Posts

Showing posts from March, 2011

The Weekender ... The "I'm (Almost) Outta Here" Edition

Image
Yes, I know it's only Thursday, but the time has come to pack it in and pack it up for our Spring Break vacation, so this week's Weekender is a day early, but still loaded with great content from this short week of work. I'll check in from time to time while we're gone with important breaking news items, but next week will likely be fairly quiet on the site.  Of course, my column will run as usual in next Thursday's Courier & Press , so you'll have that to look forward to. I'll be back in action on April 11, so until then, be safe, be happy and stay tuned! (For all the latest news anytime, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook .) THURSDAY, MARCH 31 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30 Indianapolis NBC affiliate wins Peabody Award for investigative report on job creation in Indiana Mission Broadcasting president/CEO David Smith dies of heart attack In Thursday's Courier & Press: WEVV getting set to air Marathon recap show, and much more

Indianapolis NBC affiliate wins Peabody Award for investigative report on job creation in Indiana

Image
Since taking office six years ago, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and his administration have made many claims about their successes in creating jobs for Hoosiers.  However, in a stellar series of investigative reports entitled "Reality Check: Where Are The Jobs?" , Indianapolis NBC affiliate WTHR (ch. 13) found that the numbers proffered by the Governor and his people just didn't add up. Now the reports and the people who put them together have been honored with the prestigious Peabody Award , making WTHR one of only three commercial TV stations in the country to be so honored this year.  (The other two were WFAA in Dallas and KSTP in Minneapolis.) The station will receive its award in May in New York City. This isn't the first time WTHR has been honored for the series.  In December, the station received a a 2011 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for its work on the stories. If you've not yet seen the reports, you can click here for the entire seri

Mission Broadcasting president/CEO David Smith dies of heart attack

David Smith , the president and CEO of Mission Broadcasting , which owns 16 television stations across the country (including WFXW-Fox 38 in Terre Haute) died over the weekend of a massive heart attack, TVSpy reports . Mission's stations are operated by Nexstar Broadcasting , the owner of Evansville's WTVW-Fox 7 and Terre Haute's WTWO-NBC 2 . “David was a friend, a partner in business and an innovative broadcaster,” said Nexstar president and CEO Perry Sook. “He will be missed by all of us who knew him.”

In Thursday's Courier & Press: WEVV getting set to air Marathon recap show, and much more

Image
In tomorrow's Courier & Press , I'm bringing you quite a bit of news this week.  Here's what's heading your way: We'll look at CBS44's upcoming broadcast of the Southern Indiana Classic Marathon & Half Marathon recap show. Rumor has it that ABC's soaps are on the chopping block.  A network rep says it's just not so.  I'll explain what the hubbub is all about. It's official:  Evansville no longer has a Trinity Broadcasting Network station.  Even though it's been off the air since November of '09, the FCC just now got around to pulling its license. A Wadesville Christian radio station and its Fort Branch translator are up for sale.  I'll tell you who's selling and who's buying. And finally, Oprah's announced when her final show will end. Be sure to check it all out in Thursday's paper and online at courierpress.com !

Easter Seals Telethon boots NBA action to NEWS 25 Sports Channel Sunday

Image
This year's Easter Seals Telethon on NEWS 25 means you'll see some programming changes this Sunday, as the NBA games scheduled on ABC will move to the NEWS 25 Sports Channel (ch. 25.2) instead. First up is the Suns vs. the Spurs at 11:30 AM CT (12:30 PM ET), with the Nuggets vs. Lakers game at 2:30 PM CT (3:30 ET). To find the NEWS 25 Sports Channel where you live, visit news25sportschannel.us .

