibit this summer

If you want to experience being on a late-night TV show set, well, here’s your chance.

The recently relocated and re-opened Museum Of Broadcast Communications is putting the Late Show With Stephen Colbert set on display beginning later this summer, with a date yet to be announced.

Donated by CBS, the entire set arrived to the MBC’s West Loop location from New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater last week. CBS pulled the plug on Late Show last July and aired its final episode May 21, drawing about nine million viewers – with 6.74 million of those watching it the night it aired. Colbert’s desk, chairs, stage columns, and other props will be on display. Guests can sit at Colbert’s desk, and explore other artifacts of the show, which ran for eleven seasons and more than 1,800 episodes. 

The display is being added to MBC’s “The Evolution Of Late Night Television”, which already features props from The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson and the sax Bill Clinton used when he made his guest appearance on The Aresnio Hall Show as a presidential candidate in 1992. 

Colbert suggested his set should be donated to MBC here in a city where the South Carolina native got his start, being a Northwestern and Second City alum. Colbert’s show visited the city in August 2024 during the Democratic National Convention, with live shows at the Auditorium Theater downtown (you can see the desk he sat at in the photo below.) Colbert also taped some skits while in town, including one in Wrigley Field. 

Colbert’s set is the latest coup for MBC, which moved into a “pop-up” space in the West Loop at 440 W. Randolph last October, and has been a hit with the public. Much of the memorabilia on display was previously at MBC’s previous locations at the Chicago Cultural Center and at a building at the south-west corner of State and Kinzie in River North. 

As for future hosts being added to MBC’s late night television exhibit, don’t look for Byron Allen’s name to be added to the list anytime soon, if ever. His Comics Unleashed, which replaced Stephen Colbert’s show May 22, continues to underperform his predecessor in terms of household ratings, total viewers, and key demos, and is far behind NBC’s Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. CBS said Unleashed was only “temporary” while they search for a “low-cost replacement” for the fall 2027 season.

The post “The Late Show” set heads to MBC here in Chicago first appeared on T Dog Media.

Concludes more than thirty years as an on-air anchor

After eighteen years as a sports and general news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-TV, Ryan Baker is stepping down and exiting broadcasting to take a new role at a local non-profit. The news was first reported at Newsblues, and later confirmed by the station. His final day on the air ins June 25.

Baker is joining First Tee Greater Chicago, an organization who mentors youth through the game of golf. According to its website, First Tee “[Empowers] young people through the game of golf, teaching life skills and core values that inspire growth on and off the course. Integrating golf with a life skills curriculum allows us to create experiences that build character for thousands of Chicago-area youth each year. By placing a special focus on the Five Key Commitments, we instill valuable life lessons such as pursuing goals, growing through challenges, and building positive self-identity.”

First Tee has a total of 1,700 class hours, twelve program locations, and more than 2,700 people registered with the program with 85 coaches and junior coaches and over one hundred volunteers.

Baker reflected on his career and his next adventure:

“Having grown up in the south suburbs watching Channel 2 every night and idolizing the legendary Johnny Morris, it’s been an indescribable dream come true to sit in his sports anchor chair for the bulk of the last 18 years at WBBM-TV,” said Baker. “However, I’m ready for the next chapter and challenge in my life as I continue to serve the community as the CEO of First Tee Greater Chicago. I depart with nothing but sincere gratitude to my talented colleagues, and terrific station managers. But most of all, thank you to the Chicagoland viewers who’ve trusted and supported me for over two decades.” 

Born in Chicago Heights and raised in Phoenix (a small south suburb nestled between Harvey and South Holland), Baker graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and worked at WCIA-TV and the now-defunct WICD-TV in the market. He later went to San Diego’s KFMB-TV and then Orlando’s WKMG-TV where he was a sports anchor from 1995 to 2003, and also hosted several sports-related shows for the CBS affiliate.

Baker entered Chicago television in 2003 as sports anchor for NBC-owned WMAQ-TV, where he also co-hosted Sports Sunday and Chicago Bears-related programming, when they had the rights. Baker jumped to CBS Chicago in April 2008 in the same capacity, and also served as sports director at the station. In 2019, Baker was named news anchor of its morning newscast, a role he held until he returned to sports two years ago. He also moonlighted at the Big Ten Network from 2016 to 2018, where he was studio host.

