Tony Sarabia

Tony Sarabia, host of “The Morning Shift” on WBEZ 91.5-FM, is stepping down at the end of the year after 28 years at the Chicago Public Media news/talk station.

Sarabia told listeners Tuesday he plans to move to rural Iowa to pursue opportunities outside of radio. His last day at WBEZ will be December 21. Continue reading →

CBS 2

Robservations on the media beat:

Jeff Harris

Another itinerant news director is coming to town to fix WBBM-Channel 2, the perpetually troubled CBS-owned station. Whether he’ll have any better luck than his predecessors remains to be seen. This time it’s Jeff Harris, news director at WEWS, the ABC affiliate in Cleveland. He's expected to join CBS 2 on July 16, according to insiders. Harris also has worked in Denver and San Francisco. He will replace Jeff Kiernan, who resigned in March to rejoin WTMJ, the NBC affiliate in Milwaukee. Derek Dalton, president and general manager of CBS 2, did not respond to a request for comment Monday. A spokeswoman declined to confirm that Harris has been hired. Continue reading →

Jonathon Brandmeier with photo of Wally Phillips (1986)

Jonathon Brandmeier, who took Chicago by storm as morning star of the former WLUP 97.9-FM in the ’80s, has been elected to the National Radio Hall of Fame on the first ballot.

Brandmeier, 61, was among 11 broadcasters in the 2018 class of inductees announced Monday by the Chicago-based shrine to radio’s outstanding personalities and programs. They will be inducted November 15 in New York. Continue reading →

Cheryl Scott

Robservations on the media beat:

If Cheryl Scott has ambitions beyond forecasting the weather here, she’s not letting on. Thinking about what’s next keeps the WLS-Channel 7 meteorologist up at night, she said, but she’s committed to the top-rated ABC-owned station — her TV home since 2014. “I am in such a great place right now,” Scott, 33, told Laurence Holmes on his “House of L” podcast this week. “ABC is awesome. I’m so fortunate to be where I am. So I just hope to continue to build an even better relationship with the Chicago community, and hopefully they realize that they’re stuck with me because I absolutely love this city and I love my job. It’s interesting being in the media world, in this business, and seeing how everything is kind of starting to change, and there’s so much more being done digitally. So I think it’s more of a crossover, where how you can continue to grow your brand and what you can do on other platforms, which I’ll continue to work on.” (Here is the link.) Continue reading →

Jerry Springer

Robservations on the media beat:

There was a time when the end of “The Jerry Springer Show” would have been front-page news in Chicago. But word this week that the syndicated talk show had ceased production after 4,000 episodes and 27 seasons mainly drew shrugs of good riddance. Named the worst TV show all time by TV Guide in 2002, the sleazy slugfest originated for 17 years from Chicago’s NBC Tower before relocating to Connecticut in 2009. While it was here, the Rev. Michael Pfleger waged a lengthy public battle against Springer’s glorification of violence. At one point, the host was hauled before the Chicago City Council where grandstanding aldermen questioned him about whether the fights on his show were real or fake. Springer’s short-lived stint as a news commentator for NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 in 1997 prompted the resignations of top anchors Carol Marin and Ron Magers and the defection of thousands of viewers. “We’ve stopped production of the show,” Springer, 74, told “Entertainment Tonight.” “Whenever you make changes, it’s sad.” Continue reading →

Dave Stewart

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s hard to imagine Chicago radio without Dave Stewart on somewhere. But after more than 40 years in the business, the top-notch newsman will be retiring at the end of June. Stewart, 66, most recently anchored for iHeartRadio’s 24/7 News Network and Salem Broadcasting news/talk WIND 560-AM. Before that he spent 28 years as afternoon news anchor and City Hall reporter at Tribune Broadcasting news/talk WGN 720-AM. “While my desire to inform without instigating hasn’t diminished, the time has come to step away from the obligation of a clock and a format,“ Stewart said. “There’s much about the business I’ll miss, and much I won’t. But what’ll be irreplaceable will be the opportunity to work with, alongside and for so many talented people.” Continue reading →

Eddie Olczyk

Robservations on the media beat:

David Kaplan

Eddie Olczyk, the former Chicago Blackhawks center turned sports broadcaster, is joining ESPN Radio sports/talk WMVP AM 1000 as co-host of David Kaplan’s midday show. Starting this week, he'll appear with Kaplan from 9 a.m. to noon two days a week (generally Mondays and Fridays). Jim Pastor, vice president and general manager of ESPN 1000, said in a statement: “What fans may not realize is that Eddie is not only a legendary hockey and horse racing broadcaster, but having grown up here, he’s also a huge fan of all Chicago sports teams. Pairing him twice a week with his good friend David Kaplan will give him a chance to put those passions on display for ESPN listeners.” Calling it “an incredible opportunity,” Olczyk said: “To work with Kap, who is a great friend and a media legend in our city, will be challenging and a lot of fun. I cannot wait to join him.” Olczyk, who recently bounced back from colon cancer, will continue as an analyst for NBC Sports, NBC Sports Chicago and Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9. Continue reading →

Steve Cochran in new WGN Radio studios Monday (Photo: WGN)

Today WGN 720-AM begins a new era in multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art studios on the 18th floor of 303 East Wacker Drive. But that doesn’t mean the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station will be leaving all its old baggage behind.

In the face of WGN’s declining ratings, questionable programming moves and impending sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group, it’s a time of introspection, reaffirmation and some finger-pointing behind the scenes at “Chicago’s Very Own.” Continue reading →

Elizabeth Brackett (Photo: WTTW)

From her award-winning work as an esteemed Chicago journalist to her inspiring success as a world champion triathlete, Elizabeth Brackett brought strength, energy, passion and courage to everything she did.

Brackett, who was 76, died Sunday at Stroger Hospital, where she had been in a coma and on a ventilator since Wednesday, according to Window to the World Communications WTTW-Channel 11. She suffered a fractured vertebrae in her neck after a bicycle accident and was found unconscious near a bike path at 39th and South Lake Shore Drive. Continue reading →

Chicago Reader

The Chicago Reader, the city’s leading alternative weekly for 47 years, has been sold to a group led by Dorothy Leavell, publisher of the African-American Chicago Crusader.

The news, first leaked at the annual conference of Rainbow PUSH Friday, was later confirmed by the parent company of the Sun-Times, which has owned the Reader since 2012. The deal is expected to close in the next 30 days, with the Sun-Times retaining a 15 percent interest in the publication. Continue reading →