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Showing posts from November, 2012

The Weekender for Nov. 26-30

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It's Friday afternoon, which means it's time to wrap it up and share with you a look back at what happened in area TV and radio this week. All of this week's headlines, as you've come to expect, can 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. Have a great weekend!   BRIEF: Insight adds GMC TV, Hallmark Movie Channel WVLN FM translator move OK'd by FCC Santa Claus, Ind. Christmas Celebration to be filmed for the Travel Channel WEVV teams up with Buehler's IGA to "Scan Away Hunger" Christmas radio 24/7: Not as widespread this year? Racer TV Network to televise 8 Murray State basketball games this season BRIEF: Technical difficulties knock WSIU Public Radio's Oln

BRIEF: Insight adds GMC TV, Hallmark Movie Channel

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Insight Communications (part of Time Warner Cable) announced Friday morning that the company has added GMC TV and Hallmark Movie Channel to its lineups in the Evansville, Louisville, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky and Lexington areas. Digital Standard/Choice customers will find GMC on channel 820 and Hallmark Movie Channel on channel 261 (HD channel 628 ).

WVLN FM translator move OK'd by FCC

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Back in July, V.L.N. Broadcasting of Olney, Ill. purchased a 10-watt translator station from Dallas-based First Venture Capital Partners, and now it's official:  The FCC has approved V.L.N.'s move of W296BV-107.1 FM from Newton to Olney, where it will serve as an FM translator for sports talk station WVLN-740 AM . The relocated W296BV will get its effective radiated power increased to 250 watts and it will broadcast from V.L.N.'s tower just south of Olney.  The station's official service area will range from Dundas to Parkersburg north to south, and from Noble to Claremont west to east , although it's likely that it will reach somewhat farther , as is typical of other such stations. No word yet on a timetable for completion of the move or when WVLN's Fox Sports Radio programming will make its FM debut, but if other stations' translator additions are any indication, it likely won't take long.

Santa Claus, Ind. Christmas Celebration to be filmed for the Travel Channel

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The Travel Channel will film the famous town of Santa Claus, Indiana , during the Santa Claus Christmas Celebration next month, for a new special called Christmas Showdown . While in town on Saturday, December 8, producers for the Travel Channel plan to visit the town's two original attractions - the Santa Claus statue and Santa's Candy Castle - which both opened in December of 1935. The historic 22-foot Santa Claus statue, which was recently restored, is part of the Santa Claus Museum & Village . The nearby Santa's Candy Castle will host a fruitcake-eating contest that day as part of its special activities. The crew will also capture the Santa Claus Land of Lights after dark at Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort as well as other Christmas-themed attractions and events in town. "Being featured on the Travel Channel is an exciting opportunity for the town," says Melissa Brockman, executive director of the Spencer County Visitors

WEVV teams up with Buehler's IGA to "Scan Away Hunger"

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Shoppers can donate $1.44 every time they shop to support the Tri-State Food Bank WEVV and Buehler’s IGA have teamed up in December to "Scan Away Hunger," a fundraising campaign to support the Tri-State Food Bank . Beginning Monday, Dec. 3 and continuing through Dec. 31, each time shoppers at Buehler's IGA check out, they will have the opportunity to donate $1.44 to the Tri-State Food Bank by simply adding this small amount of money to their total grocery bill.  Each cashier will be able to scan a special bar code to quickly and easily add the donation to the customer's grocery bill. "In Evansville, 16.9% of people live at or below poverty," explained Mary Blair, executive director of the Tri-State Food Bank. "Many more, living on the margin, are food insecure and do not have regular access to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life.  There are over 6,900 children in Evansville subjected to extreme poverty that affects their abil

Christmas radio 24/7: Not as widespread this year?

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UPDATE, 10:01 a.m.:   WGAB-1180 AM (Newburgh) and its sister station, WMTA-1380 AM (Central City) are also broadcasting and streaming Christmas music 24/7 at faith1180.com .  (Thanks to D. Armstrong for this information!) It's something of a tradition around these parts that several radio stations in Evansville and surrounding communities will inevitably switch to playing nothing but Christmas music 24/7. That tradition continues this year, but it seems there are fewer stations ringing those Jingle Bells and walking in a Winter Wonderland. Indeed, as far as I can tell as of this writing, only the Cromwell Group 's WVJS-1420 AM/100.5 FM (Owensboro) and WTCJ-1230 AM (Tell City) are taking a nonstop Sleigh Ride on the radio here in the Tri-State, and they started at midnight last Friday. Interestingly, Townsquare Media 's WJLT-105.3 FM (Evansville) decided not to go all-in with Christmas music for the first time in several years.  I've not been able to g

