Tag / WGN

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Remaking the TV Landscape

Earlier this week, news broke that the White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks were nearing a new 5 year deal with NBC Sports Chicago following the expiration of their current contract in 2019.  The Cubs are expected to branch out on their own, creating the new Marquee network to carry their games.

Assuming the White Sox rebuild progresses as expected, this could be a good situation for them.  The 5 year deal gives them time to rebuild their audience with known partners while the sports world waits to see what the future of RSNs are and how, and if, in-market streaming comes to fruition.

The Cubs, on the other hand, are risking many things with their new venture.  The Dodgers did something similar a few years back and, while they received a tremendous amount of money for doing so, they still are having issues finding clearance among cable providers and most of their games are unavailable to a majority of their fanbase in Southern California.  Should the Cubs have similar issues, especially since they are spurning the largest cable provider in the Chicago area to create their new network, they will face considerable fan backlash.

Another issue the Cubs may have to deal with is the reputation of their reported partner in the new venture, Sinclair Broadcast Group.  Sinclair has come under fire over the past couple years for its right-wing political slant and forcing its individual TV stations, of which WGN narrowly avoided becoming earlier this year, to air hard-right commentary.  While that political stance seems to fit well amongst most of the Ricketts family, it will be a hard sell to many in the Cubs fanbase should it bleed over into their broadcasts.

 

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You Can Catch It All On WGN

After spending the last two weeks as free agents following a US Bankruptcy Court releasing them from their contract with Cumulus Media’s WLS, the White Sox announced this morning that they will be moving their radio broadcasts to WGN in a reported 3 year deal.  The broadcast team of Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson will continue with the team for the 2018 season.

The White Sox first moved to WLS in 2016, signing a 6 year deal.  This morning’s action gives them their 3rd radio home in the past 4 seasons. that took them away from the Score after 10 seasons.  WGN last broadcast baseball in 2014, when the Cubs finished up their 56 year run with the station.

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Radio Free Chicago

For the third time in four years, the White Sox may find themselves on a new radio flagship for the upcoming season.  News broke yesterday that Cumulus Media, the parent company of WLS, had filed motions in US Bankruptcy Court seeking to get out from under “a handful of extremely unprofitable contracts, including those with the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls.”  The Sox and Bulls issued a joint statement Friday, acknowledging they have worked with Cumulus “to find an amicable solution that would provide broadcast continuity to our fans, while addressing Cumulus’ financial issue” but have failed to come to an agreement.

The White Sox moved to WLS in 2016, signing a 6 year deal that took them away from the Score after 10 seasons.  Following that move, the Cubs, who spent one year on WBBM after 7 decades on WGN, moved down the dial to the Score.  Should the Sox find themselves looking for a new home, the options may be limited.  After losing the Cubs, WGN may want to get back in the baseball business, especially if they can get a good deal.  The only other option would appear to be a return to ESPN 1000, which the team left in 2005 following their World Series championship.

The decision from the bankruptcy count is due on February 1, leaving a little less than 2 months before opening day for the team to reach a new deal, if necessary.

by admin

Changes On The Dial

wgn9For the first time since 1995, WGN will be an independent television station this fall after announcing that they were not renewing their contract with the CW.  Starting September 1, CW programming will move to WPWR, owned by Fox.  WGN was the flagship station when the WB network launched in 1995 and became Chicago’s CW affiliate when the WB merged with UPN in 2006.

What does this mean for viewers?  Initially, not much, beyond some schedule stability.  CW programming won’t have to compete with live sporting events on WGN anymore and WGN won’t have to farm out a certain number of its sporting events to other stations.  So no more Saturday night episodes of The Flash and more White Sox and Cubs games back on WGN.  Long term?  Well, I’ve already seen one article calling for the return of The Bozo Show.  I guess anything is possible.

by jim

Moving Up The Dial

After months of speculation, word broke yesterday that the White Sox will be leaving their radio home since 2006, WSCR The Score, at the end of this season and will be moving up the dial to WLS.  The former Big 89, which beat out WGN along with The Score, are expected to sign a 6 year deal with the White Sox later this week.

No word yet on whether the current broadcast team of Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson will make the move.  Farmer followed the club from ESPN 1000 to The Score following the 2005 season, but will be 66 by opening day 2016.  Jackson, who turns 52 in August, is the young pup of the White Sox broadcast team.

Now that the first domino has fallen in the Chicago radio rights game, expect the next to come rather quickly.  CBS Radio, knowing that the Sox contact was due to expire, set up a clause in their Cubs deal that allows them to move those broadcasts to The Score from WBBM.  Given the poor fit that Cubs baseball has been on the all news station, I expect them to do so sooner rather than later.

by jim

Radio Musical Chairs

Last summer, the Cubs left their longtime radio home of WGN, signing a 7 year deal with CBS radio to move their games to WBBM starting this year.  Coincidentally, the White Sox radio deal expires after this season, and reports surfaced today that they are exploring options with 3 different radio stations: WGN, WLS, and their current home, The Score.

If the White Sox end up leaving the Score, their radio home since 2006, that might kick off another upheaval for the Cubs.  CBS Radio, owners of both WBBM and The Score, have the right to move the Cubs off of WBBM, their all news station and really a bad fit for baseball, to The Score should the White Sox leave.

So no matter what happens later this summer, there will be baseball on The Score next year.  Soon we shall learn where else.

