HBO offered a first look trailer for its upcoming crime drama series We Own The City, which debuts April 25.

The six-episode series, based on the book by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, focuses on the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force.

We Own The City explores the corruption and moral collapse that befell Baltimore in which the policies of drug prohibition and mass arrest were championed at the expense of actual police work, according to HBO.

The series stars Treat Williams, Gabrielle Carteris, Tray Chaney, Domenick Lombardozzi, Thaddeus Street, Jermaine Crawford and Nathan E. Corbett.

We Own The City is executive produced by George Pelecanos and David Simon, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Nina K. Noble, Ed Burns, and Kary Antholis.

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As racial inequality protests took place in cities large and small across the U.S., and some grew violent, Baltimore residents protested peacefully. Memories of the mayhem after Freddie Gray died in police custody in 2015 were likely a factor in keeping the street scenes within the laws. 

“There were demonstrations for sure,” said Bill Hooper, VP and general manager of WMAR, “but they were peaceful.”

Yet Baltimore has its challenges. Hooper called crime “a cloud over the city.” The beloved Preakness was cancelled last spring. Maryland has pushed hard to fight COVID, which means serious restrictions across the state, hurting restaurants and retail. 

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The stations have plenty to cover. Hearst Television has NBC affiliate WBAL. CBS owns WJZ. Scripps has ABC outlet WMAR and Sinclair Broadcast Group owns Fox affiliate WBFF, while managing The CW outlet WNUV and running MyNetworkTV station EBFF on a dot-two. Comcast (Xfinity) is the primary pay TV operator. 

Stations in DMA No. 28 have been increasing their news. WMAR and WJZ both slotted a 7 p.m. newscast in September. For WMAR, it came after President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 news conferences would often bump the 5 p.m. news. For WJZ, the newscast offers a high story count and lively pace. “It’s the entire news of the day in those 30 minutes,” said Audra Swain, president and general manager. 

WBFF, which does morning news 4:30-10 a.m., added an 11 a.m. news in September. It leads into Fox 45 Bmore Lifestyle. “We always continue to expand news, and that was the natural next step,” said Bill Fanshawe, senior VP and group manager at WBFF. 

WJZ will launch its CBSN Local streaming product in the first quarter. Swain sees it like a duopoly — a chance to offer local content when WJZ airs football or other network programming. “It can be so much more than a simulcast,” she said. 

WMAR’s topical specials have included Bridging the Gap and Rebound Maryland. It debuted its OTT product in September. “It’s pretty much a constant local news presence in the marketplace,” Hooper said. “That’s been a very big thing for us.”

WBAL is “tied at the hip” with a pair of Hearst-owned local radio stations, said Dan Joerres, president and general manager, one hard rock and one talk. Some of the rock jocks host a Saturday night program called Justin, Scott and Spiegel Shouldn’t Be on TV. Joerres called the radio properties “a huge advantage.”

WBAL, which conducted town halls related to race, is a ratings beast, and WJZ is not far off the pace. In December, the two were virtually tied in households at 6 a.m., and WBAL won in viewers 25-54. WJZ had the upper hand in both races at 5 p.m., while WBAL did at 6 p.m. At 11 p.m., WBAL posted a 5.0 household rating and 1.8 in 25-54. WJZ had a 4.5 and 1.0, WBFF a 1.8 and 0.9 and WMAR a 1.1 and 0.5. 

“Our brand is Live, Local, Late-Breaking,” said Joerres. “We live it and breathe it every day.”

The NFL’s Baltimore Ravens are an adored local team. WJZ has its “Purple franchise,” said Swain, such as Ravens-centric Purple Playbook and Purple Preview. “It’s a real source of pride for us,” she said. 

With Fanshawe taking on a larger regional role within Sinclair, Billy Robbins was named WBFF VP/general manager. WBFF has a pair of investigative franchises: “Project Baltimore” focuses on schools and “Crime & Justice” on government. 

General managers said Baltimore is vastly different from the way it is often depicted, such as on 2000s crime drama The Wire. Said Joerres, “We’re a very tight-knit community.”