Racer TV Network to televise 8 Murray State basketball games this season

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First telecast of the year is game at Evansville on Dec. 8 Murray State Athletics and Time Warner Cable announced this afternoon the broadcast schedule for MSU Basketball on the Racer TV Network . A pair of pre-conference games begin the broadcasts when Racers travel to Evansville (Dec. 8) and Arkansas State (Dec. 19). The Racers begin their quest for a fourth straight Ohio Valley Conference championship at UT Martin (Jan. 3). The Racer TV Network continues with a broadcast from Clarksville, Tenn. (Jan. 12) when the Racers meet rival Austin Peay. Other broadcasts include road games at Jacksonville State (Jan. 25), SIUE (Feb. 14), Eastern Illinois (Feb. 16) and Morehead State (Feb. 20). The Racer TV Network games are available to Time Warner Cable , Mediacom , Murray Electric and Comcast subscribers in parts of Western Kentucky at no additional charge. Time Warner customers will see the broadcasts on channel 16 , while Mediacom carries the games on channel 23 and 97 . Mu

BRIEF: Technical difficulties knock WSIU Public Radio's Olney and Mt. Vernon transmitters off the air

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UPDATE, 12:57 p.m.:  All of WSIU Radio's stations are back on the air. Public radio listeners in Southern Illinois have likely noticed this afternoon that WSIU Public Radio 's Olney, Ill. (WUSI-90.3 FM) and Mt. Vernon, Ill. (WVSI-88.9 FM) transmitters are off the air. WSIU reports that the problem is technical in nature and they are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Listeners can find the stations' programming online at news.wsiu.org .

OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: Zucker to head CNN

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New CNN prez Jeff Zucker CNN announced this morning that Jeff Zucker will join CNN Worldwide in January as president of the multi-platform global news enterprise. Zucker started his 25-year career with NBC as a researcher for NBC Sports’ coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games and rose to president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal.  He was named executive producer of Today in January 1992; under his eight-year leadership, the program was the most-watched morning news show and the most profitable program on television.  Zucker went on to executive-produce NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and the network’s coverage of the Persian Gulf War, the 1993 and 1997 presidential inaugurations and the 2000 elections.  He was promoted to president of NBC Entertainment, president of the NBC Entertainment, News & Cable group and president and CEO of the NBC Universal Television Group.  Currently, Zucker is executive producer of the syndicated daytime show Katie. “Jeff’s experie

Illinois-based Barrington Broadcasting reportedly for sale

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Nexstar, Sinclair said to be finalists for company's 24 stations in 15 markets Schaumburg, Ill.-based Barrington Broadcasting is being shopped, TVNewsCheck reports this morning , and two broadcast companies with ties to our region are said to be the finalists to pick up the firm's 24 stations. Nexstar Broadcasting , which owns and/or operates WEHT Local and WTVW in Evansville and WTWO and WAWV in Terre Haute, and Sinclair Broadcast Group , which owns KBSI and operates WDKA in the Paducah market, along with KDNL-ABC30 in St. Louis and three stations in Nashville, have been busily buying up stations this year, and are said to have submitted bids for Barrington. Barrington, founded in 2003 by the Pilot Group, operates in 15 markets, mostly in mid-sized and smaller markets (not unlike Nexstar and Sinclair).  Its stations are in places like Flint, Mich.; Peoria, Ill.; Toledo, Ohio; and other cities.  ( A full list can be found here. ) Stay tuned ... this should

14 NEWS Toy Town is getting underway

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Far too many families in the Tri-State are having to make tough decisions this year, including whether to buy Christmas presents or put food on the table ... or pay bills.  But it doesn't have to be that way: You can help kids who are in need this year have a Merry Christmas by donating a toy and/or money during this year's 14 NEWS Toy Town drive. There are many locations around the area where you can drop off your donations of new, unwrapped toys ( the full list can be found  by clicking here ), and of course 14 NEWS will broadcast live from area Walmart stores with The Salvation Army all day on Dec. 7. So give generously and help children across the Tri-State have a truly Merry Christmas!