Fox Sports Midwest announces Opening Day schedule for the Cardinals

Image
Fox Sports Midwest ’s 18th season of St. Louis Cardinals telecasts, its first as the team’s exclusive television partner, kicks off with more than 12 hours of Cardinals programming on opening day. Live coverage from Busch starts at 2:00 PM tomorrow afternoon with the Cardinals Live pregame show, which includes the opening day ceremonies. The opening day game telecast of the Cardinals and San Diego Padres begins at 3:00 PM with first pitch scheduled for 3:15 PM. Fans who can’t watch the game live in the afternoon can catch a replay of the pregame, game and postgame in prime time.   FOX Sports Midwest’s schedule for opening day (All Times Central): 11:00 AM - Cardinals Classics – Best Games of 2010 11:00 AM - April 9, 2010 at Milwaukee: Stavinoha’s Shot 11:30 AM - April 5, 2010 at Cincinnati: Opening Day Power Display NOON - June 4, 2010 vs. Milwaukee: Waino is Bueno 12:30 PM - April 12, 2010 vs. Houston: Grand Opening 1:00 PM - Aug. 10, 2010 at Cincinnati: The Brawl 1:30 PM -

TV Japan access ends tomorrow, but free calls to Japan continue for Time Warner Cable customers through April 15

Image
Time Warner Cable digital customers have had free access to the TV Japan network since Japan's devastating earthquake earlier this month, but that is coming to an end tomorrow. However, the cable company announced today that free phone calls to Japan will continue for its customers through April 15 . "At Time Warner Cable, we are caring members of the communities we serve and we know that in many of those communities right now we have customers worried about family and friends in Japan," said Glenn Britt, TWC's chairman and CEO.  "We have seen an increase in the number of calls made by our customers to family, friends and colleagues in Japan who have been touched by the events that occurred (earlier this month).  They are all in our thoughts and we hope that this program removes a small measure of worry from our customers." In the Tri-State, Time Warner Cable serves customers in Shawneetown and Junction, Ill.; Chandler, Newburgh, Warrick Co., Rock

ABC's new "Body of Proof" does well in debut

Image
Dana Delany is back on TV, and ABC should be pleased with the debut performance of her new show, "Body of Proof." The show averaged a 3.0 rating among viewers 18-49 last night, easily topping "Parenthood" on NBC and "The Good Wife" on CBS, which tied for second with a 1.9 in the time slot, according to Media Life . Adding in the first "Dancing With The Stars" results show of the new season, ABC's 3.3 rating and 9 share was enough to win the night among 18-49s, followed by CBS' 3.1/8.  NBC finished third at 2.3/6. Bringing up the rear, Univision ended the night fourth at 1.9/5, Fox was fifth with a 1.3/4, Telemundo sixth at 0.8/2 and CW seventh with a measly 0.3/1. ABC also won among households with a 9.6 overnight rating and a 15 share. CBS came in second at 9.0/14, NBC third at 3.9/6, Fox and Univision tied for fourth at 2.3/4, while Telemundo and CW were below 1 and 1 each ... like anyone cares.

"WSIU InFocus" turns spotlight on Little Toot Railroad Company in Flora

Image
The Little Toot Railroad Company in Flora, Illinois will be the subject of a program-length episode of "WSIU InFocus," a weekly local public television series produced by WSIU Public Television , a public media arm of Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC). The episode "Little Toot" will air this Friday from 9:00 to 9:30 PM on WSIU-TV's primary HD channels, WSIU-TV 8.1 and WUSI-TV 16.1. Little Toot will repeat on WSIU's primary HD channels on Sunday, April 3 at 12:30 PM and Friday, April 8 at 5:00 PM.  It also will repeat on WSIU-TV 8.2 and WUSI-TV 16.2 (PBS World) on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 at 4:00 PM and again on Monday, April 4 at 8:00 PM. Little Toot is a working coal-fired, steam-powered, miniature gauge locomotive that has become a major attraction at Charley Brown Park in Flora. This episode of "WSIU InFocus" explores the history of the train, from its beginning in 1959 when Gaylon Borders bought the first engine a

WEVV and Expressway collect "Snacks from the Homefront" for troops in Afghanistan

Image
CBS44ProjectHomefront.com and WEVV recently partnered with the Expressway Automobile Dealerships to collect “Snacks from the Homefront, ” an initiative to collect various food items to send to troops stationed overseas. Over one hundred pounds of food were collected over a four week period.  WEVV worked with a representative from Soldiers’ Angels throughout the campaign, and was provided with the address of a chaplain stationed overseas, who will distribute the food items to the troops. The food items collected are being shipped to troops stationed in Afghanistan. Shipping costs were generously paid for by Ameriqual Group . ♦ Information for this story was provided courtesy of CBS44 WEVV.

