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Showing posts from May, 2012

WIKY to introduce Saturday morning radio show for kids

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Evansville's WIKY-104.1 FM is introducing a new radio show in late June geared toward kids. Entitled Hey Mom! I'm on the Radio! , the new show will debut June 23 and feature local children ages 7 to 15 introducing songs, giving the weather forecast and just giving a shout out to their friends and family.  "We'll invite them into the station, give them a grand tour, take a picture behind the mic and make a recording of the show ... as a keepsake," the station said in a story on its website . If you'd like to hear your child on the radio, go to WIKY.com and enter their names to be selected.

WVSI remains off-air for now; new A/C units being installed today

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WSIU Public Radio has issued an update this morning on the situation at its Mt. Vernon, Ill. station, WVSI-88.9 FM , which has been off the air since Tuesday.  From their Facebook page : WVSI 88.9 FM in Mt. Vernon remains off the air. New Air conditioning units at the transmitter site are being installed today. The transmitter will be turned back on as soon as the new units are operational. WSIU appreciates your patience during this unexpected outage. As always you can listen live on line at www.wsiu.org/live . WSIU-91.9 FM in Carbondale and WUSI-90.3 FM in Olney are also available for listeners in the western part of the Tri-State area.

IN BRIEF: WTSN/WYYW having technical difficulties this morning

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UPDATE, 12 p.m.:   WTSN/WYYW general manager Jennifer Stewart tells me this afternoon that they've been having interference issues with the new satellite which Me-TV sent them.  For now, until Me-TV can straighten out the issues with that system, they will be transitioning back to the old setup.  I'll have further details from the stations' engineer soon, so stay tuned. Viewers of Evansville Me-TV network affiliates WTSN-CD (ch. 36.1) and WYYW-CD (ch. 20.1) have probably noticed this morning that what's supposed to be on the air right now ... isn't. The stations are having some technical problems, and general manager Jennifer Stewart reports via Facebook that they're working to get everything back as it should be as soon as possible.  "We know how much everyone loves Me-TV," she wrote.

MAKING HEADLINES: Cable news ratings drop, Fox suit against Dish delayed

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Here are some national broadcasting headlines of some importance for your Thursday: Cable News Ratings Fall Across the Board, From Fox to MSNBC In an interesting development, all of the major cable news networks saw their ratings drop in May.  CNN, in fact, posted some of its worst-ever ratings.  Fox News Channel's ratings for some programs were the worst since 2008. [ NY Times' Media Decoder ] Fox Suit Against Dish Over Ad-Skipping Delayed by Judge Dish Network's new AutoHop commercial-skipping feature has proven popular with customers, but unpopular with networks, which say Dish shouldn't allow customers to watch without the interruption of advertising.  Fox, in fact, has sued to stop it.  A judge, however, says not so fast ... and has delayed the network's lawsuit until July. [ The Wrap ] Fox News Official Says Obama Video Unauthorized A controversial video aired Wednesday on Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends that blasted President Obama

IN BRIEF: Indy 500 ratings best since '08

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Nielsen and ESPN have been crunching the numbers, and the Associated Press reports that Sunday's 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 drew more television viewers than it has since 2008. Some 6.9 million viewers tuned in as Dario Franchitti won his third 500, giving the race a 4.34 rating, up 8 percent from last year's 4.03 rating. ABC has televised the race live each year (except in the Indianapolis market, where it is broadcast on tape delay) since 1986.

WAZE-TV owners put crown jewel up for sale

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Unfinished 25-story Roberts Tower in St. Louis goes on the market St. Louis-based real estate developers/broadcasters/hoteliers Michael and Steven Roberts - who own the battered remains of WAZE-TV here in the Evansville TV market - have seen their empire crumble around them in recent months, and now it appears they're trying to get out of the mega-residential real estate business. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Tuesday that the brothers, who have put all of their TV stations and all but one of their hotels under bankruptcy protection in recent months, have listed the tarnished crown jewel of their real estate operation on the market. Roberts Tower , located in the heart of downtown St. Louis, is a long-delayed, still-unfinished glass and concrete 25-story hulk which cost $50 million to build to its current state and still requires, according to one estimate, another $20 million to complete.  The asking price of the tower, which is all but empty (a ground-floo

