The Media Notepad: Lisa Allen out at 101.9 The Mix

Also: CBS wins another stay in Wheel/Jeopardy battle

It’s quiet this Easter week, and not much is going on, so here are two notable items making news this week (this has to be the shortest Media Notepad ever:)

– After thirteen years at Hubbard Chicago, 101.9 The Mix/WTMX midday host Lisa Allen has exited the station, per Radio Insight.

Allen joined Hubbard in 2012 as the evening host of the former Rewind 100.3 before joining the Hot AC station in 2013. She became Chris Petlak’s afternoon host in 2020 before she returned to the midday shift in 2022. Before joining the Hubbard cluster, she worked at suburban WSZR-FM, doubling as music director and afternoon host at Star 105.5.

Radio Insight also reported that three non-on-air staffers were let go due to budget cuts, which is already taking place in radio and could intensify as the economy continues to decline due to tariffs imposed by President Trump. Allen bid adieu to her listeners in a Facebook post.

With Allen’s departure, Jenny Valliere will take over middays, moving from an afternoon co-hosting slot with Casey McCabe, who’ll now host the daypart solo.

During the February 2025 PPM survey, WTMX remained dominant in the key adult 25-54 and 18-49 demos, finishing first in the February surveys, with WTMX scoring its highest share in the latter in over a year, and surged from sixth to third in the adult 18-34 demo. Overall, WTMX finished in a tie for fifth place with WGN-AM, down slightly from January, but up from from December (if you skip the Holiday book.)

– A California Appellate Court overturned a ruling from a Los Angeles Superior Court last week, allowing CBS Media Ventures to retain the rights to Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, at least for now, while it battles Sony for control of the pair.

Judge Kevin Brazille ruled in favor of Sony and granted the company full control of the shows. CBS appealed the ruling, as Sony was trying to strip them of the rights to syndicate the show, but didn’t prevail. This is the second time Sony has tried to do so.

Sony has twelve days to file opposition papers, which CBS must respond to by May 9.

The order states: “The superior court’s order of April 10, 2025 denying the preliminary injunction and allowing [Sony] to begin ‘distributing the shows and need not deliver episodes to CBS’ is stayed pending further order of this court.”

This is part of a larger lawsuit in which Sony sued CBS last fall for profits related to the pair, alleging they sold the show for below-market rates with unauthorized sales to Australia and New Zealand. CBS countersued, saying Sony wanted out of its deal so they could seek more flexibility in selling the shows to other platforms.

Neither party declined to comment.

Sony was expected to take control of distribution on Monday, but the CBS Media Ventures logo remained intact at the end of each show, meaning they were still delivering the shows to stations. Wednesday’s appeals ruling confirmed the speculation.

With chances for a settlement unlikely, this case between Sony and CBS is likely headed to trial. The lawsuits and distribution battles won’t affect Wheel or Jeopardy’s airing on local stations as they are locked in until 2028. In Chicago, Jeopardy airs at 3:30 p.m. and Wheel at 6:30 p.m. on ABC 7 (WLS-TV.)