BRIEF: NewWave to perform maintenance overnight

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Illinois and Indiana services will be affected from 1 to 6 a.m. CT NewWave Communications has announced that it will be performing maintenance in its Illinois and Indiana service territories between the hours of 1 and 6 a.m. CT overnight. The company reports that all services - cable, phone and internet - will be affected during that timeframe. "We do apologize but we are doing this to make your services better," the company said on its Facebook page . EDITOR'S NOTE:  NewWave serves the following Tri-State communities: SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS: Albion, Bridgeport, Carmi, Crossville, Enfield, Fairfield, Grayville, Lawrenceville, McLeansboro, Mt. Carmel, Norris City, Olney, St. Francisville, Sumner and Wayne City SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA: Bicknell, Bruceville, Dale, Edwardsport, Elberfeld, Ferdinand, Freelandville, Haysville, Ireland, Jasper, Loogootee, Mariah Hill, Monroe City, New Harmony, Oakland City, Petersburg, St. Meinrad, Santa Claus, Shoals, Vince

Q102 adds Android app

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Q102 (WQXQ-101.9 FM, Central City) has released a new Android app for listeners to take the station with them wherever they go. Available in the Google Play Market , the new android app supports what’s playing in real time, the option to purchase music and even send a song request.  These features allow real-time connection with the station. The new Android app is Q102's second mobile app, following the release of its iPhone app back in August.

Cromwell Group radio stations have a new website

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The Cromwell Group 's seven area radio stations have a new online presence. OwensboroRadio.com has a completely new look, and the newly-redesigned site is much easier to navigate and, quite honestly, it's nicer to look at. You'll be able to find just about anything you want - including local news, sports and more - things that are of importance to listeners in the areas these stations serve. The site was created in partnership with InterTech Media, a Connecticut-based firm which boasts of more than 1,200 client radio and television station clients. In the Tri-State, Cromwell owns and operates the following radio stations: WVJS-1420 AM & 100.5 FM (Classic hits, Owensboro) WBIO-94.7 FM (Classic country, Philpot) WXCM-97.1 FM (Classic rock, Whitesville) WLME-102.7 FM (Sports talk [ESPN], Lewisport) WKCM-1160 AM & 101.3 FM (Country, Hawesville/Tell City) WTCJ-1230 AM (Classic hits, Tell City) WTCJ-105.7 FM (Classic rock, Cannelton)

ABC to celebrate Dick Clark's life in prelude to New Year's Rockin' Eve

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Network slates two-hour retrospective memorializing legendary host   Ryan Seacrest hosts the year's biggest celebration at the crossroads of the world when Carly Rae Jepsen and Neon Trees join headliner Taylor Swift performing live in Times Square on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2013 , Monday, Dec. 31 on ABC. Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas returns to host the west coast party, featuring performances by Brandy, Flo Rida, Karmin, OneRepublic, Pitbull and even more artists to be announced at a later date for both east and west coast parties. The New Year's festivities kick off at 7 p.m. CT (8 ET) with a two-hour celebration of Dick Clark hosted by Fergie and Jenny McCarthy. The special, entitled New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark , celebrates, through clips and reminiscences, the legendary television personality and producer who rang in the New Year for four decades and launched and nurtured the careers of countless ar

HEADLINES: November's winners and losers, and CNN is a-courtin' Jeff Zucker

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November sweeps: Winners and losers NBC pulled off the unthinkable - it won November for the first time in nine years.  But beneath that nearly unbelievable headline, others did well in other ways.  CBS' The Big Bang Theory set audience records twice during the month, and ABC's Good Morning America firmed up its new-found dominance in the mornings.  [ MediaLife ] A Struggling CNN Worldwide Is Said to Be Drawn to Jeffrey Zucker He brought NBC to its knees, but some still feel that Jeff Zucker is a genius.  Count among those folks the powers at CNN .  They're looking for a replacement for Jim Walton , and, for whatever reason, they seem to feel that Zucker is the perfect candidate.  Will he be?  Only time will tell. [ NYT ] Angus T. Jones Apologizes for 'Two and a Half Men' Slam Just days after slamming the show that has provided him with a steady income for more than half his life as "filth," Two and a Half Men co-star Angus T. Jones has a

BRIEF: KET's Bill Goodman to interview former Ky. Senate president

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Former Ky. Senate president David Williams Williams was recently appointed a judge by Gov. Steve Beshear The Dec. 16 edition of KET's One to One with Bill Goodman should be interesting. The show's host, Bill Goodman, will have as his guest former state Senate president David Williams, who will discuss his more than two and a half decades in the General Assembly. Williams, who spent the last 13 years as the boss of the Senate, was recently given a judicial appointment by his longtime nemesis and one-time gubernatorial opponent, Gov. Steve Beshear. The program is scheduled to air Sunday, Dec. 16 at noon Central (1 p.m. ET) on KET, with a rebroadcast on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Central (7:30 ET) on KET2.