WSIU Public Radio's Mt. Vernon, Ill. transmitter knocked off-air by A/C failure

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WSIU Public Broadcasting 's radio station covering the Mt. Vernon, Ill. area is off the air following a heat-related power failure. WVSI-88.9 FM went silent after air conditioning units at the station’s transmitter north of Mt. Vernon failed, causing the power to go off because of the heat. WSIU's other radio stations, WUSI-90.3 FM in Olney and WSIU-91.9 FM in Carbondale, are not affected. Jeff Williams, WSIU Radio general manager and news & public affairs director, said in a press release that new air conditioning units are scheduled to be installed at the transmitter site on Thursday. Listeners in the Mt. Vernon area may tune in to WSIU Radio online at www.wsiu.org/live and are encouraged to visit the station website at wsiu.org or call the WSIU Radio newsroom at (618) 453-6101 for updates. WVSI - when it's on the air - can be heard in parts of Clay, Wayne, Hamilton, White and Saline counties in Southeastern Illinois.

KET announces Young Writers Contest winners

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Owensboro fifth-grader takes third place in statewide competition sponsored by state's public TV network Young authors across the state were inspired by the fanciful creatures of their imaginations, real canine companions and more in the 2012 KET Young Writers Contest . Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade were invited to submit their original illustrated stories to the annual contest. More than 600 entries were submitted, nearly double the number of entries KET received last year. Among the first-place winners, a young gardener befriends a fairy in the delightful story of “The Fairy’s Gloves.” An endearing elephant learns about honesty and true friendship in “Elly the Elephant.” A Jack Russell terrier is the inspiration for the humorous look at “My Ruff Life.” A dragon shows his devotion to a young girl in the beautifully hand-painted “Once.” A lion finds just the right qualities in his new heir in the fable “The Heir of Lion King.” And a shelter dog learns to behave and en

Time Warner Cable customers could lose Louisville Fox, MyNetwork TV affiliates

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WDRB, WMYO carriage agreement in former Insight service area expires Thursday From Louisville this morning comes word that former Insight Communications customers (now customers of Time Warner Cable ) might lose Fox affiliate WDRB-41 and its MyNetwork TV sister station, WMYO-My58 , when the current carriage agreement between the stations' owner, Block Communications, and the cable giant expires on Thursday. The two sides have spent the past several months negotiating a new contract, but WDRB reports this morning that they are "not close" to an agreement. It's not immediately known if Time Warner Cable customers in Owensboro and surrounding areas which also receive locally-originated programming (but not Fox network programming) from WDRB will be affected, although based on the information now available, it appears they will not be. Customers who do lose the stations - if it comes to that - are being advised that they can receive both WDRB and WMYO us

NYT: You Can Change the Channel, but Local News Is the Same

Here's an interesting read for you this morning:  The New York Times' Brian Stelter has a report on shared services agreements (SSAs) between local television stations. In the Tri-State, of course, we know what SSAs are - the merger of the operations of WEHT Local and Local 7 WTVW late last year gave us our first such look at how things are different operationally and from a news perspective. One interesting tidbit I found in the report is that the FCC is beginning to look at SSAs.  What will come from that, I can't speculate, but it bears watching.

The Greatest Spectacle in Racing returns: Indy 500 is Sunday

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ABC and 13 area IMS Radio Network affiliates to provide full race coverage beginning at 10 a.m. CT The time has come once again for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing to grace our TV screens and radio speakers - the Indianapolis 500 is Sunday. Coverage of this year's 96th 500 will begin at 10 a.m. CT (11 ET) on ABC (WEHT Local/Evansville, WAWV-ABC/Terre Haute, etc.) and the stations of the IMS Radio Network , which is marking its 60th anniversary this year.  More on that in a moment. This year in the Tri-State, 13 radio stations in Southeastern Illinois, Southwestern Indiana and Western Kentucky will carry the race (see the local list after the jump or click here for a national list ). As I mentioned, this year's race marks the 60th anniversary of the IMS Radio Network .  The network was formed when the former Mutual Broadcasting System, which had previously provided spot coverage of the race, raised its advertising rates for the 1951 race, causing sponso

