The focus of this category is on news relating to television and the television industry, as well as reviews or critiques of individual television programs, brands, channels, stations, or networks.
Television has always been more than just a medium for entertainment. It has become a global industry that has significantly influenced public discourse.
This portion of our web guide discusses websites and resources that chronicle, analyze, and critique the evolving landscape of television, encompassing news coverage of the television industry, from corporate mergers, programming strategies, and technological changes, as well as reviews and critical examinations of individual television programs, brands, channels, stations, and networks.
In the early days of broadcast television, industry news was largely confined to trade publications and insider bulletins, while program reviews appeared in newspapers and general-interest magazines. Critics like Jack Gould of the New York Times or Mary Ann Watson in academic circles helped establish television criticism as a serious form of cultural commentary.
The late 20th century saw the rise of cable and satellite television, which multiplied the number of channels, intensifying competition for audiences. This created a greater demand for timely industry news, ratings, analysis, and program reviews. Trade outlets like Variety and Broadcasting & Cable became essential for industry professionals, while mainstream critics reached broader audiences through syndicated columns and television segments.
The Internet revolutionized how television news and reviews are produced and consumed. Today, coverage is no longer limited to professional critics, as bloggers, podcasters, and other social media commentators have joined the conversation. Online platforms provide instant access to breaking industry news, casting announcements, behind-the-scenes interviews, and in-depth think pieces on trends like streaming wars, binge-watching culture, and the globalization of TV content.
Review sites now range from aggregators that compile critic and audience scores, to niche fan communities dedicated to specific genres, shows, or networks. Many offer episode-by-episode recaps, spoiler discussions, and interactive features like polls, quizzes, and live chats. Others focus on parental guidance and content advisories, helping viewers make informed choices about what to watch based on factors like violence, language, or thematic material.
The resources in this category may include industry news outlets covering network programming, decisions, executive changes, ratings reports, advertising trends, and technological innovations; program review sites offering critiques of individual episodes, seasons, or entire series, often with ratings, thematic analysis, and comparisons to similar works; historical archives documenting the evolution of television through retrospectives, biographies of influential figures, and analyses of landmark programs that shaped the industry; fan-driven communities, such as discussion forums, fan fiction, speculation on future storylines, and grassroots campaigns to save or revivew shows; and specialized review platforms concentrating on specific genres, or focusing on particular aspects such as writing quality, acting, cinematography, or cultural representation.
Television reviews serve multiple purposes. They can guide audiences toward or away from certain programs, provide cultural and political context, and hold creators accountable for the quality and impact of their work. Trusted reviewers, whether professional journalists or passionate amateurs, help audiences navigate the overwhelming array of choices.
Criticism also plays a role in shaping the industry itself. Positive reviews can boost a show's visibility and longevity, while negative critiques may prompt creative changes or even cancellations. In some cases, critical acclaim has rescued struggling programs from obscurity, while widespread criticism has sparked public debate about representation, ethics, or standards.
Today, coverage often extends beyond the screen to include transmedia storytelling over multiple platforms, as well as global co-productions, bringing talent and audiences together from different countries. Streaming has shifted the focus from weekly ratings to subscriber growth, binge-release strategies, and international market penetration.
Recommended Resources
Broadcast is a UK-based online resource providing comprehensive television and radio news, data, analysis, and opinion. It serves industry professionals, content creators, and media enthusiasts with up-to-date coverage of programming, commissioning deals, audience ratings, and industry trends. Its content is sorted into the following categories: News, Analysis, Ratings, Events, Magazine, Jobs, and International. It also runs annual initiatives like surveys and awards.
https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/
Broadcasting in Chicago, 1921-1989
The website, curated by Rich Samuels, offers a deep dive into the evolution of Chicago's radio and television landscape from its earliest experimental broadcasts through the late 1980s. It brings together program histories, behind-the-scenes tours, personality profiles, audio and video archives, and other content, all organized for easy exploration. Readers may begin by selecting a topic that intrigues them, whether a landmark program, an early facility, or a photo gallery.
http://www.richsamuels.com/
BuddyTV features articles, news, interviews and other information regarding your favorite TV shows and actors as well as previews of upcoming shows and episodes. The website also provides TV trivia and features most watched videos, top rated celebs, photos and TV shows. The website also provides TV shows guides and listings, free online episodes and videos, forums and other fun stuffs such as quizzes, TV graffiti, raters, contests, the TVj (Television Jockey) and a lot more.
https://www.buddytv.com/
A division of NTVB Media, Channel Guide Magazine is a monthly entertainment and television programming publication that helps viewers find what to watch on television. It features more than 200 pages with more than 3,000 movie listings, and includes daily program schedules for 120 networks. The magazine also features extensive reviews of new series, specials, and movies, along with celebrity interviews and exclusive content. "Remind Magazine," a companion publication, is also featured.
https://www.channelguidemag.com/
CSM is an American non-profit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology to provide information on their suitability for children. Founded by Jim Steyer in 2003, it also funds research on the role of media in children's lives and advocates for child-friendly policies and laws regarding media and education. Its digital citizenship curriculum is taught by more than a million teachers in the United States and other countries. Parents' guides are featured on its website.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
An initiative of the National Association of Broadcasters, DTV Answers is designed to guide consumers through the nation's transition from analog to digital broadcast television, which was completed on June 12, 2009. Digital television is an over-the-air broadcasting technology that delivers crystal-clear pictures, enhanced sound quality, and multiple programming streams (multicasting). It's more spectrum-efficient than analog. A DTV toolkit may be downloaded.