Santa Clothes Club Telethon set for Sunday on WEHT Local

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Club 's 66-year tradition of helping Tri-State children continues On Sunday, WEHT Local will produce the annual Santa Clothes Club Telethon at Washington Square Mall in Evansville. The telethon starts at noon Central time and continues until 6 p.m. that day, with a goal of raising over $250,000 to help clothe needy children in the Tri-State area. You can help this year by making a donation. It will cost $100 to completely clothe one child. Each year, the Santa Clothes Club helps 2,500 to 3,000 area children, and with your help the Club can continue its long and respected tradition of helping the Tri-State's neediest kids. Founded in 1946 by Dick Anderson, then-sports editor for The Evansville Press , and Don Menke, then-manager of WEOA, the Club and its telethon have earned a special place of honor in Tri-State history. Since 1953, the Telethon has aired each year on WEHT, and in just the past 30 years, more than $6 mil

Laura Ingraham off the air as contract with Talk Radio Networks ends

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INGRAHAM: Off the air, for now Conservative talker says it "was time to move on" Popular conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham is off the air for now. Ingraham announced Tuesday that she's parted ways with her self-titled show's distributor, Talk Radio Network , after more than nine years. The host, whose show aired locally from 8-10 p.m. each weeknight on WGBF-1280 AM in Evansville, said she is in talks with other syndicators, and that she'd like to "expand and retool" the program. Ingraham is, Talkers magazine has reported, the most-listened to woman on radio. Before this parting of the ways with TRN, her show reached some 5 3/4 million listeners each week, which put her in pretty exclusive company as one of the most listened-to radio hosts nationally. But her fans should not fear: Ingraham says she'll still be around. "During this brief hiatus, my team and I will continue to deliver thought-provokin

Owensboro's WVJS turns 65

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Owensboro's second-oldest radio station, WVJS-1420 AM , signed on the air 65 years ago today. In recognition of WVJS' 60th anniversary five years ago, Rob Calhoun - a familiar name in Tri-State radio - put together this great montage entitled "WVJS Through the Years," and he's graciously permitted me to share it with you this evening.  It's below for your enjoyment. Happy Birthday, 1420!

LOUISVILLE BRIEF: WHAS11 adds radar subchannel - for now

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Louisville-area correspondent David Head reports that WHAS11 added a new subchannel last Wednesday featuring the station's Doppler radar. WHAS11's executive assistant to the president, Joy Pritchett , confirmed to David via email that the radar feed will air on channel 11.3 until the channel is programmed with "other content." There's no word yet on what that "other content" might be.

BRIEF: WEOA's FM translator gets its license

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WEOA-1400 AM 's FM translator, W253BF-98.5 FM (better known as "Magic 98.5") is now officially licensed. The FCC granted the 110-watt station's license last Tuesday, according to today's list of FCC actions . After a lengthy gestation, Magic 98.5, which, like its AM sister, is owned by BLS Entertainment, finally signed on in early October .  It broadcasts from 14WFIE's old transmission tower next to the TV station's Mt. Auburn Road studios on Evansville's West Side.

WFIE ends 14Xtra's 9 p.m. newscast after 3 years

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UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.:  14 News marketing director Brandon Ridge replied to my request for comment this afternoon.  His statement can be found below. PREVIOUSLY: If you're in the mood to watch local news at 9 p.m. each weeknight, your choices have been narrowed to one: Local 7 WTVW 's hour-long edition of Eyewitness News . 14 News ' 9 p.m. newscast on 14Xtra (ch. 14.2) reached the end of its three-year run last week, with the final edition having aired last Wednesday night. It's never been known how many viewers tuned in to 14's "early-late" news, as Nielsen doesn't measure the local ".2" channels.  I've been told on a number of occasions that this makes it difficult to sell ad time on those channels, but it's not clear if that was the immediate cause of 14's decision to terminate the 9, which debuted on Sept. 28, 2009. Sources tell me that no jobs were affected by the move and that the station is refocusing its ef

LOUISVILLE: FCC blesses LM's purchase of WBKI-TV

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Deal was announced in June Lexington, Ky.-based LM Communications is one step closer to completing its purchase of Louisville's CW affiliate, WBKI-TV , as the FCC last week gave its final approval to the deal. LM, which is owned by Lynn Martin, announced in June that it was purchasing the station , and since then the company has already taken over its operation and handed it over to Independence Television (a/k/a Block Communications), which is running the once-moribund station as a triopoly with Fox affiliate WDRB (ch. 41) and WMYO (ch. 58). WBKI is LM's first TV station, but the company owns several Lexington radio stations along with others in Charleston, S.C., and Charleston, W. Va.

