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New CNN head Jeff Zucker pledges non-partisanship and promises broader definition of news in first teleconference

Jeff Zucker, who spent an up-and-down quarter century at NBC, is back in a high-profile position as head of CNN Worldwide. He held his first teleconference Thursday, and our report is here.

Plus, Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings "snapshot" highlights a Christmas special free-for-all.
Ed Bark

Is WFAA8 really D-FW's No. 1 news station? (Read the fine print)

WFAA8 thanked viewers for making it the D-FW market's No. 1 news station in a promo that ran during Tuesday's Dancing with the Stars fall season finale. Really? Unclebarky.com investigates by reading the almost invisible fine print. Get the real story on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Alamo city yields 2nd investigative reporter to D-FW's CBS11

CBS11 has made a second new hire in as many days -- and his name is Brian New. The D-FW station again targeted a San Antonio newsroom -- and this one has ties to Dallas and WFAA8. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Also, Tuesday's Dancing with the Stars-infused D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark

CBS11 adds investigative reporter Mireya Villarreal-Gideon

DFW-based CBS11 has bolstered its investigative unit with a new hire from San Antonio's WOAI-TV. Details are on our Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Larry Hagman's immediate ID as J.R. Ewing another example of how TV stardom endures

Larry Hagman did lots more in his long life than play J.R. Ewing. Still, it's his epitaph -- now and forever. At look at TV's everlasting impact is on our Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Still filling spots: WFAA8's latest newsroom hire is Albuquerque's Unger

Dallas-based WFAA8 has hired another new reporter, Todd Unger, from Albuquerque's KOAT-TV. More details and a sample of his work are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark

Indigestion? Cowboys also have bounteous D-FW ratings for Thanksgiving Day turkey

Dallas' Thanksgiving Day loss to the RGIII-led Redskins had a big tune-in locally. In fact, it was this season's second most-watched among 11 Cowboys games. Details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

A last, lingering goodbye to Larry Hagman

Larry Hagman was a character through and through -- and not just as J. R. Ewing. Our appreciation is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Good news for Fox4, CBS11 in D-FW's November "sweeps"

Fox4 had the most overall wins while CBS11 topped both the 6 and 10 p.m. competitions in total viewers during the November "sweeps" ratings period. Our complete report is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

Fall TV season's rises and falls

Wondering how your favorite new TV series are doing now that they're poised on the precipice of holiday season repeats? The ups, downs and demises of freshman series on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW are chronicled on our Network News & Reviews page.

Also, TCM makes a big investment in Johnny Carson's Tonight Show interviews, with 50 oldies coming in the first batch. Details and other TV tidbits are on the TV Bulletin Board page.
Ed Bark

Mess-terpiece theater: Lindsay Lohan in Liz & Dick

Perhaps there are bigger icks than Lifetime's Liz & Dick. But in recent memory, only the BP spill comes to mind. Lindsay Lohan stars as Elizabeth Taylor in this Sunday, Nov. 25th hoot. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Ken Burns' Dust Bowl another must-see history chapter

Ken Burns' latest film, The Dust Bowl, unfolds Sunday and Monday on PBS. Seeing is believing, even if some of its images are almost unbelievable. Our review is here.

Plus, Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark

Stones then and now (but mostly then) in HBO's evocative Crossfire Hurricane

The Rolling Stones are turning 50 -- as a band. So HBO's Crossfire Hurricane is in part a merchandising tool timed to both the anniversary and an impending tour. It's also a helluva documentary film, though, and our review is here.

Also, WFAA8 anchor John McCaa expresses his displeasure on-air with a tabloid-y question asked of viewers. And Wednesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in.
Ed Bark

Up-close and objective: D-FW's Tuesday, Nov. 13th ratings "sweeps" latenighters

Trumped-up "sweeps" stories remain all too commonplace in this market and others. We offer two Exhibit A's in Night 2 of our up-close look at D-FW's late nighters. Good work also is given its due.