“Ryan Baker’s impact on the Chicago sports landscape is truly immeasurable,” said Jennifer Lyons, regional president and general manager of CBS Chicago and CBS Detroit (WWJ-TV). “For decades he has been a trusted voice for fans and a respected presence in our newsroom, as well as a committed member of the Chicago community. We are grateful for his many contributions to CBS Chicago and wish him continued success.”   

Baker’s schedule marks the latest change in Chicago sports media. On Monday, Chicago native Sam Panayotovich joined WFLD’s sports team, joining Tina Nugyen and Cassie Carlson, who replaced Lou Canellis in the lead sports anchor role after he moved over to WMAQ in the same capacity. 

The post Ryan Baker exits CBS Chicago for new role at non-profit first appeared on T Dog Media.

Helped bring Chicago three NBA Championships and was a standout during Bulls telecasts as color commentator

Chicago sports fans and media are mourning the loss of Stacey King, who died suddenly Sunday at the age of 59. His death has sent Shockwaves throughout the city as King was a beloved analyst for the Chicago Bulls for Chicago Sports Network  and before that, NBC Sports Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Chicago. As a former player, he helped lead the Bulls to their first three NBA titles in the early 1990s. Selected sixth in the 1989 NBA draft by the Bulls, King played for the organization for five seasons, before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1994. 

Former players and broadcasters such as Jason Benetti, lavished praise for King’s good-hearted nature and being fun to be around. 

Bulls CEO Michael Reinsdorf said this in a statement Sunday evening: 

“Stacey loved being a Bull. You could feel it in everything he did — the way he played, the way he called games and the way he connected with our fans. He had a unique gift for bringing people together and making every game feel personal. He brought an energy and love for the game that came through in every broadcast, helping fans feel connected to our team.”

“Whether it was through a broadcast, a conversation or a photo with a fan, Stacey made people feel seen and valued. We were fortunate to know him not only as a player and broadcaster, but as a friend. Stacey genuinely cared about people, and he made our organization better. We will miss him dearly, and his impact, memory and legacy will remain a part of the Chicago Bulls forever.”

King joined the Bulls broadcast team in 2006 after a short stint as head coach of the CBA’s Rockford Lightning, becoming a studio analyst during pregame and postgame shows. Later in the year, he became the third man in the broadcast booth before taking over as analyst full-time in 2007. King made watching Bulls games fun – even in years when watching the team play wasn’t so fun – and there were a lot of those during King’s tenure. King was paired with Neil Funk beginning in 2008, and since 2020, Adam Amin. 

Among the catchphrases he used was “Gimme the hot sauce” (when became a tile for his podcast), and used his signature reserved for wins, “Drive home safely Chicago, beep beep!” King was also a fan of the 1970s sitcom Sanford and Son, where he went into Redd Foxx’s “Elizabeth, I’m coming to join you, honey!” routine when a Bulls player made an amazing play, and referred to Derrick Rose as “The Windy City Assassin”. 

‘‘Stacey King was one of the most beloved figures in Chicago sports,” said Chicago Sports Network president Michael McCarthy in a statement. ‘‘Stacey had a unique ability to connect generations of Bulls fans. Whether through his basketball insight, his humor or his unforgettable calls, he made every game more enjoyable and every broadcast better.’’

For me personally, when I watched Bulls games (when I had the time), King made them fun. He was a great guy on and off the court, as he was truly a unique voice in Chicago broadcasting – one of the best and beloved. There will be an empty void watching Bulls games next season, one that won’t be easy to fill. 

The post Bulls analyst, ex-player Stacey King dies at 59 first appeared on T Dog Media.

Also: Planned iHeart/SiriusXM merger shelved; Scripps and DirecTV engage in TV’s latest feud

The stadium saga continues: The Chicago Bears announced Friday they are moving forward with a move to Hammond, Ind., right across the state line from Chicago – or so they say.

Despite being at Soldier Field for more than fifty years and the stadium being renovated in the early 2000s, the team stated the stadium is outdated and wanted to move to northwestern suburb of Arlington Heights, where they bought the former Arlington Race Track with intentions on building a new stadium on the site in 2021. But they are no closer to putting shovels into the ground now than they were five years ago as construction has been held up by property tax issues, school funding issues in the northwestern suburbs, and an Illinois General Assembly reluctant to give the McCaskeys public money for anything, as the “Megaprojects” bill stalled, failing to get a deal sone before May 31, when the governing body recesses for the summer. By comparison, Indiana swiftly put together a package deal for the Bears and passed easily by state government in Indianapolis.

