On TV: IFC presents Independent Spirit Awards

In the Spirit

The Independent Film Channel gets Oscar weekend rolling with the Film Independent Spirit Awards at 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. Joel McHale plays host to the ceremony. Although it celebrates independent films, there's plenty of Oscar overlap, such as best-picture nominees “The Kids Are All Right,” “Black Swan,” “127 Hours” and “Winter's Bone.” The Academy Awards proper go out at 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, on ABC's WLS Channel 7.

Have guitar, will travel

PBS' “American Masters” revisits the '70s heyday of the singer-songwriter in “Troubadours,” at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, on WTTW Channel 11. It focuses on James Taylor and Carole King to look at the whole singer-songwriter movement.

First pitches

Keith Moreland debuts as the Cubs' radio analyst alongside Pat Hughes at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, on WGN 720-AM against the Oakland A's. The White Sox make their spring radio debut at 2 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, on WSCR 670-AM with Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson on the call. ESPN carries the first of 10 spring-training exhibition games when the Detroit Tigers play the Atlanta Braves at noon Thursday, March 3.

Waste Watcher: ‘Silence' is golden

It's still probably the most horrific film to ever win the Academy Award for best picture — and it's one of three to sweep the major acting and directing Oscars as well. Jonathan Demme's “Silence of the Lambs,” with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, runs at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, as part of Turner Classic Movies' “31 Days of Oscar” festival, after “It Happened One Night” at 7 p.m. and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” at 9.