In March 2018, TEGNA was making headlines for luring Emmy Award-winning television producer Burt Dubrow to serve as the senior executive producer of TEGNA’s entertainment and news program Daily Blast LIVE (“DBL”), which crowdsources its content in real-time from viewers through social media.
Lots has changed since then with respect to the landscape for syndicated programming; NATPE’s pandemic-era bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by a Canadian company known for its just-concluded Banff World Media Festival further clouded the marketplace for TV shows.
Now, TEGNA has decided to “sunset” Daily Blast LIVE.
The program’s final episode is scheduled for Friday, September 6, and will conclude seven seasons of the program.
In a statement, a TEGNA spokesperson thanked its “incredibly talented on-air talent and production team” for providing viewers “energetic, humorous and thoughtful debate.”
A look back at the show’s “best moments” will be seen in episodes leading up to the show’s conclusion.
What does this mean for Daily Blast Live hosts Sam Schacher, Jeff Shroeder, Al Jackson, Erica Cobb, Tori Shulman and Stefanie Jones? That remains to be seen.
Six years ago, “DBL” aired live in every time zone each weekday in 35 TEGNA-owned television markets and appeared live on Facebook and YouTube. Production was based at TEGNA-owned KUSA-9 in Denver.
Asked why TEGNA opted to “sunset” the show, and if it could be termed a cancellation, the TEGNA spokesperson called the end of Daily Blast LIVE “a business decision.”
One industry observer familiar with the syndicated television landscape in 2024 notes that acquisition costs, which are low at the present time for the content being offered to broadcast stations in the U.S., is likely another factor.
The conclusion of Daily Blast LIVE brings a programming hole to the TV stations it presently airs on; TEGNA did not offer details as to what stations may consider as a successor show.
I love DBL and never miss a show. I am shocked and disappointed!!!!
I can’t believe this!!!
Such a terrible business decision.
That will be an hour that nothing can take it’s place!!!
I agree Cindy and also everyone who is devastated by this terrible news! I love the way they can deliver different points of view on current matters and always listen and respect each others views. I plan my day so I don’t miss Daily Blast Live! I think it’s a terrible business decision and I feel it’s a great personal loss for all the viewers as well as the cast.
I implore Tegna to reconsider this terrible decision!
So sorry to hear that they are canceling DBL. It is one of my favorite shows to watch. Also The Talk is being canceled on the same network. I will miss both of them.
I look forward to DBL every day. Love the lively conversations snd guests. Really saddened by this business decision.
DBL is so refreshing
Compared the news channels.
Please reconsider canceling this show. I record it every day as I like to know what the younger people are thinking and what our future will be like in their hands.
This is a great show!
I would love to sign a petition to Keep the show. I fell in love with the show a few years ago. I don’t miss a day. The group of host are great with different opinions and seem like true friends that can agree to disagree. Love all the topics!
This is indeed terrible news and a bad decision from Tegna. This show is fantastic and has many loyal viewers. I DVR the show daily to watch in the evening. It is my FAVORITE news/talk show each host brings so
much to the table of conversations, very fair, loving cast members, educational and sincere opinions. Even their guests say “how delighted they are to be on the show and how impressive the cast of hosts conduct themselves! It’s a great show and I am sorely disappointed to learn about its demise today about ending the show in Sept 2024. Dr. Koli and all the other regular experts on the show will also be missed! I am actually really sad and angry that Tegna has put this fate on this brilliant show!
We watch daily blast live EVERY DAY. it is the only talk shows where you get true information on issues..AND points of view from all perspectives. With discussion that are civil and respective with regard to different
opinion.
Please allow the program to stay on the air
I am greatly disappointed to see daily blast leaving been watching this show from the beginning I live in southern Illinois love the topics and guests
Obviously, TEGNA is making this decision without giving any thought to the popularity of this show or the unmatched quality of the chemistry between the panel of hosts!! I’m SO sick and tired of good shows getting cancelled despite being wildly popular because someone looking at the $$ they’re raking in decides there may be a way to get an extra buck by doing something else! The point of TV was supposed to be to provide entertainment and information to people, remember??!! It seems like now it’s all gone the way of trying to make the wealthy even wealthier and to hell with what the people want!! This show is the best thing to happen to daytime TV in a LONG TIME, and during this time of constant emotional upheaval with grisly wars, the political chaos, and hateful fights across every topic and platform….it is NEEDED!! It’s bringing respectful discourse into the day and there’s genuine friendship and care between the hosts. It’s not a talk show but an intimate conversation with a group of friends for an hour a day which a LARGE NUMBER of people need and depend on for the good of their mental health right now!! What a terrible decision at a terrible time!!! You’re causing a lot of people across the country a LOT of pain and anxiety with this callous disregard for everything but the almighty dollar. This greed has seeped into everything and has proven EXACTLY how society is being ripped apart by shareholders! Maybe it’s time to boycott TEGNA and CBS!
I watched and liked DBL a lot, but….. over the last 2 years it seemed that the panel was confrontational in some of the shows. 7 years is a long time and maybe the personalities were getting in the way. It just didn’t come together like before.
I could not say it any better than Heather Scott did above. She hit all the high points and made an excellent argument on the cancellation. My sanity sometimes depends on watching this show. Instead of removing all the positive and uplifting programing, management will probably add another depressing program to continue the negativity in this country. Great, just what we need! My only question is….why didn’t the viewers get to vote on this decision??
My husband and I look forward to DBL everyday. We are very disappointed that the show has been canceled. You have made a big mistake!
I love watching DBL-they have lively debates and you see different sides of a story, so you can make an informed decision how you feel. They respect and love each other and that’s why it’s such a refreshing show. Their humor has me laughing out loud sometimes. Please reconsider taking the show off of the air saving countless jobs, and keeping a really enjoyable show on air for all of us!
I love this show and am very disappointed to see it go. I loved the personalities of the host. They made me feel like I knew them personally. I loved seeing them express their viewpoints. I wish the viewers had a say in the show being cancelled. I will miss them all.
Horrible show. Just awful ! Ellen re-runs would of been better than Daily Blast.
NOOOOOO!!!! Please this cannot be. My day is scheduled around DBL. We watch the show on KHOU-11 Houston at 3:00 PM. This is a very disappointing decision. This show has three very intelligent personalities with great points of view. Far exceeds the intelligence of the View and other discussion panel programs. I am hoping everyone stands up to keep DBL.
Hello from Seattle,
Please reconsider your decision! The 2pm and 2:30pm slots will be empty. The Daily Blast team is family!
It’s so sad and disappointing to see a sunset to a great cast and show which will be truly missed. Please reconsider!!!
SOOOO sad… my favorite show and I orient my day at home to tune in… terrible decision to end this diverse, honest, insightful show.
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