Posts

Showing posts from May, 2013

BRIEF: Cardinals doubleheader on Saturday

Image
Due to Friday night's rainout in St. Louis, the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants will play a doubleheader on Saturday. Geoff Goldman of FOX Sports Midwest tells me that his network will televise the first game of the doubleheader, and coverage of that game will begin at noon CT. The second game, which will be played tomorrow evening, will be on the FOX network as previously scheduled. (Check your local listings.)

BRIEF: LIN, TWC reach retransmission deal

Image
WTHI-TV will remain on cable in Terre Haute area A little more than a week ago, I told you that Time Warner Cable and LIN Media were having trouble reaching a new deal for the cable company to continue carrying LIN's stations , including Terre Haute CBS/FOX affiliate WTHI-TV . This afternoon, we've received word that the two sides have cut a deal and the LIN stations will remain available to TWC customers without interruption. Details of the new agreement were not disclosed.

David Shepherd returns to the Tri-State

Image
DAVID SHEPHERD Back in the Tri-State Former Eyewitness News anchor/reporter to be news director at WMSK Radio in Morganfield Just two months after departing WEHT/WTVW to return to the Washington, D.C. area , David Shepherd is back in the Tri-State and will once again be reporting on the news. Shepherd, who was an anchor and reporter for Eyewitness News, will be the new news director at WMSK (sports-formatted 1550 AM and country 101.3 FM) in Morganfield, Ky., according to the station's Facebook page : Welcome back, David!

ICYMI — Week Ending 5/31/13

Image
In Case You Missed It , all of this week's news headlines can be found below for your convenience. Be sure to  follow me on Twitter  and  "Like" my Facebook page  for more news and information as well as my thoughts on a host of different topics. Have a great weekend, and I'll see you back here Monday! BRIEF: LIN, TWC reach retransmission deal David Shepherd returns to the Tri-State Charlie Sheen's coming back to broadcast TV, but just for 4 episodes NOAA Weather Radio station in Newton off air again, this time for power issue Headlines for 5/31/13 Wheel of Fortune contestant solves her way to a $1 million bonus round win Evening Headlines for 5/30/13 BRIEF: Newton, Ill. NOAA Weather Radio transmitter down ST. LOUIS: Conners files discrimination complaint against KMOV FCC Report for 5/30/13 Morning Headlines for 5/30/13 Evening Headlines for 5/29/13

Charlie Sheen's coming back to broadcast TV, but just for 4 episodes

Image
CHARLIE SHEEN Bringing Anger Management to FOX for a 4-week run in attempt to draw more viewers to the FX show FOX to air 2 original episodes and 2 reruns of actor's FX series, Anger Management, in June Say goodbye to reruns of The Mindy Project for a while — Charlie Sheen is coming to FOX . Sheen's program, Anger Management , which is on FX , will get a four-week gig on the broadcast network in June. The move comes as FX hopes to bolster the show's sagging ratings, which have fallen by half this season. The show will air Monday nights at 8:30 p.m. CT / 9:30 ET on FOX44 , WTHI-MyFox10 , WDRB , KTVI-FOX 2 , KBSI-FOX23 , WBKO-FOX and WZTV-FOX17 .

NOAA Weather Radio station in Newton off air again, this time for power issue

Image
Yesterday, it was a phone line, today it's a power failure, but the end result is the same:  Some Tri-Staters are again without NOAA Weather Radio coverage as the Newton, Ill. transmitter, KXI-48 , is off the air. The National Weather Service office in Central Illinois reports that technicians are on the scene and looking into the problem.  No word yet on a timetable for getting it back on the air. In the Tri-State, the Newton transmitter serves Clay , Edwards , Lawrence , Richland and Wayne counties in Southeastern Illinois.