https://www.dtvanswers.com/
Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1990, Mediaweek transitioned to digital-only publishing in 2017. The Australian trade news website covers the media, marketing, and advertising industries, reporting on developments across Australia's television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and outdoor advertising sectors. It is known for its editorial coverage, podcast productions, and industry events, including its flagship "Mediaweek 100" and "Mediaweek Next of the Best Awards."
https://www.mediaweek.com.au/
Radio + Television Business Report
RBR is the home of Radio + Television Business Report, branding itself as "The Voice of the Broadcasting Industry." It delivers up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and commentary tailored to professionals in radio, television, and related media sectors. Its features include premium content and deep-dive analysis, InFOCUS Video Podcasts featuring industry leaders, dedicated sections for Radio, Television, Media News, and Tech RoundUp, and classifieds for jobs, sales, and advertising opportunities.
https://rbr.com/
Created in 2000, Reality TV World positions itself as a one-stop destination for reality-TV enthusiasts, delivering news, episode recaps, cast interviews, games, and fan discussion for dozens of top franchises. Its features include daily news articles with photo thumbnails, in-depth episode summaries and breakdowns, interviews and exclusive quotes from cast members, relationship status updates and spoilers, leaderboards and rankings, and user-friendly navigation.
https://www.realitytvworld.com/
This is an online repository offering in-depth reviews, articles, biographies, and historical retrospectives on television shows across genres and eras. The website curates content ranging from children's stop-motion animations to legal dramas, political satire, and cult series, catering to enthusiasts of both classic and contemporary television. Its features include show reviews, in-depth biographies, historical articles covering TV history, and categorization by show titles.
https://televisionheaven.co.uk/
Televisual is a leading UK magazine serving professionals responsible for creating television, film, commercials, and corporate content. It reaches broadcasters, production companies, and the wider supply chain, offering industry news, analysis, and features to keep the community informed and connected. Key sections include News, Features, Watch, Bulldogs, Subscribe, About, and Categories (TV & Film, Commercials & Brand, Post & Fix, The Kit). Subscription options are featured.
https://www.televisual.com/
TheFutonCritic is a great television resource that provides news and information and allows you to track TV series (past and present), in development TV series, TV movies and mini series. The website also provides a fall guide and listings of TV series schedules on all network that can be searched by air date, release date or by series. You can also limit your search/track by network, time slot, status, genre or by studio. The website also contains TV series ratings as well as rants and reviews.
http://www.thefutoncritic.com/
Founded in 1948, TV Guide is an American bi-weekly magazine that provides television program listings information, as well as television-related news, celebrity interviews and gossip, film reviews, crossword puzzles, and, in some issues, horoscopes. Its operating comapny, TV Guide Magazine LLC, has been owned by NTVB Media since 2015. TV Guide Magazine was spun off from TV Guide in 2008, although it has a license to use the name and logo in its print publications.
https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/
Formerly known as "TV Tech News," the website is a UK-focused digital trade publication covering technology, operations, and market developments across broadcast, streaming, and video industries. The site is organized into key sections, such as News, Opinions, Products, Events, and Resource Center. Regular features include on-the-ground show coverage, deep dives on NextGen TV and IP-based workflows, and executive interviews highlighting vendor roadmaps and operator strategies.
https://tvtechnews.uk/
TV Rage was a long-running TV database and episode guide site that has not published new materials since 2016, but remains online. The site offered episode guides and air dates for TV shows, user-contributed show pages, episode summaries, community tools, and searchable cast and crew information and series histories. Because the site is static and unmaintained, some pages may be incomplete, broken, or missing newer shows and episodes, but may still be valuable as a resource into TV history.
http://www.tvrage.com/
Founded in 2006 by former Broadcasting & Cable editor Harry Jessell as TVNewsDay, the website was rebranded and grew into an influential voice for the broadcast industry. It is a leading trade publication covering the business of television news, delivering daily updates on programming, technology, advertising, AI in journalism, digital regulation, and key industry personnel, along with market briefs and analysis. Included are original reporting and video features on local and national trends.
https://tvnewscheck.com/
Curated by Billy Ingram, and online since the mid-1990s, TVparty! is a long-running fan site devoted to classic television. It includes in-depth articles and tributes to classic shows and performers, including Andy Griffith, Happy Days, Dark Shadows, The Night Stalker, and several others from the 1950s through the 1970s. It features niche topics, such as local kids' shows, vintage commercials, game shows, TV tie-ins, unsold pilots, TV-era cultural pieces, galleries, and video links.
http://www.tvparty.com/
Owned by Dexter Canfield Media, TelevisionWeek covers the people, events, programming, and technology trends that affect the industry, with a focus on being the insider's guide to the business behind the scenes. Founded and launched in 1982 as Electronic Media, and later renamed TVWeek, the magazine moved exclusively to the Internet in 2009. Topic headings include TV Bizwire, Open Mic, Viral Videos, and Newsletters. An introduction to the site, a media kit, and contact information are included.
https://www.tvweek.com/