WFIE to air 1-hour special on UK and Butler Friday night at 7, preempting "Who Do You Think You Are?"

Image
UPDATE, 4:15 PM:   "Who Do You Think You Are," which is being preempted by Friday night's basketball special, will air at 1:05 AM Saturday morning. Those of you who are fans of either the Kentucky Wildcats or Butler Bulldogs will want to be sure to tune in to 14WFIE this Friday night at 7:00 CT (8:00 ET) for a one-hour special look back at both teams' amazing seasons. Butler, as you may know, is back in the Final Four for the second consecutive year, while Kentucky is in the Final Four for the first time in 13 years. The special will air in place of "Who Do You Think You Are?" ... no word yet on when or if Friday's episode of that show will air.  I'll let you know as soon as I know .

14WFIE unveils new and improved website; less clutter means easier navigation

Image
14WFIE has unveiled a new and improved design for its website, 14WFIE.com , and after giving it a thorough going-over throughout the day, I'm prepared to pass judgment on it. I like it. On smaller-screened computers like mine, the overload of advertising and small type of the old site was distracting and, dare I say it, maddening to use at times, unless I knew exactly what I wanted and where it was.  The new site is greatly improved in this regard, with advertising still prominent but less annoying. The type is larger and it's much easier to find the information you're looking for, whether it be to sign up for Thundercall or jump to the station's Facebook page. But don't take my word for it ... check it out for yourself , then click over to 14's Facebook page and let them know what YOU think.

CBS, Turner declare victory for new NCAA Tournament format; viewership said to be highest in 6 years

Image
Regardless of what you may think of the NCAA Tournament's new broadcast partnership between CBS and Turner , it seems to be working. MediaDailyNews reports that viewership numbers for the tournament are up 11% - to 9.4 million viewers - versus last year's 8.5 million.  That is also the best performance for the games since 2005. Of course, it doesn't hurt that there has been much to like about this tournament, with Kentucky , Butler and VCU in the Final Four.  VCU's improbable run from play-in to beating the best teams in college hoops has captivated the attention of millions of fans, and Butler's second consecutive Final Four appearance with their charismatic young coach is likewise drawing much attention. CBS, of course, aired all of the Elite Eight games over the weekend and will televise the Final Four this weekend, so we'll see if all of those viewers stick around to see how it plays out.  I think they will ... I know I'll be watching!

"Dancing with the Stars" gives ABC the Monday night win

Image
With its competitors airing mostly reruns, ABC won Monday night handily, largely due to the strong showing put forth by "Dancing with the Stars." "DWTS" scored a 5.1 rating among viewers ages 18-49, lifting ABC's overall rating to 4.5 in the age group.  CBS was second with a 1.9 rating and a 5 share; Univision was third at 1.7/4; Fox fourth at 1.3/4; NBC fifth at 1.2/3; Telemundo sixth at 0.7/2 and CW seventh at 0.3/1. Among households, ABC's lead was even more pronounced; the network's 11.9 average overnight rating and 18 share trumped all competitors. CBS was second at 4.1/6, NBC third at 3.7/6, Fox fourth at 2.8/4, Univision fifth at 2.2/3, Telemundo sixth at 0.8/1 and CW seventh at 0.5/1.

Thursday's the day: Cardinals open the season at home against the Padres

Image
We're just two days away from the beginning of the 2011 baseball season - can you believe that? The Cardinals will kick off their season at Busch Stadium against the San Diego Padres , with games on Thursday (3:15 PM CT), Saturday (3:10 PM CT) and Sunday (1:15 PM CT).  And, as usual, you'll be able to catch all the action on the radio all across the Tri-State. As for television coverage, the games on Thursday and Sunday afternoons will be on Fox Sports Midwest , while Saturday's game will be on Fox ( WTVW-Fox 7 ). Good luck, Cardinals!!!

KET to help viewers prepare for severe weather with a special tonight at 8

Image
While both Indiana and Kentucky have already had their official Severe Weather Preparedness Weeks, it's never a bad idea to have more information about what you can and should do when the worst weather heads your way. That's why KET is airing a special live program, "Severe Storms: Being Prepared 2011," tonight at 8:00 CT (9:00 ET) to give you advice on what preparations you need to make, as well as answer your questions. The program will air locally on channel 31.1 (Owensboro/Henderson area), 35.1 (Madisonville area) and 53.1 (for the southern part of the area).