Headlines for 5/31/13

Image
EDITOR'S NOTE: On Fridays, we'll continue to run the original Headlines format of a single edition.  The Morning and Evening editions will be back on Monday and will run through Thursday each week. Shepherd is WMSK's New News Director Former Eyewitness News reporter/anchor David Shepherd is back in the Tri-State and is the new news director at WMSK-AM/FM in Morganfield.  He'll be on the air with all the news in Union County starting Monday. [ WMSK on Facebook ] Blake Shelton's Tornado Relief Concert Raises $6 Million Organizers of a televised benefit concert say they raised more than $6 million in pledges and ticket sales to help people in Oklahoma trying to recover after a deadly tornado last week. A spokeswoman for the United Way of Central Oklahoma reported the updated figures Thursday after the "Healing in the Heartland: Relief Benefit Concert" hosted by Blake Shelton and televised live on NBC. [ The Hollywood Reporter ] Will Talk R

Wheel of Fortune contestant solves her way to a $1 million bonus round win

Image
Win comes during Wheel's “Celebrating 30” theme week, which highlights the game show’s 30th season On Thursday night, Autumn Erhard became the second contestant to win the one million dollar grand prize on Wheel of Fortune .  “I am in complete and utter shock,” said the newly minted millionaire. “I’m shaking. I came here today because I love the game, I wanted to have some fun and solve some puzzles – I feel like I’m in a dream!” Dominant through the entire game, Erhard finished the regular round of play with more than $30,000 in cash and prizes including trips to Belize and Arizona. Comparatively, her competitors finished with $2,000 and $1,000. She also carried the “Wild Card” with her into the bonus round, which gave her the opportunity to guess an additional consonant. Although there were only a few letters revealed, she solved the final puzzle, “Tough Workout,” with ease. Erhard’s big win came during Wheel of Fortune’s “Celebrating 30” theme week, which high

Evening Headlines for 5/30/13

Image
NAB To FCC: ACA Wrong On Retrans The National Association of Broadcasters struck back at cable operators that have been pressing the FCC to lessen broadcasters' leverage in retransmission consent negotiations. In comments filed with the FCC yesterday, the broadcast trade group challenged the operators' contention that broadcasters representing multiple stations through ownership or contractual arrangements had undue leverage. [ TVNewsCheck ] Newspaper Still Crushes Radio in Ad Dollars Tech analyst turned VC Mary Meeker of Kleiner Perkins delivered her much-anticpated annual "State of the Internet" presentation on Wednesday and, while the majority of the 117 slides in Meeker's presentation focused on the explosive growth of Facebook, picture sharing, and video downloading, one slide focused on time spent with traditional media and how that's compared to ad dollars spent on that media. [ Radio Ink ] Powerline Returns to the Airwaves The Tom Kent Rad

BRIEF: Newton, Ill. NOAA Weather Radio transmitter down

Image
UPDATE #2, 9:08 p.m., again from Central Illinois: The major communications problem that impacted several central Illinois NOAA Weather Radio transmitter sites today has been resolved. Verizon technicians have completed testing and all sites are now back on the air and broadcasting normally. Thank you for your patience during this outage.

ST. LOUIS: Conners files discrimination complaint against KMOV

Image
LARRY CONNERS Filed EEOC complaint against KMOV after being fired for Facebook comments UPDATE, 12:05 p.m. FRIDAY:   In a conversation with Riverfront Times Thursday afternoon , KMOV GM Mark Pimentel said that the station denies Conners' claims. "We disagree strongly with all of his allegations," Pimentel told RFT . When it came to the arbitration over Conners' salary, Pimentel added that it was handled by a neutral party. "The arbitration process was confidential and private and we honored that," Pimentel says. "But in light of Mr. Conners' election not to, we believe it's appropriate to point out that after a full two days of arbitration, the arbiter found no merit whatsoever to Larry's claims and ruled in favor of KMOV on all counts." The saga continues ...

