John Barron

Veteran Chicago media executive John Barron, who rose from reporter to publisher in his 17 years at the Sun-Times, is joining Tribune Co. to lead its content marketing unit.

Barron, 55, was hired Thursday as chief content officer of Tribune Content Agency (formerly named Tribune Media Services News and Features Division). In his newly created position, which is separate from the newsroom, he will focus on branded content strategy, including the creation and distribution of sponsored content. Continue reading →

Peter Liguori

Peter Liguori didn't mention me by name, but within the opening minutes of his town hall meeting with Tribune Co. employees Wednesday, he did refer to "the elephant in the room."

The pachyderm in question was the fallout from my report last week that the Tribune Co. CEO had ordered executives to come up with $100 million in budget cuts on the publishing side as the company prepares to spin it off from the broadcast side. Liguori called the number "illogical," but failed to offer anything more specific.

My sources for the story were individuals who attended a meeting at which the goals were set. A followup story in the Chicago Tribune also cited plans "to offset a projected revenue decline of $75 million to $100 million." Continue reading →

David Roeder

Veteran business reporter and columnist David Roeder is leaving the Sun-Times to join the administration of Governor Pat Quinn.

Roeder told his bosses Wednesday that he has accepted a position as communications manager for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, starting Oct. 21. Based in Chicago, he will work on promoting business development for the state. Continue reading →

As talk show topics go, the federal government shutdown is tailor-made for conservative talk-radio stations like WLS AM 890.

Morning, noon and night, the hardline hosts have been downright giddy over the stalemate in Washington. Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass opened his midday show Tuesday with unmitigated mockery, declaring: "The world has ended! How are we going to survive?"

Maybe a better question is how will the Cumulus Media news/talk station survive if it doesn't get its act together. Continue reading →