In Louisville, WAVE 3 and WHAS11 agree to share a chopper

Image
Sky11, WHAS11's former helicopter. ( LouisvilleKY.com photo) It's been a few years since 14WFIE and NEWS 25 had a news helicopter here in the Tri-State, but in places like Louisville, they've never really gone away.  However, choppers are expensive, and in today's economy, stations across the country ― even bitter rivals ― have begun sharing the cost in order to continue using them. Now Louisville's ABC and NBC affiliates are joining forces to share one. Starting this Friday, according to LouisvilleKY.com's Rick Redding , Raycom's WAVE 3 and Belo's WHAS11 will begin sharing the lease on a helicopter from Helicopters, Inc. , a St. Louis-based company that bills itself as "the leading provider of news gathering helicopters." The new chopper replaces individual helicopters formerly leased by the stations.  Video shot from the "bird" will be the same on both stations, and both stations will be able to use the flying contraption

**UPDATED: FCC CANCELS WAZE-CW19'S LICENSE -- ANALOG TRANSLATORS STILL ON ** CBS Corp. wins $1 mil judgment in lawsuit against WAZE owner Roberts Broadcasting

Image
Steven and Michael Roberts, owners of WAZE-CW19 (CNN photo) UPDATE #2, 8:15 AM:   To clarify, WAZE-LP (ch. 17) is technically considered a Class A low-power station, not a translator, and its license is current, so it is theoretically possible that Roberts Broadcasting could rebrand the station as "CW17" or whatever and continue operating indefinitely.  Interestingly, of the four TV stations the company owns, WAZE is the only one not mentioned anywhere on the company's website or in interviews over the past four years. UPDATE #1, 12:30 AM:   RabbitEars.info webmaster Trip Ericson tells me this morning that WAZE-CW19's license for the Madisonville digital station, which was never built-out to full power specs, was canceled by the FCC last Thursday.  That means the analog translators on channels 4 (WJPS-LP), 5 (WIKY-LP) and 17 (WAZE-LP) are the only means of broadcasting that the station has left.  The plot thickens ... Last night, I told you that WAZE-CW19 h

A second choice for "Seinfeld" fans ... WAZE begins airing the "show about nothing" at 9:00 PM

Image
If you're a fan of "Seinfeld," but find that it's too taxing on the body to wait up until NEWS 25 airs it at 12:35 AM, you now have another choice for watching the show. WAZE-CW19 is now also airing the "show about nothing" at 9:00 PM CT (10:00 ET) each weeknight.  According to the program guides I've looked at, if you miss the 9:00 broadcast, you'll see the same one a few hours later on 25. With the pickup of "Seinfeld," WAZE loses "Friends" and "George Lopez," although, interestingly enough, following "Seinfeld" at 9:30 is "The New Adventures of Old Christine," which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" is after that.  David, of course, was the co-creator of "Seinfeld." ♦ Thanks to TeacherJake for alerting me to this story.

Special edition of "NOVA" entitled "Japan's Killer Quake" to air Wednesday night

Image
On Wednesday, March 30 at 8:00 PM CT (9:00 ET), "NOVA" will present a new, one-hour quick-response program, "Japan's Killer Quake" in place of regular "NOVA" programming. In its worst crisis since World War II, Japan faces disaster on an epic scale: a rising death toll in the tens of thousands, massive destruction of homes and businesses, shortages of water and power, and the specter of nuclear reactor meltdowns. The facts and figures are astonishing. The March 11th earthquake was the world's fourth largest earthquake since record keeping began in 1900 and the worst ever to shake Japan. The seismic shock wave released over 4,000 times the energy of the largest nuclear test ever conducted; it shifted the earth's axis by six inches and shortened the day by a few millionths of a second. The resulting tsunami slammed Japan's coast with 30-foot-high waves that traveled six miles inland, obliterating entire towns in a matter of minutes.   &q

Reminder: WNIN and Texas Roadhouse kicking off Action Auction this Thursday night

Image
WNIN's Action Auction is right around the corner, and the station is hosting a kick off fundraising night at Texas Roadhouse this Thursday, March 31 from 4:00 to 10:00 PM CT.   WNIN will be there with some of the top items from the auction for you to preview. Bring the coupon located here with you that night and Texas Roadhouse will donate 10% of your purchases to benefit WNIN. The event will be held at the Texas Roadhouse location at 7900 Eagle Crest Blvd. in Evansville.  To cut down on your wait time, call (812) 477-7427 for reservations.