The Weekender for May 20-25

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It's Friday, and that means it's time to look back at the week in TV and radio! All of this week's headlines can, as always, be found below for your convenience. Once you're done catching up, be sure to check out JDTVB's Facebook page , which now includes special exclusive items which aren't posted here, and follow me on Twitter for all the latest information, as well as comments on a host of other topics, too. I'll see you back here on Monday Tuesday because of the Memorial Day holiday .   Have a great holiday weekend! KET's Reel Visions puts Appalachian films on display June 7-21 WULF forfeiture reduced from $7,000 to $5,600 NBCUniversal negotiating buyback of MSNBC.com Space really is the final frontier for Star Trek's Doohan NewWave working yet another outage NBCUniversal networks to cover 5,535 hours of Olympic events from London Feel the History returns with four new episodes beginning July 8 Create TV c

KET's Reel Visions puts Appalachian films on display June 7-21

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In June, Reel Visions: Spotlight on Kentucky Filmmakers once again puts Kentuckians’ filmmaking talents on display. Each half-hour program features several short films produced, directed, written or edited by Kentucky filmmakers. Reel Visions is scheduled to air Thursdays, June 7-21 at 9:30 p.m. CT (10:30 ET) on KET2 . Featured productions include films created by the Appalachian Media Institute (AMI), a media training program for central Appalachian youth. Films include Missing Generation , about children being raised by their grandparents, produced by Dillon Fisher, Candace Hughes and Olivia Sizemore; Up in Coots Hollow , about a family who has shared the same plot of land for generations, produced by Cory Coots, AJ Hamilton and Sarah Kadish; and Carrie Jean Walls , a biopic of the fiddle player and Eastern Kentucky native, produced by Natalie Baxter, an established Eastern Kentucky filmmaker and mentor in the AMI project. Thom Southerland’s film Last Glimpse explores the idea

WULF forfeiture reduced from $7,000 to $5,600

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In September 2010, the FCC levied a forfeiture (fine) of $7,000 against Hardinsburg, Ky. country station WULF-94.3 FM (which can be heard in the eastern part of the Tri-State) for moving its main studio without Commission approval. Today, the FCC released a new Forfeiture Order reducing the station's fine to $5,600 because, in the Commission's words, the station "has a history of compliance with the Rules." WULF has operated from studios in Elizabethtown, Ky. since late 2002, meaning that this whole process has taken nearly a decade to come to its conclusion. For previous coverage of this story, click here.

NBCUniversal negotiating buyback of MSNBC.com

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Have you ever noticed that MSNBC.com looks very little like MSNBC ? The 16-year-old website, launched in 1996 by NBC and Microsoft, has very little content that would link it to its eponymous cable news channel.  Whereas the TV channel is staunchly liberal, the site is, most would agree, far more mainstream. That could change, though. NBCUniversal is, according to Adweek , deep into negotiations with Microsoft to purchase the technology company's share of the website.  (NBC bought majority ownership of MSNBC in 2005 and the rest of it in '07.) It's unknown at this point what changes we might see should NBCU - now itself owned by Comcast - make the deal happen, but some sources indicate that the site could morph into something a lot more like the network - i.e., a site with a lot more liberal content. We'll have to wait and see.