ESPN analyst Ray Lewis will not take part in the network's NFL Draft coverage Thursday as planned and instead will remain in Baltimore to help quell the violence that erupted in the city yesterday.

Lewis, who was scheduled to be an on-air analyst for ESPN Thursday during the network’s coverage of the NFL Draft, said in a statement that he felt it “important for me to stay in Baltimore and try to help the city I love. I greatly appreciate ESPN's understanding and flexibility at this late date. I did not feel right leaving the city at this time."

Lewis earlier released a video on his Facebook page pleading for calm after violent rioting in the city yesterday after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered a fatal injury while in police custody on April 19.

NFL Front Office Insider Louis Riddick to fill-in for Lewis on ESPN’s Round 1 telecast Thursday Night, said ESPN.

The violence in Baltimore generate strong ratings for Fox News Monday night as the news network drew nearly 3 million viewers in prime time to top CNN and MSNBC, according to Nielsen. CNN averaged 925,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo to lead all cable news networks.

On a 24-hour basis Fox was tops with 1.4 million viewers, followed by CNN’s 907,000 viewers. CNN drew 368,000 25-54 year old viewers in the daypart compared to FNC’s 349,000.

The Baltimore Orioles are on the wrong end of the score line, but TBS continues to register Nielsen success with its coverage of the American League Championship Series.

TBS scored a 3.8 U.S. household rating that translated into 6 million viewers on average with its Oct. 14 telecast of Game 3 during which the Kansas City Royals, continuing their defensive wizadry this time courtesy of Mike Moustakas (pictured), pushed the O's to the edge of extinction with their 2-1 triumph.

The deliveries marked a 23% ratings rise from the 3.1 for the corresponding game of the 2013  National League Championship Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers, while the audience grew 25% from the 4.8 million, according to Nielsen data.

Tuesday night’s ALCS Game 3 peaked with a 4.5 rating and 7.19 million viewers in the 10:15 p.m. (ET) quarter hour. Based on metered market ratings, TBS's LACS coverage gave it the night across all of cable television.

Through the three Royals wins, TBS has averaged a 3.3 rating and 5.35 million viewers, up 6% and 13%, respectively from the 3.1 and 4.75 million for Cards-Dodgers a year ago.

The battle of mid-sized market teams -- KC is 31st, while the Baltimore DMA ranks 26th among Nielsen's metered markets -- continues on Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. with the O's looking to stave off elimination.

§  TBS’ exclusive coverage of the ALCS is averaging 5,349,000 total viewers through three games, up 13% over an average of 4,746,000 total viewers for the network’s comparable LCS game telecasts last year (Dodgers/Cardinals).  This year’s corresponding 3.3 U.S. HH rating is up 6% over a 3.1 U.S. HH rating to date in 2013. Additionally, the 2014 ALCS is driving growth across all key demos including an 11% increase in People 18-49 vs. 2013. 

TBS’s exclusive coverage of the American League Championship Series Game 3 between the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals delivered an average of 6.0 million total viewers, up 25% over the network’s comparable LCS telecast last year (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis – 4.8 million total viewers).  This year’s corresponding 3.8 U.S. HH rating is up 23% over a 3.1 U.S. HH rating in 2013.

·      Kansas City and Baltimore represent the two smallest combined market sizes in ALCS history.

·      Kansas City ranks 31st among the 56 metered markets, last among all A.L. teams with 923,000 households. Baltimore ranks 26th among the metered markets and 14th in the America League, only slightly ahead of the Royals.

·      This year’s market sizes for the ALCS are 70% smaller than the network’s comparable coverage of the 2013 NLCS (Los Angeles vs. St. Louis) based on available television households — 2,015,910 vs. 6,750,660.

·      L.A. alone is nearly triple the size of the combined markets this year (5,523,800 vs. 2,015,910) or 63% larger when compared with 2014.

Last night’s ALCS Game 3 peaked with a 4.5 U.S. HH rating and 7,187,000 total viewers from 10:15-10:30 p.m. ET.  Based on metered market ratings, TBS won the night across all of cable television.