Posts

Showing posts from December, 2009

UPDATED 11:35 PM: Time Warner Cable customers: Worst-case scenario means you could lose five channels tonight

UPDATE, 11:35 PM:  Late word on the web tonight is that Time Warner Cable and News Corp. have agreed to a three-hour delay in pulling News Corp. programming (see below), pending a possible agreement.  I'll let you know if anything else develops. EARLIER:   The ongoing retransmission battle between Time Warner Cable and News Corporation (the parent company of Fox) won't have as much effect locally as it might in some larger markets, but there is a good chance that those of you who subscribe to TWC will lose the following channels at midnight: Fox Soccer Channel Fox Sports World Espanol Fuel FX Speed Channel Of course, if an agreement is reached before midnight, nothing will change, but at this point, I wouldn't hold my breath. I'll keep you posted.

THIS WEEK IN THE COURIER & PRESS: A look back at 2009 in local TV

This week's column is now up and ready!  Enjoy -- and, on behalf of my family, I wish you a very ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
As we say goodbye to 2009 and prepare to welcome what I personally hope will be a bright, happy and successful 2010 for one and all, I give you the last program guide of this old year:

In tomorrow's C&P column ...

I'll take a look back at the happenings in local TV over the past year.  Yes, I know the "year in review" thing has been done to death.  But it's still interesting to look back.

GETTING YOU CLOSER: Indiana and Kentucky General Assemblies to convene soon -- WNIN and KET to provide previews and continuing coverage

Image
For those of you who might be curious about what the legislators in Indiana and Kentucky will find themselves dealing with in 2010, the best places to turn, in my view, are our public TV and radio stations. In Indiana, WNIN 88.3 FM will preview the 2010 session of the General Assembly on Monday, Jan. 4 at 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM .  There are several important issues facing Indiana's legislators this year, largely in the economic arena, so it will be interesting to find out what's ahead. Kentucky's General Assembly will be covered each night during the 2010 session, as in past years, by KET .  Beginning Tuesday night, Jan. 5, the Legislative Update will air each weeknight at 10:00 PM on channels 31.1 and 35.1 .  Kentucky faces a myriad of issues this year as well, from a massive budget shortfall to the continuing specter of expanded gaming.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image

Facebook fans: Check out these pages!

If you're a Facebook user, you've probably checked out JDTVB's Facebook fan page .  But did you know that I also have links to other local Facebook fan pages?  Here are the ones I've found so far: KET WNIN-9 WTVW-Fox 7 WFIE-14 News Evansville Basketball on 14 News 14 News Weekend 14 News Sunrise This TV WEHT-NEWS25 Daybreak WEVV-CBS44  Gilda's Club Evansville Evansville Courier & Press Courier & Press Events   If you're a fan of any local Facebook pages that I've not yet found, be sure to let me know!  I'll gladly add 'em to the list.

WNIN Action Auction set for April 13-17 and 20-24

Image
WNIN announced on their Facebook fan page that the 2010 Action Auction will happen April 13-17 and 20-24 .  It may seem a little early, but now is the time to get your business or organization in on the action. Donations and volunteers are needed, so if you're interested, get in touch with Ashley Murray at WNIN by calling 812-423-2973 or via e-mail at amurray@wnin.org .

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image

Chrisos leaving for WAVE

Image
UPDATE, 4:35 PM TUESDAY:  I neglected to mention that NEWS25 producer Ryan Nash is also leaving the station and will also take a new job at WAVE.  I apologize for the oversight. MONDAY EVENING:   I just got word late this evening that NEWS25 Daybreak anchor Jon Chrisos is leaving Evansville on Jan. 8 for Louisville NBC affiliate WAVE-3 , where he will be an anchor/reporter. Jon came to NEWS25 in January 2007 from WABI in his hometown of Bangor, Maine. Good luck in your new job, Jon -- you'll be missed here! PHOTO CREDIT:  courierpress.com

14WFIE.com getting some improvements

Image
UPDATE, 6:03 PM:  Here's the official comment from C.J. Hoyt, WFIE's news director, confirming what I wrote earlier: We've made a couple changes recently. First, we centered the site. And this week, we eliminated a column of advertising that allowed us to expand our news headlines and make the site appear a lot cleaner. The goal is to make it as user-friendly as possible. We're always open to suggestions for other ways to improve it! EARLIER:   If you're a regular user of 14WFIE.com , the website of Channel 14, you may have noticed it's getting a bit of a makeover. I'm told that they're working on taking the clutter out of it, and if that's the ultimate goal, I think they're doing a fine job of it.  I've noticed that the most important features -- breaking news and weather -- are prominently featured at the top of the page, and seem to be more reader-friendly.

