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Showing posts from October, 2011

BREAKING: Fox, DirecTV settle their differences, reach new carriage deal

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After weeks of sniping at each other over the failure to reach a new carriage deal, Fox Networks and DirecTV have settled their differences, and all Fox networks will not be removed from the satellite system. Both sides announced this evening that DirecTV will continue carrying all Fox networks (including FX, National Geographic Channel, Speed, Fuel TV, Fox Soccer, and others), Fox’s regional sports networks, and also the Fox broadcast network, Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network. In a joint statement, Fox and DirecTV said, “We both know the past 10 days have been challenging, but we’re pleased that both sides could eventually come together to ensure our viewers continue to enjoy Fox programming.” The agreement comes on the heels of a complaint that DirecTV filed with the Federal Communications Commission earlier today citing "misleading" ads from Fox about the negotiations.  Presumably, DirecTV will now drop that complaint. █ Thanks to @Nic98

Happy Halloween, everybody!

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Please be careful tonight as you drive ― our little ghosts, ghouls and goblins will be out in force seeking treats!

CPD announces dates and locations for 2012 presidential debates

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The Commission on Presidential Debates ("CPD") today announced sites and dates for three presidential and one vice presidential debates during the 2012 general election. The dates and sites are: First presidential debate - Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012 at University of Denver, Denver, Colo. Vice presidential debate - Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 at Centre College, Danville, Ky. Second presidential debate (town meeting format) - Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 at Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. Third presidential debate - Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 at Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla. Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. will serve as the backup site.  The CPD has asked Dominican University to lead an international project which will be announced early in 2012. All debates will, as usual, be broadcast.  Broadcast information will be finalized at a later date. The CPD will announce formats for the four debates in the first part of 2012, as well as plans for Internet-b

FTC, Justice Dept. OK Scripps deal to buy McGraw-Hill TV stations, including Indianapolis' WRTV

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The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Justice Department have looked into the E.W. Scripps Co.'s pending $212 million deal to purchase the McGraw-Hill television station group and found no reason the deal should not go forward. The FTC and Justice Department must review all transactions valued at more than $66 million, according to Multichannel News .  In this case, the swift end of the review (which was sought by Scripps and McGraw-Hill earlier this month) means that, evidently, there are no problems from a legal or antitrust standpoint. Scripps owns newspapers in 14 markets, including two in the Tri-State, the Evansville Courier & Press (for which this writer contributes a weekly TV and radio column) and the Henderson Gleaner . In its TV Station Group, Scripps has six ABC affiliates, three NBC stations and one independent. McGraw-Hill's four full-power stations, including Indiana's oldest TV station, WRTV-6 in Indianapolis, are all ABC affiliat

DirecTV/Fox carriage dispute reaches the FCC as satellite company files complaint over "misleading" ads

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UPDATE, 9:35 p.m.:  Fox Networks and DirecTV have reached a new carriage agreement, and all of Fox's cable networks, as well as Fox News Channel, Fox Business Channel and local Fox programming will remain on.  Please see this story for further details. The carriage dispute between Fox Networks and DirecTV just got uglier. As DirecTV customers are aware, the two companies have been haggling over the terms of a new retransmission deal for Fox's cable networks, and Fox wants more money ― as much as 40% more, according to the satellite provider. Deadline Hollywood 's Nellie Andreeva reports this afternoon that DirecTV's executive vice-president, Derek Chang, sent a letter of complaint to the Federal Communications Commission today that calls into question the verbiage of recent Fox ads which claim that, in addition to losing networks like the 19 regional Fox Sports channels, Speed and others, DirecTV customers will lose their local Fox programming tomorrow as

HOMEY DO PLAY THAT: Fox OKs two In Living Color specials for Spring 2012

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Two snaps up! An updated version of the groundbreaking Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color will air as two half-hour specials in the spring of 2012. The specials will be hosted and executive-produced by original series creator/executive producer Keenen Ivory Wayans . This is a modern-day take on the hit sketch comedy show that will feature a new cast of fresh, young talent, as well as musical performances by special guests. In Living Color aired from 1990 to 1994. Starring Keenen Ivory Wayans and Damon Wayans , the show launched both of their careers, as well as those of siblings Shawn , Marlon and Kim , not to mention featured players Jim Carrey , Jamie Foxx , David Alan Grier , and “Fly Girl” Jennifer Lopez . The iconic series put a hip, edgy spin on popular culture and featured characters and sketches that became part of the American vernacular, such as "Men on Film," starring flamboyant film critics Blaine Edwards (Damon Wayans) and Antoine Merriweather (David