Northwest Indiana – which consists of Lake, Porter, Newton, and Jasper counties, is in the nation’s third-largest market and has been part of “Chicagoland” since the first printing press was made. All reside in the Central Time Zone due to their close proximity to Chicago.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson put out statements after the news were announced, saying a stadium bill “is still in play”, or something. Bears fans – especially those who live north of the Loop, were predictably outraged, and many criticized local and state leaders (something that would no doubt please President Trump as he’s ripped Pritzker and Johnson plenty since his return to the White House), and the team itself, which has really never had competent leadership in its history. On the other hand, some South Side, south suburban, and Northwest Indiana residents were thrilled with the news, and could help revitalize the area on both sides of the state line.

The Bears did not say where they would play in Indiana – meaning Hammond isn’t exactly a lock for landing the team. A site near Wolf Lake is being considered.

While this “announcement” has people talking, keep in mind the Bears haven’t signed any deal with Hammond officials and any new stadium being built is a ways off as the Bears have a lease at Soldier Field through 2033. The General Assembly could be called into a special session and a stadium bill still could be passed. So are the Bears moving to Indiana? Their feet seem to be pointing to that direction, but don’t count Illinois out, but as we all know in the wacky world of politics these days…anything can happen.

The latest retransmission battle to take place is between DirecTV and Scripps, which pulled their local broadcast stations from both the satellite and streaming platforms on May 31. In all, 54 stations are affected, including WTMJ Milwaukee, WTVF Nashville, KSHB/KMCI Kansas City, and WXMI Grand Rapids, Mich. Not affected are Scripps’ Ion stations, which are part of an entirely different deal (this means you can still watch WCPX-TV through DirecTV.)

Scripps said this in the following statement:

Scripps has been engaging in good-faith negotiations with DirecTV to establish an equitable agreement that serves both companies and, most importantly, consumers. Regrettably, DirecTV has elected to remove Scripps local stations from their lineup, employing the same heavy-handed tactics that have become synonymous with pay-TV operators who hurt their own subscribers by using them as bargaining chips in contractual disputes. By contrast, Scripps stations have gone dark only twice since we began broadcasting in the 1940s.  

Scripps remains committed to reaching a fair resolution that restores our local stations to DirecTV’s paying subscribers. At stake is our viewers’ fundamental access to trusted local journalism, critical weather alerts, emergency information and live sports programming that strengthens community bonds – all essential public interest content in which Scripps invests substantially every day. 

Scripps recently was in a dispute with Comcast, which saw those same 54 stations leave the platform for the entire month of April.

DirecTV countered with this: Scripps is demanding the highest rates DIRECTV has ever received from a station group, which would continue to dramatically raise costs for consumers and businesses already struggling with affordability. After DIRECTV declined those demands and sought a more reasonable agreement, Scripps chose to remove its stations from viewers in several major markets nationwide. (You can read the full statement here.)

With the blackout, sports fans whose fans are DirecTV subscribers whose ABC affiliate is owned by Scripps are being shut out of the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final, including the market where the Golden Knights play as KTNV Las Vegas is unavailable on DirecTV, as well as KNXV Phoenix, WEWS Cleveland, WCPO Cincinnati, WFTS Tampa, WXYZ Detroit, WMAR Baltimore, and eleven others.

Six weeks ago, SiriusXM and iHeart Media were discussing a possible merger that would’ve created an audio giant to take on big tech. Now ot appears those talks have fizzled.

According to the New York Times, those talks have stalled as the two sides were not able to come to terms. The move was driven by the increasing demand for podcasts, as SiriusXM has Howard Stern and Alex Cooper’s Call Me Daddy (and curated music channel Unwell) while iHeart has The Breakfast Club, a live, top-rated nationally syndicated radio show targeted to Black audiences now streaming daily on Netflix. iHeart owns about 860 stations in the U.S., including seven here in Chicago, with one leased to Midway Broadcasting, owner of WVON-AM.

As you would’ve guessed, a SiriusXM-iHeart merger was widely criticized amid the current backlash stemming from the in-progress Paramount/Warner Bros. deal and a Nexstar-Tegna marriage, which is being held up by the courts despite the FCC hastily approving the deal.

Both have been down this road before: Clear Channel bought up several radio chains in the late 1990s and early 2000s, while Sirius and XM merged in 2008. At one time, Clear Channel stations openly mocked SiriusXM’s satellite pay-to-play model in numerous PSAs. Clear Channel changed its name to iHeartMedia in 2014 to emphasize online distribution and streaming, more so than the terrestrial stations it owns.