Adkins anchors Sunday newscasts for the last time

Image
UPDATE, 10:15 PM:  I am told that in addition to his co-anchoring duties at 5:00, Scott Adkins will also continue reporting for the evening newscasts.  Additionally, my source specifically pointed out the word "co-anchoring," so this should put to rest any questions that I raised earlier about the 5:00 newscast. EARLIER:   As I told you recently, there are some anchor changes taking place at NEWS25 , and last night, Scott Adkins tweeted that the 10:00 newscast was his last Sunday appearance in the anchor's chair. Courtney Gousman is expected to handle anchoring duties for all of the station's weekend newscasts beginning next week. Adkins wrote that beginning Jan. 4, he would be anchoring the 5:00 PM weekday newscast.  Left unsaid -- and unknown -- is whether he'll be doing that job solo.  This question is raised because he's already been co-anchoring that newscast with Shelley Kirk for some time now. If and when I find out more, I'll let you kn

BREAKING: Tyra Banks to end talk show

Image
UPDATE, 1:08 PM:  Broadcasting & Cable reports that "The Tyra Show" will continue as a "best of" series (read: reruns) next season on The CW. The Associated Press is reporting today that Tyra Banks is ending her five-year-old talk show. The former model plans to continue with "America's Next Top Model" and also intends to form a new production studio to make movies. "The Tyra Show" currently airs each weekday on WAZE-CW19 at 3:00 and 4:00 PM.

Sirius/XM music channels leaving DIRECTV; SonicTap to replace them

I got word from a reader this morning that DIRECTV is dropping its current lineup of Sirius/XM music channels , effective Feb. 9. The channels will be replaced by a new service from SonicTap .  At first glance, it looks like those of you with DIRECTV will have more channels to choose from, but I wonder:  Will it be better than Sirius/XM? Click here for a list of the channels and you tell me:  What do you think?

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
As always, the program guide is "clickable."  Just click to enlarge it.  I just thought I'd try making it a little bigger on the main page.

My 1,000th post!

Image
My rant about the Colts' loss to the Jets ended up putting something of a damper on what should be a celebration. It ended up being my 1,000th post here on JDTVB.  Hopefully the next thousand will be happier . Thanks for sticking around!

WEVV-CBS44 programming delayed by late game

Image
If you're wondering why "60 Minutes" is still on at ten minutes to 8, there's a reason.  The Colts/Jets game ran long, so CBS programming is delayed by 53 minutes tonight.

The NFL Scoreboard for December 27, 2009

Image

Jim Caldwell, you've got a lot of 'splainin to do! Jets defeat Colts 29-15, largely due to poor coaching decisions

Image
The Tony Dungy era is over, but his successor, Jim Caldwell, has managed to anger millions of Colts fans by following the tired Dungy playbook of benching players who want to play and imploding the hopes for perfection. The Colts lost to the New York Jets this evening by the score of 29-15, and you can lay 100% of the blame at the feet of Jim Caldwell. The Colts are not a perfect team, but the top players -- Manning, et al -- deserve to play if that's what they want to do. Yet Caldwell yanked the NFL's premier QB and installed Curtis Painter, who, until today, had never taken a regular season snap in the NFL. Memo to Caldwell:  The kid doesn't need to take any more after tonight. If I'm Jim Irsay, after seeing and hearing the fans' reaction to the insipid decisions that the coaching staff made on the sideline, I'd be lining up a nice, long conversation with Jim Caldwell in the morning. A 29-15 loss to the Jets doesn't need to happen again. Per

Colts & Jets -- Keeping tabs on the game

Image
UPDATE #17, 6:10 PM:  A whole lot of Jets fans are probably thanking Jim Caldwell and his ridiculous coaching decisions right now.  Yanking Peyton Manning gives the Jets hope for a playoff berth.  Nice move, coach.  NOT. UPDATE #16, 6:04 PM:  Painter throws it away.  Nice INT, Curtis ... the Jets fans have to be loving Jim Caldwell and Tom Moore right now.  They might want to get on that plane back to NY with the Jets. UPDATE #15, 6:03 PM:  Curtis Painter has a LOT to prove on this drive.  Peyton Manning is not happy.  I don't blame him.  Oooh ... you don't want to tick off your QB, Caldwell ... UPDATE #14, 5:58 PM:  TD Jets.  It's 27-15, and they're going for 2 ... which succeeds.  Now 29-15 Jets.  Ridiculous that Caldwell & friends are handing this game to them. UPDATE #13, 5:56 PM:  Moore is up.  Ball is inside the 1; 6:25 left to go in the game.  No TD. UPDATE #12, 5:55 PM:  Jets closing in on another TD.  Brandon Moore of the Jets is down. U

