Chicago Sun-Times

Management of the Sun-Times is looking to cut its editorial staff by as much as 22 percent through a combination of buyouts and layoffs set to start on Wednesday.

Between 12 and 15 positions are expected to be eliminated out of a total of 68 employees covered by the newspaper’s contract with the Chicago Newspaper Guild, sources said. They’re the latest cutbacks in the paper’s ongoing struggle to survive despite continuing revenue losses and circulation declines. Continue reading →

Dan McNeil and Pete McMurray

Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for “The McMorning Show.”

Veteran Chicago radio personalities Dan McNeil and Pete McMurray are about to team up as morning co-hosts on Hubbard Radio classic hits WDRV FM 97.1, sources said. Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times

Editorial employees of the Sun-Times will be encouraged this week to accept buyouts before the next round of layoffs hits the financially troubled newspaper, sources said.

Sun-Times staffers represented by the Chicago Newspaper Guild will meet Tuesday night to hear details of the buyouts being offered as the paper’s parent company, Wrapports LLC, moves to reduce its payroll to offset continuing losses. Terms of the buyouts were negotiated between the Guild and company representatives. Continue reading →

Weigel Broadcasting, the Chicago-based company behind The U, Me-TV and other popular television channels, is about to launch an oldies radio format on WGWG LP 87.7 and rebrand it as MeTV FM.

Confirming a report here December 30, the move marks Weigel Broadcasting’s first foray into radio through an agreement with Venture Technologies Group, which owns the license for the low-power television frequency. It has been operating as an FM radio station under a variety of formats since 2008. Continue reading →

Mark Grote

Chicago sportscaster Mark Grote emerged from among hundreds of applicants Monday to win the coveted job of pre-game and post-game host for Cubs broadcasts on CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780.

He’ll join Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer as the third member of the radio team this spring. Continue reading →

Felicia Middlebrooks

Felicia Middlebrooks of WBBM AM 780 and Greg Hinz of Crain’s Chicago Business have been named recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Chicago Headline Club.

The two will be honored at the 38th annual Peter Lisagor Awards ceremonies May 8 at the Union League Club of Chicago, according to Mary Wisniewski, president of the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Continue reading →

Paul Merrion

Veteran business and government reporter Paul Merrion, one of the founding staffers of Crain’s Chicago Business, is out after nearly four decades as chief of the publication’s Washington, D.C. bureau.

Merrion, 62, was one of five employees whose positions were eliminated this week at the Chicago-based unit of Crain Communications, according to David Snyder, publisher of Crain's Chicago Business. Others were Aris Georgiadis, assistant managing editor/digital; Jeff Hartvigsen, multimedia producer; an administrative assistant and a researcher. Continue reading →

Steve Downes

Saying it’s “time to take that next step,” Steve Downes is retiring after 44 years in radio — including the last 14 as morning personality on classic hits WDRV FM 97.1.

Downes, 64, said Thursday he'll be stepping down from his job at the Hubbard Radio station “within the next month or so” and plans to travel with his wife, spend more time with his grandchildren in Colorado and pursue other interests. Continue reading →

David Kaplan and David Haugh

One day after Dan McNeil rejected an offer to return to CBS Radio sports/talk WSCR AM 670 as midday host, David Kaplan has withdrawn from consideration for the job, too.

Kaplan, who’s marking his 20th year with Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, said Thursday he’s agreed to extend his contract to continue the show he hosts with Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh on WGNplus.com and Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Continue reading →

Dan McNeil

Dan McNeil won’t be returning to the Score after all.

The mercurial Chicago radio personality turned down a multiyear contract offer to reclaim his old job as midday host at CBS Radio sports/talk WSCR AM 670, sources said Wednesday. Continue reading →