Candidates for Ky. governor to appear one last time on KET tonight

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The general election in Kentucky is just eight days away, and KET's candidate forums wrap up tonight with a final appearance by the three candidates for governor. Incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear (D), is facing challengers Gatewood Galbraith (I) and state Sen. David Williams (R).  Beshear holds, according to the most recent polls, about a 30-point lead over Williams, and a nearly 50-point lead over Galbraith. Bill Goodman will moderate the discussion between the candidates on Kentucky Tonight, which airs this evening at 7 p.m. If you have a question for the candidates, you can email kytonight@ket.org ; use the message form at the Kentucky Tonight website; post a question on KET's Facebook page ; tweet a question to @BillKET using use hashtag #kytonight ; or you can call (800) 494-7605 .

Meth and the Mayoral Election: 14 News reports

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Meth is a major problem in the Tri-State.  It seems that, no matter which news you watch, there's almost always a story about it.  Whether it's about a house that's burned because a lab exploded, or police stopped a car with a mobile lab inside, or whatever ... it's bad news, not just for the folks who use it, but for all of us. And, as it should, meth ― more specifically, what to do about it ― figures prominently in the Evansville mayoral campaign this year. Tonight at 10 p.m., 14 News will air a special report entitled "The Politics of Meth," in which candidates Rick Davis and Lloyd Winnecke will talk about their plans to combat the drug in Evansville if they're elected. Davis has, with the help of State Representative Gail Riecken, proposed a bill that Riecken will take before the Indiana General Assembly in 2012 to limit the sale of pseudoephedrine (an ingredient used to manufacture meth) to prescription-only, and he has asked local

Cardinals parade and celebration to be televised on Fox Sports Midwest Sunday afternoon

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The St. Louis Cardinals' parade and celebration of their 11th World Series championship will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest and streamed live at FoxSportsMidwest.com . Coverage starts Sunday at 4 p.m. CT (5 ET). Jim Hayes, Rick Horton and Al Hrabosky will host. Details about the parade and Busch Stadium ceremony can be found at cardinals.com/parade . Fox Sports Midwest is the TV home of the Cardinals. The regional sports network aired 148 regular season games in 2011 and continued its coverage with postgame shows after every playoff game. █ Information for this story was provided courtesy of Fox Sports Midwest.

Cardinals' Game 7 clincher drew 25.4 million viewers; Fox has most-watched Friday night in its history

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When the St. Louis Cardinals won their 11th World Series title last night, not just the team and its fans were pleased ― Fox executives have much to smile about, too. Game 7 between the Cardinals and Texas Rangers drew 25.4 million viewers, more than any World Series game since 2004, when the Boston Red Sox's historic Game 4 Series victory was watched by 28.8 million. In addition, last night's big game was Fox's most-watched Friday night in its history, and also the network's best overall night since the most recent American Idol season finale.

Southern Illinois' WSIU-TV to celebrate 50th anniversary on November 6

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1961 was a big year in American history. John F. Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States, Roger Maris of the New York Yankees broke Babe Ruth's 34-year-old home run record, Alan Shepherd became the first American in space, and Joseph Heller published his classic novel Catch 22 . Closer to home, another significant event took place at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) , signaling the start of what has become a 50-year tradition of excellence in education and public service. On November 6, 1961 – just three years after WSIU Public Radio made its debut as WSRV, "Southern's Radio Voice" – the University launched its first public television channel, WSIU-TV 8 .  Founded by then-President Delyte Morris , who would transform SIU from a small teacher college into a major research university in just 12 years, and professors Buren C. Robbins and Jacob O. Bach , WSIU-TV signed on the air with 55 hours of programming, nearly

THAT'S A WINNER: St. Louis Cardinals wrap up 11th World Series title

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I've been a St. Louis Cardinals fan for a long, long time.  Last night, I celebrated my 34th birthday watching the unbelievable, almost insane finish to Game 6.  After that, in the back of my mind, I believed that what happened tonight ― the Cards' 6-2 victory over the heavily-favored Texas Rangers in Game 7 ― was really possible. This Cardinals team overcame incredible odds this year.  From injuries to losing close games that should have been Big Red Ws, it really seemed, back in August, that there was no way the Cards were going to the postseason.  Just. No. Way. Sure, I'm guilty of griping and complaining when things got tough this year (and I sure wasn't alone in that), but this team simply took all the criticism and skepticism tossed their way and turned things around in a very big way. And tonight, they are celebrating, as is all of Cardinal Nation, a richly deserved 11th World Series title. It couldn't have happened to a better bunch of g