Your NFL TV lineup for today

Image
UPDATE #3, 3:10 PM:  Scores from around the league, all final: Atlanta 31, Buffalo 3 Cincinnati 17, Kansas City 10 Cleveland 23, Oakland 9 Green Bay 48, Seattle 10 Houston 27, Miami 20 Pittsburgh 23, Baltimore 20 Carolina 41, NY Giants 9 New England 35, Jacksonville 7 Tampa Bay 20, New Orleans 17 (TB wins it in OT) UPDATE #2, 1:23 PM:  Elsewhere in the league right now ... Atlanta leads Buffalo 10-0 with 2 minutes and change to go in the first half. Kansas City (!) and Cincinnati are at a 0-0 stalemate with under 2:00 to go in the half. Cleveland is holding off Oakland 10-6 with 1:55 to go before intermission. Green Bay is up 21-3 over Seattle. Houston is manhandling Miami, 27-0. Pittsburgh is hanging onto a 13-10 lead over Baltimore. New Orleans is up 17-0 over Tampa Bay at the half. UPDATE #1, 1:18 PM:  New England and Carolina are having no trouble with their respective opponents -- NE is up 28-0 over Jacksonville just before halftime and Carolina is up 24-0 ov

Back home again!

It's so good to be back home again, and great to be back at the helm of JDTVB once more! My family and I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas together, and now it's time to get back to work bringing you the TV news and info you've come to expect once more. I hope you all had a great Christmas, and that the remaining days of 2009 find you happy, healthy and ready to read again! UPDATE:  I'll kick off my return tomorrow with previews, news and scores from the NFL, then it's back to full speed with the program guide and everything else starting Monday morning!

Merry Christmas -- my gift to you is a week's vacation from me!

I've been thinking about doing this for a while, but I figured there was no time like the present to give myself -- and you -- a break. My kids are out of school for the next two weeks, so I am going to take the next week off from JDTVB.  No posts, no program guides, nothin'.  Just time with my family and some much-needed R&R.  Besides, I'll be gone more than I'll be home, what with family gatherings and all. I'll be back in time for the NFL games next Sunday, so, in closing, I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas. See you next weekend!

Hey, Colts fans ... are you a SuperFan???

Image
WEVV-CBS44 is giving away two tickets to a Colts playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis -- but to win 'em, you've got to prove that you're the biggest Colts fan around these parts. Go to wevv.com and click on the "Colts SuperFan Contest" link.  There you'll get all the details, but it's really fairly simple:  Just post a picture of yourself in your best Colts garb (or paint, or whatever else strikes your fancy!) through December 31 .  Then, beginning January 1 and running through January 10 , voting will take place to determine just who is the biggest Colts fan in the Tri-State. GOOD LUCK!

"Caravan of Caring" in its final day

Image
As a reminder, today is the last day for WTVW-Fox 7's "Caravan of Caring."   You can drop off food items for the less fortunate in barrels that are located at all area Buehler's Buy Low stores. Folks from the station are at the Darmstadt Buy-Low store on Highway 41 near the Vanderburgh Co. 4-H Fairgrounds today, so be sure to stop by and give generously!

Indiana Public Access Commissioner says Vanderburgh Co. commissioner was wrong to block 14 News and Fox 7 News reporters from Majestic Place meeting

If you've been following the developments surrounding the proposed Majestic Place development near the University of Southern Indiana , you may remember that reporters from 14 News and Fox 7 News were barred from an October meeting between the developer, neighbors and other concerned parties that was convened by Vanderburgh County Commissioner Troy Tornatta . 14 News filed a complaint with Indiana's Public Access Counselor , who today released an opinion stating that, by barring the media, Tornatta violated Indiana's Open Door Law , which, in part, holds that meetings of: "Any advisory commission, committee, or body created by statute, ordinance, or executive order to advise the governing body of a public agency, except for medical staffs or the committees of any such staff" (emphasis added) are open to the public -- and that includes reporters. When I get a copy of the opinion (the PAC's office has yet to post the full text), I'll be sure to post

