Felicia Middlebrooks (Photo: WBBM Newsradio)

Audience shares declined from their sky-high levels in April for Chicago’s news and news/talk radio stations, but WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM continued to lead the market in May for the fourth consecutive month.

Nielsen Audio figures released Monday showed the Entercom all-news combo No. 1 overall as well as in mornings, afternoons and evenings. Continue reading →

Perry Sook

Robservations on the media beat:

Nexstar Media Group

The head of the nation's largest owner of television stations — including Chicago’s WGN-Channel 9 — is challenging his company's local newsrooms to "personalize, humanize and localize" the stories they report and give their communities more hope. That's the word from Perry Sook, chairman, president and CEO of Nexstar Media Group. “Our journalists must do their job and cover the story, but it is how we cover the story that is important,” Sook told employees in an internal email last week. “I’m not sure that endless adrenaline shots of conflict are really telling the story anyway. We need to spend more time on the why. In an excerpt from an interview I read over the weekend, one person pointed squarely at the media when he said, ‘Stop feeding fear and anger every day.  Stop making people so fearful. Give them hope.’ I challenge you to get together with your fellow employees and talk about how we can give our communities hope. What stories can we tell to personalize, humanize and localize what is going on in the country today?” Nexstar is poised to launch "News Nation," a three-hour primetime nightly newscast originating from Chicago on WGN America cable network, starting September 1. Continue reading →

Daily Herald Media Group

Robservations on the media beat:

At a time when news organizations everywhere are dealing with drastic cutbacks, Daily Herald Media Group is about to introduce two new weekly publications. Starting June 18, the employee-owned company will launch the Glenview Herald and the Northbrook Herald, serving the two north suburban communities just east of the Daily Herald circulation area. The two new tabloid-size publications will be delivered free to residents. The move fills a void created in March by the demise of 22nd Century Media, which published the Glenview Lantern and the Northbrook Tower among its 14 community newspapers. Northbrook resident Gail Eisenberg, former director of sales for 22nd Century Media’s Glenview and Northbrook papers, has been hired to handle retail advertising sales for the Glenview Herald and the Northbrook Herald. Editorial content will be provided by three current Daily Herald staffers, with Melynda Findlay-Shamie serving as editor, and Joe Lewnard and David Oberhelman serving as reporter/photographers. “While newspapers here and across the country deal with the challenges of the coronavirus on business conditions, it is especially important to innovate,” Doug Ray, board chairman and CEO of Daily Herald Media Group, said in an announcement to staff Thursday. “Growth and development of new initiatives are key to our future, and creation of these newspapers is just one example." (Disclosure: I am employed by Daily Herald Media Group.) Continue reading →

Steve Cushing

It’s been 40 years since Steve Cushing launched “Blues Before Sunrise,” the five-hour weekly public-radio showcase for vintage blues, R&B and gospel recordings spanning the 1920s through the ’60s. Fortunately for all of us, he's still at it.

"Chicago is still the world capital of the blues and ‘Blues Before Sunrise’ is one reason why,” said Dan Bindert, station manager of College of DuPage’s WDCB 90.9-FM, which airs the show Saturday nights from midnight to 5 a.m. “It's incredible that Steve's been keeping blues fans up all night with his incredible trip into the rich cultural legacy of the blues for 40 years.” Continue reading →

WGN news truck (May 30, 2020)

Robservations on the media beat:

Ken Bedford

The hazards of journalism became all too real this week for TV news crews in Chicago. Ken Bedford, a photographer for ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, was attacked from behind and knocked to the ground while he was covering the aftermath of looting in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood. "It was very volatile. I've covered a lot of protests and marches and we've never become part of the story," said Bedford, 70, who's been a photojournalist for ABC 7 since 1972. He said he fell forward and injured his elbow and knee. A news crew from NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 was reporting on a community coming together to help a business that had been looted when a camera was stolen from its truck — despite the presence of a security guard with the reporter and photographer. The camera later was seen in videos posted on social media. Several other news trucks were vandalized in the disturbances, including the one pictured here from Nexstar Media Group WGN-Channel 9. NABET, the union representing broadcast technicians, issued a warning to its members to stay vigilant and safe. Continue reading →

Joe Donlon

Nexstar Media Group has unveiled a lineup of anchors and correspondents for its upcoming nightly national newscast that includes three familiar faces from "Chicago's Very Own" WGN-Channel 9.

Joe Donlon, who co-anchors the 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m. newscasts at WGN, will lead the Monday-through-Friday anchor team for “News Nation,” set to debut September 1 on WGN America cable network. Originating from WGN studios, it will air from 7 to 10 p.m. seven nights a week. Continue reading →

Pam Zekman

Layoffs at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, including that of legendary investigative reporter Pam Zekman, led the top 10 most-read stories here in May.

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

Adam Amin

The Chicago Bulls today named Adam Amin as play-by-play announcer on NBC Sports Chicago, replacing the retiring Neil Funk alongside analyst Stacey King.

Amin, 33, who was born in Elmhurst, grew up in Addison and graduated from Addison Trail High School and Valparaiso University, recently joined Fox Sports as play-by-play announcer for NFL and MLB coverage after nine years at ESPN. He also has served as TV voice of Chicago Bears preseason games. Continue reading →

Amy Jacobson (Photo: Lissa Druss)

Governor J.B. Pritzker may have ended his daily media briefings on the coronavirus pandemic, but Chicago radio talk show host Amy Jacobson isn’t giving up her fight with him.

Now she says she's taking the governor to court.

Jacobson, who co-hosts mornings with Dan Proft on Salem Media news/talk WIND 560-AM, was barred from attending Pritzker's press conferences last month after she spoke at a Reopen Illinois rally protesting the governor’s stay-at-home order. Continue reading →

Jim Williams and Jeremy Ross (CBS 2 Chicago, May 30, 2020)

A special Sunday edition of Robservations on the media beat:

Coming off one of the worst weeks ever for WBBM-Channel 2 (including the most brutal round of layoffs in 12 years), the CBS-owned station redeemed itself Saturday night with its marathon coverage of protests, looting and fires in Chicago's Loop. Credit veteran news anchor Jim Williams, who led more than three hours of nonstop coverage solo with solid professionalism and a wealth of insight. That's what comes with a lifetime in Chicago and decades of experience as a local journalist and former City Hall press secretary. As chaos unfolded steps outside CBS 2's studios at Washington Boulevard and Dearborn Street, news director Jeff Harris flooded the zone with crews. Notable moments included reporter Jeremy Ross's eyewitness account of looting and arson at a Michigan Avenue sports store, and reporter Charlie De Mar's heartbreaking interview with the owner of Central Camera, who watched his 121-year-old family business burn to the ground. Reporter Jermont Terry, who joined CBS 2 just last fall, provided some of the night's most thoughtful observations. Continue reading →