CBS News revives "On the Road," this time with Steve Hartman at the wheel

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In the spirit of one of America's greatest TV storytellers, the late newsman Charles Kuralt, the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley brings back "On The Road," modeled after the long-running, legendary series that Kuralt created and produced for various CBS news programs. In weekly segments beginning tonight, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman will bring viewers moving stories from the unique people he encounters and the special places he visits as he travels around the country.   CBS News' updated version, "On The Road with Steve Hartman," kicks off tonight, on the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.  But there’s another anniversary being celebrated in the small town of Dauphin, Pa. Twenty-five years ago, in the middle of the night, a group of 20-somethings hoisted a replica of Lady Liberty onto her perch atop an old railroad pier in the middle of the Susquehanna River – and it still stands today.  Tonight, Hartman goes there to find out why

WIKY's Bailey and Douglas to "extort" breakfast from Evansville mayoral candidates on Nov. 7

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Dennis Jon Bailey and Diane Douglas of the WIKY Morning Show offer non-profit groups a lighthearted way to promote events each Friday during their Extortion Breakfast .  These groups feed DJB and Diane breakfast, and in return, they get airtime to discuss what they're doing. On Monday, Nov. 7, the WIKY Morning Show will have a special edition of the Extortion Breakfast with a twist.  Evansville Mayoral Candidates Rick Davis and Lloyd Winnecke will each bring DJB and Diane breakfast in exchange for airtime.  It will be a casual environment for both candidates to talk on the air ... but not until they feed DJB and Diane! Both candidates will arrive at WIKY at around 7 a.m. and the Extortion Breakfast is scheduled after 7:30. █ Information for this story was provided courtesy of WIKY.

The Weekender: Looking back at the TV & radio news of the week, Oct. 24-28

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UPDATE, 11:30 p.m.:  THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS ARE YOUR 2011 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!  Check below for a link to my thoughts on the 2011 season. It's Friday afternoon, and the time has come once again to round up all the news that we've covered here this week. There was sad news from Southeastern Illinois, as Tom Land, the founder and chairman of Wayne County Broadcasting died at age 91.  In addition, from Henderson came word that NEWS 25 meteorologist Scott Dimmich will be leaving for a new job in Cincinnati at the end of next week. But there was good news, too, as the Missouri Valley Conference and ESPN announced a new deal that will see the Purple Aces men's basketball team (as well as the other MVC teams) televised quite a bit over the next few years, and that's just for starters. You'll find links to all this week's stories below, so check 'em out! Oh, and one more thing:  How 'bout that Cardinals game last night??  Can they do i

The Big D and Bubba Show premieres on 93.5 The Wolf

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WLFW-93.5 The Wolf has a brand-new morning show, and if you were up early, you got to hear the premiere of The Big D and Bubba Show in the Tri-State this morning. The Big D and Bubba Show was originally made popular by their homespun local approach and “candid phone calls.” Requests from fans poured in for copies of the humorous calls. Among those fans were comedians, entertainers, and country music artists. The morning duo established friendships with many of these fans, including country music’s biggest names like Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, George Strait, Keith Urban, and Gretchen Wilson, all of whom have been on the show to do interviews and live performances. Big D and Bubba began broadcasting as a team in 1999 from Baton Rouge, LA, moving to Nashville’s Music Row in 2003, and according to The Wolf's press release, they “want to be your goofy, chubby, best radio-friend refuge from the harsh reality of being pulled 100 different directions by your spouse, kids, boss, coworke

