David Kaplan
Robservations on the media beat:
David Kaplan, the Chicago sportscasting dynamo, has been named to the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. He’ll be inducted October 28 at Wintrust Arena in a 2021 class that also includes former baseball outfielder Curtis Granderson, former NFL coach Mike Shanahan and baseball pioneer Andrew "Rube" Foster (posthumously). Kaplan currently hosts mornings with Jonathan Hood on Good Karma Brands ESPN sports/talk WMVP 1000-AM and hosts “Football Aftershow” for NBC Sports Chicago. He previously hosted “Sports Talk Live” on the regional sports network for more than 16 years. In announcing Kaplan's selection, the Hall of Fame committee noted the north suburban Skokie native is the only person in Chicago media history to have hosted a daily TV show, a daily radio show and written a regular column in a major newspaper all at the same time.
David Schuster
David Schuster has signed on as a contributor to The Kontender, the 24/7 digital audio network with commercial-free sports focusing on Chicago and Washington, D.C. The longtime sports reporter will provide weekly commentaries and appear on the network's "Windy City Breeze" and "Sports Talk Chicago" shows. Schuster was laid off in 2020 after two decades at Audacy sports/talk WSCR 670-AM. He previously worked for ESPN Radio 1000. Schuster continues to host "Grobstein & Schuster Express," a weekly podcast with Les Grobstein, and "Sharp Shooters," a weekly podcast with Mark Schanowski.
Rick Telander
Happy to report the renewal of Rick Telander as senior sports columnist at the Sun-Times for another year. "We're thrilled to have Rick continue with us," said Steve Warmbir, interim editor-in-chief of the Sun-Times. Telander, a Peoria native and Northwestern University graduate, joined the Sun-Times in 1995 after 22 years with Sports Illustrated, where he rose to senior writer.
Charlie Meyerson
"Chicago Media Talks" is the latest venture from Charlie Meyerson, the veteran broadcast journalist and digital media innovator. Debuting at 2 p.m. today, the weekly Clubhouse conversation and podcast series focuses on "Chicago’s evolving media ecosystem." It's a joint production of Meyerson's indispensable Chicago Public Square newsletter and Rivet360 (formerly Rivet News Radio). (Here is the link.) “What we have in mind will combine podcasting’s thoughtful pacing with the audience interaction Clubhouse makes possible," Meyerson said. Co-hosting will be Sheila Solomon, strategic alliances manager for Rivet360 and vice chair of Journalism Funding Partners. Their first guest will be Deborah Douglas, former editorial board member, columnist and editor at the Sun-Times, who teaches journalism at DePauw University. Additional links to the series:
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chicago-media-talks/id1570898125
- Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/chicago-media-talks
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5aQ8S5xOpM0N37pxMUN1C5
Phil Potempa
Phil Potempa, columnist for the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana, will channel the spirit of infamous New York gossip columnist Walter Winchell in a new one-man show. Potempa has written and stars in "Winchell: On the Air," which will premiere with two performances Thursday at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster, Indiana. (Here is the link.) Among authentic artifacts in the production will be one one of Winchell’s signature fedoras, which Potempa acquired at auction years ago.
Chicago Tribune
Following up on Friday's report here about buyouts at the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Tribune Guild has negotiated a one-week extension to the company's deadline. Full-time editorial employees now have until June 16 to apply for buyouts and will be notified if they're accepted by June 21. Their last day of work will be June 25. A stampede of top talent is expected now that Tribune Publishing is fully owned by Alden Global Capital, a New York-based hedge fund known for severe cost-cutting at newsrooms nationwide.
Friday's comment of the day: Kar Uchima: A newspaper is only as good as the reporters they hire. We pay attention to bylines. The names represent seasoned writers that tell us the story we want told. Don't gut the institution. We still read facts and truth in our daily dose.