NBC and Golf Channel to present more than 70 hours of coverage of the U.S. Open June 9-16

Image
Unprecedented television coverage dedicated to the 2013 U.S. Open Championship is on tap for golf fans, with NBC and Golf Channel scheduled to present more than 70 live hours of tournament and news coverage, June 9-16. “Golf Channel on NBC” will present 17 hours of live tournament coverage of the season’s second major championship Thursday through Sunday, June 13-16, from famed Merion Golf Club , located in Ardmore, Pa., just outside Philadelphia. Complementing NBC’s live coverage, Golf Channel will air 56 hours of wraparound programming and an original documentary, 1971 U.S. OPEN: LEE TREVINO AN AMERICAN CHAMPION , chronicling Trevino’s dramatic U.S. Open playoff victory over Jack Nicklaus at Merion in 1971. NBCU digital properties – GolfChannel.com , NBCSports.com , and mobile applications NBC Sports Live Extra and Golf Live Extra – are teaming up to provide the most comprehensive digital coverage of the U.S. Open to date. Bob Costas will reprise his role as netw

FCC Report for 5/30/13

Image
AM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT GRANTED: WEBQ , 1240 AM, Harrisburg, Ill.; W. Russell Withers, Jr. Direct Measurement. FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR TRANSFER OF CONTROL GRANTED: WXBC , 104.3 FM, Hardinsburg, Ky.; Breckinridge Broadcasting Co., Inc. Voluntary Transfer of Control, as amended, from Jo Ann Keenan to Lee Bramlett . FM TRANSLATOR APPLICATIONS FOR MINOR MODIFICATION TO A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT GRANTED: W236AN , 95.1 FM, Floyd's Knobs, Ind.; Educational Media Foundation . Mod of CP. FM TRANSLATOR APPLICATIONS FOR MINOR CHANGE TO A LICENSED FACILITY ACCEPTED FOR FILING: W238BV , 95.7 FM, Glasgow, Ky.; Newberry Broadcasting, Inc. Minor change in licensed facilities, callsign W238BV.  W258AJ , 99.5 FM, Paris, Tenn.; Board of Regents, Murray State University . Minor change in licensed facilities, callsign W258AJ.

Morning Headlines for 5/30/13

Image
Low premieres for ABC and CBS shows Summer shows continued to generate relatively low ratings with the debut of CBS’s new “Brooklyn D.A.” and return of ABC’s “Extreme Weight Loss” (formerly called “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.”) [ Media Life ] E! to Air 'Access Hollywood Live' in Daytime Slot E! has picked up syndicated entertainment news show "Access Hollywood Live," TheWrap has learned exclusively. Hosted by Billy Bush and Kit Hoover, the "Access Hollywood" daytime spinoff will begin airing daily starting June 10 on the cable channel at 3 p.m./2c, an E! representative told TheWrap. [ TheWrap ] Bott Radio Network joins iHeartRadio The 93 stations of Christian Talk Radio Network, Bott Radio, can now be heard on iHeartRadio. BRN CEO Rich Bott said, "We're delighted to expand the reach of our programming to serve an ever-expanding audience with this new, incredibly large and diverse digital platform." Bott's stations in

Evening Headlines for 5/29/13

Image
Netflix Stock Sinks On 'Arrested' Reviews Netflix's stock fell by more than 6% Tuesday as investors reacted to critics' mixed reviews over the weekend of the first new Arrested Development episodes since Fox canceled the TV series seven years ago. The shares shed $14.55 to close at $214.19, marking the biggest one-day drop in the stock in nearly six months. [ AP/TVNewsCheck ] CNN hires Kevin Madden, Stephanie Cutter CNN has hired two star strategists of the 2012 presidential race to serve as contributors: Stephanie Cutter, the former deputy campaign manager for Obama 2012, and Kevin Madden, who served as a senior advisor to and spokesman for Mitt Romney. [ Politico ] Larry King Gets Talk Show On RT America Network Larry King is returning to TV with a political talk show beginning next month. The new program, "Politics With Larry King," will air on the RT America network, a global, English-language channel based in Russia, the network announced Wedn