Couric's new talk show may mean the end is near for General Hospital

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ABC has drawn a great deal of viewer wrath in recent months for canceling two of its three long-running soap operas.  All My Children went off the air last month after 41 years, and One Life to Live is set to transition to the internet along with AMC shortly after we hang our 2012 calendars. Now it seems possible ― maybe even likely ― that Katie Couric's new talk show, aptly named Katie , could ABC out of the soap business entirely, by replacing General Hospital , which debuted in 1963.  That's according to a report in The Hollywood Reporter . Katie isn't set to premiere until next fall, though, so it seems unlikely that any decision on GH's future would be made before spring at the earliest, but with 60% carriage nationwide already, the option is clearly on the table. The question is, though ... should it be? ABC's replacement for All My Children, The Chew , is off to a poor start, drawing 20% fewer viewers than AMC drew last year at this ti

14 First Alert Weather Tour heads to Carmi today; NEWS 25 to program weather radios in Princeton

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The 14 First Alert Weather Tour has been visiting cities across the Tri-State in recent weeks, spreading the message of severe weather safety.  And today's stop in Carmi will be no different. Chief meteorologist Jeff Lyons and company will be at the White County Court House from 4 to 7 p.m. this evening, with live broadcasts during the 4, 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.  You'll be able to get your weather radios programmed and check out the latest in storm shelters as well. Meanwhile, up in Princeton, NEWS 25 will be at the Walgreens on West Broadway from 4 to 6:30 p.m. programming weather radios as well.  Chief meteorologist Wayne Hart and the First Warning Doppler team will broadcast live during the station's newscasts.  You'll also be able to check out the latest weather radios from Midland, including the new handheld model. These station visits to Tri-State communities come as we are entering the fall severe weather season.  Indeed, we have seen many severe

THURSDAY'S TOPICS: Dimmich's departure, a DirecTV dilemma, a chopped channel and more

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Wednesday afternoon is upon us, which means it's time to look ahead to Thursday's column in the Courier & Press . This week, there are four topics of discussion for you to ponder, including the coming departure of NEWS 25 morning meteorologist Scott Dimmich, who will leave the station on Nov. 4 for a new job at WKRC-TV in his hometown of Cincinnati. We'll also look at a new retransmission consent disagreement between Fox Networks and DirecTV that could lead to DirecTV's customers losing popular channels like FX, Speed, National Geographic Channel and a number of others.  If a new deal isn't reached before Tuesday, it could happen. Then, for those of you along the U.S. 50 corridor who are NewWave Communications customers, you've lost another Evansville station in favor of a Terre Haute one.  It's likely that you already know which one, but I've got the details. And, finally, I'll give you the scoop on the new season of Rodney Wa

MLB postpones Game 6 of the World Series until Thursday night

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UPDATE, 3:15 p.m.:  Fox44 WEVV reports via Facebook that Fox will air back-to-back encore episodes of Glee tonight in place of the postponed game.  "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" airs at 7 p.m. (8 Eastern), followed by "Silly Love Songs" at 8 (9 Eastern). Major League Baseball has announced this afternoon that Game 6 of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers has been postponed due to inclement weather and the forecast for rain in the St. Louis area tonight. The game will be played Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. CT (8:05 ET) on Fox; Game 7, if needed, will be rescheduled to Friday night at the same time. It is not immediately known what programming Fox will air tonight in place of the game.

America's Most Wanted: 50 Fugitives 50 States to air Saturday night on Fox

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Emmy Award winner John Walsh returns to Fox to host a special two-hour edition of America's Most Wanted: 50 Fugitives 50 States , featuring a nationwide round-up of the country’s worst criminals, airing Saturday night at 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET). Walsh takes viewers coast-to-coast on the biggest manhunt of the year in hopes of capturing fugitives who continue to elude authorities. His first stop is Montana where authorities search for a former militia leader who took sheriff’s deputies on a harrowing car chase that ended in a shootout. The militia leader is still on the loose and considered armed and extremely dangerous. Also, Walsh visits the Diplomatic Security Command Center in Arlington, VA, for a bird’s-eye view of the division that monitors and reports information regarding threats against 265 U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide, the Secretary of State and American citizens abroad. More information on the cases explored in the upcoming special can be found on the AMW website a

Mediacom customers can now see Fox shows online the day after they air

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Back in August, Fox began restricting next-day streaming of its TV shows to authenticated customers of approved pay-TV services like Dish Network, which was the first company to sign on with the network's new way of doing things online.  Other viewers now have to wait eight days to see those shows. Now, however, Mediacom cable subscribers can also get their favorite Fox shows online as soon as they become available, thanks to a new agreement between Fox and the cable company. Viewers are required to log in using an ID and password that identifies them as Mediacom customers.  They can then access most shows for up to 28 days; certain shows, like The X Factor , are only kept online for three days after they air. EDITOR'S NOTE:  In the Tri-State, Mediacom serves Clay City, Eldorado, Harrisburg, Iola and Louisville, Ill.; and Fordsville, Henderson, Nebo, Nortonville, Princeton, and Whitesville, Ky.

