Drew Horowitz

Veteran Chicago-based radio executive Drew Horowitz has been named president and chief operating officer of Hubbard Radio, parent company of three top stations here and 25 stations nationwide.

His promotion from executive vice president and chief operating officer follows the departure of Bruce Reese, who stepped down as president and chief executive officer July 7. Reese will serve as special advisor to Hubbard Radio.

“For the past few years I have had the privilege to work with Drew and see first-hand what a gifted broadcaster he is,” Ginny Morris, chairman and chief executive officer of Hubbard Radio, said in a statement Friday. “Drew’s passion for the radio business and for the people with whom he works is evident in how he approaches every opportunity and every challenge. I look forward to further partnering with him as we continue to move our business forward.” Continue reading →

Joe Soto

You can be the top-rated evening personality on the No. 1 radio station in Chicago. You can command an audience of more than 475,000 listeners a week. You can be a 34-year broadcast veteran who’s won awards and a stellar reputation as a pro.

But if you work for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, you can’t answer a simple question from a reporter. Continue reading →

Frank Holland

His anchor ambitions thwarted in Chicago, Frank Holland is moving on to Boston.

After three years at WGN-Channel 9, Holland has left the Tribune Broadcasting station to join WCVB-TV, the ABC affiliate in Boston, where he is expected to be a third member of the weekend anchor team and report during the week. Continue reading →

The Christian Science Monitor is closing its Chicago bureau in the latest realignment of personnel by the Boston-based international news organization.

Veteran Chicago reporter Mark Guarino, who has headed the bureau here since 2008, is one of three staff writers whose positions are being eliminated companywide. Effective August 22, the move will leave the brand without a full-time presence in the Midwest. Continue reading →

Craig Ferguson

Will Chicago viewers choose fun and games over the 10 o’clock news?

“Celebrity Name Game,” a new syndicated pop-culture game show hosted by Craig Ferguson, will be seen at 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on WGN-Channel 9, starting this fall. It's replacing “The Arsenio Hall Show,” which was canceled after one season. Continue reading →

Frank Thomas

The upcoming induction of White Sox legend Frank Thomas into the National Baseball Hall of Fame is cause for celebration — and for an ambitious documentary on Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

“Welcome to Cooperstown: Frank Thomas,” an original one-hour special on the life and career of “The Big Hurt,” will premiere at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (with rebroadcasts at 10 p.m. Thursday, 7 p.m. July 26 and 4:30 p.m. July 27). Continue reading →

Jeff Schwartz

Jeff Schwartz, the former Chicago radio sales, marketing and promotion whiz, has been named executive vice president of corporate strategy for Yahoo! Sports Radio.

In the newly created position, Schwartz will oversee business growth and partnerships, in addition to working with management on programming strategy, multi-platform marketing and promotional opportunities, and affiliate and talent relations.

Schwartz most recently has been based in Los Angeles with Fox Sports Radio and Premiere Networks, where he was promoted to vice president of sports sales last year. Continue reading →

Ana Belaval

Ana Belaval, the charismatic and quick-witted “Around Town” reporter for the WGN Morning News, is about to be seen around the country.

In what she called the “pinnacle of a career,” Belaval will appear Tuesday on “The View,” as the ABC daytime talk show auditions new talent for the coming season. With the announced departures of Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd, and the return of Rosie O'Donnell, ABC will be recasting at least half the panel. Continue reading →

It’s been three months since the Sun-Times announced that it would “temporarily cease” running comments from readers with its articles online.

Now if all goes as planned, it’ll be at least another three months before comments are reinstated throughout all Sun-Times Media Group websites. Continue reading →

Ramonski Luv

Ramonski Luv, one-half of Chicago’s most popular nighttime radio team, is suddenly out at Clear Channel’s top-rated urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7.

Word of Luv’s departure comes one day after ratings for “The Real Show” he hosted with Joe Soto had returned to No. 1 in the market. In the Nielsen Audio report released Tuesday, evenings on V103 had a 5.9 percent share and a cumulative weekly audience of 475,900. Continue reading →