Insight says all customers will have access to channel 2 for UK/Austin Peay game

Image
As I told you Wednesday , Insight cable customers will be the only folks fortunate enough to have the chance to watch tomorrow's UK/Austin Peay game on TV, but longtime reader Teacherjake pointed out to me that channel 2 -- where Insight will show the game -- is usually only available to digital package subscribers. However, after some checking, Jake reported back to me last night that ALL subscribers will get access for the game.  That's good news, and again, I think Insight's done the folks a real service here in securing the rights to show the game.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Good morning, everyone!  Here's your look at tonight's programming, and I hope you'll find plenty to keep you entertained and informed. Here are a few notable holiday programs airing tonight: At 7:00 , 14WFIE will air "Faces of Poverty, Eyes of Hope," a documentary hosted by actress Joely Fisher.  It details the work of "Save the Children," which gives needy kids in developing countries access to clean water, food and education.  (Channel 14.1) Also at 7, This TV has 1986's "Nutcracker: The Motion Picture."   (Channel 14.3) Finally at 7, "Christmas with the Annie Moses Band" is on KET2 .  (Channels 31.2 and 35.2) Coming up at 8:00 on KET2 is the 1970 musical film "Scrooge."   (Channels 31.2 and 35.2) And, finally, at 9:00 , WNIN Local airs "Go Tell It on the Mountain," the 2008 holiday concert featuring area high school choirs, the Joshua Academy Kindergarten Choir and the EVSC High School H

WHAT A GAME! Colts down Jags 35-31 in a barn-burner to make it 14-0!

Image
In a simply exhilarating game, the Colts held off the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-31 to advance to 14-0 . It was the seventh game this season in which the fellas from the Circle city found themselves behind in the fourth quarter but came back to win it, and in a season that's seen one league record stack up on top of another, that's one more. Big plays as the clock ticked down: Manning's long bomb to Reggie Wayne -- a 65-yarder for the TD that put the Colts up for keeps With less than a minute to go, Jacob Lacey's huge interception sealed the win Next up for the Boys in Blue:   The New York Jets come into Lucas Oil Stadium on the 27th.  It'll be on CBS (WEVV-CBS44, channel 44.1) at 3:15 PM.

COMMENTS: Could we PLEASE keep it civil?

Folks, I appreciate that you have strong feelings about your stations, especially when it comes to the ratings, but could we please keep the comments clean? Resorting to personal attacks on anyone is going to get your comments rejected immediately.   I've given a little more leeway today, but come on.  I'm just trying to get the numbers out there. For those of you at NEWS25:  I'm trying really, really hard to play things down the middle, but when you folks are beating up on me for pointing out things I don't like, how am I supposed to react? I've made no secret of the fact that I have watched NEWS25 since Peggy Mitchell used to start my day.  Maybe that's why I notice things more.  All I know for sure is this:  When you do something good, I'm gonna tell people about it.  And you can be sure when I see something I disagree with, it'll be here too.  I've just seen far too much of the latter lately. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but th

THIS WEEK IN THE COURIER & PRESS: The stations' coverage of the Wrinkles execution, a final analysis

In today's Courier & Press column , I take one last look at the local stations' coverage of the execution of Matthew Eric Wrinkles last week. As I kept up with the coverage here on JDTVB, I found myself basically on "auto pilot," and I posted a lot of my initial impressions of things, including some criticisms that may have been, to some, a bit harsh.  For that, I apologize.  It's said that you can't unring a bell, and that's certainly true.  I could say that about any number of things I've written that have offended various segments of my readership. Whatever your take on the death penalty or the coverage, this column takes a more measured and cohesive look at how the stations covered the story, and was written after I had some time to sit back, digest everything and reflect on my earlier thoughts and feelings.  I hope you'll give it a read and let me know what you think.  I'm interested in having a discussion on this subject. One la

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Here's your guide to tonight's local programming, and you'll notice right away that there are a few Christmas specials tonight: "Saturday Night Live Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas" is on 14WFIE-NBC (channel 14.1) at 7:00. "Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir" (at 8:00) and "Michael McDonald - This Christmas: A SoundStage Special Event" (at 9:00) will be rebroadcast tonight on KET (channels 31.1 and 35.1). For those of you who might be suffering from Christmas special burnout, there are some other programs you might be interested in: "Jerusalem: Center of the World" airs at 7:00 on WNIN-PBS (channel 9.1). "Way of Life: Basketball in Kentucky" airs on the KET Kentucky Channel (channels 31.3 and 35.3) at 8:00. The World Magic Awards program will be on WEVV-My44 (channel 44.2) at 7:00.

