Chicago Sun-Times

The Chicago News Guild has reached out to advertisers of the Sun-Times for help to forestall another round of layoffs at the newspaper.

No new cutbacks have been announced or even rumored, but the union representing reporters, editors and photographers at the Sun-Times cited September 27 as the expiration of a six-month moratorium on layoffs negotiated with the company. Continue reading →

New York Post

Robservations on the media beat:

Jim Kirk

The publishers of Chicago’s two major daily newspapers don’t seem bothered a bit by the arrival this week of the New York Post on local newsstands. In fact, the Chicago Tribune stands to benefit since it’s getting paid to deliver the Big Apple tabloid to retail locations here. “Chicago Tribune Media Group is proud to be a distribution partner for the New York Post,” says Tribune publisher Tony Hunter. The move marks a return for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., which owned the Sun-Times from 1984 to 1986. "We welcome another paper to the market and wish the Post a lot of luck,” says Jim Kirk, publisher and editor in chief of the Sun-Times. “As Chicago's hometown newspaper, we're confident our readers will continue to turn to us for our great local news, sports, political and feature content daily in print, and 24/7 online.” Adds Kirk: “You do have to wonder what it means for RedEye. I'd worry a little bit about overlap between the two in certain areas." (Not nearly as friendly was Chicago magazine, owned by Chicago Tribune Media Group, which headlined its story: “The New York Post is Coming to Chicago and We’re Not Sure What We Did to Deserve This.”) Continue reading →

Jon Kelley

It’s over and out for Jon Kelley after two unhappy years as co-anchor of the low-rated “Good Day Chicago” on Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.

“We want to thank Jon for his many contributions to 'Good Day' and wish him much success in his future endeavors,” Dennis Welsh, vice president and general manager of Fox 32, said in a statement Thursday. Continue reading →

Riccardo Muti

For the first time in nearly two decades, classical WFMT FM 98.7 will air a live local broadcast of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Friday.

Starting at 6:25 p.m., "The CSO Concert for Chicago" will air live from Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion. The free concert, conducted by music director Riccardo Muti, is part of the opening weekend of the CSO’s 125th anniversary season. Continue reading →

Rob Johnson and Kate Sullivan

Kate Sullivan posted a farewell message of gratitude on her Facebook page Wednesday, one day after she was ousted as weekday news anchor at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.

As first reported here, Sullivan was dropped after five years on the CBS 2 anchor desk alongside Rob Johnson. Replacing her at 5, 6 and 10 p.m., starting October 19, will be Irika Sargent, who’s been anchoring at CBS-owned WFOR-TV in Miami. Continue reading →

Orion Samuelson

Chicago radio legend Orion Samuelson is out of intensive care and recovering from heart-valve replacement surgery, his wife said Wednesday.

Samuelson, 81, veteran agriculture-business reporter for Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, underwent the procedure Monday at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Continue reading →

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

U.S. Supreme Court Justice and opera aficionado Ruth Bader Ginsburg will appear as a guest host Monday on WFMT FM 98.7, Chicago’s classical music station.

Starting at 10 a.m. Monday, Ginsburg will join midday host Lisa Flynn live on the air to share some of her favorite music. At 11 a.m. Ginsburg and Flynn will present “Opera and the Law,” during which singers from Lyric Opera of Chicago will perform operatic excerpts with legal themes. Continue reading →

Monica Eng

Chicago Public Media WBEZ FM 91.5 has pulled the plug on three locally produced podcasts — covering the food culture, craft beers and artists “on the edge of creativity.”

Ceasing production at the station are “Chewing the Fat,” the food show with Monica Eng and Louisa Chu, “Strange Brews,” the beer show with Andrew Gill and Alison Cuddy, and “General Admission,” the art show with Tyler Greene and Don Hall. Continue reading →

Irika Sargent

You read it here first: Irika Sargent, a Miami news anchor and Cornell-educated lawyer, has been hired to replace Kate Sullivan alongside Rob Johnson on the Monday-through-Friday anchor desk at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.

Sargent, 35, most recently has been 5 and 11 p.m. anchor at CBS-owned WFOR-TV in Miami. Starting October 19, she’ll co-anchor the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts here with Johnson. Continue reading →

Irika Sargent

Robservations on the media beat:

Kate Sullivan

Are Kate Sullivan’s days numbered at WBBM-Channel 2? With ratings at an all-time low, the CBS-owned station is believed to be shopping for a new co-anchor to team with Rob Johnson. Adding to speculation is word out of Miami that Irika Sargent, 5 and 11 p.m. news anchor at WFOR-TV, the CBS-owned there, recently met with CBS 2 bosses in Chicago. Sargent, 35, a graduate of the University of Missouri and Cornell Law School, practiced law for four years in New York City before anchoring in Miami and Houston. Sullivan, 39, who still identifies herself as an “East Coaster” on her Twitter profile, has made little impact in the five years since she came from WCBS-TV in New York, where she anchored morning and noon newscasts. In August, CBS 2 barely registered at 10 p.m. with a 0.7 rating among viewers between 25 and 54. Continue reading →