Chicago Reader

Seventeen editorial employees of the Chicago Reader voted unanimously to ratify a new contract, the Chicago News Guild announced Friday.

It took nearly two years of negotiations, a strike threat and a change of ownership for staffers of the alternative weekly to achieve their first contract in the publication’s 46-year history. Continue reading →

Kevin Cross

Robservations on the media beat:

Jessica Felten

Kevin Cross, who began his career in sports broadcasting nearly 25 years ago as a producer for the former SportsChannel, was promoted Thursday to vice president of content at NBC Sports Chicago. The Chicago native and graduate of Columbia College most recently was senior director of news and original content at Comcast SportsNet Chicago (renamed NBC Sports Chicago this week). In his newly created position, Cross will lead the network’s entire portfolio, including live events, programming, digital media, news and original content. Also at NBC Sports Chicago, marketing manager Jessica Felten was promoted to director of marketing. “Both Kevin and Jessica have been major contributors and integral assets to the growth of NBC Sports Chicago,” Bill Bridgen, president of NBC Sports Regional Networks, said in a statement. “Their experience, leadership and forward-thinking mindset will be critical factors in our multi-platform efforts moving forward.” Continue reading →

Chris Boden

Robservations on the media beat:

Judd Sirott

Wednesday was a happy day for two veteran Chicago sportscasters. Chris Boden was named pregame and postgame host for all Chicago Blackhawks broadcasts on Tribune Broadcasting news/talk WGN AM 720. He succeeded Judd Sirott, who’s headed to Boston as the new play-by-play voice of the Bruins. Sirott, who served as radio host for the Blackhawks on WGN for the past 10 years, is the nephew of broadcast legend Bob Sirott. All three are Chicago natives. Boden, who was cut in August after 10 years at NBC Sports Chicago (formerly Comcast SportsNet Chicago), tweeted: “Yeah that mouth's open . . .” Continue reading →

Alan Krashesky

After 35 years at WLS-Channel 7, Alan Krashesky is living proof that nice guys finish first.

In the 18 months since Krashesky succeeded the legendary Ron Magers as 10 p.m. news anchor, the ABC-owned station has maintained its dominant first-place position in Chicago television's late-news battle. The same is true of the 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts Krashesky also anchors. Continue reading →

WBBM Newsradio

Robservations on the media beat:

Chicago radio stations responded forcefully to Monday’s two biggest stories. Starting before 6 a.m. CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9 went wall to wall with coverage of the Las Vegas concert shooting. For more than two hours, WBBM Newsradio dropped virtually all commercials and other programming elements to report exclusively on the deadly attack. Traffic updates were relegated to tweets. Later in the day, reports of rock legend Tom Petty’s passing prompted Hubbard Radio classic rock WDRV FM 97.1 to play Petty’s music exclusively from about 2:45 to 6 p.m. (Although initial reports of his death turned out to be premature.) Said Rob Cressman, program director of The Drive: “It speaks to the power and intimacy that is the institution of radio.” Continue reading →

Kathy Hart (Photo: Fox 32)

The release of Kathy Hart after more than two decades at WTMX FM 101.9 and the breakup of Eric & Kathy as Chicago radio’s No. 1 morning team led the top 10 most-read stories here in September.

To read the full posts, click on the headlines: Continue reading →

Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)

The Chicago Sun-Times has agreed to donate its vast collection of movie press kits and related memorabilia to the archives of Roger Ebert at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

The material is believed to include decades of movie press kits — including priceless photos which cannot be sold because the rights belong to Hollywood studios. Continue reading →

"Every Other Hour" (WBEZ)

Robservations on the media beat:

“Every Other Hour” has been a yearlong enterprising reporting project on Chicago’s gun violence epidemic, produced by Chicago Public Media WBEZ FM 91.5. (The title refers to the frequency of shootings in Chicago over the past two years.) The series will culminate October 12 with a community event at the Renaissance Collaborative in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Young Chicagoans affected by gun violence will share the stage with local artists who’ll tell their stories. The event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. also will stream live on WBEZ’s Facebook page. “This project has reinforced that young people are at the heart of the good coming out of the same communities where we see much of this violence taking place,” editor Cate Cahan said in a statement. “They have real ideas that can spark meaningful change. We wanted to provide an opportunity for engaged Chicagoans to be able to listen to and learn from them.” (The Daily Herald periodically runs stories from the WBEZ gun-violence series. Monday’s piece is about keeping kids safe and employed by hiring them during the summer to help fix rundown school auditoriums.) Continue reading →

The Steve Cochran Show (from left): Steve Grzanich, Mary Van De Velde, Mike Jacobsen, Andrea Darlas, Steve Cochran, Mary Sandberg, Orion Samuelson, Dave Eanet and John DaCosse

Robservations on the media beat:

Steve Cochran

Steve Cochran will celebrate his 1,000th show as morning personality on WGN AM 720 with a live broadcast event from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday from the Blackhawks Store at 333 North Michigan Avenue. The Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station will feature a multitude of on-air giveaways and “special surprises” throughout the show. “Cubs win, Trump wins, I go 1,000 shows without being fired,” Cochran said of the milestone. “A very strange time, but I'm honored to sit where Wally Phillips, Bob Collins, and Spike [O'Dell] sat and mostly just appreciative and humbled by the audience support.” In the latest ratings Cochran’s show tied for fourth place with a 4.5 percent audience share. Continue reading →

Kathy Hart

Robservations on the media beat:

In her first broadcast appearance in five months, Kathy Hart will turn up Wednesday as guest host of “Good Day Chicago,” the morning show on Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32. It’s not likely she’ll talk about her breakup with 21-year morning partner Eric Ferguson (she’s been under a “no comment” order from her former bosses), but it will be the first time fans will see or hear from Hart since she went on leave from “The Eric & Kathy Show” in late April. Earlier this month Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX FM 101.9 officially dropped her from the show and retitled it “Eric in the Morning with Melissa & Whip.” Hart won’t be a free agent until her contract with The Mix expires in December. Continue reading →