Don’t drop Cheryl, Tom! Or she’ll be like The Tribune… All right, I’ve seen some absurd items on Chicago Tribune’s editorial page before… but this one takes the cake. One of Wednesday’s editorials in the paper was titled “Dancing With DeLay” , about former disgraced Texas congressman Tom DeLay competing on the newest season of Dancing With the Stars. You’ve got […]
So many local TV items today, so we’ll just stick them here in one post: – Fox-owned WFLD-TV announced the elimination of six full-time jobs today as well as a dozen vacation relief positions. This comes as ad revenues for the station plunged thirty percent from a year ago, reflecting general weakness in the economy and the lack of ad […]
The Church of Tisch has done it again. CBS-owned WBBM-TV underwent numerous staff cuts, including entertainment reporter Bill Zwecker, reporter Joanie Lum, and longtime fill-in sportscaster Howard Sudsberry. In addition, the station also demoted Anne State – who is now only anchoring the 5 p.m. newscast with Rob Johnson, who is anchoring the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscast solo. […]
Gone are 590 jobs nationwide, including longtime WVAZ-FM (V103) veteran Troi Tyler and Irene Mojica; and WGCI-FM overnighter Ericka “Sundance ” Campbell. Clear Channel also let Jeff “Smash Ditty” Murray go as music director and on-air personality of WKSC-FM. Don’t know about you, but if this keeps up, their might be nobody left at CC’s Chicago outlets – including their […]
You ever hear of buyer’s remorse? Well, Sam Zell has a huge case of it. In an interview with Bloomberg News, The Tribune owner said buying the debt-ridden media company was “a mistake”, saying he was “too optimistic.” Zell said he didn’t know the economy would crater like it did, and wouldn’t do the deal if he had to do […]
From the world of deaths, we go into… layoffs. Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications cut staffers nationwide today, reducing 7.5 percent of its workforce, including seven employees at its two Chicago outlets: alternative WKQX-FM (Q101) and classic rocker The Loop (WLUP-FM). The layoffs were due to the deteriorating economy and the soft ad market, according to company officials. Emmis is also merging […]
While Barack Obama was being sworn in as our 44th President, something else was going on. And it wasn’t good. Clear Channel made what is perhaps the biggest one-day layoff of any media company in history by axing around 1,850 jobs nationwide from Chicago to Atlanta, from Detroit to San Francisco, and everywhere in between. Clear Channel CEO Mark Mays […]
The rumors of Fox-owned local stations laying off appear to be true: WFLD-TV and WPWR-TV recently eliminated seven positions, including the vice president of programming and promotions position, which was held by longtime Chicago TV veteran Dominic Mancuso. Mancusco departed on January 7, though the announcement of the layoffs came on Wedensday. Ironically, Mancuso’s last position before working for Fox […]
An extended version of The Bag. Here what’s been going on the last couple of days: – Spike O’Dell signs off: The WGN-AM host wrapped up his eight-year stint in morning drive today with a live show at the Metropolis Theater in Arlington Heights. The building was sold out for the show, as people were lining up as early as […]
Believe it or not, there were even more layoffs and firings outside of Steve Dahl this week alone: – Fred Huebner, 16-year veteran of WSCR-AM as the sports news reporter – Overnight jock “Wild” Bill Garcia, US99 (WSCR-AM) veteran – Chicago Public Radio lays off eleven – ABC affiliate KSTP-TV in Minneapolis cut eighteen people from its newsroom – Real […]
The economic downturn has affected every corner of our economy, and the radio industry is no exception. Layoffs were prevalent today at Emmis’ classic rocker WLUP-FM (The Loop) and WKQX-FM (Q101). A total of five individuals were laid off. The causality list: WLUP Program Director Bill Klaproth; Imaging Director Kevyn Howrd; Marketing Director Tommy King; Sales Assistant Carly Keenan; and […]
Or its more like slashing XM jobs: reportedly eighty people have been laid off since Tuesday, though the cuts were discovered Monday by an employee routinely logging in to a payroll system. Oops… The names axed are too long to list here, but among the fired include ’70’s on 7 PD John Clay, Kandy Klutch (midday personality on ’80’s on […]
Also: Tom Ehlmann out at WGN-TV Vice President and General Manager Tom Ehlmann has resigned at WGN-TV after a four-year run at the station to take a job at the same capacity at NBC-owned KXAS-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth, Tex. The move comes after WGN laid off eight staffers, including his secretary. However, his resignation and those layoffs are not directly […]
Mirroring the struggles the newspaper industry is experiencing nationwide, The Chicago Tribune announced Tuesday it is laying off 80 people in its newsroom and is reducing the number of pages in the publication. The number laid off is actually 55, since 25 of those jobs were unfilled positions, left over from the last round of layoffs. The Tribune’s sister paper […]
This time, it’s at beleaguered WOIO/WUAB in Cleveland, run by former WBBM-TV boss Bill Applegate. Six were laid off, including four in master control. Tribune’s KTLA in Los Angeles also let a few go, laying off seven people in the news division. ABC affiliate KTVX in Salt Lake Lake City recently cut staff as well. The moves come as stations […]