Arsenio Hall

Is Arsenio Hall’s comeback already on the skids?

One month after its auspicious debut as a nationally syndicated late-night talker, “The Arsenio Hall Show” is showing signs of trouble in the ratings and behind the scenes.

For Tribune Broadcasting, which is a partner in producing the show, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Since its launch Sept. 9, it’s been airing at 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on Chicago flagship WGN-Channel 9 and on the company’s other stations across the country. Continue reading →

If news anchors and reporters at WFLD-Channel 32 start looking a little less “camera ready” on the air, here’s why: They’ll soon be putting on their own makeup.

In the latest cost-cutting move, the Fox-owned station has dropped its professional makeup artist. Debbie Davis was told this week that she's out after nearly 20 years on the job. Continue reading →

Regine Schlesinger

Forty years in radio news is a milestone. Forty years at the same station is a miracle.

Regine Schlesinger marked both last week at all-news WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9, where she's still at the top of her game as a news anchor and reporter. Continue reading →

Bruce DuMont

Thirty years after he founded the Museum of Broadcast Communications, Bruce DuMont is ready to let someone else run the show.

DuMont, 69, said he plans to recommend that his board of directors hire an executive director or general manager to succeed him in overseeing day-to-day operations along with sales and marketing functions at the Chicago museum. Continue reading →

Marking the six-month anniversary of Roger Ebert's passing, Chaz Ebert posted a "Dear Roger" letter Friday on rogerebert.com, reflecting on her loss and his legacy.

"You have made yourself known in other ways that have brought me joy and comfort," she writes. "And you have found ways to let me know that you are in a good place." Continue reading →

Brandis Friedman

Brandis Friedman, who's been a part-time news anchor and reporter for all-news WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 for two years, has been hired as a full-time correspondent for "Chicago Tonight," the flagship nightly news program on WTTW-Channel 11.

She replaces Ash-har Quraishi, who left the public television station in July to join the startup of Al Jazeera America as Chicago correspondent.

It's a return to television news for Friedman, who previously worked at WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., KARK-TV in Little Rock, Ark., and KFDX-TV in Wichita Falls, Texas. She also served for nine months as deputy communications director for the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology. Continue reading →

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 →