THE DECADE THAT WAS, PART 2: More choices without cable

Image
When the calendar flipped to the first year of the 2000s, if you wanted more than a handful of channels, your only choices were cable or satellite. With the move to digital and especially with so many HD programs now available, paying for TV has gotten less attractive.

Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt, dies at 79

Image
Roy E. Disney , the nephew of Walt Disney and a moving force inside and outside the Walt Disney Company , has died at the age of 79. Disney died after battling stomach cancer, reports indicate.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Here is tonight's program guide, ready to help you decide what to watch with your family this c-c-c-cold evening! Did you miss "Disney's Prep & Landing" the first time around?  It's OK.  It's on again at 7:00 on ABC (NEWS25, channel 25.1) . "Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir" airs on PBS and KET2 at 7:00 as well.  (WNIN channel 9.1; KET2 channels 31.2 and 35.2) KET2 continues the Christmas programming with "One Silent Night" at 8:00, "Christmas at the Biltmore" at 8:30, and "An Old-Fashioned Celebration of Christmas Carols" at 9:00.

WILDCAT FANS: Saturday's UK/Austin Peay game to be shown on Insight cable channel 2

Image
I got word late this morning that Insight customers in the Evansville-Henderson area WILL be able to watch Saturday's basketball game between Kentucky and Austin Peay , despite the fact that the game is being carried on the Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast channel. It will be shown on Insight channel 2, and will be available to all Insight customers regardless of the programming package you have. Kudos to the folks at Insight for taking care of all the loyal Wildcat fans!

Santa gets a technology upgrade: OnStar to track the big fella's progress on Christmas Eve.

I know it's not TV related, but this just sounds like fun.  GM's OnStar division is helping Santa Claus make his rounds this year in his new, customized "StarDuster 5000" sleigh, and you'll be able to follow his movements by pushing the blue OnStar button in your GM car.  Let the video do the explaining:

Pioneering televangelist Oral Roberts dies at 91

Image
Oral Roberts , the colorful and controversial evangelist who overcame tuberculosis and stuttering in his youth and became one of the first to take his message to television, died this morning in a Newport Beach, California hospital. He was 91.

"Real Housewives" coming to broadcast TV

Heaven help us, here it comes. The "Real Housewives" franchise that's been making a name on cable channel Bravo is coming to broadcast TV next fall. Raycom , which owns 14WFIE , is among the station groups that has picked up the series.  Broadcasting & Cable reports that it'll air in 85% of the country. When I find out for sure if it's coming here, I'll let you know.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
How's everyone doing this morning?  Thinking about what you want to watch tonight?  Here's a selection of programs worth checking into tonight: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" airs again tonight on ABC at 7:00.  (WEHT-NEWS25, channel 25.1) NBC's "The Sing-off" continues tonight, also at 7:00.  (14WFIE-NBC, channel 14.1) Do you like to cook?  On Fox tonight, chef Gordon Ramsay's "Cookalong Live" airs at 8:00.  (WTVW-Fox 7, channel 7.1) Also at 8:00, take a trip back in time through 100 years of the Kentucky State Fair as "Kentucky State Fair: A Century of Memories" airs on the Kentucky Channel. (KET KY, channels 31.3 and 35.3)

THE DECADE THAT WAS, PART 1: Evansville's fall from the 96th largest TV market in the country to 102nd

Image
The opening decade of the 2000s saw Evansville fall out of the 100 largest television markets in the country.  After starting the new millennium at #96, Evansville slipped to #102 just eight years later, where we sit today. Folks can offer a multitude of reasons for Evansville's fall, but the simplest is this:  The Tri-State simply isn't growing.

NBC's midseason schedule is set

Image
The Peacock Network has been in the news a lot lately, not only because of the coming takeover of NBC Universal by Comcast, but also because its programming this year has left more than a little to be desired (witness the awful "Jay Leno Show" as just one example of what's wrong at 30 Rock). NBC's got some possibilities coming that they hope will turn the tide in 2010, but will they be enough?  Only time will tell. Broadcasting & Cable has the entire list of new and returning shows. Also coming to the rescue, or at least NBC hopes, is the 2010 Winter Olympics, which begin in Vancouver on Feb. 12.  Of course, viewership of the Olympics isn't what it used to be, either, so we'll see how that turns out.

