T Dog’s Grab Bag: WCPT launches show targeted to LGBT community
– As first reported by Robert Feder, Newsweb WCPT-AM announced it was launching a new weekly program targeted to Chicago’s LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community. Titled Out Chicago, host Scott Duff takes on issues relevant to the LGBT community in the Windy City and surrounding area. WCPT also plans to air Out Chicago vignettes, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Out Chicago was created by former WLS-AM/FM and WXRT general manager Michael Damsky, with the Windy City Media Group.
Out Chicago is scheduled to air Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning January 5, over WCPT and Newsweb’s three FM stations (92.5, 92.7, and 99.9.)
Currently, WCPT airs a daily syndicated morning show featuring Stephanie Miller, who is openly gay. Miller hosted a short-lived late-night talker for Buena Vista Television in the fall of 1995, a season which saw a staggering eight talk shows debut – all were canceled before September 1996.
– Rewound no more: as first reported by Lance Venta at Radio Insight, Hubbard Broadcasting’s WILV-FM is changing its branding from Rewind 100.3 to Chicago’s 100.3. The slogan change is meant to reflect the shift away from ’80’s music toward more currents and recurrents from the previous decade. WILV is obviously trying to take advantage of WLIT’s flip to the Holly Jolly format in hopes of attracting listeners who don’t care to hear the same 43 Christmas songs ad nauseam.
Among the former monikers prior to Rewind 100.3, WILV was known as Love 100.3 and initially had a Soft AC format. WILV was previously known as Chicago’s 100.3 from 2008-10.
– The countdown stops here: WLS-FM has quietly dropped American Top 40 : The ’70’s from its Sunday morning schedule and from the station entirely. Made a few weeks ago, the move coincides with a lineup shift of its weekday schedule, as the station recently hired Robert Murphy for mornings and flipped to a Classic Hits format (AT 40 was the final product from the Scott Shannon “Oldies” era.)
While no explanation was given on why WLS parted ways with vintage AT 40, fans can still listen to the ’70’s version on Sirius/XM and both the ’70’s and ’80’s versions online (the ’80’s version only goes up to August 1988, when host and creator Casey Kasem left in a contract dispute with ABC Radio, the former owners of WLS-AM/WYTZ/WLS-FM, with the former two carried the original version of AT 40.)
The WLS-FM cancellation has no bearing on the current incarnation of AT 40, which airs Sunday mornings on WKSC-FM and hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
– Chicago-based Tribune Broadcasting’s NewsFix is expanding to the Meteoplex. Dallas media blogger (and former Dallas Morning News TV critic) Ed Bark is reporting KDAF-TV is scrapping its Nightcap news show in a few months and replacing it with the anchorless news format from sister station KIAH-TV in Houston. NewsFix features an off-camera announcer telling viewers about the top stories of the day, and requires few bodies to staff. KIAH’s Steve Simon has been tapped to become KDAF’s news director and oversee the NewsFix effort in Dallas. Ratings for KDAF’s 9 p.m. newscast were far behind those of Fox’s KDFW – even with weaker lead-in support from the parent network.
Both KDAF and KIAH are CW affiliates (KDAF was an one-time Fox O&O.) Newsfix was created by former Tribune Creative Innovation Officer Lee Abrams, who launched the format on KIAH in March 2011.
Quick Hits and Bits
– Corporate radio got you down? Never fear, some decent alternatives are here – at least in the St. Louis area. Six terrestrial stations you have to check out.
– Some more Brenda-bashing on the way? Former Beverly Hills 90210 star Jeannie Garth is set to release her memoir – two weeks before former co-star Jason Priestly releases his.
– Former WGN-TV sales exec (Glen Callanan) lands a new job at Sinclair’s KGAN-TV (CBS) in Cedar Rapids, Ia. as general manager.
– For those who visited an website regarding an “announcement” from the late Brian Griffin – it was nothing but a petition to bring the character back to Family Guy who was killed off recently. But if it weren’t a hoax, the announcement would’ve been Brian joining the cast of Aqua Teen Hunger Force.