Troy Christensen

Robservations on the media beat:

There’s another change in the weather at WLS-Channel 7. Meteorologist Troy Christensen, who’s been freelancing on weekends since October 2013, is leaving to join the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an external affairs specialist based in Chicago. His last day at the ABC-owned station will be Sunday, according to news director Jennifer Graves. In the short term, weekend morning weather duties will be handled by Phil Schwarz and freelancer Mark McGinnis, former chief meteorologist at WDJT, the CBS affiliate in Milwaukee. Sources say ABC 7’s weather front soon will shift again with the expected hiring of Larry Mowry, chief meteorologist at CBS-owned KTVT in Dallas. Continue reading →

"Kristen Nicole"

Joining WFLD-Channel 32 these days is a lot like entering the Witness Protection Program. Sometimes you even change your name.

The Fox-owned station this week announced the hiring of “Kristen Nicole” to anchor the Saturday and Sunday editions of “Good Day Chicago,” starting March 28. The seat has been occupied by a revolving cast since the two-hour weekend show debuted January 30.

Continue reading →

Larry Mowry

Robservations on the media beat:

No one is supposed to know it yet, but WLS-Channel 7 is about to add a new face to its weather front. Larry Mowry, chief meteorologist at CBS-owned KTVT in Dallas, is expected to join the ABC-owned station here next month. It’s a homecoming for Mowry, who worked weekends at ABC 7 in 2004 and freelanced at CLTV in 2003. The addition comes as 32-year veteran Jerry Taft prepares to turn over his 10 p.m. weekday weather duties to newcomer Cheryl Scott. Also in the station's meteorology mix are Tracy Butler, Phil Schwarz and Troy Christensen. No comment from ABC 7. Continue reading →

Shia Kapos

Shia Kapos, one of Chicago’s premier journalists on the celebrity beat, is out after 10 years as senior reporter and columnist for Crain’s Chicago Business.

Michael Arndt, editor of Crain’s Chicago Business, confirmed that Friday was her last day. Continue reading →

WYCC

Last fall, Mayor Rahm Emanuel flatly rejected a suggestion I made here to sell the license of WYCC-Channel 20 in a government-sponsored auction, which could result in a potential windfall for the financially strapped City Colleges of Chicago.

“Chicago should sell the station because the city is in desperate financial straits, and the marketplace is offering an extraordinary premium for Channel 20's broadcast bandwidth,” the Chicago Tribune editorial board wrote in support of my idea. “There are other ways to teach college kids the media business besides operating a little-watched TV station via the 20th century technology of a broadcast transmitter and rabbit ears.” Continue reading →

Joyce Winnecke

Changes that swept through Tribune Publishing Wednesday included the leadership of Tribune Content Agency, the company’s syndication and licensing unit, as well as Chicago Tribune Suburban Media.

Veteran Chicago journalist and prominent media executive Joyce Winnecke departed as president of Tribune Content Agency. She was named to the post in 2014 after six years as associate editor of the Chicago Tribune. Continue reading →

Norm Winer

Chicago radio legend Norm Winer, who’s been the heart and soul of WXRT FM 93.1 for 37 years, resigned Wednesday — just weeks after he lost his position as program director of the CBS Radio adult album alternative station.

“I have decided to leave WXRT and CBS Radio,” Winer wrote to his staff. “I have been exceptionally fortunate to have been here, surrounded by people who mean so much to me.” Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times

Long plagued with a clumsy, useless and altogether user-unfriendly website, the Sun-Times unveiled a new online presence Wednesday at chicago.suntimes.com.

The new site is cleaner, neater and easy to navigate. Continue reading →

Bruce Dold

Two weeks after he was named editor of the Chicago Tribune, Bruce Dold has been promoted again — to the newly combined role of publisher and editor-in-chief.

The move was part of a sweeping reorganization of Tribune Publishing announced Wednesday by Michael Ferro, who took control of the Chicago-based company as leading investor and board chairman February 4. Ferro also announced he was giving up his financial stake in the Chicago Sun-Times to "avoid perceived conflicts of interest." Continue reading →

Michael Ferro

If you’re Michael Ferro, $44.4 million will buy you more than the board chairmanship of Tribune Publishing, parent company of the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.

It’ll also get you tickets to the Academy Awards. Continue reading →