The growing threat of Big Tech companies like Spotify, Amazon, and Google’s YouTube has changed the game completely.

But for now, it looks like any talks to combine forces have been put on ice.

The post The Media Notepad: Chicago Bears “announce” they’re moving to Hammond first appeared on T Dog Media.

The latest 60 Minutes correspondent to depart  

[This post was updated at 11:43 a.m.]

If you are seeing CBS News collapse right before your eyes, you’re not mistaken. The ship is sinking faster than the Titanic. 

Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent and one-time CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley was fired Tuesday evening by the show’s new executive producer Nick Bilton, for “insubordination” and confronting him in a meeting Monday on the general direction of the show and 60 Minutes.

During that stormy meeting Monday, Kelley confronted Bolton on the changes he planned to make on the long-running newsmagazine show, which has been on the air since 1968, and on Sunday nights since 1975.

In a memo to Pelley, Bilton in part wrote: “Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear. And I have heard you. I therefore write on behalf of CBS News, Inc. to inform you that your employment with CBS is terminated for cause effective immediately.”

In the termination letter obtained by NBC News, Bilton wrote: “[Monday’s] performative display of hostility — enacted in front of the staff instead of in a civil, private conversation — demonstrated that you have no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress.”

This came after Pelley questioned the direction CBS News and 60 Minutes was heading under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, and in a recording obtained by NBC News, Kelley was quoted as saying to Bilton, “[Weiss] does not love this place. She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that.” Pelley also questioned the show’s decision to fire executive producer Tanya Simon and correspondents Ceilicia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi – the latter who confronted Weiss last year after delaying a report on Venezuelan men being deported to a El Salvador prison – a segment that wound up airing online in Canada before it did in the U.S. 

After his termination, Kelley released a statement, stating he was told to insert falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story and to report assertions that were not verified. “Incompetence and unprofessionalism in the new management have wreaked havoc. In a case involving one of my stories, the entire program came within 19 minutes of not getting on the air at all,” Pelley said in the letter. 

Scott Pelley has provided @status.news a statement blasting current CBS News management and even accusing them of having tried (and failed) to "inject falsehoods and bias" into his stories. www.status.news/p/scott-pell…

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy.bsky.social) 2026-06-03T03:27:48.983Z

This comes after Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief last year, after Skydance bought CBS parent Paramount Global. Skydance CEO David Ellison – the son of Oracle founder and President Larry Ellison, hired Weiss to remake the news organization into a more conservative-leaning news operation to please President Donald Trump, who was critical of both CBS News and 60 Minutes. The changes have been disastrous so far, as the CBS Evening News has fallen far behind its network rivals, although 60 Minutes remains the top-rated news magazine. Paramount is in the process of buying Warner Bros. Discovery, which faces anti-trust hurdles and would give Weiss control of CNN. 

Weiss defended Pelley’s firing on Wednesday. 

“Despite our attempts to engage with Scott Pelley and to find a way back, unfortunately we weren’t able to do so, and so we had to part ways,” Weiss said on a mid-morning editorial call, according to the New York Times. “We did not want that to happen, but that’s the path that he chose.”

Like Weiss, Bilton has no experience in television news, with his resume consisting of being a tech reporter at the New York Times, and an investigative reporter for Vanity Fair. 

With Pelley’s departure, 60 Minutes is left with three correspondents: veterans Lesley Stahl and Bill Whittaker, and Jon Wertheim, who plan to stay (another correspondent, Anderson Cooper, left last month voicing similar concerns over CBS News’ direction.)

The constant changes and public infighting has hurt CBS News’ image and the network in general, as CBS is still taking arrows for canceling Stephen Colbert’s late-night show and replacing it with the syndicated Comics Unleashed, which is not off to a great ratings start. According to Status (a media newsletter), Paramount executives are privately concerned about the damage to the CBS brand name (the brand name here in Chicago was damaged beyond repair after decades of missteps after missteps, and the boycott of WBBM-TV by Rev. Jesse Jackson after anchor Harry Porterfield was demoted, sending Black viewers toward the exits, never to return.)

Weiss was quoted as not caring about ratings, figuring it would take time to rebuild CBS News, but at what cost? We all know the answer to that – their journalistic integrity, as Weiss and the new crowd there don’t seem to care. And it’s one investors – and advertisers, need to take a closer look at. 

The post Scott Pelley forced out at CBS News after raucous meeting first appeared on T Dog Media.

