Dan McNeil

Dan McNeil will have plenty of time for fishing and other pursuits now that he’s officially parted company with CBS Radio sports talk WSCR AM 670.

The mercurial midday personality, who’s been off the air since mid-June, was unable to reach agreement on a contract renewal after five years at the Score, station management announced Friday. His demands reportedly included a move to afternoon drive and a raise from $300,000 to $500,000 a year, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. Continue reading →

They’re going at it again.

The latest war of words between the Chicago Newspaper Guild and Sun-Times Media involves a requirement that reporters for the suburban Pioneer Press group produce a minimum number of stories each day or face disciplinary action. Continue reading →

Radio Disney

Walt Disney Co. is selling all but one of its 24 Radio Disney stations nationwide, including WRDZ AM 1300 here.

The move, effective September 26, will end Radio Disney’s 18-year run as a local radio operator and shift all of its programming and resources to digital platforms. It’s expected to mean the loss of nearly 200 jobs, mainly in advertising sales and operations. Continue reading →

Sandy Pudar

Sandy Pudar, executive producer of WGN-Channel 9’s top-rated morning news show and a 15-year veteran of the Tribune Broadcasting station, was promoted Wednesday to assistant news director.

The No. 2 post has been vacant since Jennifer Lyons moved up to news director, succeeding Greg Caputo, who retired in June after 11 years. Pudar worked as a news writer and producer before she was named executive producer of WGN Morning News in 2009.

“For more than five years as executive producer, she’s maintained our No. 1 status in the highly competitive morning news time slot and actually grown it, which is quite a feat,” Lyons said in a statement. Continue reading →

Jimmy deCastro

When Jimmy deCastro took over as president and general manager of WGN AM 720 in June 2013, he promised to have an impact on the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk flagship. "My hope is to bring a new energy to a classic institution,” he told the Chicago Tribune.

By any measure, that’s just what he’s done. Continue reading →

Ryan Chiaverini

News of Robin Williams’ suicide brings an unexpected timeliness — and even greater sense of urgency — to the release of Ryan Chiaverini’s new music video Tuesday.

The host of “Windy City Live” and former sports anchor at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 wrote the music and lyrics, recorded the song and stars in the video of “Chicago,” set to debut on both YouTube and iTunes. Continue reading →

Demetrius Ivory and Erin McElroy

There’s love in the air on WGN Morning News.

News anchor Erin McElroy and meteorologist Demetrius Ivory, who work together from 4 to 6 a.m. weekdays on Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9, are about to make news of their own: They’ve told friends they’re planning to be married in December. Continue reading →

Camron Smith

Robservations on the media beat:

Say hello to Camron Smith, new fill-in sports anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2. A Chicago native and graduate of Southern Illinois University, he began working for CBS 2 in July. Smith has been a sports reporter for Comcast CN100 and commentator for Weigel Broadcasting’s high school basketball broadcasts on the U-Too. He also coached boys basketball at Gordon Tech High School. “It's truly a blessing to join @cbschicago as a fill-in sports anchor,” he tweeted. “My excitement is high for this new journey with CBS Chicago!” Continue reading →

Jesse Hamilton

Jesse Hamilton, executive producer of prime time hours at The Weather Channel in Atlanta, has been hired as executive producer of WLS-Channel 7’s morning news.

Starting September 22, he succeeds Doug Whitmire, who was promoted to executive producer of the ABC-owned station’s 10 p.m. newscast. “Excited to make Chicago my new home & work with a talented news team!” Hamilton tweeted Friday. Continue reading →

"General Hospital"

The long-running soap opera “General Hospital” and the syndicated “Inside Edition” and "Jeopardy!" will return to their old time slots this fall on WLS-Channel 7, as the ABC-owned station shuffles its daytime schedule for the third time in three years.

Blame it all on Katie Couric’s ill-fated daytime talk show, which debuted at 3 p.m. two years ago, disrupting ABC 7’s top-rated lineup and sending viewers scrambling to find “General Hospital” at 1 p.m. and the “Inside Edition” and "Jeopardy!" combo at 2 p.m. Continue reading →