AROUND THE COUNTRY: Prepare to get Scrooged?

Image
If you subscribe to Time Warner Cable and enjoy the various Fox networks, you might want to keep a close eye on what's going on between the cable operator and News Corporation , which owns a number of Fox stations across the country and its related cable channels like Fox News, Fox Business, Fox Sports, etc. Their retransmission consent agreement expires Dec. 31, and there's no new deal yet. The worst-case scenario is this:   TWC customers could possibly wake up on Jan. 1 to see those channels blacked out .  Based on the information I've found so far, WTVW-Fox 7 wouldn't be affected , because it's owned by Nexstar , but anything else with the Fox brand would be. Follow the jump for more on this and a couple of other things I'm watching today.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Good morning, folks ... here's tonight's program schedule. Here are some shows of note: NBC 's got "The Sing-Off" at 7:00, which looks interesting.  (14WFIE, channel 14.1) ABC brings you "Jennifer Hudson:  I'll Be Home for Christmas," also at 7:00, which I already know my wife is planning to watch, so you know that's gonna be good.  (NEWS25, channel 25.1) And finally, something I think will be interesting for history buffs:  KET2 has "Built for the People:  The Story of the TVA," which airs at 8:00.  (channels 31.2 and 35.2)

Christian broadcaster applies for new station

Thanks to a heads-up from our good friend NashDigie, I can tell you that yet another low-power digital TV station application has been filed for the Evansville market. A Texas-based Christian broadcaster with several low-power stations nationwide is seeking to get a station on the air here using an existing tower near the Henderson/Daviess county line. Read more after the jump.

In case you missed the games, here's the NFL Scoreboard!

Image

AND THEY'RE 13-0!

Image
It was the best of times (3 TDs for Dallas Clark) and the worst of times (3 INTs and a ridiculous false start penalty for Peyton Manning), but the Colts managed to hang on and beat the Denver Broncos 28-16. The Colts, who move to 13-0, are now in sole possession of the consecutive regular season win record with 22.  So long, New England.  It was a nice run while it lasted. In addition, the Colts have the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs, home field advantage, a first-round bye and probably free fries and a small drink too.  OK, I made that last one up, but with everything else that Win #13 sewed up, I wouldn't be surprised. But the Colts' evil counterparts in the NFC are still undefeated too.  New Orleans held off the tough-playin' Atlanta Falcons to win 26-23. New England, whose record the Colts shattered today, did manage to beat Carolina, but I reckon most people no longer give a hoot.  That game was a lot closer than the 20-10 score would indicate. Elsewhere: G

At halftime, Colts lead 21-7

You certainly can't argue with a 21-7 halftime lead, but the Colts will have to stay with the strong offensive and defensive performances for 30 more minutes against the Broncos , who showed what may be a glimmer of life late in the first half. I'm a little concerned about the lack of penalties against Denver thus far. They've been walking a fine line, and in most games they'd be on the side of that line with a flag thrown, but not today. Elsewhere in the league as of 1:40 PM: New Orleans leads Atlanta 16-9 with a hair over 13:00 to go in the 3rd. Baltimore is handing it to Detroit 20-3 just before halftime. Green Bay is a touchdown up on Chicago at the half. Houston is hammering the Seahawks 24-7 at intermission. The Dolphins lead the Jaguars 14-7 in the 3rd. Buffalo is a TD ahead of Kansas City , 10-3 at the half. Brett Farve Fahrve Favre and the Vikings are beating Cincy 16-7 at the break. Carolina and New England went into the half all knotted up at 7

Your NFL TV lineup for today

Image
OK, football fans, here's the lineup of today's NFL programming that will air locally today: Fox NFL Sunday:   11:00 AM on WTVW-Fox 7 (channel 7.1) NFL Today:  11:00 AM on WEVV-CBS44 (channel 44.1) The list of games and my thoughts on each can be found after the jump.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Submitted for your approval, here is tonight's program guide.  No, it won't take you into "The Twilight Zone," but it will give you an idea of what's on tonight! For your holiday viewing pleasure, the pickings are slim tonight, but Oprah Winfrey brings you "Christmas at the White House" at 9:00 on ABC (NEWS25, channel 25.1). For those of you who are football fans, NBC's "Sunday Night Football" features the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the New York Giants .  It's on 14WFIE (channel 14.1) at about 7:15. Happy viewing!