Space really is the final frontier for Star Trek's Doohan

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James Doohan, 1920-2005 When SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched on Tuesday, it was carrying some truly special - and appropriate - cargo on board. Among the ashes of some 300 people who wished to be shot into space were those of actor James Doohan , who played Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the Star Trek TV and movie series. Doohan, who died in 2005 at age 85 after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, had wanted his ashes sent into the heavens following his death, but the first attempt to do so four years ago was a failure.  This time, however, it went off without a hitch. The actor isn't the only person connected with Star Trek to have his ashes launched into space; in 1997, part of the ashes of the series' creator, Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991, were also put into orbit.  More of Roddenberry's cremains, as well as those of his late wife, Majel, were scheduled to be taken to space this year, although it's not clear if the Rodden

NewWave working yet another outage

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UPDATE #2, 11:40 A.M.:  NewWave Support says that an animal chewed through the fiber, causing the outage.  Said they: "We're trying to get  a handle on the varmint!"  So, whether it was a road crew or a rodent chew, we're not 100% sure here, but at least they're working on it. UPDATE, 11:30 A.M.:   WSJD Radio reports that the outage is due to an INDOT crew near Vincennes cutting a fiber optic line while working on a highway project.  In addition, the outage also affects customers of AT&T and Frontier, not just NewWave.  Still no word on a timetable for restoration of services. It happens more frequently than most would like, and it's apparently happening again:  NewWave Communications is dealing with another service outage in some parts of the area. Our friends at Gibson County Communique and Wabash Valley Communique report that the company's internet and phone services are down, and apparently it's affecting areas from north of Vince

NBCUniversal networks to cover 5,535 hours of Olympic events from London

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NBCUniversal will provide 5,535 hours of coverage for the 2012 London Olympics across NBC , NBC Sports Network , MSNBC , CNBC , Bravo , Telemundo , NBCOlympics.com , two specialty channels , and the first-ever 3D platform, an unprecedented level that surpasses the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics by nearly 2,000 hours. It was also announced today that NBC itself will broadcast 272.5 hours of coverage, the most ever for an Olympic broadcast network, largely attributable to an increase in daytime coverage. “We are only able to provide this level of coverage to U.S. viewers because of the unmatched array of NBCUniversal assets,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “Whether on television or online, on broadcast or cable, in English or in Spanish, NBCUniversal has the London Olympics covered, providing the American viewer with more choices than ever to watch the Games.” Some highlights of NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2012 London Olympics include: NBCUnivers

Feel the History returns with four new episodes beginning July 8

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The students in the Feel the History class at Evansville's Reitz High School have been hard at work producing four new episodes of the great local TV series, episodes of which air on WNIN . If you've never tuned in to watch this program, you should, because the students do an excellent job with topics of interest to many in the Tri-State.  From politics to crime, entertainment to race, these shows have something for everyone. Feel the History's new series begins on July 8 at 4 p.m. CT, focusing on these topics: • The crimes and murder trial of Leslie Irvin, dubbed the "Mad Dog Killer" - The segment also looks at the appeals process which went all the way to the Supreme Court. • The history of race and the Evansville Bar Association - This segment details Evansville's racial views during the 1950's and 1960's and how those views were reflected in the legal community. Former Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard is interviewed in this segment. • Eva

Create TV coming to WNIN-9.2 beginning July 1

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WNIN has announced that Create TV , which has been available only to cable TV subscribers in the Evansville area since its debut five years ago, will join its over-the-air lineup on July 1. The network, which presents the best of public television's lifestyle programs, will be on channel 9.2 . Create TV, a partnership of American Public Television (APT), WNET.ORG, WGBH Boston, NETA and PBS, was launched to serve viewers’ increasing interest in “do-it-yourself” programs. Create launched in 2004 on WGBH-DTV/Comcast Cable in Boston and WLIW-DTV/Cablevision in New York. As the model gained popularity, the national Create TV channel premiered on January 9, 2006. Elsewhere in the Tri-State, the network has been available for some time on WSIU/WUSI-TV (ch. 8.3 and 16.3) in Southern Illinois, WVUT (ch. 22.2) in Vincennes and WKYU-TV (ch. 24.2) in Bowling Green. You can learn more about Create TV, including what shows you'll find on the network, by visiting