Change is in — and on — the air at WNIN

Image
There are big changes underway at the Carpenter Home studios of Evansville's public broadcasting organization, WNIN . A NEW FACE AT THE TOP First, and perhaps most importantly, June is David Dial 's last month as WNIN's president and general manager, and his replacement, Brad Kimmel , will begin his tenure at the station working alongside Dial next week. Dial is retiring after 45 years in public broadcasting, the last 30 of those in Evansville.  Kimmel, who has nearly three decades' experience in public and commercial TV, is known to many as the creator of the popular My Classic Car series, hosted by Dennis Gage. SCHWEIZER DEPARTING Another transition at WNIN comes as Micah Schweizer prepares to leave for Laramie, Wyo., where he will become Wyoming Public Media 's Cultural Affairs and Production Director. WPM is based at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. Schweizer, who now hosts Morning Edition and the popular Friday progr

Harris to host Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS Sept. 22

Image
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS To host Primetime Emmys for the second time HIMYM star will also host Tony Awards June 9 Neil Patrick Harris has been named host and producer of the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards , to be broadcast from Nokia Theater L.A. live in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 22 on CBS . This will be the multi-talented television, film and stage actor’s second time hosting the Emmy Awards, which he emceed to critical acclaim when the program last aired on CBS in 2009.  “Neil is the quintessential host – engaging, entertaining and a true showman – with a passion for celebrating the medium we all love. We’re thrilled for him to return for CBS’s broadcast of the Emmy Awards,” said Nina Tassler, President, CBS Entertainment. “Four years ago, Neil was an amazing Emmy host and we are excited to have him back,” said Television Academy Chairman and CEO Bruce Rosenblum. “Neil is an extremely gifted and inventive performer, and we look forward to seeing what he has in store this y

FCC Report for 5/29/13

Image
FM TRANSLATOR APPLICATIONS FOR MINOR CHANGE TO A LICENSED FACILITY GRANTED: W284AD , 104.7 FM, New Albany, Ind.; Anchor Radio of Louisville, LLC . Minor change in licensed facilities, callsign W284AD. Engineering Amendment filed 12/05/2012. FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWAL APPLICATION GRANT RESCINDED: WISU , 89.7 FM, Terre Haute, Ind.; Indiana State University Board of Trustees . Renewal of License. Grant rescinded per S. 1.113(a) at applicant request. No letter sent.

Morning Headlines for 5/29/13

Image
EDITOR'S  NOTE: Beginning this morning, there will be two editions of Headlines each weekday, morning and evening, as long as there are items of interest to share. Woo Hoo! ‘Simpsons’ Theme Park Coming to Universal Orlando Forget any talk of Oregon. Now it seems the Simpsons’ home is in Florida. Universal Studios has announced that our favorite Springfieldians are expanding their reach at Universal Orlando Resort this summer. [ Variety ] Journal Communications Names Turner VP Journal Communications on Tuesday named Debbie Turner, president-GM of the company’s CBS affiliate WTVF NewsChannel5 in Nashville, was named a new vice president of the company at the annual meeting of shareholders on May 7. [ TVNewsCheck ] Court Overturns FCC Order For Comcast To Take Tennis Channel Off Sports Tier The U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. shot down the FCC’s ruling last year that would have required Comcast to take Tennis Channel off of an extra-fee sports tier so it could compet