HEADLINES: Networks (other than NBC, which is #1) look to midseason shows for lift

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Networks Hope to Find a Following ABC, CBS and Fox, having fallen behind NBC in the early going this season, have turned their attention to their coming midseason programs to give them a shot at the top spot once again. [ Adweek ] Local newsies pay doesn't measure up to inflation While inflation rose 28% over the past decade, the median salary for all local TV news workers rose just 21.6%. [ Variety ] Fox Closing Deal For Dodgers’ TV Rights It's going to cost $6-7 billion over 25 years, but Fox Sports is said to have a deal almost done that would lock up the Los Angeles Dodgers' TV coverage. [ Deadline Hollywood ] ESPN Inks Deal For New College Football Playoff ESPN and the group that will administer the new college football playoff have reached an agreement to present the playoff games and selected other games for 12 years on an exclusive basis across ESPN's platforms, including ESPN Radio. [ Radio Online ]

Roberts brothers agree - again - to pay Bank of America

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MIKE AND STEVE ROBERTS : In court again ... they just need $35.9M out of six ban krupt hotels When the going gets tough for WAZE-TV owners Mike and Steve Roberts , they end up in court. Again. And again. And again. They ended up in court once again last week as Bank of America asked a federal judge to enforce the settlement the two sides reached back in July in the case of a $34 million loan the failed St. Louis-based developers and broadcasters took out to finance renovations of their hotel properties in six cities across the southern U.S. The brothers - as they've done time and again elsewhere - failed to make good on the loan, and in April of this year, the bank sued.  The settlement terms laid out in July required the Robertses to sell all of the hotels, which are now in bankruptcy protection, by the end of October. It didn't happen - although the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the brothers' hotel in Spartanburg, S.C. may be th

The Weekender: Thanksgiving Special Edition for Nov. 17-21

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It's Wednesday afternoon, the day before Thanksgiving, which means it's time to wind things down and share with you this special holiday look back at what happened in TV and radio this week. As you may have noticed above, JDTVB will NOT be publishing from now through Sunday.  Regular posting will resume on Monday.  (I'll still be checking the computer occasionally; follow me on Facebook and Twitter for any updates - the links are below.) 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. Have a great Thanksgiving and a great weekend!   PARDON OUR DUST: As year's end approaches, so does a new look for JDTVB TV's "Mr. Food" dies of cancer at 81 NBCUniversal and Suddenlink ink new carriage agreement Tell City's WTCJ

PARDON OUR DUST: As year's end approaches, so does a new look for JDTVB

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As part of my continuing effort to keep JDTVB more user-friendly and informative, those of you who are regular readers may have noticed lately that I've begun the process of redesigning the site (yes, again). I expect, at least as things stand right now, that the redesign will take the rest of the year to complete.  Until then, you may find at times that certain things will look different ... and not always in a good way.  Others may not be available at all.  Please bear with me - I'm working on it. With this redesign, the end result will be that all informational pages ( TV Stations , Radio Stations , etc.) will have a unified and cleaner appearance that I hope will make them easier to use. As always, if you have thoughts, suggestions, complaints, etc., please let me know .

TV's "Mr. Food" dies of cancer at 81

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Art "Mr. Food" Ginsburg Art Ginsburg, the TV chef known as "Mr. Food," has died at his Florida home after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. Ginsburg, who was 81, was known for easy cooking tips and always ended his syndicated segments with the same catchphrase:  "Ooh! It's so good!" In addition to his television work (his 90-second bits, which premiered in 1975, were seen on as many as 168 TV stations at the peak of his popularity a few years ago), Ginsburg, who started in the meat business and eventually moved into catering, published more than 50 cookbooks that sold over 8 million copies. He will be missed.