Also, Tuesday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in the house.
Ed Bark

Up-close and objective: D-FW's Monday, Nov. 12th ratings "sweeps" latenighters

For a limited time, and down the homestretch of the November "sweeps" ratings period, we resume our longstanding "Night in the Lives" look at D-FW's late night newscasts. In some ways, nothing has changed. Impending weather changes still reigned supreme Monday night. But there's also much, much more on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, Monday's D-FW Nielsen ratings are in play.
Ed Bark

Jumpin' Jack Past: History network's Mankind ramps it up

History network's "epic" six-night, 12-hour Mankind: The Story of All of Us, make an aggressively loud and visually rich debut on Tuesday, Nov. 13th. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

Cowboys survive Eagles while ratings flutter

The Dallas Cowboys, paced by their defense and special teams, remained in the post-season hunt with Sunday's do or die win at Philadelphia. But fatigue may be setting in among restive viewers. See the weekend D-FW ratings "snapshot" for details.
Ed Bark

Corpulent cops on parade in CMT's Big Texas Heat

Another brain-draining "reality" series set in Texas? But of course, Still, the pound-foolish cops of CMT's Big Texas Heat not only take the cake, but could eat it in one gulp. Our review is here.
Ed Bark

TBS' Wedding Band: Not "Very Funny" (of course), but scores a few beats

TBS has reserved a latter day TV graveyard, Saturday night, for its new one-hour comedy Wedding Band. You might want to give it a shot anyway. Our review is here.

Also, the ratings problems deepen for two critically praised new ABC series, Nashville and Last Resort. Not only in D-FW, but nationally. For more details, see the Wednesday/Thursday local Nielsen "snapshot."
Ed Bark

Covering the election night coverage (starring, Sawyer, Rove, Trump)

President Obama's re-election is in the books after an oft-wacky night of national TV coverage. Did Karl Rove steal the comedy achievement award from Diane Sawyer? And could someone please send Donald Trump far, far away? Our up-close look, complete with a collection of pictures, is on the Network News & Reviews page.
Ed Bark

Breaking down D-FW's election night ratings

Fox News Channel reigned supreme in prime-time before its ratings fell off a cliff in late night. That's one of the ratings stories in our complete D-FW election night wrap-up. Get all the info right here.

Plus, Baylor's cancer hospitals get a PR boost in the three-part, locally produced Dallas Hope, which begins Thursday, Nov. 8th on WFAA8. More details are on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.
Ed Bark

As seen on TV: election day

By ED BARK
@unclebarkycom
Both games were blacked out in roughly 400,000 D-FW homes with Time Warner cable.

But the Dallas Cowboys’ stunningly low turnout for Friday night’s second pre-season game may have had quite a bit to do with the red-hot, first-place Texas Rangers playing meaningful baseball on TXA21 against the in-state rival Houston Astros.

The Rangers’ win ran long, stretching all the way until 11:08 p.m. while the Cowboys’ loss to Oakland ended at 11:57 p.m. on CBS11. So there was a substantial overlap, even though the Rangers began two hours earlier.

In that context, Cowboys-Raiders averaged just 316,673 viewers with a peak audience of 419,936 between 10:15 and 10:30 p.m. and a low point of 199,642 viewers for the closing minutes of the game.

Last year’s second pre-season game, also on CBS11, saw the Cowboys draw 541,928 viewers versus San Diego. This month’s pre-season opener, on NBC5 against Miami, had 695,304 viewers. So yes, Friday night’s game drew well less than half that crowd, sending shock waves through owner Jerry Jones’ innards.

Still, the blackout may not have been the sole culprit. The Rangers’ ratings were pretty much up to par, with an average of 213,410 viewers for their entire game against the Astros on blackout-afflicted TXA21. The game’s peak audience came between 10 and 10:15 p.m., when Rangers-Astros had 282,252 viewers vs. 351,094 for that segment of the Cowboys game.

The stalemate between Time Warner and CBS continues, with CBS11 also set to televise the remaining three Cowboys pre-season games against Arizona, Cincinnati and Houston. It’s unknown how many Cowboys fans in Time Warner homes are migrating to sports bars or other venues to watch their team. But in the in-home Nielsens, the Cowboys recorded their lowest turnout in recent memory on Friday night. The Rangers were at least in part responsible. But if you’re the Jones family, you blame it entirely on the blackout. Because the alternative explanation isn’t very comforting.