MAKING HEADLINES: Winners and losers, and possibly buyers

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Here's a look at some stories of national interest making headlines on this Wednesday morning: This season's big winners and losers Comedy made a huge comeback in the season just wrapping up, with veteran comedies showing strong ratings growth, and new shows like Fox's New Girl and others climbing to the top of the heap. [ Media Life ] CNN's Primetime Ratings Sink to 20-Year Low Despite big talents like Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan, CNN just can't catch a break in primetime, drawing only 395,000 viewers to its evening telecasts from May 14-18. Ouch. [ The Hollywood Reporter ] Hubbard interested in buying Tribune Co. broadcast assets, which include cable station WGN If the price is right and the stations are a good fit, look for St. Paul, Minn.-based Hubbard Broadcasting to make a play for some of Tribune 's stations when the Chicago-based company finally exits bankruptcy protection later this year.  Hubbard currently owns 12 TV stations

Scripps begins reducing dependence on syndicated programming

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Game show, newsmagazine to join company's TV station lineups in 7 of 13 markets beginning this September Extending its long-standing commitment to high-quality programming and innovative storytelling, newspaper and TV owner The E.W. Scripps Company is producing two original shows with national appeal that will begin airing Sept. 17 in seven of the company’s 13 television markets. The new shows are replacing the company’s current lineup of syndicated programming in the time periods before the networks’ primetime lineup (the “access” hour) or before early evening local newscasts (the “early fringe” hour). Scripps worked with a market research firm to conduct the most-comprehensive national consumer study of the access hour in more than 20 years. Surveys and market analysis revealed specific information categories desired by today’s access audience. After generating and reviewing dozens of demo reels of shows in those valued categories and testing the most-promising concepts w

Good Afternoon America set to begin 9-week run on July 9

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ABC News announced this afternoon that it will begin airing a one-hour extension of Good Morning America for nine weeks titled Good Afternoon America . The program, which will debut on July 9, will be anchored by Good Morning America’s Josh Elliott and Lara Spencer , with Sam Champion, Robin Roberts, and George Stephanopoulos joining in with special appearances. The energetic, fast-paced program will feature the most-talked about celebrities, performances by the biggest names in the music industry, the latest pop culture news plus offer original entertainment, lifestyle, health, workplace and consumer reporting from an all-star list of contributors and other members of the ABC family. “It’s tremendous that GMA has this opportunity to extend its reach, and bring something new to the afternoons,” said co-anchor Josh Elliott.  ”It is gratifying to play a role in it and genuinely hope our audience will come along for the ride.”  Co-anchor Lara Spencer added, “I am

Is GM on the ropes again? Carmaker decides against Super Bowl ads

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CBS expects $4 million for each 30-second commercial during Super Bowl XLVII When Chevrolet and GMC introduce their next-generation Silverado and Sierra pickups and Tahoe, Yukon and Suburban SUVs around the time of next year's Super Bowl , don't expect to see them on TV during the big game. They won't be there. General Motors , which survived a government-engineered bankruptcy three years ago only to continue rolling out mediocre vehicles today, has decided against spending precious ad dollars on what may well be the most-watched television event of 2013. "We understand the reach the Super Bowl provides, but with the significant increase in price we simply can't justify the expense," GM global marketing chief Joel Ewanick said in a statement released Monday morning. CBS , which will televise the event next year, probably won't miss the car company's dollars.  "It's an opportunity for others," said Brad Adgate, senio

KET to cover Ky. primary election tonight, tomorrow

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Kentuckians will go to the polls on Tuesday for what promises to be a rather anti-climactic primary election (although there are a number of local races which should be of interest), and KET will, as always, provide the most in-depth and detailed coverage across the Commonwealth. Tonight at 7 p.m. CT (8 ET) on Kentucky Tonight , the state's party chairs will join KET political analysts John David Dyche and Jennifer Moore with host Bill Goodman to discuss the most important races this year. Then, on Tuesday evening beginning at 8 p.m. CT (9 ET), Goodman, Dyche, Moore and Al Cross of the University of Kentucky's Institute of Rural Journalism will report on all the races statewide once the votes are counted. "[The coverage] will also give our analysts a chance to talk about what they predict will occur over the summer and into the fall campaign," Goodman wrote on his blog. "You can bet they will all be opinionated and ready to express their thoughts

