Silver Circle Awards

Robservations on the media beat:

The long-delayed induction of Chicago's Class of 2020 Silver Circle Award winners will finally happen this weekend. Jackie Bange, Mark Giangreco, Alan Krashesky, Jennifer Lyons, Marda LeBeau and Richard Bernal will be among honorees at the virtual event, airing from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday on The U, Weigel Broadcasting’s WCIU-Channel 26.2/WMEU-Channel 48.1. Posthumous inductees will be Marlin Perkins, Lynn Hauldren and Jack and Elaine Mulqueen. Sponsored by the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the event will be emceed by Jim Williams, news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 and 2018 Silver Circle inductee. Continue reading →

Ryan Chiaverini and Val Warner

Today the curtain falls on “Windy City Live,” closing out a 10-year run for the locally produced talk and entertainment show on ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7.

Genial hosts Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini, who’ve been there from day one, will look back at highlights of the past decade and test each other's knowledge of the show with a trivia contest moderated by Roe Conn. Continue reading →

Emily Wahls

Robservations on the media beat:

Making a giant leap from the 115th largest market to the third, Emily Wahls was named chief meteorologist at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 Wednesday. She’ll turn up on the station’s 4, 5 and 9 p.m. weekday newscasts, starting September 27. Wahls succeeds Bill Bellis, whose contract was not renewed in February. A graduate of Central Michigan University, Wahls spent more than seven years on CBS affiliate WLNS in Lansing, Michigan, and was to have started on the air this week at NBC affiliate WILX in Lansing (after a one-year no-compete) when Fox 32 beckoned. “I am thrilled to join the Fox 32 team and help viewers best prepare for the day’s weather,” Wahls said in a statement. “Living in Chicago has always been a dream of mine, and my family is excited to experience everything the city has to offer.” Continuing on Fox 32’s weather team are Mike Caplan, Kaitlin Cody, Mark Strehl and Tim McGill. Continue reading →

Laura Duncan

Laura Duncan, a rock radio programmer and personality from Indianapolis, has been hired as brand manager of WXRT 93.1-FM, Chicago's iconic adult album alternative station. She will oversee all programming for the Audacy station, starting October 4.

Duncan succeeds Greg Solk, who was promoted to vice president of programming and operations for the six-station Audacy Chicago group in July. Solk had been brand manager and program director of WXRT since 2017. Continue reading →

Andy Avalos

The retirement of meteorologist Andy Avalos after more than three decades on Chicago TV led the top 10 most-read stories here in August.

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

Andi Lamoreaux

Culminating a monumental 52-year run at Chicago’s classical music station, Andi Lamoreaux is calling it a career.

Revered by colleagues as a “walking compendium of Chicago music history,” the longtime music director of WFMT 98.7-FM will retire October 1, parent company Window to the World Communications announced today. Continue reading →

John Oliver

Robservations on the media beat:

Museum of Broadcast Communications

Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications will be one of five museums in the country to exhibit artwork featured on HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." Starting October 5, Oliver's self-proclaimed "Masterpiece Gallery" will be on display for four weeks at the museum, 360 North State Street. Pictured above is Oliver with his painting of Wendy Williams eating a lamb chop. In addition to winning the national competition, the museum will receive a $10,000 grant and an additional $10,000 will be donated to its designated charity, the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “We are grateful to John Oliver and his staff for this incredible — and fun — honor,” Susy Schultz, executive director of the museum, said in a statement. “We wrote a compelling letter, and our team went all out in our video entry." Schultz cited the "star power" of Rich "Svengoolie" Koz and executive producer Jim Roche for their role in the museum's pitch. (Here is the link to Oliver's video message to Chicago.) Continue reading →

Mallory Vor Broker

Robservations on the media beat:

Bill Cameron

After 10 years as a producer at WLS 890-AM, Mallory Vor Broker has been named political reporter for the Cumulus Media news/talk station. She succeeds Bill Cameron, who retired August 20 as dean of Chicago’s City Hall reporters. Vor Broker, who most recently was executive producer of John Howell’s afternoon show, previously worked with Steve Dahl, Roe Conn and Lauren Cohn at WLS. A graduate of Ohio University and Roosevelt University, she started as an assistant producer at Audacy all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM and a traffic producer and reporter for Radiate Media. “While Bill Cameron has left some big shoes to fill, Mallory joins the team equipped with the knowledge of how Chicago-style politics work and a Rolodex to complement that,” WLS news director Nick Gale said in a statement. “We welcome Mallory to the team, knowing she is well prepared to keep WLS listeners informed on what's happening at the Hall as well as down in Springfield.” In a farewell conversation capping his 51 years in Chicago radio, Cameron will appear on his former show, “Connected to Chicago,” at 7 p.m. Sunday. Returning to interview his longtime colleague will be retired WLS news anchor John Dempsey. Continue reading →

Rick Telander

For the last word on Rick Telander's DUI arrest we turn now to Rick Telander.

As reported here August 20, the veteran Chicago journalist and senior sports columnist at the Sun-Times was cleared of all charges in connection with a traffic stop July 25 in north suburban Wilmette.

Telander, 72, who lives in north suburban Highwood, was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol, disregarding a traffic control device, speeding, improper lane usage and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. He declined to comment while the case was pending. Continue reading →

Sarah Dunlap Burke

Still reeling from a massive decline in ratings, the firing of sports anchor Mark Giangreco, the cancellation of “Windy City Live” and the layoffs of more than a dozen staffers, ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 just lost its No. 2 news executive.

Sarah Dunlap Burke resigned Friday after seven years as assistant news director at ABC 7. She is expected to be named vice president and news director of WCBS, the CBS-owned station in New York, where she once worked as executive producer. Continue reading →