College football heralds return of sports to FX after five years

Image
It's been nearly five years since News Corp.'s FX cable network has televised a single sporting event, but that long drought will end later this year. Broadcasting & Cable reports that FX will carry 13 college football games this fall, dubbing the package "Fox Sports on FX."   The games will be culled from the existing arrangements that Fox Sports has with the Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA. In the past, FX has aired sports including Major League Baseball, NASCAR, college football, just to name a few, but that ended in 2006.  However, with News Corp.'s stronger focus on sports in the last two years, having an additional outlet for such programming isn't just desirable, it's a necessity to maintain the company's competitive edge. The 13-game lineup will be part of Fox's overall plan to carry 170 college football games on its networks this year. FX is best known for "edgier" programming and movies; the current program lineup ha

CBS to keep "Amazing Race" and "Undercover Boss" for another season

Image
If you're a fan of "The Amazing Race" and/or "Undercover Boss," I have good news for you.  CBS has decided to grant both shows another season. "The Amazing Race," which is now in its 18th season (the first to be broadcast in HD), averages 10 million viewers a week, according to The Hollywood Reporter . "Undercover Boss," which takes viewers inside well-known companies across the country as the CEOs learn how things are run from the bottom up, also does well, drawing more than 12 million viewers a week.

Low-power Catholic radio station in Owensboro wants frequency swap, in-town transmitter

Image
Owensboro low-power radio station WIMM-LP (107.7 FM), which broadcasts Catholic programming from a tower on Newbolt Road in rural Daviess County, has applied to the FCC for permission to move into Owensboro and change its frequency. If approved, the station's transmitter would be relocated to a site near Old Hartford Road and East 26th Street near the Apostolic Lighthouse Church.  It would continue to broadcast with an effective radiated power of 100 watts, but on 107.9 FM instead of 107.7. The station is owned and operated by the Trinity Educational Radio Association and has been on the air since 2003.

Report: Couric given offer to leave "Evening News," includes regular role on "60 Minutes"

Image
The Katie-Go-Round is spinning again, and this time, the word is that Katie Couric will leave the "CBS Evening News" when her contract expires in June, but she won't leave the network. Instead, the game plan with this one is to have Couric stay on with CBS, but not as a news anchor, but a regular correspondent for "60 Minutes," according to the New York Post .  Scott Pelley would take over the "Evening News." Also on the docket, according to sources, is another new CBS daytime talk show, to be hosted by Couric. If she plans on staying at CBS, this does sound more plausible than any report we've heard thus far, but as with anything else, I'll just have to keep you posted.

Your Final Four teams for 2011

Image
Shown above are your 2011 FINAL FOUR teams ... Indianapolis' own Butler Bulldogs will return to the Final Four after handing Florida a 74-71 overtime defeat.  They'll play the VCU Rams , who humbled Kansas on Sunday, 71-61. This is Butler's second consecutive trip to the Final Four; VCU went from playing its way into the tournament to beating the #1 seed in its bracket ... a true Cinderella story. Butler and VCU face off at 5:00 PM CT (6:00 ET) on CBS next Saturday evening. And the Kentucky Wildcats , coming off of a 76-69 win over North Carolina , will face off against the Huskies of UConn next Saturday at 7:45 PM CT (8:45 ET) on CBS. UConn earned its way to Houston by beating Arizona on Saturday night by the score of 65-63.

WBKR to break away from Auto Club 400 for UK/N. Carolina game, finish race afterward

Image
Today's Auto Club 400 on WBKR-92.5 will be interrupted by some basketball game at around 4:00 PM CT this afternoon (I kid, I kid ... I'm well aware that it's the UK/North Carolina Elite Eight game ). However, don't fret, fans:  Once the basketball game is over, 'BKR will air the rest of the race.

