National Radio Hall of Fame
For the first time in five years, radio listeners will have a voice in selecting inductees to the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Using social media, the public will be invited to vote later this year in two categories among eight nominees to be designated by the 18-member Radio Hall of Fame steering committee. Continue reading
NBC 5 Chicago (June 15, 2015)
Half of all television households in the Chicago area were tuned to WMAQ-Channel 5 in the final minutes of the Blackhawks’ victory in the Stanley Cup Final Monday night.
The NBC-owned station registered a gigantic 49.2 rating in the last quarter-hour of the game for a total household viewership of 1.71 million, according to Nielsen Co. figures. Continue reading
101WCoachQX
Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720 may be the official radio home of the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks, but that isn’t stopping other stations from celebrating, too.
On Monday night, Cumulus Media alternative rock WKQX FM 101.1 renamed itself “101WCoachQX,” unveiling a new logo that incorporates the familiar mustache of Blackhawks Coach Joel “Coach Q” Quenneville. Continue reading
Dennis Hastert
Memo to Illinois broadcasters: Dennis Hastert won’t be coming to your convention this week.
The former U.S. House Speaker was scheduled to appear before the Illinois Broadcasters Association Wednesday to present the group’s Vince Wasilewski Broadcaster of the Year Award to longtime friend and radio station owner Larry Nelson.
Now comes word that Hastert has been taken off the program at the association’s annual state conference at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Continue reading
Andrew "Finnigan" Hart
Andrew Hart, the evening host known as “Finnigan” on Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX FM 101.9, is headed for San Francisco.
Hart, who announced his resignation Friday after three years at The Mix, will be leaving at the end of this week to host mornings at KOIT, an Entercom Communications adult contemporary station in San Francisco. Continue reading
Ed O'Bradovich (Photo: Michael Tercha)
Ed O'Bradovich, whose longtime, irrepressible partnership with the late Doug Buffone became “must-listen radio” for Bears fans on CBS Radio sports/talk WSCR AM 670, is switching broadcast teams this fall.
Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720 has hired O'Bradovich to host a three-hour Bears postgame show with fellow ex-Bears Dan Hampton and Glen Kozlowski. After a preseason special in August, “The Hamp & O.B. Show with Glen Kozlowski” will officially debut September 13 and follow every regular season game. Continue reading
Amy Jacobson and Dan Proft
When Big John Howell and Dan Proft traded places on Chicago radio stations earlier this year, no one predicted there’d be any seismic changes in the ratings.
But in a surprising footnote to Nielsen Audio figures released this week, Salem Media news/talk WIND AM 560 beat Cumulus Media news/talk WLS AM 890 in morning drive for the first time. It’s the latest indication of how far the 50,000-watt giant WLS has fallen. Continue reading
NBC 5 News
Richard Maginn, a highly respected former executive producer of the 10 p.m. Monday-through-Friday newscast at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, has been hired as managing editor at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5.
“We are fortunate to have someone with Richard’s local experience join our team,” Frank Whittaker, station manager and vice president of news at NBC 5, said in announcing Maginn’s appointment to the newly created position Wednesday. Continue reading
Bob Sirott, Marianne Murciano, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan
International superstar Gloria Estefan and her producer husband, Emilio Estefan, join veteran Chicago broadcasters Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano for a two-on-two interview on WTTW-Channel 11.
Billed as “Sirott & Murciano Backstage,” the half-hour special will air at 8:30 p.m. June 26 on the Window to the World Communications public television station. Continue reading
Elizabeth Matthews
Elizabeth Matthews, a Columbia College graduate and former intern at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5, is the newest face at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.
Matthews debuted this week as a per diem reporter at Fox 32. "Check out my first story on @fox32news tonight at 9pm," she tweeted Tuesday. "Researchers have created a Bionic Leg and we get to see it in action!"