David Jackson

Robservations on the media beat:

David Jackson, the esteemed senior investigator for the Better Government Association, will be honored with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Journalists Association. The group’s 2020 virtual awards ceremony will stream live via Zoom from 8 to 9 p.m. on November 20. Jackson, a Chicago native and Pulitzer Prize winner, joined the nonprofit government watchdog group in August after 29 years at the Chicago Tribune. In addition to his monumental work as an investigative reporter, Jackson spearheaded a valiant effort to find a benevolent owner for the Tribune before he resigned in July. Keynote speaker at the awards ceremony will be Chris Fusco, former executive editor of the Sun-Times, now founding executive editor of Lookout Santa Cruz in California. Continue reading →

"News Nation"

Robservations on the media beat:

In a week that saw some cable networks and digital sites set viewership records, "News Nation," the Chicago-based startup launched in September by Nexstar Media Group, barely registered. At the height of Election Night coverage Tuesday, "News Nation" delivered only 95,000 viewers from coast to coast on WGN America. Compare that to 14 million viewers for Fox News, 9.3 million for CNN and 7.5 million for MSNBC. Even WGN-Channel 9, also owned by Nexstar, outdrew "News Nation" with 241,000 viewers — and that was in the Chicago area alone. Adding insult to injury, news/talk WGN 720-AM simulcast "News Nation" audio in lieu of the usual local coverage. It marked the first time in its 96-year history WGN Radio outsourced reporting presidential election returns. Continue reading →

93.9 Lite FM

With 50 days to go until Christmas WLIT 93.9-FM is ready to become “Chicago’s Christmas Music Station.” Starting at 4 p.m. Friday holiday music will begin airing around the clock for the 20th straight year.

The tradition has proved to be a fan favorite and a ratings bonanza every year without fail for the iHeartMedia adult contemporary station. The earliest they’ve flipped the switch was November 2 in 2006 and 2007. Continue reading →

Guaranteed Rate Field

Robservations on the media beat:

ESPN Chicago 1000

The headline here in August read: “White Sox appear headed to ESPN 1000.” Now it’s about to come true. Sources confirmed Tuesday that the Chicago White Sox have rejected a bid for the team's radio rights by Entercom, parent company of all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM. With previous radio home Nexstar Media Group news/talk WGN 720-AM out of the picture, that leaves WMVP 1000-AM, the ESPN Radio sports/talk station managed by Good Karma Brands, as the winner. All signs point to an announcement in the coming days. Such a move would fulfill ESPN 1000’s strategy to compete on the local front with Entercom sports/talk WSCR 670-AM, home of Chicago Cubs baseball. ESPN Chicago market manager Mike Thomas declined to comment. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey ESPN 1000 tied for 18th place among men between 25 and 54. The Score ranked 15th in the target demo. Continue reading →

KDKA Radio

Robservations on the media beat:

“We'd appreciate it if anyone hearing this broadcast would communicate with us as we are very anxious to know how far the broadcast is reaching and how it is being received.” With those words — uttered by announcer Leo Rosenberg — Pittsburgh’s KDKA Radio began what historians consider the first commercial broadcast in the United States. On the night of November 2, 1920, the Westinghouse station carried results of the presidential election that day between Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox. Within two years more than 500 licensed stations were broadcasting across the country — including Zenith Radio Corporation’s WJAZ in Chicago. Continue reading →

Carol Marin

Robservations on the media beat:

As she has done before every election, Carol Marin spent the weekend at her kitchen table poring over pertinent facts and figures as if she were cramming for a final exam. "In this case, it sort of is our final exam on elections," she told me Sunday. That's because this election will mark the last hurrah for Marin after 48 years in the news business. The legendary broadcast journalist is stepping down as political editor of NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 and correspondent for “Chicago Tonight” at Window to the World Communications WTTW-Channel 11 at the end of the week. On Tuesday night Marin and longtime producer Don Moseley will work out of the main first-floor newsroom and studio at NBC 5 for the first time since March. "We'll all see how long we stay on the air as results come — or don't come — in," she said. So how is Marin feeling? "Excited. Nostalgic. Nervous always about getting things right. Glad that I have one more election night to report. Mindful of sharing it with people I love both in front of and behind the camera. Grateful for the viewers who have so loyally and generously watched for all these years." Marin and Moseley will continue to serve as co-directors of the Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence at DePaul University, which they co-founded in 2016. Continue reading →

Vaughn McClure

News of the death of ESPN reporter and former Chicago sportswriter Vaughn McClure at 48 and the return of Stefan Holt as news anchor at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 led the top 10 most-read stories here in October.

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

Marie Saavedra

Robservations on the media beat:

Marie Saavedra, who grew up in Evanston and began as an intern at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, has returned home to join CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 as a reporter. Since 2013 Saavedra has been a reporter and weekend news anchor at WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas. A graduate of Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette and the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, she previously worked at KTVK in Phoenix and KYTV in Springfield, Missouri. "SWEET HOME CHICAGO: It's official!" Saavedra tweeted Thursday. "I'm back in my hometown and proud to join the team at @cbschicago. Excited to hit the ground running. Here's to the next chapter!" Continue reading →

Newcity

Robservations on the media beat:

Brandis Friedman

The editors of Newcity have put a new twist on their annual "Best of Chicago" edition. Featuring alternate covers designed by Andrea Coleman and Nikko Washington, and guest-edited by Tara Betts and Scoop Jackson, the entire November issue is devoted to celebrating Black Chicago. Among the 137 "bests" are media-related honorees Brandis Friedman, co-anchor of WTTW-Channel 11's "Chicago Tonight," as best new news host; Jonathan Hood, morning co-host on sports/talk WMVP 1000-AM, as best radio breakthrough; Morgan Sherm as best radio producer and trans activist; and The Triibe, digital platform for Chicago Black Millennials, as best alternative journalism. Copies of Best of Chicago 2020 are on sale for $10 at NewcityShop.com. Continue reading →

Steve Harvey

WVAZ 102.7-FM, the iHeartMedia R&B station, extended its winning streak to a second month, according to Nielsen Audio figures released Monday.

V103 also finished first in mornings with the syndicated Steve Harvey, afternoons with Joe Soto, and evenings with the syndicated Keith Sweat. All that prevented another clean sweep of all four dayparts by V103 was Entercom all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM, which captured middays with Cisco Cotto. Continue reading →