Hatchets win second straight Class 3A basketball title, defeat Culver 61-46

Image
Congratulations go out to the Washington Hatchets , who won their second consecutive IHSAA Class 3A state boys basketball title this evening, defeating Culver Academies 61-46. Cody Zeller , who has signed to play for the Indiana Hoosiers next year, had 20 points and 18 rebounds.  Zeller also won the Trester Mental Attitude Award.

The Weekender ... The "Where Did Spring Go?" Edition

Image
We got so spoiled by the nice weather earlier this week and last week that it was a nasty reminder that cold weather still happens in early spring around here.  Oh well, we'll just hold off on putting away those winter clothes for a while! It's been an interesting week around here, what with my kids being sick and all ... if they'd been well, perhaps I would have had more for you to read, but one has to prioritize from time to time. As always, thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you back here again on Monday for the last week before Spring Break. Please note:  Updates will be very limited April 1-10 because of my family's Spring Break.  I'll be sure to post any major news items during that time, but for the most part, there will be very few posts. (For all the latest news anytime, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook .) FRIDAY, MARCH 25 THURSDAY, MARCH 24 No "Dateline" on 14WFIE tonight; "Guarding Tess&quo

No "Dateline" on 14WFIE tonight; "Guarding Tess" airing at 8:00 PM

Image
If you tune in to 14WFIE expecting to see "Dateline NBC" tonight, you'll be disappointed, because the station is not airing it . However, if you're up for a movie, WFIE will air "Guarding Tess" in "Dateline's" timeslot at 8:00 PM.  The movie stars Nicolas Cage as a Secret Service agent protecting a crotchety former First Lady (Shirley MacLaine) . Tonight's "Dateline" episode, entitled "The Mystery on Albion Road," tells the story of how one woman, covered in dirt and blood, is found on a rural road in Washington state. Investigators and prosecutors must piece together the brutal, life altering injury that leaves her with no memory of the incident and severe brain damage. Some Tri-State viewers will still be able to watch, of course.  If you can watch WPSD (ch. 6.1, Paducah), WNKY-NBC (ch. 40.1, Bowling Green), WTWO-NBC2 (ch. 2.1, Terre Haute) or WAVE 3 (ch. 3.1, Louisville), "Dateline" will air a

Remembering Elizabeth: Tonight's KET Movie Classic features Taylor in "The Last Time I Saw Paris"

Image
In remembrance of Elizabeth Taylor, who died earlier this week, there will be a special KET Movie Classic tonight on KET2, "The Last Time I Saw Paris," in which Taylor starred with Van Johnson. Released in November 1954, the film is a romantic drama in which a writer recalls his turbulent marriage to an expatriate heiress.  You can learn more about the movie at Wikipedia. It airs tonight at 8:00 PM CT (9:00 ET) on KET2 (Ch. 31.2 in Owensboro, ch. 35.2 in Madisonville, and channel 53.2 in Bowling Green).

Young Broadcasting chairman Vincent Young steps down

Image
Young Broadcasting 's non-executive chairman Vincent Young quietly resigned last week, TVNewsCheck reports this afternoon . Young Broadcasting owns WKRN (ch. 2), the ABC affiliate in Nashville, Tenn.  Gray Television , which owns Bowling Green ABC/Fox/CW affiliate WBKO , is providing management consulting services for WKRN as well as six other Young Broadcasting stations following Young's recent bankruptcy. Vincent Young's departure comes after he sided with the unsecured lenders in their effort to reorganize the company during the bankruptcy process.  Those lenders were rebuffed, and the reorganization plan submitted by the secured lenders was approved.

Mark your calendars: Last original "Oprah" to air May 25

Image
We've known for a good while that Oprah Winfrey is leaving the broadcast airwaves to spend more time with her cable network, OWN.  But we didn't know when her last original show would air. Now we know. The last original episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will air on May 25 .  The show has been in reruns for the past several weeks, but all-new episodes will resume on April 7 and run through the finale. Oprah's show, which is in its 25th season, airs in 145 countries, and airs in the Tri-State on 14WFIE , WHAS11, WTWO-NBC2, WBKO and KFVS12 , depending on where you live.