FCC Report for 5/28/13

Image
FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWAL GRANTED: WISU , 89.7 FM, Terre Haute, Ind.; Indiana State University Board of Trustees . Renewal of License. Grant rescinded per S. 1.113(a) at applicant request. No letter sent. FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR MINOR MODIFICATION TO A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT GRANTED: WTRT , 88.1 FM, Benton, Ky.; Heartland Ministries, Inc. Mod of CP to change. DIGITAL TRANSLATOR OR DIGITAL LPTV APPLICATIONS FOR CP EXTENSION GRANTED: W19DL-D , ch. 19, Evansville, Ind.; EICB-TV East, LLC . Extension of time to complete digital construction permit BNPDTL-20091210ADR. FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT OF LICENSE ACCEPTED FOR FILING: WBFK , 91.1 FM, Smiths Grove, Ky.; Grace Community Church of Amarillo . Voluntary Assignment of License from Grace Community Church of Amarillo to Bethel Fellowship, Inc. FM STATION APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSE TO COVER ACCEPTED FOR FILING: WTRT , 88.1 FM, Benton, Ky.; Heartland Ministries, Inc. License to cover. FM TRANSLATOR APP

BRIEF: Transmitter problem knocked WITZ-FM off air

Image
Jasper station will have to again go off-air temporarily when new parts arrive Jasper, Ind. station WITZ-FM (104.7) was off the air from Monday evening until Tuesday morning following a problem with the station's transmitter, the station reports this morning . The failure, which did not affect 104.7's sisters WITZ (990 AM) or WQKZ (98.5 FM), happened at about 5:30 p.m. ET Monday evening. New parts have been ordered and will require the station to go off the air again for installation once they arrive.

Headlines for 5/28/13

Image
10 Fans Hurt By FOX Camera Rope At Race Ten fans were injured Sunday night when a nylon rope from a FOX Sports overhead camera fell over the Charlotte Motor Speedway grandstands, red-flagging the Coca-Cola 600 for nearly 30 minutes. [ AP/TVNewsCheck ] Mariska Hargitay Closes Deal To Return To ‘Law & Order: SVU’ After a couple of weeks of negotiations, Mariska Hargitay has closed a new deal for the upcoming 15th season of NBC's Law & Order: SVU. [ Deadline ] ESPN Radio Inks Out-Of-Market Sunday Afternoon Broadcast Deals With 5 NFL Teams ESPN Radio has inked deals for out-of-market Sunday afternoon game broadcasts for the New York Giants, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. [ All Access ] Harvey to Host 100 Young Men at Mentoring Camp Syndicated radio and TV host Steve Harvey will host an even bigger program this year for his annual national Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men in Dallas, with a six-day program

WFMW adds FM translator, changes focus to "Classic Hit Country"

Image
Other changes include moving midday news to noon and the addition of two new syndicated shows to the weekend lineup Madisonville radio station WFMW ( 730 AM ) is making a few big changes. Starting today, the Sound Broadcasters, Inc.-owned station is changing its brand from “America’s Music Radio” to “Classic Hit Country.” The format stays country music, but now the selection of hits focuses in on those from the '70s, '80s and '90s. And that's not all: For about a week now, WFMW has not only been broadcasting on its longtime home at 730 on the AM dial, but now it's also on 94.9 FM , courtesy of the station's recently-installed translator, W235AC .  "We are very pleased with our [FM] signal reaching all of Hopkins, McLean and Webster Counties, as well as northern Christian County and Muhlenberg County, eastern Caldwell County, southeastern Crittenden County and western Ohio County," station management said in a statement. WFMW is also

ICYMI — Memorial Weekend 2013 Edition (Week Ending 5/24)

Image
In Case You Missed It , all of this week's news headlines can be found below for your convenience. Be sure to  follow me on Twitter  and  "Like" my Facebook page  for more news and information as well as my thoughts on a host of different topics. I'll be taking Monday off to spend with my family in observance of Memorial Day.  Regular updating will resume on Tuesday, so I'll see you then!  Please be sure to pause this weekend to remember those who gave their lives in sacrifice for the freedoms we all enjoy. FCC Report for 5/24/13 Headlines for 5/24/13 14 NEWS and WIKY teaming up with The Salvation Army to respond to the Moore, Okla. tornado PBS KIDS offers free resources to fuel learning this summer FCC Report for 5/23/13 Sinclair makes big jump in TVNewsCheck-BIA/Kelsey's top 30 station group rankings Headlines for 5/23/13 BREAKING: KMOV's Larry Conners ousted after Facebook comments