Did you notice?

There's a new slate on WNIN channel 9.3 today.  Gone is the one with the Carpenter House; now it's very stylized, with bright colors and swooshes, plus a few smaller circles that look something like bubbles.  It reads: "You're Listening To WNIN-FM 88.3 Your NPR and Great Music Station" Not sure if it's permanent yet, but we'll see.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Good morning, folks!  Have you got a wide variety of special Christmas shows to choose from tonight?  You bet! Read more about 'em after the jump.

"What's On TV Tonight" for Saturday will be posted shortly

I plan to post tomorrow's "What's On TV Tonight" program guide shortly after midnight.  I plan to spend most of the day relaxing with my family.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Do you like free HD television? Those new subchannels like RTV and This TV? Take a stand!

Image
I will admit off the top here that I am a staunch advocate of free , over-the-air television.  Since the move to digital, we as viewers have programming choices available to us that we never had before.  Beautiful high definition programs.  And they cost us nothing . I think it's a nice way to live. But if the cellular telephone and consumer electronics industries have their way, we'll go back to having just five or six channels over the air (if we're lucky), possibly as early as next year. They want to take away the portion of the airwaves that the local television stations use to provide you with the programming you enjoy, as well as local news, weather and sports .  They aren't satisfied with the part of the airwaves they already got with the move to digital, which they have thus far not even fully used. And they still want more, too.  In their "perfect world," there would be NO free television anywhere in the country.   They would have total

It's moving day at ABC

Image
Today was day of "lasts" at ABC: Diane Sawyer and Chris Cuomo put in their last day of work at "Good Morning America." The cast and crew of "All My Children" prepared to leave New York for sunny southern California. Read more after the jump.

R.I.P.: Gene Barry, star of "Bat Masterson" and "Burke's Law," is dead at 90

Image
Gene Barry , the actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of Bat Masterson on the 1958-61 NBC television series of the same name, has died. Barry also starred as millionaire Los Angeles Chief of Detectives Amos Burke in the 1963-65 ABC crime series "Burke's Law," which was revived -- again starring Barry -- in the early 1990s by CBS. He was 90 years old.

UPDATED: WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
UPDATE:  Earlier today, I said there wasn't much out of the ordinary tonight, but I forgot about "Yes, Virginia," a new animated Christmas special on CBS (WEVV-CBS44, channel 44.1) .  It's on at 7:00.  Be sure to check it out.  I think it's going to be a good one.  Good morning once again, readers.  Here is your guide to tonight's TV programming. For those of you who may be fans of the late Steve McQueen , you'll have the rare opportunity to watch him in the 1971 film "LeMans" on KET 2 (channels 31.2 and 35.2) at 8:00. Aside from that, there's not much that's out of the ordinary tonight.

** UPDATED ** Wrinkles executed; how the stations' coverage compared

Image
UPDATE:  For your convenience, here are links to the stations' coverage: FOX 7 (Special section, includes videos & stories) 14 NEWS (Includes video & related stories) NEWS25 (Link is to station's main page, which has videos of stories aired last night) NEWS25 also posted an unusual story about "The Tri-State 'W Factor,'" about the men on Indiana's Death Row from southwestern Indiana, many of whose last names begin with "W."  No, I'm not kidding. EARLIER TODAY:   Convicted triple-murderer Matthew Eric Wrinkles was pronounced dead at 12:39 AM CST this morning. He was executed by the State of Indiana for the 1994 murders of his wife, Debra Wrinkles; Tony Fulkerson, Debra Wrinkles' brother; and Natalie Fulkerson, the wife of Tony Fulkerson. All of the local news stations covered the events leading up to the execution in the evening newscasts, but only WTVW-Fox 7 carried the actual announcement of Wrinkles' death liv