Heartland Ministries applies to move Madisonville translator station

Image
Heartland Ministries of Hardin, Ky. has applied with the FCC to relocate its Madisonville translator (W206BB, 89.1 FM) from a tower near Hanson to a tower owned by Murray State University on the campus of Madisonville Community and Technical College. The move would also see the station's power reduced from 27 watts to 19 watts. W206BB simulcasts the signal of Southern Gospel-formatted WVHM , which is licensed to Benton, Ky.

Indiana Community Radio Corp. selling Wadesville station and Ft. Branch translator

Indiana Community Radio Corporation , the Greenfield, Ind.-based owner and operator of a Christian radio network in Indiana and neighboring states, has filed an application with the FCC to sell its Wadesville station, WENS (90.1 FM), and Fort Branch translator station W295AW (106.9 FM) to The Innovation Center, Inc. , a Vincennes non-profit organization run by Mark Lange. Lange is half-owner of The Original Company and Old Northwest Broadcasting . Between them, TOC and Old Northwest own and operate 13 radio stations and translators in Indiana and Illinois. The agreement ( which can be found here ) indicates that The Innovation Center will pay $60,000 for the stations, with $25,000 of that paid at the time of the agreement, and the remainder to be paid in installments as certain benchmarks are met.  That information can be found in the agreement above. I'll keep you posted on further developments.

On this week's "Indiana Week in Review" ... the latest on Hoosier politics

Image
On this week's "Indiana Week in Review," host Jim Shella and the panel will discuss a wide range of topics, including: The continuing saga of the departed Democrats, and how national Democrats and out-of-state right-to-work opponents are working to support the walkout Former Ind. Speaker John Gregg considering a run for Governor Returning the Tim Durham donations Criticism of the Libya mission from Sen. Richard Lugar And Gov. Daniels' new book deal That's all on this week's "IWIR," broadcast in the Tri-State on WNIN Local (ch. 9.2) this afternoon at 4:00 PM CT (5:00 ET).  If you miss it this afternoon, you'll also be able to catch it tonight at 9:30 PM CT (10:30 ET) on WNIN HD (ch. 9.1). WVUT HD (ch. 22.1, Vincennes) carries the program on Saturday mornings at 10:30 AM ET (9:30 AM CT). Other broadcast times include Saturday nights at 10:00 PM CT (WNIN Local), Sunday afternoons at noon CT (WNIN HD), and Mondays at 5:00 PM CT and 10:00 P

A good night for basketball: CBS and TBS give NCAA Tournament its best Thursday regional since '93

Image
Last night was a good night to be a basketball fan.  Duke lost, Butler won, and the combination of CBS and TBS televising the games brought the NCAA Tournament its best Thursday regional semifinal ratings in 18 years. The two networks combined for an 8.6 rating among viewers 18-49.  That's the highest number since 1993's 9.0. And taken as a whole, the ratings picture is bright for this year's tournament.  CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV's combined ratings thus far are a 6.5, up 18% from last year's CBS-only performance. But when it comes to just the broadcast networks, basketball just wasn't enough to give CBS the win last night.  Fox, on the coattails of "American Idol," won easily.  Among 18-49s, Fox held a 4.4 rating and a 13 share. ABC was second at 2.8/8. CBS could muster only a third-place finish, coming in with a 2.5/7. Rounding out the night, NBC was fourth at 2.1/6, Univision fifth at 1.7/5, Telemundo sixth at 0.7/2 and CW seventh at 0.5/1.

Broadcast networks losing ratings ground as cable networks take it away

Recently, I shared with you that the broadcast networks were losing ground to the cable news networks, but that's not the only place where the Big Four (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) are falling behind. Traditional primetime viewership on the networks is dropping rapidly.  Through the first three quarters of the 2010-11 season, Fox is leading, but being the first loser isn't really good news.  However, thanks to the return of "American Idol," Fox is now averaging around 4.6 million adult 18-49 viewers, down 6% from last season (it was worse before "Idol's" comeback). CBS has 3.9 million viewers, off 10%; ABC is at 3.202 million,  also losing 10%; and NBC's slide accelerated past its rivals, down 17% to 3.198 million viewers. Meanwhile, cable networks taken as a whole are up 3% to a collective 18.5 rating among 18-49 viewers during the first quarter of this year.  A year ago, cable was down 1% at a 17.7 combined 18-49 viewer rating versus 2009 for the

