Steve Cochran

Reversing a run of all-time low ratings, Steve Cochran surged back into Chicago radio's top 10 for his morning show on Tribune Broadcasting news/talk WGN 720-AM.

Nielsen Audio figures released Tuesday showed Cochran tied for sixth place in mornings with a 4.0 percent audience share — his best performance all year. Continue reading →

An Evanston Township High School basketball player’s miraculous game-winning shot from 80 feet away is a finalist for national honors in the 2018 ESPY Awards.

Freshman Blake Peters' one-handed buzzer-beater gave Evanston a one-point victory over Maine South High School on January 26. The video, first seen on Weigel Broadcasting’s The U Too “Game of the Week,” went viral. (Here is the link.) Continue reading →

Dorothy Leavell (Photo: WTTW/Chicago Tonight)

Robservations on the media beat:

Chicago Reader

The new owners of the Chicago Reader hope to expand the alternative weekly’s distribution and advertising beyond the North Side and lakefront, while retaining its investigative reporting and coverage of culture and entertainment. That’s the word from Dorothy Leavell, who heads the group that brought the Reader last month from the Sun-Times. “It’s going to be more diverse in its circulation especially,” Leavell told Phil Ponce on “Chicago Tonight.” “There are many of our communities — African-American communities — on the South Side and the West Side that you can’t get a Reader. So we’re No. 1 going to be expanding its reach.” Leavell, who also publishes the African-American Chicago Crusader and Gary Crusader, said she plans to develop a “full-scale sales team” for the Reader. “We don’t expect any real earth-shattering things from the beginning. . . . There may be some other areas people would like to see us focus on. We’re going to listen to them before we make any real changes.” Continue reading →

Brian Hanley

Robservations on the media beat:

Mike Mulligan

Brian Hanley, a 26-year veteran of WSCR 670-AM, is not being renewed as morning co-host of the Entercom sports/talk station, according to insiders. No word from management yet, but Hanley is expected to work through the end of the month with longtime partner Mike Mulligan and then shift to a new role as weekend and fill-in host. A former Sun-Times sports writer, Hanley joined The Score as a part-timer at its inception in 1992. He and Mulligan teamed up in middays in 2005 and moved to mornings in 2008. Sources say the top choice to succeed Hanley from 5 to 9 a.m. weekdays is Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh. The move follows recent shakeups to the Score’s midday and afternoon lineups. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, "The Mully & Hanley Show" tied for fourth among men between 25 and 54 with a 5.7 share. Continue reading →

Eric Ferguson

The Mix morning star Eric Ferguson’s continued reign atop the Chicago radio ratings and internal strife at Tribune Broadcasting news/talk WGN 720-AM led the top 10 most-read stories here in June.

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

Amy Guth (Photo: Aubrey Boonstra)

Chicago journalist, author and radio personality Amy Guth has been named executive director of the Midwest Independent Film Festival.

Billed as the nation's only film festival solely dedicated to the Midwest filmmaker, the organization presents regionally produced independent cinema year round. Screenings are on the first Tuesday of the month at Chicago’s Landmark Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark Street. Continue reading →

Outside the Capital Gazette Thursday

Robservations on the media beat:

Security was beefed up at the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers owned by tronc following a shooting Thursday at the company’s Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, that left five people dead. “Out of abundant precaution, we are increasing security presence at the company,” CEO Justin Dearborn told employees. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We are focused now on providing our employees and their families with support during this tragic time.” It was not clear what measures were taken in other area newsrooms. “First and foremost, we are deeply saddened by the senseless slaughter today,” Sun-Times CEO Edwin Eisendrath said in a statement. “As to our own security, for obvious reasons we do not disclose our security strategies.” The Daily Herald declined to comment. Continue reading →

Block Club Chicago

Block Club Chicago, the new subscription-based neighborhood news service, has picked up the assets of DNAinfo, including the extensive archive of stories created by the former hyperlocal news sites in Chicago and New York.

It’s quite a coup for Block Club Chicago, which acquired the treasure trove Thursday as a gift from New York Public Radio WNYC. The station obtained the assets from DNAinfo in February as part of a larger deal that included Gothamist and associated sites. Continue reading →

Kathy Brock

Robservations on the media beat:

Expressing gratitude for “how fortunate I’ve been to work here with these people,” Kathy Brock bade an emotional farewell Wednesday after 28 years as news anchor at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. Closing out her final 10 p.m. newscast with co-anchor Alan Krashesky, Brock told viewers: “Right now at this moment in time we need smart, objective journalists — a description of my colleagues — and my departure is not going to change that. I leave loving this job, but ready for change.” The sign-off capped a day of tributes and celebrations for her splendid career. Starting tonight Brock will be succeeded on the top-rated newscast by Cheryl Burton, a 26-year veteran of ABC 7. Continue reading →

Neil Steinberg

Five years ago Neil Steinberg’s column in the Sun-Times temporarily was cut to one day a week as punishment for an ethical infraction that must have seemed important at the time. That’s when he came up with an audacious idea.

Rather than enjoy his reduced workload at full pay, Steinberg decided to start a blog where he could post columns about anything he liked whenever he wanted. Seven days a week, in fact. Continue reading →