While others collapse with WGCI posting all-time low Chicago’s radio PPM ratings returned to normal after the holidays with a familiar name on top: iHeartMedia’s adult contemporary WLIT finishing on top for the third straight ratings period – even without Christmas music, which propelled them to the top for the last two months. WLIT also maintained their top rating in […]
Sudden death stuns fans Longtime WXRT personality Lin Brehmer died Sunday morning, losing a battle with prostate cancer he had fought with for the last year. He was 68. Brehmer announced last July he was taking a sabbatical from WXRT after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Brehmer felt well enough to return to the airwaves on […]
Starting Monday, he’ll be on from 10-1 After taking time off for chemotherapy treatments, longtime WXRT radio personality Lin Brehmer announced Tuesday he was returning to the Audacy-owned Adult Album Alternative (Triple A) radio station beginning Monday, where he’ll work the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. midday shift. The news was first reported by Radio Insight. Brehmer stepped away from […]
WDRV-FM opens up a nearly two-point share lead on WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM In the May survey, Hubbard’s Classic Rock station The Drive (WDRV-FM) scored their first-ever ratings victory in their 21-year history, dislodging Adult R&B V103 (WVAZ-FM) as Chicago’s top-rated music station. Not only they repeated the feat again in June, they expanded their lead over their competitors. The Drive topped the […]
Stunning announcement as longtime beloved personality reveals he has prostate cancer Longtime WXRT radio personality Lin Brehmer announced Tuesday he was taking an undisclosed leave of absence from the Album Adult Alternative (Triple A) station as he is fighting prostate cancer and heading to chemotherapy. WXRT posted a message from the 67 year-old Brehmer on its website and on […]
WLS-AM, WXRT name new morning hosts; WDRV’s Bob Stroud calls it a career (somewhat) It was a busy Tuesday morning in Chicago radio with tons of personnel moves. To start, Audacy-owned WXRT-FM announced the promotion of Marty Lennartz to mornings beginning on June 13 to replace the departing Richard Milne, who is exiting Friday to take care of his ailing […]
Longtime WXRT personality steps aside to care for ailing wife As first reported by Robert Feder earlier this week, morning personality Richard Milne is exiting Triple A station WXRT-FM June 10 to care for his wife Charlene, who is suffering from frontotemporal dementia. She’s currently in hospice care where she’s been since April. For Milne, this marks an end of […]
Also: Black Chicagoans (still) not happy with media outlets; Syndicated ‘Dateline’ shifts to new local outlet; Rock 95.5 surges in ratings After just four weeks, CNN Plus is getting… subtracted. The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned service announced Thursday it was closing April 30 after launching on March 28, debuting to poor reviews and a cumbersome price of $5.99 monthly or […]
Also: This TV/Light TV has new owner; Rock 95.5 does modestly well in first survey As anticipated following her announcement on Ellen earlier this year, Judy Sheindlin released more information about her new project Thursday in a press release. For one, the her new courtroom show is still untitled – but perhaps the biggest takeaway is beginning next year, her […]
What’s on the media agenda in the first year of the new decade The new decade brings us things to look forward to in the world of media. So here’s are the ten things to keep your eye on in Chicago and in general for 2020. We’ll check back in at the end of the year to see how we […]
Longtime WXRT news person returns at a new station After being let go from Entercom’s Adult Album Alternative rock outlet WXRT, Mary Dixon has quickly landed on her feet at Chicago Public Media’s news/talk WBEZ-FM. Beginning next month, the 54 year-old news veteran becomes the station’s new morning news anchor and local host of NPR Morning Edition. She will be […]
Disney Plus made the biggest splash of the year 2019 saw the end of several institutions, big media battles, and disappointing sports teams. Let’s start with the huge changes in big media, as Disney closed on its purchase of the 20th Century Fox film studio and Viacom reuniting with CBS again with a new name (ViacomCBS) as the race […]
Radio Hall Of Famer spent 16 years in Chicago radio A T Dog Media Think Tank When Tom Joyner signed off on December 13th, one of radio’s legendary personalities departed the medium. But his departure – announced two years ago – leaves a deep void that won’t be easy to fill. For one, Joyner did something many radio stars did […]
Sirott returns to morning shift; Cochran canned for second time from WGN In a week filled with numerous Chicago media changes, here’s another one and this turns out to be the biggest one of them all. As first reported by Robert Feder Friday morning, WGN-AM morning personality Steve Cochran was dropped from the station and replaced by a returning Bob […]
Longtime Chicago rocker makes changes Adult Album Alternative rocker WXRT-FM announced some major changes Wednesday that may not sit well with its fanbase. For one, there is a huge overhaul in the morning – longtime WXRT radio personality Lin Brehmer is shifting out of the daypart and moving to middays beginning sometime in “early 2020”. “Like a veteran centerfielder who […]