 

by jim

Moving Down The Dial

ABC_7_Chicago_2013_logoIn a shocking development, the Cubs reached an agreement today with the local ABC station to air 25 games per season through the 2019 season.  The deal should net the Cubs nearly $19 million per season.  The Cubs are still looking for a broadcast partner for 45 games that had previously aired on WGN.

The move comes out of left field, as most teams games are moving away from over-the-air channels in general, let along network owned and operated stations like WLS.  The deal will likely cause pre-emptions of popular syndicated programs like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune or network programming.

To be honest, this move doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.  The plusses of being associated with a hopefully improved Cubs team would seem to be outweighed by complaints from viewers of Dancing With The Stars or Scandal when their shows are delayed.  I guess time will tell if the deal works out for all involved.

by jim

You Can Catch It All On WG… Oh, Wait

Wrigley FieldAfter a 90 year relationship, and a 57 year consecutive run, word broke yesterday that the Cubs would be leaving their radio home on WGN after this season and will be moving up the dial to WBBM.  The current broadcast team of Pat Hughes and Ron (It’s Not A) Coomer are expected to make the move as well.  So, really, there should be no difference to anyone who is able to work a radio dial.

Which, based on some of the Internet reaction, may not be many Cub fans.  The main complaints seem to be 1) History! and 2) the lyrics to Go Cubs Go are now factually incorrect.  While the Cubs have been associated with WGN for 90 years, this isn’t their first foray to other stations.  Not to mention, by the time the new deal expires, it is just as likely that as many, if not more people will be listening via the MLB AtBat app or through an online stream.  The broadcast station will likely be irrelevant.

To the second point, the song also claims that the Cubs are going to win today, and that has been inaccurate more often than not in the 30 years since the song was released.

by jim

Cub News Abounds

rich_renteria_piratesYesterday was a busy day at the corner of Clark and Addison, as three different news stories broke about the Chicago Cubs.

1) Word broke early in the day yesterday that the Cubs are set to name Rick (formerly Rich) Renteria as their new manager today.  Renteria most recently was the bench coach for the Padres.  The hope is that he will be able to better communicate with the rising Latin American prospects because he is bi-lingual.

I’m not sure what to make of this hire. It seems foolish to hang a hiring decision solely on what languages a guy can speak, but hopefully Renteria brings a little more to the table than that.

2) The Cubs notified WGN that they are opting out of their current television deal following the 2014 season.  The station has 30 days to agree to a higher rights payment determined by a third party consultant hired by both WGN and the Cubs.  If they do not, the Cubs are able to take the 70 game package to the open market.

There doesn’t seem to be much of an option on free TV other than the current setup, and their deal with Comcast Sports Net prohibits them from going to another cable channel, so the odds are that they re-up, at least until 2019.  At that point, the CSN deal will also be up and the Cubs can start looking at creating their own network similar to NESN or YES.

3) As if that wasn’t enough, word broke yesterday afternoon that Keith Moreland, who took over the color analyst spot on WGN following the death of Ron Santo, would not be returning for a fourth season.  In a statement released by WGN, Moreland said that he wishes to spend more time back home in Texas.

I must admit that I have not listened to a lot of Cubs baseball these past few years, but Moreland seemed like he was doing a good job, certainly a more competent one than his predecessor.  Reaction to this news on the Interwebs, however, would indicate that Cub fandom was not enamored with his work and are happy to see him go.

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30 For 30 – See A Game At A Classic Ballpark

Cubs_L_flag_070602The fine folks at away.com have come up with a list of 30 Things Every Traveler Must Do Before They’re 30.  Of those 30, I’ve managed to accomplish 12 of them, or roughly 40% of them, some of which was even before I turned 30.  Today we look at #20 on their list, see a game at a classic ballpark.  Thankfully, I’ve never had to travel far to do this.

From my birth in 1974 until the end of the 1990 season, I was lucky enough to have two classic ballparks right here in my own backyard.  Comiskey Park was at one time considered to be the “Baseball Palace of the World”, although it had fallen on hard times by the time I was old enough to enjoy it.  Struggling White Sox ownership groups over the years had put off necessary repairs and preventative maintenance so that, by the time the group led by Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn purchased the club from Bill Veeck, the stadium needed a lot of work.  After deciding that it would be prohibitavely expensive to repair the park, the new owners worked at getting funding for a new stadium and, on September 30, 1990, the White Sox defeated the Mariners in the last game ever in what is now known as Old Comiskey Park.

The almost exact opposite was happening on the other side of town.  The Cubs were also under new ownership in the early 80s, but instead of telling everyone who would listen how run down their stadium was, they sold the history of the ballpark and the experience of it to great success.  The lore of the Friendly Confines was born, and, thanks to the superstation status of WGN television, people came from all over the country to be at Wrigley Field.  For some of them, the game itself was unimportant.  Wrigley Field in general, and the bleachers specifically, became Chicago’s biggest (and most expensive) beer garden.  Time, however, doesn’t care how much fun people are having or how much Old Style is flowing, and Wrigley Field has shown its age in recent years.  As we sit here one month into the 99th year of baseball at the corner of Clark and Addison, the Cubs are working hard on a plan to renovate the stadium so that it can be used well into its second century.  Maybe the Cubs will even win a World Series there.

I’ve been able to identify 12 games that I attended at the Old Comiskey Park before they tore her down, including the final night game on September 29, 1990.  My Wrigley Field attendance is currently at 312 games and counting.