North/Castle, Reitz/Central football sectional matchups to be televised Friday night

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UPDATE, 10:55 a.m.:  While it will not be televised, the Mater Dei/Sullivan game will be broadcast on WGBF-1280 AM.  The game kicks off at 6 p.m. CT.  Many thanks to John Story for the update! Two of this Friday night's biggest IHSAA football sectional matchups in the Tri-State will be televised locally, and a host of others will be broadcast on the radio. On the TV side of the ledger, Local 7 SportsLive will bring you the Class 5A North vs. Castle game live from Paradise, as the Huskies (5-4) face the undefeated Knights (10-0), who defeated New Albany 56-7 in opening round play last week.  That game begins at 7 p.m., and the winner will face either Floyd Central (9-1) or Bedford-North Lawrence (7-3) next week for the sectional title. Meanwhile, over on the NEWS 25 Sports Channel , you'll get to see the Class 4A battle between Reitz and Central , also beginning at 7 p.m.  Radio coverage will also be available on WYFX-106.7 FM .  The Panthers are 7-3 on the seaso

Former WTVW meteorologist Madigan moves to San Angelo, Texas NBC affiliate

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A little over a year ago, meteorologist Matt Madigan left WTVW (now Local 7) after two years for a new job at KRGV, the ABC affiliate in the Brownsville, Texas area. Madigan was let go by KRGV this summer, but I'm pleased to report that he's back in action as the chief meteorologist for Mission Broadcasting's NBC affiliate, KSAN-TV, in San Angelo, Texas.  He started there last month. "I'm so excited about the opportunity," Madigan told his Facebook followers, "and I thank everyone who supported my family as we endured my unemployment." During the interim period, Tri-State area Insight customers saw Matt delivering weather on cn|2, as he took a temporary assignment with WeatherNation, the Minneapolis-based company which provides weather services for the cable channel.   █ Thanks to TeacherJake for the news tip.  If you have news of interest to share with JDTVB's readers, be sure to email me at jnewkirk77@att.net !

CBS News and National Journal to host first Republican presidential primary on broadcast TV Nov. 12

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CBS News and National Journal will present the first Republican presidential primary debate on broadcast television on Saturday, November 12. David Rhodes, president of CBS News, and Ron Fournier, editor-in-chief of National Journal, announced the debate today, which will focus primarily on national security and will be held in conjunction with the South Carolina State Republican Party. Scott Pelley, anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News, and Major Garrett, congressional correspondent for National Journal, will moderate the debate, which will be hosted by Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 90-minute debate will begin at 7 p.m. CT (8:00 ET). The first hour will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network.  Depending on where in the Tri-State you live, you'll be able to watch the debate on CBS44 WEVV , WLKY 32 , WTHI-TV 10 , KFVS12 or KMOV .  Additional portions will be broadcast on Face the Nation , CBSNews.com , NationalJournal.com and will b

CBS orders full seasons of TV's top two dramas, Unforgettable and Person of Interest

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CBS has given full season orders to the season's top two freshman dramas — Unforgettable and Person of Interest . Unforgettable, the season's number one new drama in viewers, is averaging 14 million viewers, with ratings of 4.2/10 in adults 25-54 and 3.0/08 in adults 18-49.  The show has improved the Tuesday (9-10 p.m. CT) time period by three percent in both viewers and adults 18-49 and by five percent in adults 25-54 versus last season, and wins its time period in all key ratings measures. Person of Interest, the number two new drama in viewers, is averaging 13.97 million viewers, with ratings of 4.6/11 in adults 25-54 and 3.3/08 in adults 18-49 in its Thursday (8-9 p.m. CT) time period. Unforgettable stars Poppy Montgomery, Dylan Walsh, Michael Gaston, Kevin Rankin and Daya Vaidya.  Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman and Ed Redlich are executive producers for Sony Television Studios in association with CBS Television Studios. Person of Interest stars Jim Caviezel, Mich