Also: Cubs-White Sox series a hit for The U and CHSN; FCC and Disney drop the gloves over licenses

As expected, few viewers turned in last Friday night (May 22) to watch Stephen Colbert’s replacement as Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed took over The Late Show’s old time slot, which ended the night before. 

According to Nielsen figures, Unleashed in its first half-hour (10:35 p.m.) drew 995,000 viewers, with 116,000 of them in the adults 18-49 demo. The second half-hour – a repeat from last September, only drew 600,000 viewers and 55,000 in the 18-49 demo. Combined, Unleashed was down 85 percent in viewers and 95 percent in the younger demo from the night more, and fell from a Late Show repeat from the week before, down 46 percent in viewers and 65 percent in the demo. 

Against its competition, the show fell behind a new episode of NBC’s Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon (1.5 million viewers, 319,000 in the key demo), despite being delayed by a half-hour due to an NBA overrun, and a repeat of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.6 million total viewers, 208,000 in the key demo.) 

Among metered markets however, Unleashed seemed to do better, finishing first at 11:35 p.m. ET in households in Greensboro, N.C., Louisville, Dayton, and Ft. Myers, beating both Kimmel and Fallon. Among adults 25-54, Unleashed topped both shows in Seattle, according to a press release by Allen Media Group as you can see below, who is leasing the two-hour block (with the second hour filled with reruns of Funny You Should Ask) and selling the ad time themselves. 

Notably missing in this list is major markets such as Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta. On CBS Chicago (WBBM-TV), Unleashed Friday faced local competition (other than Kimmel) from NBC 5’s delayed 10 p.m. newscast, GN Sports, and off-network series Seinfeld and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The second half-hour was up against a new Fallon, and off-network syndicated series Young Sheldon, Chicago Fire, and Modern Family. 

CBS said on Thursday it will turn a $15 million profit on the Allen Media Group block. Earlier, it claimed it was losing $40 million on Colbert’s old show. 

Keep in mind one night does a ratings hit make, but you have to wonder what impact this will have on CBS’ affiliates and its owned-and operated stations – especially CBS Chicago, which has been a non-factor in the local 10 p.m. race for decades. And even though Allen sells the national ad time, there are local avails station have to sell – and one could assume those spots are selling for depressed rates, which will not make affiliates happy, which are stuck with the shows due to tighter preemption rules – something that didn’t exist in the 1970s and 1980s when many CBS affiliates either delayed or declined the network’s late-night lineup, as it consisted of mostly reruns and movies. 

A suggestion by Matthew Keys of The Desk on Thursday stated CBS should give the late-night time period back to affiliates to program. Before The Merv Griffin Show premiered in 1969, CBS stations programmed the slots themselves, usually with old movies. 

The Chicago White Sox won the Crosstown Series over the Cubs, and it turns out they also won the ratings battle. 

According to Nielsen via the Chicago Tribune, the May 15-17 weekend series at Rate Field saw Chicago Sports Network top Marquee for all three games – thanks to Weigel’s The U (WCIU) simulcasting the contests. On Friday, Game 1 drew 207,000 viewers across CHSN and WCIU, with 172,600 viewers tuning in on both channels for Saturday night’s game, and the rubber match on Sunday – which featured a White Sox walk-off to give them a dramatic win over their North side rivals – drew 219,700 viewers, topping the Chicago market Sunday afternoon. 

The three game series averaged averaged 200,000 for CHSN/WCIU, and 112,000 for Marquee, according to the Sun-Times and was the most-watched series involving the White Sox five years.

The Cubs-White Sox series also helped drive direct-to-consumer sales of CHSN, with subscriptions up 35 percent, according to CHSN President and CEO Mike McCarthy, who previously served as  same general manager at Marquee. Also helping drive subscriptions the White Sox’s improved play this season. On Thursday, the team won its 29th game of the season – something they did not achieve in the infamous 2024 season until August 12. 

Earlier this spring, The U struck a deal to continue carrying at least ten Chicago White Sox games for a second straight season, following a trend several Major League Baseball teams have taken as regional sports networks’ collapsed, especially the FanDuel regional sports networks, which recently ceased operations and is off the air. 

By comparison, Marquee, which has been the exclusive home of the Cubs since 2020 after decades on WGN-TV and elsewhere, do not have any local television deal. Both Marquee and CHSN are now available on Xfinity’s (Comcast’s) Ultimate Tier, which costs $20 more. 

