A few of the stories that made headlines on the Chicago media beat in 2021:
An offhand remark by Mark Giangreco at the end of a sports segment on WLS-Channel 7 (“Cheryl can play the ditzy, combative interior decorator,” were his precise words) sounded disrespectful to news anchor Cheryl Burton, who set off enough alarms that what might have been a newsroom squabble turned into a serious corporate matter for the ABC-owned station. It triggered a process that led to a payout on Giangreco's contract and an early, bitter exit after 27 years as ABC 7's top sports anchor — and one of Chicago TV's all-time greatest. The year will end with WMAQ-Channel 5 shrewdly reuniting Giangreco and Janet Davies (another outcast from ABC 7) as contributors to the NBC-owned station's New Year’s Eve special. Despite all the uproar, ABC 7 still leads in the late-news ratings, with Burton more powerful than ever. Continue reading