FCC Report for 5/24/13

Image
DIGITAL TRANSLATOR OR DIGITAL LPTV APPLICATIONS FOR CP EXTENSION ACCEPTED FOR FILING: W14DG-D , ch. 14, Bowling Green, Ky.; Madison Avenue Ventures . Extension of time to complete digital construction permit. Applicant notes that this is the second (of two allowable) extension requests, and that it has secured a network affiliation and quotes on broadcast equipment. Applicant is also working on terms for a "cost-effective" tower lease. W35CT-D , ch. 35, Bowling Green, Ky.; Madison Avenue Ventures . Extension of time to complete digital construction permit. See W14DG-D above for further information. COMMENTS INVITED ON APPLICATION OF INSIGHT PHONE OF INDIANA, LLC D/B/A INSIGHT PHONE TO DISCONTINUE DOMESTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES On May 2, 2013, Insight Phone of Indiana, LLC d/b/a Insight Phone (Insight or Applicant), located at 60 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) request

Headlines for 5/24/13

Image
Are The Cubs Killing WGN? What will it take to bring WGN back to its glory days? It's one thing when you're a recognized sports station carrying play-by-play of a winning major market sports franchise. It's another when you're a hybrid news and sports station and one of the teams you carry is as consistently awful as the Chicago Cubs (currently 18 wins and 28 losses, with the team in last place). [ Radio Ink ] Fired Anchor Larry Conners Explores Legal Action Against KMOV An attorney for former KMOV anchor Larry Conners has notified the St. Louis CBS affiliate that “legal action relating to the termination of Mr. Conners’ employment” is possible. In a letter sent to KMOV general manager Mark Pimentel Thursday, an attorney for Conners requested the station “carefully preserve and not destroy any and all papers, records and documents relating to Mr. Conners’ employment and termination.” [ TVSpy ] WFNI Adds 'Ahead Of The Curve With Hagan And Sterling' As

14 NEWS and WIKY teaming up with The Salvation Army to respond to the Moore, Okla. tornado

Image
Tri-State Rebuilding Oklahoma Strong event is Friday at The Salvation Army's Fulton Ave. location This Friday, May 24, WFIE 14 NEWS  and WIKY Radio will begin at 4:55 a.m. at The Salvation Army 's 1040 Fulton Avenue location in Evansville.  This one day television/radio event is to encourage those who want to give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by calling (800) SAL-ARMY (725-2769) to meet the critical and unique needs of in the Oklahoma area.  People can also text the word "STORM" to 80888   to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm their gift, respond with the word "Yes." Donations in the form of checks designated to Oklahoma Tornado Relief may also be mailed to: The Salvation Army P.O. Box 12600 Oklahoma City, OK  73157 Coordinating with Moore local and Oklahoma state emergency management, The Salvation Army is on the ground with multiple canteens and personnel serving survivors and first responders with f

PBS KIDS offers free resources to fuel learning this summer

Image
Multiplatform content and partnership activities provide families with tools to prevent the “summer slump” and inspire exploration  This summer, PBS KIDS will provide families with a variety of free and educational resources to encourage young learners to continue learning and exploring over summer vacation. Research shows that students experience significant learning loss when they do not participate in educational activities during the summer months, and that loss is even greater among children in low-income communities. To combat this summer slump, PBS KIDS has developed 10 weeks of special on-air programming, a variety of online resources, and partnerships with Pottery Barn Kids , Education.com , Scholastic and Grandparents.com . “PBS KIDS and our member stations are providing families with a wealth of resources and partnerships to keep children engaged and learning this summer,” said Lesli Rotenberg, general manager of children’s programming for PBS. “The summer is a gr