WGN

Robservations on the media beat:

Tom Skilling

No matter how dead the deal may look, employees of WGN-Channel 9 and WGN 720-AM aren’t ready to speak out about the apparent collapse of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s acquisition of their Tribune Media parent company. Though many privately expressed relief that the FCC has derailed the $3.9 billion transaction, most declined to comment publicly. One exception was WGN’s superstar meteorologist, Tom Skilling, who said: “I don't know how final these latest developments are and want to be careful not to get out ahead on this. Ours is a very special television station and I work with an amazing group of people here. My hope is however this comes out that my fellow WGN employees feel secure and happy at the outcome.” Paul Rennie, president and general manager of WGN, was out of the country and could not be reached. Continue reading →

WGN

Robservations on the media beat:

FCC

The Federal Communications Commission officially pushed back on Sinclair Broadcast Group Thursday, citing the Maryland-based company for “misrepresentation and/or lack of candor” in its application to acquire Chicago-based Tribune Media, including WGN-Channel 9 and WGN 720-AM. Strongly questioning whether the $3.9 billion deal would be in the public interest, the FCC voted unanimously to refer the case to an administrative law judge, effectively blowing it up. A key point was the FCC’s concern over Sinclair's scheme to sell WGN to an auto dealer connected to Sinclair chairman David Smith, while maintaining control over the station’s programming, advertising and other operations. “Specifically, we question the legitimacy of the proposed sale of a such a highly rated and profitable station in the nation’s third-largest market to an individual with no broadcast experience, with close business ties to Smith, and with plans to own only the license and minimal station assets,” the FCC order read. “Indeed, one could argue that Sinclair’s proposal to divest what has been described as one of the ‘crown jewels’ of Tribune makes no sense from a business perspective unless that divestiture permitted Sinclair to maintain effective control over the station.” (Here is the link.) Tribune Media said in a statement: “We will be greatly disappointed if the transaction cannot be completed, but will rededicate our efforts to running our businesses and optimizing assets.” Continue reading →

Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper has acquired the assets of Chicagoist, the local digital news site that’s been dormant since last fall.

In a deal with New York Public Radio’s WNYC, Chance the Rapper’s Social Media LLC picked up Chicagoist's archives, internet domain and social media channels. Terms were not disclosed. Continue reading →

Start TV

From the folks who brought you Me-TV, H&I and the Decades Network, now comes Start TV, a new digital network featuring “strong and resourceful female leading characters” in a lineup of procedural dramas.

Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting unveiled plans for the new network Wednesday in conjunction with the CBS Television Stations, including WBBM-Channel 2 in Chicago. Start TV will debut September 3 on CBS 2’s digital tier along with stations covering 42 percent of U.S. households. Continue reading →

WGN TV

While the future of “Chicago’s Very Own” WGN-Channel 9 and WGN 720-AM hangs in the balance, Sinclair Broadcast Group isn’t giving up yet.

The Maryland-based broadcaster still hopes to salvage its $3.9 billion agreement to acquire Chicago-based Tribune Media, parent company of WGN and 41 other stations nationwide, despite a move to derail the long-delayed deal Monday by the Federal Communications Commission. Continue reading →

Sinclair Broadcast Group

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s not clear what prompted FCC chairman Ajit Pai to derail the $3.9 billion acquisition of Chicago-based Tribune Media by Sinclair Broadcast Group. But in raising “serious concerns” about the deal Monday, Pai threw the future ownership of “Chicago’s Very Own” WGN-Channel 9, news/talk WGN 720-AM and 41 other Tribune stations up in the air. According to Reuters, a draft of the FCC’s order said Sinclair’s actions “potentially involve deception” and possible “misconduct.” Sinclair responded that it was “shocked and disappointed” by the setback and denied any “misrepresentation or lack of candor” involving its plans to divest 21 Tribune Media stations — including WGN. “At no time have we misled the FCC in any manner whatsoever with respect to the relationships or the structure of those relationships proposed as part of the Tribune acquisition,” the company said. Tribune Media stock fell nearly 17 percent to $32.12 on Monday’s bombshell news. Continue reading →

Sinclair Broadcast Group

In a stunning move, the Federal Communications Commission appears to have put the kibosh on the controversial sale of “Chicago’s Very Own” WGN-Channel 9, news/talk WGN 720-AM and the other 41 Tribune Media stations to Sinclair Broadcast Group.

FCC chairman Ajit Pat said Monday he has “serious concerns” about the $3.9 billion merger, which would have created the country’s largest television station monopoly. Continue reading →

Cheryl Scott and Dante Deiana (Photo: Cheryl Scott/Instagram)

Robservations on the media beat:

Dante Deiana and Cheryl Scott

A romantic sunset atop a Hawaiian volcano was the setting of a marriage proposal over the weekend to Cheryl Scott, 33, meteorologist at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. Chicago DJ Dante “Dante the Don” Deiana, 35, popped the question at the summit of the Haleakala volcano on Maui. “THIS MOMENT!! Makes me feel like I’m on top of the world!” Scott posted on Instagram along with photos of the couple. “Are you kidding me??? 10,000 feet high . . . above the clouds . . . at sunset! A dream for anyone but especially for this Meteorologist!” Calling it the “best day of my life,” Deiana wrote: “It all came together on top of a volcano above the clouds at sunset with the girl of my dreams.” Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune editors say they “found no problems” after reviewing the work of an award-winning former reporter who recently was fired after eight months at the Washington Post.

Marwa Eltagouri was dismissed in late June before completing the Post’s nine-month probation for new employees, according to the newspaper, after it discovered evidence of “lax attribution” in at least a dozen stories aggregated from other news sources. Continue reading →

Hosea Sanders

Robservations on the media beat:

Hosea Sanders is spending his 61st birthday at home today recovering from what he called “serious abdominal surgery.” The longtime news anchor at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 has been off the air since June 19. Sanders said Wednesday he feels “blessed to be on the other side of surgery and on the way to healing — with the encouragement of the many who have shown how much they care.” Last year Sanders underwent surgery and lengthy treatment for prostate cancer. Along with Cheryl Burton he co-anchors the 7 p.m. weeknight newscast produced by ABC 7 for Weigel Broadcasting’s WCIU-Channel 26. Continue reading →