WCIU plans to simulcast CHSN for the White Sox’s lone road game on their schedule – an August 17 matchup against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Tensions between Disney and the FCC has escalated further, as the two are likely headed to court over the company’s eight television licenses.

On Thursday, Disney filed their license renewal applications after the agency moved up the date, and did so under protest, stating the action was meant to chill speech and called the action “unconstitutional retaliation”. 

“The Order is inconsistent with a legitimate exercise of investigative authority and is plainly incompatible with the First Amendment,” a letter sent to the FCC in behalf of New York’s WABC-TV said. “Worse, the Order opens the door to an assault on the Station’s license, while the Commission searches for a legal pretext to achieve its desired goal. This effort to suppress speech under the guise of bureaucratic process must not prevail. WABC files this application without waiving any rights, and calls on the Commission to rescind the Order.” The letter said that the DEI charges were a sham and is basically going after the network for airing speech the Trump Administration doesn’t like. 

On Friday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr defended his actions in an interview with CNBC, insisting it was due to DEI violations, and not criticism of President Trump and his administration from late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. The FCC challenge was filed a day after Trump called on ABC to fire Kimmel.

“I understand Disney wants to make this about a lot of other things, and their PR machine has been in high gear, but we’ve been very clear about what this is: concerns about invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” Carr said on Squawk On The Street. 

When asked about the possibility of pulling licenses of ABC’s eight stations – including WLS-TV in Chicago, Carr said his agency will “follow the facts and the law wherever they go.”

The last time any local station in the U.S. had their license revoked was in 1990, coming in the middle of an eleven-year court battle between Monroe Communications and Video 44 over WSNS-TV. 

The FCC reminded stations of their “public interest” obligations, something the agency hasn’t provided guidance on.

With the action, the FCC now can open up public comment on whether or not ABC should have their eight licenses renewed, mostly located in the nation’s largest cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Houston. As far as Chicago is concerned, you can expect public comments from the likes of local right-wing staples The Chicagoan Contrarian and Dan Proft. Whether Carr will take up their “complaints” in a metro area that is solidly blue remains to be seen, because as we all know, some people’s “public interest” is more important than others. 

The post The Media Notepad: Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed” off to rough ratings start first appeared on T Dog Media.

Most viewership since premiere, with a weird ending

The series finale of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert went out with a bang for CBS Thursday night – and in a manner you would not expect.

Looking at preliminary numbers, Colbert drew 6.74 million viewers from live plus same-day viewing, nearly tripling his season average (2.69 million) and the highest since his Sept. 8, 2015 premiere (6.55 million.) While that’s half the number from David Letterman’s final late show appearance on May 22, 2015, keep in mind the way viewership is measured has changed since then, as the show was also streamed live on Paramount Plus, and was DVRed by many viewers, including this writer, who was away Thursday night from home and watched the finale Friday afternoon. You can expect those numbers to rise (watch this space for updates.) 

The cancellation was announced last July, sparking outrage among fans and media observers, and took place three weeks before Skydance and CEO David Ellison took over CBS parent Paramount. CBS said it was due to high costs and a declining late-night audience base, but suspected it was due to President Trump’s dislike of the show, who is Colbert’s arch nemesis and nightly punching bag. 

As for the show itself, there were several cameos by stars in the audience, including Bryan Cranston, Paul Rudd, Ryan Reynolds, and Tim Meadows, among others, each asking if they would ne his final guest. Well, we know how that turned out – but the final guest turned out to be former Beatle Paul McCartney (come on…did you REALLY think it was going to be Pope Leo XIV?), who made his first American TV appearance at the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1964 and returned to the same venue for Colbert’s final show, where performed the Beatles’ Hello Goodbye. Colbert did do a final monologue, Colbert did get a dig in at Staten Island (or as we say in Chicago, “Mount Greenwood”.)

However, things got weird toward the end of the show – with a science fiction twist.  Some kind of wormhole opened up backstage, swallowing Neil Degresse Tyson, and cameos from four other late-night talk show hosts – Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, and Seth Myers. After coming back out to the audience, Colbert, the band, and the audience – got sucked into the wormhole (yes, really!). I thought I would never see the day that a late-night show would use special effects. 

When the show returned from commercial break, Colbert jammed with former bandleader Jon Batiste, current bandleader Louis Cato, and Elvis Costello, singing his 1977 song Jump Up. Colbert said “good night” and segued back into the Ed Sullivan Theater with Paul McCartney to sing Goodbye. 