CBS’ Saturday and Sunday coverage of the PGA championship also was blacked out in Time Warner homes. Sunday’s final round averaged 117,031 viewers with a high point of 192,758 between 5:45 and 6 p.m. Jason Dufner’s short putt to win pro golf’s last of four Majors came at 5:56 p.m.

Over on Fox Sports Southwest, the Rangers’ Sunday afternoon victory at Houston averaged 178,989 viewers. Saturday night’s game, also a Rangers win, drew 199,642 viewers on FSS.

The weekend’s other big ratings story: very impressive D-FW numbers for the return of AMC’s Breaking Bad.

Airing at 8 p.m., BB won its time slot against all competing programming with 185,875 viewers. And its haul of advertiser-prized 18-to-49-year-olds -- 130,765 -- was even more dominant. Seven more episodes remain before BB ends its five-season run.

AMC then faltered with its premiere of Low August Sun, which drew only 41,305 total viewers despite the network’s decision to let BB bleed over a bit into the 9 p.m. hour. AMC’s 10 p.m. premiere of Talking Bad Live had 34,421 viewers. The respective 18-to-49 totals for the two programs were 28,705 and 22,326.

Here are Friday’s local news derby numbers:

Opposite the Cowboys and Rangers games, WFAA8 won a downsized three-way 10 p.m. competition in total viewers while Fox4 ran first with 25-to-54-year-olds (main advertiser target audience for news programming).

NBC5 ran the table at 6 a.m. and WFAA8 did likewise at 6 p.m. The Peacock and Fox4 tied for the most viewers at 5 p.m., with Fox4 alone on top with 25-to-54-year-olds.

Email comments or questions to: unclebarky@verizon.net

Cowboys up ratings with another up yours crater at crunch time

NBC's prime-time Sunday Night Football showcase helped push the Dallas Cowboys up the ratings ladder, luring a bigger crowd than the previous week's marrow-draining loss to the Giants. This time the Atlanta Falcons remained undefeated with a win the Cowboys basically handed to them. Check out the weekend Nielsens in our latest "snapshot."
Ed Bark

Here comes Honey Boo Boo (er, make that Nightcap)

Dallas-based CW33's newest news concoction, Nightcap, entered this earthly realm Thursday night. It in fact had some bright spots during a wildly uneven premiere. Our review is here.

Also, Thursday's D-FW Nielsen ratings find ABC's CMA awards battling CBS' regular lineup.
Ed Bark

SEAL Team Six re-kills bin Laden two days before election

A mini-furor is in play as National Geographic Channel prepares to air SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden just two days before the presidential election.

Financed by a prominent backer of President Obama, the scripted film's timing is in question. And Obama is seen throughout in archival footage portraying him as a man of decisive action. Still, will many people bother to watch on a Sunday night full of other prominent TV attractions? And is the film any good? Our assessment and review are right here.
Ed Bark

ABC's Malibu Country -- go back to the drawling board

ABC tries to re-start a semblance of its old TGIF comedy franchise with the Friday night premiere of Reba McEntire's Malibu Country and the Season 2 return of Tim Allen's Last Man Standing.

Our look at Malibu Country is on the Network News & Reviews page. Meanwhile, another ABC twanger, Nashville, is having a rough time in the D-FW Nielsens despite getting the most critical acclaim of any new fall broadcast network series. The latest ratings "snapshot" is on the Dallas-Fort Worth TV page.

Plus, it's another change of month, meaning that the most heavily posted unclebarky.com pages are starting anew while October shifts to the archives (See the long stream of months and years on the right hand border.)

It's also time to remind readers that any amazon.com purchases you make can provide a small commission to unclebarky.com if you first click on one of the Amazon ads on any page and then make the buys you were going to make anyway. The bigger the buy, the larger the commission, of course. And it all helps to keep your friendly content provider afloat with D-FW's only homegrown website devoted to local and national TV.

As always, thanks for your readership and support!
Ed Bark