Tom Negovan (WGN, September 22, 2015)

Newsroom employees of WGN-Channel 9 will attend training and educational sessions on the Holocaust and related issues to prevent a recurrence of the "horrible error" that turned a story about Yom Kippur into a worldwide embarrassment for the Tribune Media station.

Greg Easterly, president and general manager of WGN, said Friday an investigation is continuing into how a symbol of the Nazi persecution of Jews was used to illustrate a story about the Jewish Day of Atonement on Tuesday’s late newscast. Although the station apologized immediately, the image went viral and continues to heap shame on WGN. Continue reading →

“Cornerstones of Rock: American Garage"

Some of the top garage bands that emerged from Chicago and rose to national fame in the 1960s and ’70s will come together next month in the WTTW-Channel 11 studio that still produces the music series “Soundstage.”

“Cornerstones of Rock: American Garage,” featuring The Ides of March, The Buckinghams, The Cryan Shames, The New Colony Six, The Shadows of Knight, The McCoys and The American Breed, will be taped October 16 at the Window to the World Communications public television station, 5400 North St. Louis Avenue. Continue reading →

Mark Zander

Saying he missed being on the air, Chicago radio veteran Mark Zander is stepping down as program director of Weigel Broadcasting’s soft rock/oldies WRME FM 87.7 to join Hubbard Radio classic hits WDRV FM 97.1 as weekend and fill-in personality.

“I know everybody on The Drive and I’ve worked with everybody on The Drive,” Zander said Thursday. “So it kind of feels like I’m coming back to a very familiar place.” Continue reading →

Tom Negovan

While Jews around the world were observing a day of fasting and repentance for their sins Wednesday, Tribune Media’s flagship station WGN-Channel 9 found itself begging for forgiveness and apologizing to viewers and the Jewish community.

Saying they were “extremely embarrassed” by an epic lapse in judgment, WGN officials acknowledged that the station was wrong to use a universally reviled symbol of the Holocaust to illustrate a story heralding the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, on its late newscast Tuesday. Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times

The Chicago News Guild has reached out to advertisers of the Sun-Times for help to forestall another round of layoffs at the newspaper.

No new cutbacks have been announced or even rumored, but the union representing reporters, editors and photographers at the Sun-Times cited September 27 as the expiration of a six-month moratorium on layoffs negotiated with the company. Continue reading →

New York Post

Robservations on the media beat:

Jim Kirk

The publishers of Chicago’s two major daily newspapers don’t seem bothered a bit by the arrival this week of the New York Post on local newsstands. In fact, the Chicago Tribune stands to benefit since it’s getting paid to deliver the Big Apple tabloid to retail locations here. “Chicago Tribune Media Group is proud to be a distribution partner for the New York Post,” says Tribune publisher Tony Hunter. The move marks a return for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which owned the Sun-Times from 1984 to 1986. "We welcome another paper to the market and wish the Post a lot of luck,” says Jim Kirk, publisher and editor in chief of the Sun-Times. “As Chicago's hometown newspaper, we're confident our readers will continue to turn to us for our great local news, sports, political and feature content daily in print, and 24/7 online.” Adds Kirk: “You do have to wonder what it means for RedEye. I'd worry a little bit about overlap between the two in certain areas." (Not nearly as friendly was Chicago magazine, owned by Chicago Tribune Media Group, which headlined its story: “The New York Post is Coming to Chicago and We’re Not Sure What We Did to Deserve This.”) Continue reading →

Jon Kelley

It’s over and out for Jon Kelley after two unhappy years as co-anchor of the low-rated “Good Day Chicago” on Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.

“We want to thank Jon for his many contributions to 'Good Day' and wish him much success in his future endeavors,” Dennis Welsh, vice president and general manager of Fox 32, said in a statement Thursday. Continue reading →

Riccardo Muti

For the first time in nearly two decades, classical WFMT FM 98.7 will air a live local broadcast of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Friday.

Starting at 6:25 p.m., "The CSO Concert for Chicago" will air live from Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion. The free concert, conducted by music director Riccardo Muti, is part of the opening weekend of the CSO’s 125th anniversary season. Continue reading →

Rob Johnson and Kate Sullivan

Kate Sullivan posted a farewell message of gratitude on her Facebook page Wednesday, one day after she was ousted as weekday news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.

As first reported here, Sullivan was dropped after five years on the CBS 2 anchor desk alongside Rob Johnson. Replacing her at 5, 6 and 10 p.m., starting October 19, will be Irika Sargent, who’s been anchoring at CBS-owned WFOR-TV in Miami. Continue reading →

Orion Samuelson

Chicago radio legend Orion Samuelson is out of intensive care and recovering from heart-valve replacement surgery, his wife said Wednesday.

Samuelson, 81, veteran agriculture-business reporter for Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, underwent the procedure Monday at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Continue reading →