Also: Sling adds ABC 7 to its lineup – at a cost; MLB possibly looking at reclaiming local rights as RSNs creater; Chicago media comings and goings Joining a trend of veteran series handing out multi-year renewals, the latest came this week when Debmar-Mercury announced it has re-upped Family Feud through 2026, taking the show to its 27th consecutive season […]
Also: ABC 7 hires new person for its creative services programming team; Fox’s Chicago duopoly to air new game show; Devil in White City to be adapted for the small screen After leading the paper through a difficult transition as a non-profit, Chicago Reader publisher Tracy Baim is stepping down after four years at the paper and three months as […]
In what could become the norm in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, Chicago Public Media’s WBEZ and the Sun-Times are discussing a possible partnership to combine operations. Talks between the two parties are underway according to Robert Feder, who broke the story this morning. “I can confirm that we are currently exploring partnerships and opportunities with the Chicago Sun-Times to […]
The South Side native gets into the media business – and takes shots at them In an unusual manner, Chance The Rapper announced some big news – by letting one of his tracks serve as a press release. In a stunning announcement, the Chicago native announced he was purchasing the website Chicagoist from public radio station WNYC in New York. […]
Plus… My Network TV announces new 2018-19 lineup; Chicago Reader under new ownership; Cubs games to be streamed on Facebook As first reported by Robert Feder last week, WSCR-AM co-host Brian Hanley is being removed from his post as Mike Mulligan’s co-host and his overall role at the station reduced. There is no word on who would replace Hanley in […]
Pulitzer-prize winning columnist out after less than two weeks Back some time ago, if there was a TV show so poorly received by critics and the viewing public, it would be off the air in three weeks. Mark Konkol lasted less than two weeks running a newspaper. In a move praised by many, the Chicago Sun-Times fired the Pulitzer-prize winning […]
Here’s what in The Grab Bag on this Friday: – One day after Merlin Media re-launched WKQX as an Alternative Rock outlet, the company launched a new news/talk station in Philadelphia Monday with former WBBM-TV and Access: Hollywood anchor Larry Mendete as the centerpiece. Billed as “IQ 106.9” (WWIQ-FM), the station is being touted as an alternative to all-news KYW-AM […]
The Chicago Reader, sold recently to Tampa-based Creative Loafing, is cutting the size of its free alternative weekly – and cutting back staff as well – they are asking its drivers to become independent contractors. This comes as the newspaper industry continues to struggle with declining revenues thanks to the move of classified ads to the internet portals like Craigslist, […]
The free weekly alternative was sold to Creative Loafing of Tampa after 36 years of local ownership, and employees of the Reader aren’t too thrilled about it.