Colbert hit the switch backstage to end the series, which transformed the Ed Sullivan Theater into a snow globe, paying homage to St. Elsewhere’s controversial ending in May 1988 with Colbert’s dog sniffing about (thankfully, he didn’t meet the same fate as Mimsie The Cat did.) Throughout the entire 84-minute finale, there was no mention of President Trump.

On Friday, CBS replaced Colbert with Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, in a pay-for-play move, which you can read more about here.

So what’s next for Stephen Colbert? Well, how about showing up in Monroe, Mich. the next day, guest-hosting a public-access cable TV talk show? Yes, it really happened, and it featured Jack White and Eminem: 

If Colbert wants to host a local access show here in Chicago – where he lived in the 1990s and got his comedy chops at Second City, he can swing by and create a small studio inside the 66-year-old Ford City Shopping Center on the Southwest Side. But he’d better hurry because sadly, the mall is closing for good June 22 and unlike the Ed Sullivan Theater being shrunken into a snow globe, Ford City is likely to meet the wrecking ball. 

The post Colbert’s finale draws a crowd first appeared on T Dog Media.

Move takes place after CBS News shutters Friday

It’s going to be off-putting to hear ABC News Radio broadcasts instead of the familiar ding and five-note chime Chicago listeners were used to hearing from CBS News for decades at the top of the hour on WBBM Newsradio. 

Audacy-owned WBBM-AM and WCFS-FM quietly began airing ABC News Radio newscasts at the top of the hour Thursday, a day before WBBM’s longtime news radio partner CBS News, was closing its operations after 99 years in a cost-cutting move by owner Paramount, announced in March. Audacy wanted to make the moves early to ensure a smooth transition.

The dawn of a new era at WBBM…your new home for ABC News Radio. pic.twitter.com/s5q9XIQSoJ

— Rob Hart (@RobHartWBBM) May 21, 2026

ABC News had affiliations with both WLS-AM and WGN-AM for years; ABC owner The Walt Disney Co. sold its radio division to Citadel Communications in 2007, and was swallowed up by Cumulus seven years later. In 2015, Cumulus dropped ABC for CNN through the new Westwood One News network, but reaffilaited with ABC News Radio in 2020 after folding its news network.

Launched on January 1, 1968 as part of its American and Entertainment Network, ABC News Radio featured Paul Harvey’s radio shows, until his death in February 2009. 

WBBM joins other Audacy stations using ABC News Radio content, including WINS New York and KYW-AM Philadelphia, with new Audacy stations on board including KNX Los Angeles, WCCO-AM Minneapolis, and KCBS-AM San Francisco, among others. Other ABC News affiliates include several owned by iHeartMedia, including KRTH Houston.

Other former CBS News Radio affiliates have signed with Fox News Radio, Salem, and NBC News Radio as replacements. With the end of CBS News Radio, audio versions of their TV news programming will also cease, including Face The Nation (which WBBM did carry on Sunday mornings) and 60 Minutes, but WBBM will add the audio version of ABC News’ This Week starting Sunday. 

The move comes as CBS News has undergone an ideological shift since Skydance took over from CBS owner Paramount last year, shifting toward more conservative-leaning content, naming Free Press editor Bari Weiss as editor, despite no experience in running a network news operation. Since then, the flagship CBS Evening News with new anchor Tony Duopki (sp) has fallen deeper in third place, far behind ABC and NBC. 

The end of CBS News Radio severs the final tie WBBM had with the network after it and other CBS Radio stations were sold to Entercom in 2017 before rebranding as Audacy in 2020. The television equivalent and former sister station of WBBM is still owned by CBS (now branded as CBS Chicago) and remains an affiliate of the network. 

Here is the final CBS News Radio report, as aired between 10 p.m. and 10:33 p.m. Central Time on May 22, 2026.

This is the final CBS News Radio broadcast, aired between 11 p.m. (the top of the hour is first) and 11:30 p.m. (the final special report).

After 99 years on the air, CBS Radio News has ended.

(Captured by @TheDeskDotNet) pic.twitter.com/JLKcGY2DC0

— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) May 23, 2026

The post WBBM Newsradio switches to ABC News radio first appeared on T Dog Media.

Look for lots of NFL as streaming labels the broadcast networks almost irrelevant

If anything can be said about the upfronts in recent years, it’s three letters: N.F.L.