Live broadcast of "Whad'Ya Know?" coming to Southern Illinois this Saturday

Image
"Whad'Ya Know?" Michael Feldman enjoyed his 1998 visit to Southern Illinois so much that he's bringing his popular comedy quiz show back to Carbondale! Joining Feldman for this Saturday's broadcast at Shryock Auditorium are cast and crew members Jim Packard, Lyle Anderson, John Thulin, Jeff Hamman, Clyde Stubblefield, Todd Witter, Tom Blain, Aubrey Ralph, Brad Kolberg, and Michele Gerard Good. Although they will not be in attendance, staff members Maggie Karpinen, Kelley Osborne, Diana Cook, and Judith Heise Kovalic round out the team of experts who contribute to the success of "Whad'Ya Know?" The live broadcast will feature Feldman's take on "All The Southern Illinois News That Isn't," interviews with local and special guests, performances by area musicians, and more. We're still working out details on the local guests and musicians who will be featured during show. Stay tuned to WSIU Radio and wsiu.org for details as the

In Thursday's column: Time Warner's new iPad app, local teens create a PSA, and more

Image
In Thursday's Courier & Press , you'll find another great column with in-depth information on a number of topics.  Here's the rundown: We'll kick things off by talking about Time Warner Cable's new and controversial iPad app , which hasn't gone over quite as well as the company hoped (despite their glowing pronouncements). A local group of teens has created a new public service announcement to highlight the dangers of prescription drug abuse.  I've got the info on that. Former 14WFIE reporter Nathan Ryder has a new job.  Learn where he's working and what he'll be doing. And we'll talk about IU 's new contract extension with its radio partner, Learfield Sports . It's all there and will be waiting for you in tomorrow's Courier & Press and at courierpress.com ... so don't miss it!

"Catching a Killer: Colon Cancer Among Us" airs Thursday night on KET2, features Ky. State Rep. Jim Glenn

Image
Did you know that colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among those affecting both men and women ― even though it's one of the most preventable cancers? Colon cancer does not discriminate on gender or race. Anyone can get it. This year, 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colon cancer and 50,000 will lose their lives to this disease. Don't let yourself or someone you love become one of these preventable statistics. Tune in to "Catching a Killer: Colon Cancer Among Us" to hear Ted McCoy ’s story of his courageous battle against colon cancer, meet Kentucky State Representative Jim Glenn and learn about his wife's struggle with the disease, and follow Sheri Burkhead as she gets her first colon cancer screening. Learn how, with proper prevention and screening, colon cancer can be one of the most preventable types of cancer. "Catching a Killer: Colon Cancer Among Us" airs Thursday night at 9:30 PM CT (10:30 ET) on KET2 and then

"All My Children" not on chopping block, says network rep

Image
Fans of ABC's "All My Children" were understandably shaken by Monday's news that the network was considering dropping the 41-year-old soap opera. Now we're learning that it was just a rumor. "The Deadline.com piece is just the latest story in a long line of stories about this same topic. There is no change for the current ABC daytime schedule," a network representative told People . "AMC's" ratings have slipped precipitously in the last decade, but the same is true virtually across the board as daytime viewers have many more programming choices than in years past.

COMMENTARY: Griffin's MSNBC strategy of not covering breaking news is ridiculous

Image
As I told you last week, CNN elbowed its way back to the forefront in breaking news coverage during the Japan earthquake and tsunami as well as the very fluid situation that continues in Libya, proving that the resources of the world's first cable news network are still formidable. Not even the Murdoch juggernaut known as Fox News could touch it. Meanwhile, MSNBC sat on its hands, running its usual fare instead of going where the action was (and still is).  Result?  Viewers turned elsewhere by the millions. In today's edition of The New York Times , former ABC correspondent Judy Muller , who is now an associate professor of journalism at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC, took MSNBC to the woodshed. "I think (they) really blew it," Muller said . "They lost a great opportunity to set themselves out as one of the few places people can get breaking news. When you are near a nuclear meltdown, I can’t imagine a decision to go with yo