The Execution of Eric Wrinkles

Image
1:00 AM Friday:  Live coverage continues.  My final words on this will be in a new post. 12:54 AM Friday:  Wrinkles was pronounced dead at 12:39 and made a final statement, both spoken and written.  These are being broadcast live, too quickly for me to transcribe. 12:53 AM Friday:  Doug Garrison is in. 12:52 AM Friday:  Moore also explained how the lethal injection process works.  He says there may not be as much interest from the public as there was with Donald Ray Wallace, who killed two parents and two children.  Moore says that there were witnesses to the execution, but IDOC does not name them; none were media members. 12:50 AM Friday:  Randy Moore is reporting that Doug Garrison said he would "be right back."  Garrison, as I posted earlier, will make the announcement of death. 12:45 AM Friday:   Interviews aired earlier are re-running because of the time it is taking for the execution process to come to completion.  This does seem to be taking considerably

UPDATED: Before execution, local stations speak to those touched by the Wrinkles case

Image
**UPDATED AT 10:10 and 10:25 PM; final pre-execution update posted at 10:40 PM** With Matthew Eric Wrinkles scheduled to die shortly after midnight tonight in the Indiana State Prison execution chamber, the local stations have been working different angles of the story. Find out more after the jump by clicking the "Read More" link below.

UPDATED: It's official -- Brian Kelly is the next coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

Image
It is official.  Notre Dame has chosen Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly as the next coach to take over the storied Fighting Irish football program.   Kelly led Cincinnati to a perfect 12-0 season this year, but will not coach the Bearcats against Florida in the Sugar Bowl.  For the full press release and more, check out Lance Wilkerson's blog . Earlier:  OK, Irish fans.  The search is apparently over. ESPN and the South Bend Tribune are reporting that University of Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly will be hired as the new coach at Notre Dame. Kelly, if hired, would replace Charlie Weis , who was fired recently. You can bet there will be a lot more about this later.

Fox 7 re-airing 9PM newscast at 1AM

Image
I keep forgetting to mention this, but loyal reader TeacherJake just reminded me, so here we go. WTVW-Fox 7 recently began rebroadcasting Fox 7 News at 9 on tape delay at 1:00 AM Tuesday through Saturday.  It's a refreshing change for those of us insomniacs who usually have little else to watch besides infomercials. This is apparently something that is becoming commonplace among Fox stations in this part of the country; the affiliates in Nashville and Indianapolis also re-air their late newscasts in the wee hours of the morning.

OFFICIAL: Cuomo moving from "GMA" to "20/20"

Image
"Good Morning America" newsman Chris Cuomo , as I told you yesterday, will be moving to co-anchor of "20/20." Cuomo officially announced the move this morning on GMA, and also told viewers that he would become the face of breaking news on ABC. It's now expected that George Stephanopoulos will be announced as Diane Sawyer's replacement tomorrow.

WHAT'S ON TV TONIGHT?

Image
Here's your guide to what's on tonight ... enjoy! If you've missed out on your Christmas programming fix so far, you've got two opportunities tonight to soak up some holiday cheer: At 7:00, MyNetworkTV (My44, channel 44.2) will air the 2009 Hollywood Christmas Parade. On KET2 (Channels 31.2 and 35.2), Michael McDonald performs in "This Christmas - A Soundstage Special Event."   It's on at 8:00. As I told you yesterday, tonight's guide premieres the use of the closed-captioning and HD icons.  Let me know what you think.

Get ready, here they come!

The Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner, and among the many new and exciting gadgets that will premiere in Las Vegas will be the new Mobile DTV devices. Mobile DTV is somewhat different than regular DTV, requiring different transmission equipment on the broadcasters' end of things and equipment that can handle decoding the signal on the viewers' end.  Put it this way:  It has to be different -- the way regular DTV works, it'd never be mobile. I expect we'll see some devices that look a little like the old analog handheld TVs, plus some that look and act more like iPhones, a good many will indeed be phones. Of course, as I mentioned, Mobile DTV requires special equipment, and that's not been installed around here by anyone, at least not yet.  How long will it take before we get it?  I don't know, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Another round of new features

As some of you may know, I started a new fan page on Facebook for JDTVB yesterday, but that's only one of the new ideas I'm working on. Blogger recently updated how I post entries, and I've really enjoyed that so far.  It's much more user-friendly. One of the neat features I can take advantage of now is highlighting text .  <- That's actually the first time I've done that. I can also break up longer posts with just an opening summary and expand on it later.  This will give the main page a much cleaner look as time goes on.  You'll know it's a longer entry when you see the Read more >> link below the part of the text that's on the main page.  Just click that and you'll get the entire thing on its own page. I've also opened up my Twitter feed to the world again, and you've probably already noticed that in the left-hand column.   You might not find this stuff too exciting, but I think these new features are going to work