T Dog’s Grab Bag: Don’t come back, y’all

Jacobson loses lawsuit; Rover gets busted; Birmingham format flip goes awry – As first reported by the Chicago Tribune Wednesday evening, a Cook County Judge threw out a lawsuit from WIND-AM morning co-host Amy Jacobson against CBS. She was fired from NBC-owned WMAQ-TV in 2007 after a cameraman from WBBM-TV caught Jacobson at a pool party at Craig Stebic’s Plainfield […]

Q101 to say goodbye with Local 101

These days when a format change takes place at a radio station, it usually happens without notice and the radio personalities are usually thrown out onto the street without the chance to say goodbye. Thankfully, that won’t be the case Thursday as WKQX-FM (Q101) prepares to shift from Alternative/Modern Rock to either all-News or News/Talk. Before handing the keys over […]

Steve Dahl to his podcast listeners: pay up

THIS was the announcement fans of Steve Dahl have been waiting for weeks? Speculation on “the big news” to be announced Monday at 12 Noon ranged from Dahl heading to Merlin Media to host a talk show at WKQX, a return to WLUP, or even a gig at WGN Radio. And when noon hit, this was “the big announcement”: if […]

T Dog’s Six Pack: Needing some extra “support”

Ah, lucky Providence, R.I. They get to see women in bras in the prime access hour. We Chicagoans get Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson. You know, it’s hard to be a bra salesman these days in Providence when you have the Internet… and now you have infomercials running as early as 7 p.m.! Is it no surprise that 25% of […]

Goodbye to you, “Jack”; Hello “K-Hits”

The JACK FM era in Chicago ended around 12:35 p.m. with a whimper as WJMK-FM played the rather bland “Goodbye to You”, a forgettable chart hit by the 1980’s band Scandal instead of Ray Charles “Hit The Road Jack”, as in JACK FM. Forgettable is what you can describe JACK FM’s six-year tenure in the Chicago market. Today was the […]

T Dog’s Six Pack: Winning and Losing

Harry Teinowitz: “I’m winning.”  Okay, so Charlie Sheen is “winning” – if your definition of winning is being fired off a hit show, having police raid your house, and jumping the shark on Twitter after only a week. But the winners and losers this week are for real: They’re really winning and losing, not some dopey sham job Sheen is […]

Jacked out: WJMK dumps Variety Hits format

Eddie & JoBo return to Chicago radio to new “K-Hits”, which replaces JACK-FM. WJMK will not be “jacking” their body any longer. In news that was circulating ferociously for the last 48 hours, it is now official: CBS Radio’s WJMK-FM – known for the last six years as rock-leaning Variety Hits (a.k.a. Adult Hits) JACK FM – is flipping to […]

Report: Axe to swing on one of CBS Radio’s Chicago FM properties

Yeah, but not for long….  The axe is waiting to swing on one of CBS Radio’s two struggling properties in Chicago. Industry website Radio Insight reported today that CBS Radio registered a domain under the name KHitsChicago.com, meaning a format flip for WJMK-FM (JACK FM, 104.3 FM) is imminent. Also mentioned as a possible target is WCFS-FM (Fresh 105.9 FM), […]

T Dog’s Fridge Pack: The dirty dozen of the decade

The 2000s brought with us a decade of change on how we consume media – whether if its at home or on the go. But it also brought a decade of  flops – some which you have to see – or hear – to believe. Here are the T Dog Media Blog’s twelve biggest media blunders of the decade, in […]

Melissa Forman out at WLIT

WGN wins July PPM survey overall; WTMX dominated 25-54s; Rock stations and WKSC gains; WLS-AM declines. The second time isn’t so great after all. Clear Channel’s WLIT-FM has dropped Melissa Forman and her show from the morning time slot at the station after two years. The move was due to declining ratings. Forman was one of only two live personalities […]

Chicago’s January PPM results

WBBM-AM big winner These are based on Persons 6+ numbers. Winners: WBBM-AM, WLS-AM and FM, Love FM (WILV-FM), WGRB-AM, The Drive (WDRV-FM), US99 (WUSN-FM) Honorable Mention: The Mix (WTMX-FM), WOJO-FM, The Loop (WLUP-FM), JACK FM (WJMK-FM) Down, but potent: Lite FM (WLIT-FM), V103 (WVAZ-FM) Losers: B96 (WBBM-FM), WGCI-FM, Q101 (WKQX-FM), Fresh (WCFS-FM) Analysis: All news WBBM-AM – with its coverage […]

Steve Dahl out at Jack FM

(Editor’s note: I apologize for the lateness of this post, as I had Internet connection problems that knocked me offline for awhile this evening. – T.H.) The ax swung again at CBS Radio at a highly-paid radio personality – and this time – and to no one’s surprise – it was Steve Dahl. The venerable and legendary personality left WJMK-FM […]

Chicago PPM results for November (updated)

The results from November’s PPMs are here, just three days after the radio ratings period ended. Isn’t it great to get results like this so quick? (Just don’t ask WGN-AM…) Borrowing the formula from Marc Berman’s Programming Insider from Mediaweek: Winners: WBBM-AM, WLS (AM and FM), The Drive (WDRV-FM), V103 (WVAZ-FM) Honorable Mention: Lite FM (WLIT-FM), WBEZ-FM, WIND-AM Disappointing (like […]

WKTI kicked to curb

A poignant part of Milwaukee’s call letters is history. WKTI-FM dropped its Hot AC format today and flipped to adult hits “The New 94.5 The Lake”, an obvious reference to Milwaukee’s proximity to Lake Michigan (as is our city.) Also gone is the WKTI call letters, which have been used at the frequency for 34 years. Pending approval by the […]

Chicago PPM numbers for October

Click here to see the PPM numbers for 6+ and here for adults 25-54 for the month of October. Winners: The Drive (WDRV-FM), WBBM-AM, WLS-AM, V103 (WVAZ-FM), Kiss FM (WKSC-FM), WOJO-FM Honorable Mention: The Mix (WTMX), WLS-FM, WLUP-FM (The Loop), US 99 (WUSN-FM) Losers: Fresh 105.9 FM (WCFS-FM), Love FM (WILV-FM), WNUA-FM, Power 92 (WPWX), Jack FM (WJMK), Nine FM […]