CBS beats Fox among 18-49s last night, ABC wins among households

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Game 5 of the World Series just wasn't enough to put Fox on top among the broadcast networks last night. Media Life Magazine reports today that CBS easily topped Fox among viewers ages 18 to 49 for the sixth straight week, largely on the strength of Two and a Half Men , which saw its first week-to-week increase of the season. CBS led the night in the demo with a 4.2 rating and a 10 share, 11 percent higher than Fox's 3.8/10 showing.  ABC came in third at 2.9/7, Univision was fourth with a 1.4/3, NBC finished fifth with a miserable 1.2/3, CW an unsurprising sixth at 0.7/2 and Telemundo seventh with a 0.5/1. However, there may be a catch:  CBS' affiliate in Baltimore aired the Ravens/Jaguars Monday Night Football game instead of CBS' primetime lineup, and Nielsen included those numbers, so those numbers may be a bit out of whack. What's not out of whack - by much - are the household numbers, and this may surprise you:  ABC won the night among ho

UPDATED: NEWS 25 meteorologist Scott Dimmich leaving, will become weekend meteorologist at Cincinnati CBS affiliate

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UPDATE, 3:50 p.m. WEDNESDAY:  WKRC has issued a press release on the hiring of Scott Dimmich.  You can read it in its entirety below. WEHT-NEWS 25 morning meteorologist Scott Dimmich has announced that he is leaving the station on Nov. 4. Dimmich, who joined WEHT in March 2009, will be heading up the river to Cincinnati, where he will become the weekend meteorlogist at CBS affiliate WKRC-Local 12.  He is a native of the Cincinnati area, so the move is a return home. "It's tough to leave my colleagues and friends in the Tri-State, but I'm looking forward to taking what I've learned back to my hometown," Dimmich said.  "It has been a pleasure to work at NEWS 25 and call the Tri-State my home for the last two and a half years. I'm going to miss working with a lot of people here, especially the weather team." A Penn State University graduate, Dimmich received his Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) accreditation from the American Meteorolo

UK Big Blue All-Stars/Villains game to be broadcast live on NEWS 25 Sports Channel tonight

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The UK Big Blue All-Stars game against "The Villains" at Rupp Arena tonight will be broadcast live on the NEWS 25 Sports Channel beginning at 6:30 p.m. Christian Laettner, who is reviled by Wildcat fans for knocking Kentucky out of the NCAA Tournament in 1992, will coach The Villains, whose players include former North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough. The Big Blue All-Stars will include John Wall, Rajon Rondo, DeMarcus Cousins and Tayshaun Prince.  Enes Kanter, who was declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA last season, will be on the team as well. UK legend and Owensboro native Rex Chapman will coach the All-Stars. EDITOR'S NOTE:  The NEWS 25 Sports Channel is available over-the-air on channel 25.2, as well as the following cable channels:  Insight 524, NewWave 135, Time Warner Cable 311, and PSCtv 6.

Kentucky candidates for lieutenant governor to appear on Kentucky Tonight this evening

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KET's candidate discussion forums continue tonight with the candidates who are in the running to replace current Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo. Mongiardo is not seeking a second term with Gov. Steve Beshear; instead, former Louisville mayor Jerry Abramson is on the Democratic ticket this year. Abramson will face off against his opponents, independent candidate Dea Riley and Republican state agriculture commissioner Richie Farmer, on tonight's edition of Kentucky Tonight, which airs at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET. EDITOR'S NOTE:  Next Monday night, the candidates for governor ― incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear, independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith and Republican Sen. David Williams ― will meet on KET for the final time before the Nov. 8 election.

Wayne County Broadcasting founder and chairman Tom Land dies at 91

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Tom Land (WFIW photo) Tom Land, founder and chairman of the Wayne County Broadcasting Company, which owns and operates Fairfield radio stations WFIW-AM/FM and WOKZ, died Saturday. Flora's WNOI-103.9 reports that Land, who was 91, passed away at Fairfield Memorial Hospital. Land and his former business partner, Bryan Davidson, founded WFIW-AM in 1953, and later owned additional radio stations in Salem, Ill. and Terre Haute.  They dissolved their partnership in 1974, with Land retaining ownership of the Fairfield stations. He is survived by two daughters, Judith Moore of Newburgh, Ind. and Cynthia Cummins of Belleville, Ill.; a son, Dave Land of Fairfield, who serves as general manager of the radio stations; a sister, Laurada Bunten of Oxford, Ohio; a sister-in-law, Betty Haig of England; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Fairfield. Burial will be in Bi