The Weekender for May 14-18

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It's Friday, and that means it's time to look back at the week in TV and radio! All of this week's headlines can, as always, be found below for your convenience. Once you're done catching up, be sure to check out JDTVB's Facebook page , which now includes special exclusive items which aren't posted here, and follow me on Twitter for all the latest information, as well as comments on a host of other topics, too. I'll see you back here on Monday.  Have a great weekend! IceMen Live summer specials kick off Monday night Fox Sports Midwest to connect troops overseas with Cardinal Nation WNIN-FM adds two new shows beginning Saturday CBS unveils fall schedule Longtime weather observer and former WFIE weekend weatherman dies at 93 WNIN to host Hidden Treasures Rummage Sale and Appraisal Fair June 9 Rock Center survives low ratings Sinclair renews affiliation agreement with Fox Longtime weather observer and forme

IceMen Live summer specials kick off Monday night

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The first of four IceMen Live summer radio programs is set to air Monday night at 6 p.m. on WEOA-1400 The Pump and online at 1400amweoa.com . Monday night's show, which will be hosted by the Voice of the IceMen, Terry Ficorelli , will feature IceMen GM and head coach Rich Kromm . Having recently completed his second season at the helm behind the IceMen bench, Kromm will look back at the 2011-12 season and discuss what lies ahead for the team's 2012-13 campaign. Eyewitness Sports anchor Drew Amman will also join Ficorelli as a guest. The show will be broadcast in front of a live studio audience at Show-Me's East in Evansville. Everyone is invited to attend the IceMen live radio shows and become a part of the live audience experience. As is always the case, there will be lots of prizes and surprises included in every show. After Monday night's edition, the three remaining IceMen summer shows will air on June 25, July 23 and Aug. 27.

Fox Sports Midwest to connect troops overseas with Cardinal Nation

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Cable network to present This One's For You on May 25 American troops serving overseas will be connected with Cardinal Nation on Friday, May 25, when Fox Sports Midwest presents This One's For You , its annual St. Louis Cardinals telecast recognizing the Armed Forces. U.S. troops throughout the world will watch Fox Sports Midwest’s broadcast of the Phillies-Cardinals game on American Forces Network. At the same time, Fox Sports Midwest will conduct interviews via a live satellite link with Fort Leonard Wood troops deployed to Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. The troops are from the 463rd Military Police Company and 988th Military Police Company.   Meanwhile at Busch Stadium in St. Louis troops’ family members will cheer on the Cardinals. All Cardinals fans are encouraged to participate in the event – those attending the game are encouraged to bring signs, and those watching on TV will be able to send greetings via social media.   Fox Sports Midwest’s May 25 game

WNIN-FM adds two new shows beginning Saturday

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Listeners of WNIN-88.3 FM will have two new shows to listen to beginning this Saturday. The TED Radio Hour , which takes listeners on a journey through "the world of extraordinary ideas," and Ask Me Another , a game show featuring puzzles, word games and trivia, will debut that afternoon. “With TED and NPR, there’s this collective curiosity about the world — a belief that civil discourse and shared ideas leads to a better understanding of the issues and opportunities we face," says Eric Nuzum, vice president for programming at NPR. "TED Radio Hour brims with the possibility of these ideas, engaging us to think hard, and differently. It’s captivating." Each TED Radio Hour show is based on talks given by riveting speakers on the renowned TED stage, and centered on a common theme, such as the source of happiness, crowd-sourcing innovation, power shifts or inexplicable connections. Host Alison Stewart injects soundscapes and conversations th

CBS unveils fall schedule

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Network's lineup includes four brand-new shows and 19 returning series CBS announced today its 2012-13 primetime schedule, ordering four new series to further enhance television’s top-rated schedule. CBS will finish the season as America’s most-watched network for the ninth time in the past 10 years, leading in viewers by the widest margin of any network in 23 years. The new series include Elementary , a contemporary take on the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes in New York City, starring Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu; Vegas , a drama inspired by a real-life sheriff and his battle with a powerful mobster for control of Las Vegas in the 1960s, starring Dennis Quaid and Michael Chiklis; Made In Jersey , starring Janet Montgomery as a smart first-year lawyer with working-class roots practicing at a prestigious Manhattan law firm; and Partners , a comedy about two very different life-long best friends and business partners and their significant others, starring David Krumholtz a

