Chicago Tribune

Throughout eight tumultuous years as editor of the Chicago Tribune, Gerry Kern championed investigative reporting and opinion leadership as hallmarks of the newspaper.

Both are assured of continuing under Bruce Dold, who was named Wednesday to succeed Kern, 66, who announced his retirement effective immediately. A Pulitzer Prize-winning 38-year veteran of the Tribune, Dold, 60, has been editorial page editor since 2000. Continue reading →

Me-TV FM

Any doubts about whether Me-TV FM is for real were put to rest Tuesday.

Just shy of a year after signing on as a soft rock/oldies station, Weigel Broadcasting’s WRME LP 87.7 delivered its highest audience share ever in the latest Nielsen Audio ratings. Continue reading →

Lester Holt and Stefan Holt

After five years as morning news anchor at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5, Stefan Holt is leaving for WNBC in New York, where he’ll work in the same building as his famous father, “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt.

Stefan Holt, 29, will join the network’s flagship station in April as co-anchor of a new 4 p.m. weekday newscast, WNBC announced Tuesday. His last day at NBC 5 here will be March 25. Continue reading →

Megan Reed

As a Chicago radio personality for nearly three decades, Megan Reed exuded the same genuine warmth and optimism with listeners that she shared with friends and colleagues.

Reed, who was 52, died Sunday after a 17-month battle with cancer. She had been off the air since September 2014 when she went on medical leave as midday personality at Hubbard Radio adult contemporary WILV (now WSHE FM 100.3). Continue reading →

Chicago magazine

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s another dubious ranking of the city’s “most powerful” people from our friends at Chicago magazine. This year they’ve cut the list in half (“The Power 100” is now “The Power 50”). While Rahm Emanuel graces the cover of the March issue, the embattled mayor falls to second place behind Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle (who was No. 8 last year). Once again there’s not a working journalist — print, broadcast or digital — in the bunch, though there are two media moguls: Newsweb Corp. owner Fred Eychaner (No. 36) and newly ensconced Tribune Publishing chairman Michael Ferro (No. 49). “For better or worse, the fate of print journalism in this town rests largely in his hands,” Chicago says of Ferro, whom the magazine once pilloried. Now he’s the publication’s top boss. Continue reading →

Sarah Karp

Sarah Karp, the renowned journalist whose investigative work led to the federal indictment of Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, has been hired as a reporter at Chicago Public Media WBEZ FM 91.5.

Karp, who most recently has been senior investigator at the Better Government Association, will join the education reporting team at WBEZ February 29. Continue reading →

V.J. McAleer

V.J. McAleer, a Peabody Award-winning journalist and a highly respected 36-year veteran of Chicago television, is the latest senior executive at WTTW-Channel 11 to be forced out in response to a budget shortfall.

A spokesperson for Window to the World Communications cited “budgetary reasons” Thursday for McAleer’s departure as senior vice president of community partnerships. For many years he was senior vice president of production at the public television station, overseeing such programming as “Chicago Tonight” and “Check, Please!” Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune Media Group has offered buyouts to editorial employees of its 32 suburban Pioneer Press weekly newspapers, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

Eligible employees have until February 16 to apply for buyouts, which include enhanced severance and extended health insurance benefits. Not all who opt in may be accepted. Continue reading →

Newcity Chicago

The editor and publisher of Newcity, the venerable alternative weekly, is offering an imaginative plan to keep the Sun-Times alive and independent. It starts with getting rid of Michael Ferro.

In this week’s cover story titled Save The Sun-Times: How I’d Keep Chicago A Two-Newspaper Town, Brian Hieggelke forcefully argues that the city needs a better, smarter, stronger competitor to the Chicago Tribune. Continue reading →

Chicago

After years of declining revenues — including double-digit losses in 2014 — Chicago radio leveled off in 2015.

Income from all sources totaled $376.048 million — down just barely from the previous year’s $376.231 million, according to figures supplied by the major station groups and compiled by the accounting firm of Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. Continue reading →