– US99 rounds out new lineup – Another CHR vet gets prime morning gig – Politically divided FCC keeps cross-ownership rule – Thomas Gibson out at Criminal Minds – Larry Wilmore’s Nightly Report canceled CBS-owned country radio station WUSN has completed its makeover by hiring another new personality for its vacant nighttime slot – the latest hire is Kimmie Caruba, […]
Last week’s opinion piece shows the insensitivity of the Zell and Michaels era still abound at the Trib As you know by now, Chicago Tribune Editorial Board member Kristen McQueary caused a huge stir last Friday writing a column “wishing” a Hurricane Katrina storm would wipe out Chicago, giving it a “reboot” as the city struggles with crime, financial problems, and […]
Illinois broadcasters take the quick cash. But are they driving viewers away from live TV? If you thought 2015 would be free of political advertising – think again. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner – you know, the one who headed GTCR – the investment firm who funded Randy Michaels’ Merlin Media, and Sam Zell – the one who destroyed the Chicago Tribune – […]
Gobble, gobble everyone! It’s that time of year… to celebrate (and criticize) the worst in media. It’s the 2014 T Dog Media Turkey Awards. If you’ve noticed, the first eleven items are all local, and makes up a third of the list. Just goes to show you the power of The Chicago Way. The sad part is, the Jackie Robinson West […]
In a move that is being praised by many media observers, former Evergreen Media exec Jimmy de Castro has been named president and general manager of Tribune Broadcasting’s WGN-AM (720), effective June 3. He will report to Tribune President of local programming Larry Wert – the same Wert who reported to DeCastro at WLUP-AM/FM in the 1990’s. de Castro succeeds […]
There’s a lesson to be learned – The Chicago Way usually doesn’t work outside of City Hall. As first reported by Chicagoland Radio and Media on April 2, Tribune fired Nils Larsen as president and CEO of Tribune Broadcasting. Larsen joined Tribune in December 2008 during the Randy Michaels-Sam Zell era. Typical to how things work in Chicago politics, Larsen […]
– Good news for fans of Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show: Warner Bros. has renewed the strip through 2017 on more than twenty station groups, including all ten of the NBC-owned stations. Airing on WMAQ in Chicago at 3 p.m., Ellen is the top-rated program among women 25-54 in the time period, besting rival talkers Katie, Dr. Phil, and Maury. […]
I guess in Chicago media, you don’t need a degree to get a job. Just look pretty. Or be dumb. Or be an unfunny, talentless hack. Or just yell a lot. Welcome to the Chicago media freak show, former Representative Joe Walsh. In a town whose media outlets hired embarrassments such as Randy Michaels, Jim Laski, Jenny McCarthy, Jim Belushi, […]
The Tribune Co. entered a new era on December 31, exiting bankruptcy after four years. Now it appears the new regime may be without one of its flagship station’s biggest draws. The Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday the Chicago Cubs may exit WGN-TV after the 2014 season, which could end a 66-year relationship with the Tribune-owned station. It seems changes […]
Notes and news – in this mostly local edition of the Grab Bag: – As mentioned briefly in the Tribune bankruptcy post on Saturday, the Chicago Tribune was recently caught using fake bylines and plagiarizing and fabricating stories in TribLocal, the paper’s hyperlocal network of websites and print properties serving Chicago’s suburbs. On Friday, the Tribune announced it was parting […]
After three years, the Tribune bankruptcy saga is finally coming to end – but at a price. A federal judge approved the bankruptcy plan created by banks and creditors on Friday. Those entities – Angelo, Gordon, and Co., JP Morgan Chase, and Oaktree Capital Management – now take control of the media company, which means for the first time in […]
Does the headline of this post look familiar to you? Well, aside from the “again” part. It should. I wrote this headline five years ago when the Chicago Sun-Times decided to put then-Chicago Bear Greg Olsen on the front page of the newspaper amid the controversy over a rap song he participated in while at the University of Miami, […]
Numerous executive shake-ups in the last few days… in the offices and behind the scenes: Another protege from the Court Jester era is out the door… Tribune Broadcasting President Jerry Kersting exited on Tuesday and his position eliminated while Nils Larsen was elevated up to CEO of Broadcasting. Effective immediately, Larsen will be responsible for Tribune’s 23 television stations, cablers […]
Your symbol of the Chicago Tribune. We do newspapers right! Want fries with that? The only similarities between John Kass and yours truly is we are native South Siders and White Sox fans. That’s where it stops, believe me. Once again, a Big Media cronie proves how much he or she is out of touch with the realities of today’s […]
Randy Michaels has all but resigned as CEO of the Tribune Co. after a tumulus two-and-a-half years marred with allegations of sexual harassment, and comes a week after Chief “Innovation” Officer Lee Abrams resigned over an e-mail memo he sent containing profanity and racy videos. Reports of Michaels’ resignation first surfaced in the New York Times’ website Monday night – […]
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