FCC grants license for Fox44's W47EE-D

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W47EE-D (ch. 47.1), which was granted Special Temporary Authority to operate back in June (shortly before WEVV's Fox44 went live on July 1),  received its license from the FCC late last week. The 4,000-watt station provides the high-definition feed of Fox44's programming to over-the-air viewers from Ridgway, Ill. to Owensboro west to east, and from Fort Branch, Ind. to Sebree, Ky. north to south ( you can see a coverage map here, courtesy of RabbitEars.info ).  It's also the source of Fox44's HD signal for cable and satellite companies that serve the entire Tri-State area. For those who cannot receive W47EE-D, Fox44's SD feed ― which, like the HD, broadcasts in 16:9 widescreen ― is available on over-the-air channel 44.2.

14 News investigates the new Ford Center: Will it be good or bad for Evansville?

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14 News has been running a promo for a new investigative report that's set to air Thursday night that looks into the new Ford Center in downtown Evansville. "It's been a hot-button issue from day one," the voice-over says. "Now the Ford Center is finally open ... will it bring the growth that it promised?" That's the question the report is intended to answer. The station looked at other, similar facilities around the country, and from that investigation, we may get a better idea of what we in the Tri-State can expect to see now that Evansville's new crown jewel is ready for use as the home of the Purple Aces men's and women's basketball teams and the IceMen, as well as other big-ticket events. Entitled "The Ford Center - Gain or Pain?" the report will air during the 10 p.m. newscast on 14WFIE, and it's sure to draw the interest of both supporters and detractors of the new arena.

Missouri Valley Conference and ESPN announce five-year broadcast deal

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The Missouri Valley Conference has entered into a new five-year agreement with ESPN that will feature an expanded number of national appearances across ESPN’s networks. The agreement with ESPN extends through the 2015-16 academic year and annually provides a minimum of 40 national appearances for Valley teams on ESPN platforms. Missouri Valley Conference members include the University of Evansville, Southern Illinois University, Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, and Wichita State. “Since its first telecast of a State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Championship title game in 1986 to present day, ESPN has played a significant role in strengthening the Missouri Valley Conference brand,” said MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin. “This new contract will provide even greater reach for Missouri Valley athletics, particularly our men’s basketball, through ESPN’s various platforms.”  As part of the agreement, ESPN3 -- ESPN’s li

The Weekender: Looking back at the TV & radio news of the week, Oct. 17-21

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As we come to the end of yet another fun-filled week at JDTVB headquarters, it's time to once again look back on all that happened in local (and national) TV and radio. This was a fairly steady week, not too busy, not too slow ... call it the "Goldilocks" of weeks, if you will.  There was good news, bad news and some that might go either way, so I hope you'll check everything out below. Have a great weekend, and we'll get together once again on Monday ... or maybe sooner! Don't forget:  For the latest TV and radio news anytime, follow Jake's DTV Blog on Twitter and Facebook !  FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21 FCC grants WJTS Class A status, license for WAMW-AM's relocated FM translator   Fox and Telemundo win U.S. broadcast rights to 2018 and 2022 World Cups  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 BREAKING: Carriage dispute may lead to Fox cable networks being pulled from DirecTV on Nov. 1 Trailing Fox News and CNN in primetime ratings, MSNBC sh

FCC grants WJTS Class A status, license for WAMW-AM's relocated FM translator

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EDITOR'S NOTE:  I apologize in advance for lumping these together, but due to illness today, I'm keeping things brief. The Federal Communications Commission released today that it has approved two Southwestern Indiana applications, one for a Class A television station in Jasper, and the other for an FM translator in Washington.  ------- Jasper's WJTS-LD (channel 18.1), owned by Paul Knies, has been granted Class A status.  The newly rechristened WJTS-CD is a 15 kW America One affiliate. The station first went on the air in analog on channel 27 on Feb. 14, 1993.  It has broadcast on digital channel 18 since January 2009, and provides local news, sports and entertainment programming to Dubois and surrounding counties in Southwestern Indiana. ------- W240CE-95.9 FM, licensed to DLC Media, is the FM translator of WAMW-1580 AM in Washington.  Billed on-air as "The General," WAMW-AM and W240CE broadcast a country music format, local news and