Thursday’s broadcast of WTTW-Ch. 11’s “Chicago Tonight” is the first in a series of tests for Network Chicago, new a multimedia initiative that will provide program information in a variety of media to viewers of the local public broadcasting station.
Network Chicago will utilize television, radio, print, the Internet and branded community events in a wide-reaching convergence of media, according to Dan Schmidt, president and chief executive officer of Window to the World Communications, the parent company of Channel 11 and radio station WFMT.
“We are going to have to think of ourselves less as a public television broadcasters and radio broadcasters and the producers of quality radio and television programming,” Schmidt said, “and start to think of ourselves as producers and distributors and assemblers and editors and linkers of quality public service content that crosses as many media platforms as (possible).”
The initiative will interlock a single local TV program with Internet coverage, which involves streaming video from the show onto computer screens. In addition, WFMT will promote that show, as well as use more arts-related programming and segments overall. The station’s Eleven magazine (which will also go through a transformation to fit under Network Chicago’s umbrella) will carry articles about the show, and sometimes a community-related function will be tied to the show, too.
Schmidt said the initiative might go into effect sometime this spring.
Thursday’s edition of “Chicago Tonight” is an hourlong special on medical and technological advances dubbed “Chicago Tomorrow.” Hosted by “Chicago Tonight’s” Phil Ponce at 7 p.m., it will feature more pieces than the usual “Chicago Tonight.”
For now, the show will be enhanced by the Internet portion of the initiative only, at www.wttw.com, although a separate “Network Chicago” Web site eventually will be developed.
Sunday
– “Brak Presents the Brak Show Starring Brak”Cartoon Network’s musical/variety special starring the daffy space-villain-turned-musical-sidekick on Space Ghost’s irreverent talk show is one strange, silly trip at 6 p.m.)
– The Sci-Fi Channel hit a home run with its “Curse of the Blair Witch,” last year’s eerie companion piece to the hit horror movie. But it strikes out with “Into Pitch Black” at 7 p.m., which awkwardly expands on the new sci-fi horror release “Pitch Black,” where a spaceship crew crash-lands on a planet populated by murderous creatures.
– Alfre Woodard covers some of the same ground of self-discovery, Southern style, at 7 p.m. in her feature “Down in the Delta” part of Showtime’s “The Wishing Tree.” There she plays an attorney whose life is changed during a trip to the deep South home of her late mother.
– Actor Leon, who excelled as David Ruffin in “The Temptations,” is playing one of rock’s pioneers in NBC’s “Little Richard” at 8 p.m. on WMAQ-Ch. 5.
– “Flowers for Algernon” reprises the 1968 film “Charly,” for which Cliff Robinson won an Oscar for his role as a mentally handicapped man whose intelligence is enhanced through an experiment. Matthew Modine takes over the Robertson role in the new CBS movie at 8 p.m.on WBBM-Ch. 2.
– Tony (James Gandolfini) and his crew should be in orbit: Frank Sinatra Jr. appears as himself on HBO’s “The Sopranos” at 8 p.m.
– Agents Scully and Mulder (Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny) are followed by a film crew from “Cops” on Fox’s “The X-Files” at 8 p.m.on WFLD-Ch. 32.
Monday
– E! Entertainment Television devotes programming to African-American stars starting at 8 a.m. At 8 p.m. is a new “E! True Hollywood Story” on Ron O’Neal, who played 1970s blaxploitation movie hero Superfly.
n MTV premieres its first TV-movie, “2gether,” which spoofs an `N Sycn-like boy band at 7 p.m.
– Nickelodeon’s “The Wild Thornberrys” does an episode on animals in danger of extinction each night at 7 p.m. A new episode premiering Saturday explains how young Eliza Thornberry gained her powers to talk to animals.
Tuesday
– Monica Lewinsky is set to drop in on her girlfriend Barbara Walters on ABC’s “The View” at 10 a.m.on WLS-Ch. 7.
– Rival slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku), who was beaten into a coma by the Bufferino (Sarah Michelle Gellar) last season, is awake and bent on vengeance in the first of a two-part episode of the WB’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” at 7 p.m.on WGN-Ch. 9.
– New “Forgive or Forget” host Robin Givens temporarily forgoes her day job for an appearance on Pax TV’s “Chicken Soup for the Soul” at 7 p.m.on WCPX-Ch. 38.
– Jerry Seinfeld is the voice of an uppity computer on UPN’s “Dilbert” at 8:30 p.m.on WPWR-Ch. 50.
Wednesday
– The story of the 42nd annual Grammy Awards is Carlos Santana, whose album “Supernatural” received 10 nominations. The famed guitarist has only been nominated for five Grammys in his 30-year career, winning one in 1988. Rosie O’Donnell hosts CBS’ broadcast at 7 p.m. on WBBM-Ch. 2).
– See if stunt cyclist Robbie Knievel breaks his neck in his scheduled jump over a speeding train on Fox at 7 p.m. on WFLD-Ch. 32).
– Channel 11 looks at the Chicago Human Rhythm Project, the largest performance and education forum for tap and related dancing styles in the world, and its participation in Chicago’s 8th annual Festival of Tap and Percussive Dance at 8 p.m. on WTTW-Ch. 11.
Friday
– WYCC-Ch. 20’s “Absolute Artistry” looks at Chicago’s R&B scene at 7 p.m.
Saturday
– WGN-Ch. 9’s “People to People” features a compilation of the station’s “Pillars of a People” month-long segments on influential African-Americans at 6:30 a.m.
– “The Weekenders” is a new animated series about four kids who spend the weekend finding new ways to have fun and get into trouble. It airs during ABC’s “One Saturday Morning” block, which starts at 7:30 a.m. on WLS-Ch. 7.
– Lucky Damon Wayans is a co-host of “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2000,” the behind-the-scenes development of the sports magazine’s annual bathing suit photo shoot at 7 p.m. on TNT.
– TBS broadcasts the 2000 Trumpet Awards at 7:05 p.m. The network created the award to honor African-Americans in fields as diverse as law, politics and entertainment.
