The Media Notepad: “The Food Guy” exits NBC 5

Steve Dolinsky takes job at Levy Restaurants; Chicago Sky expands distribution; 93.9 The Lite returns to the top of the PPMs [Editor’s Note: The first item of this piece was updated on May 22 to add Facebook post.] “The Food Guy” has reviewed his final plate on Chicago television. Steve Dolinsky announced this week he was departing NBC 5 (NBC-owned […]

NBC 5 launches new real estate show, “The Listing”

Features luxury residences for sale in the Chicago area NBC 5 (NBC-owned WMAQ-TV) launched a new show this weekend called The Listing.  Airing Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m., Chicago viewers get an inside look at the hottest residential and luxury properties in the area, with “a deep, visual dive into the most-coveted listings in Chicago and the city’s surrounding suburbs, […]

Chuck Goudie jumps to NBC 5

He’ll head the station’s investigative unit after decades at ABC 7 In a coup for the NBC-owned station, WMAQ-TV – known as NBC 5 – announced Monday the hiring of Chuck Goudie as chief investigative reporter, with his first day scheduled for February 10. He shifts over from ABC-woned WLS-TV (ABC 7) as he led the station’s I-Team unit until […]

Local news organizations drawn in to Tiffany Henyard drama

NBC 5 joins WGN News, and Fox 32 in documenting Dolton’s chaos as media tries to navigate choppy waters on covering her As you know, there is never a shortage of political scandals to cover in Illinois. From Operation Silver Shovel to Blago, the non-stop corruption has kept journalists busy and fascinated observers.  And in the Year Of Our Lord […]

Leila Rahimi out at NBC 5

No replacement has been named as of yet If you’re wondering where Leila Rahimi’s been regarding her nightly sports anchor position, well, wonder no more. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Rahimi left NBC 5 (WMAQ-TV) a few weeks ago, leaving Mike Berman as the only sports person on staff at the NBC-owned station. Rahimi’s exit follows Ruthie Polinsky’s last month […]

Chicago’s media gets ready for the DNC

Local stations emphasize streaming coverage Batten down the hatches, Chicago: the Democratic National Convention is coming to town. For four days – August 19 to August 22 to be exact, the nation’s third-largest television and radio market will be the center of the political universe, with the convention taking place at the United Center on the West Side. More than […]

NBC, affiliates get ready for Paris Olympics

NBC 5 sends Alex Margos to cover games NBC and its more than 200 linear TV affiliates are getting ready for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France with the Opening Ceremonies beginning Friday afternoon with soccer and rugby getting a head start on Wednesday. Running through August 11, the games are also an opportunity for NBCUniversal’s streamer Peacock to gain […]

Global IT outage impacts media outlets

TV stations, networks affected A widespread outage affecting Microsoft Windows-based programs had major implications worldwide Friday morning, impacting flights, banks, government offices, hospitals, and more. The outage started around 2 a.m. CT and lasted throughout the morning though systems are slowly returning online. The outage also affected media outlets worldwide, with control hubs and traffic departments being hard hit and […]

NASCAR Chicago Street Race’s fate unknown for 2025

Declining attendance, mixed audience numbers, and less TV exposure could spell doom for event [Editor’s note: This post was updated on July 12 with updated ratings information.] The Chicago Street Race (The Loop 110 and The Grant Park 165) sped through its second edition this past weekend through downtown and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. But it seems the bloom is […]

It’s official: Chicago Sports Network to launch Oct. 1

Replaces NBC Sports Chicago, which will close The proposed new White Sox-Bulls-Blackhawks regional sports network you’ve been reading about for months now has a name: The Chicago Sports Network. And it is becoming a reality this fall.  The new Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) will be the new home of Chicago’s three sports teams beginning in October. The network will feature […]

NBC Chicago streaming channel heads to Pluto TV

Highlights the rarity of two competing networks on the same platform  Starting today, Chicago viewers can now find WMAQ-TV’s streaming local news channel on Pluto TV. “We are excited to grow our existing partnership with Pluto TV and expand the reach of our premium local news content to new audiences,” said Amy Geary, senior VP of NBCUniversal Content Distribution. “News […]

NextGen TV arrives in Chicago

CBS 2, others turned on signal Monday The future of television has finally arrived in Chicago. After a long wait, CBS-owned WBBM-TV (CBS 2) turned on the new ATSC 3.0 signal Monday at 1 p.m. local time, as  NextGen TV, made its debut. “America’s third-largest TV market is riding the NextGen TV wave, with the addition of new capabilities for […]

Rewinding media in 2023

  A year dominated by labor strife, awful Chicago sports teams, and – oh yeah, Elon  If you watched the WWE, you remember Vince McMahon playing himself as an arrogant CEO and billionaire, ruling over anything and everything – the ultimate heel. It’s a real-life trend we’re seeing as we close 2023. Led by billionaire Elon Musk, CEOs – whether […]