NBC Sports Chicago to debut new “Unfiltered With David Kaplan” Monday

Live, daily sports talk programming returns to NBC Sports Chicago For the first time since the cancellation of Sports Talk Live, NBC Sports Chicago is launching new local half-hour nightly sports program Unfiltered With David Kaplan beginning Monday, coinciding with the start of baseball season later in the week. According to a press release, Kaplan “will bring the entertainment to […]

ESPN Bears beat reporter Jeff Dickerson dies

Covered Bears for ESPN, former ABC 7 sports reporter Condolences are pouring in from all over as ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM) Chicago Bears beat reporter Jeff Dickerson died Tuesday at the age of 44 from colon cancer. Our hearts ache as we share that our teammate & friend, Jeff Dickerson, has passed away. JD was an amazing son, husband, father & […]

Rewinding media in 2021: You just can’t explain it

  Popularity isn’t exactly overrated as 2021 ends a wild year in media Like mystery of the sphinx or crop circles, you just can’t explain the continued popularity of certain things despite questionable changes. After the firing of Mark Giangreco and seemingly public disdain for one of her former co-anchors, ABC 7 remains on top of local Chicago news ratings, […]

Good Karma acquires ESPN 1000 and fellow New York and Los Angeles stations

Had been operating ESPN 1000 under local marketing agreement Good Karma Brands announced Monday it has exercised its option to buy ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM) from Disney.  The company is also acquiring ESPN’s New York (WEPN/98.7 ESPN) and Los Angeles (KSPN-AM/ESPN 710), giving the Wisconsin-based company inroads in the nation’s three top radio markets. The amount of money Good Karma paid […]

The Media Notepad: Leila Rahimi heads to NBC 5 as sports anchor and reporter

Also: ESPN 1000 gets new GM; Packers have new Milwaukee radio home; Sinclair still have trouble from ransomware attacks  Leila Rahimi, who joined WSCR-AM/The Score earlier this year as Dan Bernstein’s co-host, is now returning to television as a part-time sports reporter and anchor. The Denton, Tex. native has joined NBC-owned WMAQ-TV/NBC 5’s sports department as part of a rotation […]

Chicago Bulls ink multi-year extension with The Score

Future prospects for young team look good With the rest of Chicago men’s sports teams swimming in a dumpster fire right now (the Blackhawks have yet to win a game and the Bears are…well, the Bears), it’s the Chicago Bulls who’ve stepped up and played like a real professional sports team, instead of a bunch of junior varsity rejects on […]

The Media Notepad: Few are partying with “Chicago Party Aunt”

Bad reviews, viewer feedback sink show as show falls off radar. Also: ESPN 1000’s Mike Thomas exits; ex-B96 jock Roxanne Steele leaves Detroit radio job; Peanuts specials back on PBS Remember a month ago when this space crowed about Chicago Party Aunt, telling her to party on? Well, the party may be soon over as not too many viewers are […]

The Media Notepad: Journalists and columnists exit Chicago Tribune en masse

Also: The Score’s Danny Parkins raises money for a neighborhood grocery; ESPN 1000 comes to HD Radio; Lauren Lake signs on with Entertainment Studios for new show   As the website was under construction for the last two weeks, here were some stories that made news, and as you can imagine, this first item was the biggest. With Alden Global Capital […]

Mark Giangreco out at ABC 7 after on-air comment about Cheryl Burton

Out after 27 years at ABC-owned station As expected, ABC-owned WLS-TV fired top sports anchor Mark Giangreco was fired late Friday after his on-air comment about co-anchor Cheryl Burton. As first reported by Robert Feder, Giangreco was officially released from his contract, settling financial terms with the station, which were not disclosed. Giangreco arrived at ABC 7 in 1994, after […]

Cubs PBP voice Len Kasper joins White Sox in radio role

Kasper shifts from the North Side to the South Side in a new role  In a stunning move first reported by The Athletic late Thursday evening, Cubs play-by-play man Len Kasper signed a deal with the crosstown Chicago White Sox, leaving the North Siders after sixteen seasons. The move was officially announced Friday morning by the White Sox and their […]

Chicago White Sox return to ESPN 1000

Team returns to WMVP in new three-year deal After a turbulent last few weeks after the team announced the return of 76-year old Tony LaRussa as manager, the Chicago White Sox announced another retro signing – a return to WMVP-AM, branded as ESPN 1000. The last time you heard them on ESPN 1000, they became World Series Champs. The next […]

ESPN 1000 to launch new morning show with David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood

Two longtime sports talk veterans get together for new 7-10 a.m. program In a sweeping schedule realignment, ESPN 1000 (WMVP-AM) is adding a new local morning show.  David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood will take over the 7-to-10 a.m. slot starting on Monday, giving ESPN 1000 its first morning drive-time show in recent memory as the station has mostly stuck with […]

Rewinding 2019 in media

  Disney Plus made the biggest splash of the year 2019 saw the end of several institutions, big media battles, and disappointing sports teams. Let’s start with the huge changes in big media, as Disney closed on its purchase of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Viacom reuniting with CBS again with a new name (ViacomCBS) as the race […]

ESPN 1000 gets some Good Karma

Milwaukee area-based broadcaster to take over WMVP In news that surprised numerous media observers Wednesday, Milwaukee area-based Good Karma Brands announced it is taking over The Walt Disney Co’s. ESPN 1000, aka WMVP-AM in a long-term local marketing agreement beginning September 29. The move means Disney/ESPN would continue to own the station but is ceding day-to-day operations to Good Karma, […]

Newsflash: Clueless member of the media writes about media

McQueary’s piece on radio is a complete waste of time and space, as she is a member of the same political party who helped deregulate radio – leading to piped-in out-of-town voices in the first place.  Every once in a while, you have those who work in the media who write about the media, proving how completely clueless they are […]