The league took over the traditional presentations, especially Disney’s as the company had commissioner Roger Goodell as their special guest, promoting ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl telecast (which is being simulcast on ABC.) Once a vehicle to announce networks’ fall schedules is now used to promote the NFL and their sports departments, and why not? Sports are the only form of entertainment keeping the lights on, so it makes sense, especially as scripted fare has mostly shifted to streaming (and basically, a few “premium” NFL matchups.)

In fact, it’s the NFL schedule release this past week that is garnering the most attention – not any new entertainment programming..

What little new programming the broadcast nets are offering is expected to debut in midseason – a sharp charge from what it was as late as a decade ago as the NFL and college football now dominates the fall and suck a lot of air out of the room, not to mention the MLB playoffs and World Series (especially if the Cubs make it), the WNBA Finals, and the start of the NBA and NHL seasons. 

Despite this, Deadline points out there’s actually an increase in scripted programming among the Big Four broadcast networks next season, so there is some hope. But the days of 22-episode seasons are clearly over, as we’re going to see more eighteen, thirteen, ten, and even eight-episode seasons as broadcasters are cutting back on expenses (so they can give more money to the NFL, which is trying to renegotiate their existing deals – to get more money.)

Here, we’re only taking a look at the 2026-27 schedules of NBC, ABC, and Fox, and believe me – it isn’t much (to see CBS’ schedule, which was released a month ago, click here.)

NBC 

As we all know – Sunday night is Football night as Sunday Night Football returns for its 21st season (the Bears have one scheduled game – Nov. 8 at home against Tampa Bay), which will also stream on Peacock. Mondays in September and October have The Voice and new family drama Line of Fire, shifting in November to comedies St. Denis Medical, The Fall of Rise of Reggie Dinkins, a one -hour Voice, and Line of Fire.  

Thursdays has a broadcast version of Peacock’s runaway reality hit The Traitors, followed by stalwarts Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order. Fridays have returning comedy Happy’s Place leading into new romantic comedy Newlyweds and two hours of Dateline NBC, with college football (Big Ten or Notre Dame) on Saturdays.

Tuesdays (NBA) and Wednesdays (Chicago shows) remain unchanged.

Midseason has new procedural Sunset P.I. and a reboot of The Rockford Files, a crime drama that ran from 1974-80 on the same network.

Not returning are Stumble and Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Fox

Fox has numerous unscripted series for 2026-27, renewing all of them from the previous season. With that said, Fox’s schedule is made up mostly of that fare: Mondays have Celebrity Name That Tune and Celebrity Weakest Link; Wednesdays have The Floor and 99 To Beat; Thursdays has Hell’s Kitchen and World’s Toughest Test. The only scripted dramas on the schedule are on Tuesday with Best Medicine and Doc; Sundays has its Animation Domination lineup, but with one live-action comedy: Animal Control, surrounded by The Simpsons, Universal Basic Guys, and Grimsburg (Fridays and Saturdays are unchanged with sports.)

Midseason has the much-ballyhooed reboot of Baywatch, new drama The Interrogator, the rest of Animation Domination (Bob’s Burgers, American Dad, Krapopolis), dramas Memory Of A Killer and Murder In A Small Town and the aforementioned unscripted programming.

The only show Fox canceled was Denis Leary’s sitcom vehicle Going Dutch. 

ABC

ABC announced it has renewed all of its scripted series for the 2026-27 season – aside from Doctor Odyssey. And of course, the future of The Bachelorette is still up in the air after the network was forced to scrap its entire, filmed season because of an incident involving the star. Let’s hope it’s shelved for good.

With that said, Mondays have football in a simulcast with ESPN, while Tuesdays has Dancing With The Stars paired up with crime drama R.J. Decker, a surprise hit. Wednesdays has another surprise hit, the revival of Scrubs, paired with Abbott Elementary (its sitcom partner from last season, Shifting Gears, has moved to midseason.) Celebrity Jeopardy follows afterward, and the long-running Shark Tank.

Thursdays remain unchanged with 9-1-1, 9-1-1 Nashville, and Grey’s Anatomy (still?), Fridays has Celebrity Wheel and 20/20, Saturdays has college football, and Sundays has AFHV and Disney movies. 

The lone scripted entry is The Rookie: North, a spinoff of The Rookie which is set in Washington State, and not Minneapolis or Toronto, as the title would probably indicate. Other scripted series that were renewed will be back midseason, with reduced episode orders. 

The post 2026-27 schedule: Sports pushes scripted aside (or so it seems) first appeared on T Dog Media.