NBCUniversal and Suddenlink ink new carriage agreement

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NBCUniversal and Suddenlink Communications today announced an extensive affiliation agreement to offer NBCUniversal’s entire portfolio of broadcast and cable content to Suddenlink cable customers. For Suddenlink customers in this part of the country, the agreement covers retransmission consent for continued carriage of cable networks USA , Bravo Media , cloo , Chiller , CNBC , G4 , MSNBC , mun2 , NBC Sports Network , Oxygen Media , Syfy , Telemundo Media and Universal HD . Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “We are thrilled to continue our successful and long standing partnership with Suddenlink,” said Matt Bond, NBCU EVP, content distribution. “This agreement underscores our commitment to TV Everywhere and I’m pleased Suddenlink appreciates the value our strong portfolio of broadcast stations, cable networks and Olympics coverage delivers to their subscribers.” “We’re excited about the opportunity to continue featuring NBCUniversal networks and stations on our cable line ups

Tell City's WTCJ (AM) could get an FM translator, but not without some controversy

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Walters seeks FCC waiver to move WAY-FM translator from Central City to Tell City If the FCC gives its approval, WTCJ-1230 AM in Tell City will be the next Tri-State AM station to get an FM translator, but the station's owner, Bud Walters of The Cromwell Group, will have to do some fancy legal footwork to make it happen. The translator Walters has in mind for WTCJ - W219DC-91.7 FM - is now located in Central City, Ky., and simulcasts WAY-FM programming.  Walters has an agreement with WAY Media to purchase W219DC (which has been OK'd to move from 91.7 to 91.5 and become W218CR) for $10,000. If the purchase and move are approved, the translator would broadcast on 103.7 FM from a tower that Walters' Hancock Communications already owns near Pellville, Ky.  I mentioned fancy legal footwork, and here it is: As the FCC's rules now stand, Walters can't move the translator that far.  So, to get what he wants, he's seeking a waiver that would allow hi

BRIEF: Celebration of life set for Mark Baker

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Mark Baker A celebration of life for former WIKY program director and afternoon host Mark Baker , who died unexpectedly last Wednesday at his home in Mt. Carmel, Tenn. , has been scheduled for next week. The celebration will be held at Preservation Hall , which is located at 200 State Street in Newburgh, on Monday, Nov. 26.  Those attending are asked to gather at 5:30 p.m. CT. If you would like to make a contribution in memory of Mark, the family requests that, in lieu of flowers, that you send a donation in his name to your local no-kill animal shelter.

Elmo's puppeteer resigns from Sesame Street

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Kevin Clash and Elmo Clash had been the voice of Elmo for 28 years "This is a sad day for Sesame Street." That's from Sesame Workshop following the resignation of longtime puppeteer Kevin Clash , better known as the man who brought Sesame Street's Elmo to life. Clash has been embroiled in controversy following accusations - later proven to be unsubstantiated, said Sesame Workshop - that he had an inappropriate relationship several years ago with a young man who was then 16 years old. In a statement last week, Clash acknowledged a relationship between “two consenting adults,” but said the man otherwise had been making a “false and defamatory allegation.” The man later recanted his accusation ( and a second accuser has now filed a lawsuit against Clash ); the first accuser's attorney issued a statement which said he “wants it to be known that his sexual relationship with Mr. Clash was an adult consensual relationship.” But the die was ca

Major Garrett named CBS News' chief White House correspondent

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Major Garrett Having contributed to network's campaign coverage, former Fox News and CNN WH correspondent is familiar to CBS viewers CBS News has announced that Major Garrett has been named the network's chief White House correspondent.  He will assume his duties on Sunday, Nov. 25. Joining CBS News full-time, Garrett will build on a relationship fostered with CBS News viewers over the course of the 2012 presidential campaign.  With CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Scott Pelley, Garrett co-hosted the network’s South Carolina Republican Primary debate that was co-sponsored by CBS News and National Journal in Nov. 2011.  He appears regularly on the revamped CBS This Morning from both Studio 57 and the field—and joined CBS News' special coverage of the fall debates in Denver, Hempstead, and Boca Raton.   Garrett will report for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms. He will also occasionally substitute as anchor of Face the Nation . Garrett’s work with C

KET's gift to you: Special programs for the holidays

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Exciting new concerts, specials and children’s programs highlight KET ’s 2012 holiday programming, the schedule of which was announced on Monday. Viewers can kick off the holiday season with National Christmas Tree Lighting 2012 on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. (9 Eastern) on KET. The program includes appearances and performances by some of the most recognizable names in entertainment, followed by the 90th annual lighting of the national Christmas tree by a very special guest. Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn airs Sunday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. (8 Eastern) on KET2 and Monday, Dec. 24 at 8 p.m. (9 Eastern) on KET. Seymour and Gunn join the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for a Christmas concert in Salt Lake City featuring some of the season’s best-loved songs. Kentucky programming is also celebrating the holidays this season. The concert choir and chamber singers of Murray State University perform seasonal tunes in The Holidays at Murray S