Lori Rackl

Eleven months after she accepted a voluntary buyout from the Sun-Times and stepped down as TV critic, Lori Rackl is back in the daily newspaper business.

Rackl starts Wednesday as editor of the Chicago Tribune’s travel section, a position she previously held at the Sun-Times. She succeeds Ross Werland, who accepted a buyout at the end of last year. Rackl also will serve as editor of the Tribune’s health and family section. Continue reading →

Crain's On Politics

Crain’s Chicago Business is throwing its hat in the political newsletter ring.

Starting February 1, Crain’s On Politics will turn up in email in-boxes at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. With an initial distribution of more than 100,000, the free, aggregated daily newsletter will feature synopses of top political stories with links to their online sources. Continue reading →

Anne Swaney

Grief management professionals will be on hand at WLS-Channel 7 Tuesday and Wednesday to help employees cope with the sudden loss of their colleague, Anne Swaney, who was executive producer of online operations at the ABC-owned station.

Swaney, 39, was found murdered last week in Belize near the resort where she was vacationing. Police were continuing to search the area where her body was found. Continue reading →

Kris Kelley

Robservations on the media beat:

The radio world was saddened Sunday by news of the untimely death of Kris Kelley, former midday personality on urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7 and former program director of urban contemporary WGCI FM 107.5 and Top 40 WKSC FM 103.5. Kelley, who was 45, was found dead last week in her Philadelphia apartment, according to published reports. A 15-year employee of Clear Channel Radio, the predecessor of iHeart Media, Kelley exited the company in December 2013. “While Kris Kelley took great pride in her ratings, her joy came from discovering new talent and developing leaders,” Tony Coles, senior vice president/programming for iHeart Media, wrote on Facebook. “She did not make the process easy for them - because she knew that getting what you really want is never an easy process. She left us too soon, but we are so thankful for her legacy.” Continue reading →

Rich King

After 48 years in the business, veteran Chicago sportscaster Rich King is ready to call it quits. King announced Sunday he plans to retire June 15 as sports anchor and reporter at Tribune Media WGN-Channel 9.

“I still feel I am in top form and could go on for a year or two, but it is better to go out on your feet instead of being carted out the door feet first on a stretcher,” he wrote on Facebook. Continue reading →

Anne Swaney, executive producer of online operations at WLS-Channel 7, was found murdered Friday while vacationing in Belize, the ABC-owned station reported Friday.

Swaney, 39, who was traveling in the Cayo district of western Belize, was staying at the Nabitunich Farm near the town of San Jose Succotz, according to an ABC 7 report. The hotel owner told the station he had reported Swaney missing Thursday and that her body was discovered by police Friday near the hotel. Continue reading →

TouchVision

Another 40 Chicago journalists are out of work today. But in this case, figuring out who’s to blame isn’t easy.

All were employees of TouchVision, the multi-platform digital programming service that abruptly ceased operations after two years Thursday. How abruptly? Staffers were told at an afternoon meeting that it was their last day. Continue reading →

Shila Nathan

Forget about “Chi-Town.” When Shila Nathan turned up as afternoon personality on WUSN FM 99.5, it became “Shi-Town.”

After 20 months on the CBS Radio country station, Nathan is leaving the popular show she hosted from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Her last day on US 99.5 will be January 22. Continue reading →

Norm Winer

Capping an unparalleled run as program director of WXRT FM 93.1, Norm Winer has shifted to a new role at the adult album alternative station he has led with distinction since 1979.

CBS Radio Chicago announced Wednesday that Winer has been named director of music initiatives and special programming at WXRT. The newly created position is intended to capitalize on Winer’s “years of experience and expertise stewarding the WXRT brand,” according to the company’s statement. Continue reading →

Ben Hollis

Robservations on the media beat:

Ben Hollis, the Chicago television treasure who hosted “Wild Chicago” and “Ben Loves Chicago,” among other classic shows, is characteristically upbeat about upcoming brain surgery. Hollis, 61, will undergo procedures Monday and Tuesday for arterial venous malformation, a tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain. “I want to be open to whatever support the universe has open to me in terms of good will and good wishes,” he told friends on Facebook. “I feel amazingly calm and confident.” Continue reading →