Randy Michaels and Kevin Metheny (2009)

Kevin Metheny, who suffered a heart attack and died Friday in San Francisco, may have been the most famous program director in America.

By the time he came to Chicago for his ill-fated run at WGN AM 720 in 2008, he’d already been immortalized by Howard Stern, who clashed with Metheny in the 1980s at WNBC AM in New York. Stern famously dubbed his meddling, memo-crazy boss “Pig Virus” (renamed “Pig Vomit” and played by Paul Giamatti as a sputtering rube in the film version of Stern’s autobiography Private Parts). Continue reading →

Tony Lossano

Robservations on the media beat:

Happy to see the great Tony Lossano is back: The creative force behind “The Big Fat Nude Hippo Show,” which ran for 16 years on various outlets in Chicago, is returning with “Lossano and Friends!” Starting this weekend and originating at 1 p.m. Saturdays from the Museum of Broadcast Communications, the one-hour weekly audio podcast will be posted online Saturday nights at lossano.com via Ed Silha’s Radio Misfits Podcast Network. Each show will feature national and local celebrity guests along with Lossano’s cast of regulars. “My show will put all of the guests in the studio at the same time for the entire hour, and just have compelling and entertaining conversations,” he said. “It is based on the green room of my old show, where all my guests would get together and just chat. I am the host of this party, but it will be a party.” Continue reading →

Dionne Miller

Dionne Miller, who signed off earlier this week as weekend sports anchor at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32, could be headed for top-rated ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7.

Although no deal has been reached, sources said, Miller has met with ABC 7 bosses and is among top candidates to replace weekend sports anchor and reporter Rafer Weigel, who’s leaving to become a news anchor at KTVI-TV, the Fox affiliate in St. Louis. His last day on the air here will be Sunday.

A spokeswoman for ABC 7 was unavailable for comment. Continue reading →

Chicago Auto Show

Ending a 16-year run on NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5, official broadcast rights to the 2015 Chicago Auto Show have been picked up by ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7.

The agreement with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, sponsor of the nine-day extravaganza at McCormick Place, marks a return to ABC 7, which had been “official station” of the nation’s largest auto show until 1999. The opening event is the First Look for Charity preview February 13. Continue reading →

I have some important news to share with you about my blog. But as long as I have your attention, let me first thank you for your loyalty and support. One year ago, I launched RobertFeder.com under a unique licensing agreement with Chicago Tribune Media Group. I am solely and independently responsible for all editorial content posted here, while Tribune controls the marketing, advertising and technical elements. Thanks to a steadily growing daily readership, the arrangement has exceeded everyone's expectations.

Now it's time for the next step in the evolution of our venture. Continue reading →

Here are my picks for the 10 most notable Chicago media stories of the month.

Click on the arrows to advance the photos. To read the original posts, click on the headlines under each photo: Continue reading →

James VanOsdol

Robservations on the media beat:

Veteran Chicago broadcaster James VanOsdol has been named to the new position of newsroom program manager at Rivet News Radio, the personalizable Internet radio news app. He most recently has been reporting and producing stories for Rivet while doubling as a weekend and fill-in host at Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720. VanOsdol will be responsible for “helping Rivet sound even better and further growing our audience,” news strategy boss Charlie Meyerson told staffers in a memo. “His background as a broadcaster (WGN, WKQX, WZZN, WXRT) and media trainer (Emmis Interactive) and his digital presence (as a podcaster, writer and social media icon) give him a tremendous set of skills on which to draw as he assumes the additional roles of coach and programming maestro.” Continue reading →

There’s a new afternoon scorecard in Chicago, according to radio ratings released Monday for the period from August 14 to September 10.

Here’s a look at Chicago’s top 10 afternoon shows as measured by Nielsen Audio among all listeners age 6 and older from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, followed by average share of audience (with previous month’s share in parentheses). Continue reading →

Earl Jones

There’s a new top man at iHeartMedia’s seven radio stations in Chicago.

Earl Jones, who’s been market president for the iHeartMedia Chicago cluster since 2005, was shifted Monday to senior vice president of urban operations for the company. He’ll continue to be based in Chicago. Continue reading →

There’s a new midday pecking order in Chicago, according to radio ratings released Monday for the period from August 14 to September 10.

Here’s a look at Chicago’s top 10 midday shows as measured by Nielsen Audio among all listeners age 6 and older from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, followed by average share of audience (with previous month’s share in parentheses). Continue reading →