Longtime weather observer and former WFIE weekend weatherman dies at 93

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John Payne , who was for many years the man to see if you had questions about the history of weather in the Evansville area, has died at age 93. Payne spent decades gathering weather information for the National Weather Service and also served as weekend weatherman at 14WFIE from 1979 to 1981. Below is a video of "The Professor" in action at Channel 14. Funeral arrangements are pending at Browning Funeral Home in Evansville. David James will have more about John Payne tonight on 14 News at 10.

WNIN to host Hidden Treasures Rummage Sale and Appraisal Fair June 9

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WNIN-TV/FM will host its third annual Hidden Treasures Rummage Sale and Appraising Fair on Saturday, June 9. The station invites the public to come to the WNIN studios from 8 a.m. to noon Central time that day to find deals from neighbors, local businesses and items from the Action Auction.  If you've just finished up your spring cleaning or just starting, you can also take your items. In addition, you can stop by the Appraising Area and have your hidden household treasures appraised for $5. The WNIN studios are located at 405 Carpenter St. in downtown Evansville.  For more information on this event, contact Ashley Murray at (812) 423-2973 or at amurray@wnin.org .

Rock Center survives low ratings

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NBC newsmagazine will move - again - this fall; network decides show could work on Thursday nights I like Rock Center . Really, I do. The problem with the newsmagazine that debuted last fall, at least as I see it, is that it airs on NBC .  Simply put, it's surrounded by N othing B ut C rap. Fortunately, as the L.A. Times reports, NBC has given it a reprieve and it will remain in the new fall schedule , but as if to add insult to injury - the show averages a paltry 1.2 million viewers (in the 18-49 age bracket) a week as it is - they're moving it. Again. Rock Center has bounced around the schedule so much in its inaugural season that they ought to replace the theme music with the sounds of a pinball machine.  And now, the powers at the network say Thursday night at 9 p.m. Central time is where it ought to be. Hey, why not?  Very little else seems to live there.  Joe Flint of the Times calls the slot a "wasteland," and it's largely true

Sinclair renews affiliation agreement with Fox

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KBSI owner inks new 4-year deal with network which includes option on Fox-owned Baltimore station Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBGI), announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the Fox Broadcasting Company (Fox) for the renewal of the affiliation agreements for 19 television stations Sinclair owns and/or programs, including Cape Girardeau, Mo. affiliate KBSI-Fox 23 , which can be seen in some communities in the western part of the Tri-State.  Sinclair also operates WDKA-My49 (MyNetwork TV) in Paducah. The new agreements go into effect January 1, 2013 upon the expiration of the existing affiliation agreements and expire December 31, 2017. As part of the deal, Sinclair will have the option to purchase Fox's owned-and-operated MyNetwork TV station, WUTB, in Baltimore, Md. Fox will, in turn, have an option on up to three of the following Sinclair stations: WRDC (MNT) and WLFL (CW), Raleigh, N.C.; KVMY (MNT) and KVCW (CW), Las Vegas, Nev.; WSTR (MNT)

Belo Corp. launches latest generation of smartphone apps for its stations

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Belo Corp., which owns two TV stations that can be seen in parts of the Tri-State ( KMOV 4 , St. Louis' CBS affiliate, and WHAS11 , Louisville's ABC affiliate) on Monday released the next generation of its widely used smartphone apps for the iPhone and Android. The new mobile apps have been redesigned to provide users “the best experience possible for weather, traffic, and breaking news on mobile devices,” according to Belo. To date, Belo has created and/or supplied more than 60 different apps for stations in 15 television markets, as well as other niche apps for weather and sports. Key features include geo-located interactive radars, notifications to alert users of breaking news and events, as well as a scrolling ticker to allow for up-to-the-minute updates. The new apps will stream over 300 hours of high-quality, on-demand video programming each month to any video-capable mobile device. The video streams are customized based on mobile devices to ensure the best possible