Kris Habermehl

After nearly 20 years as Chicago television's best-known eye in the sky, Kris Habermehl fears he's about to be grounded by CBS 2.

The ace helicopter reporter, famous for hovering over traffic hot spots and deftly describing news scenes from his bird's eye view, could be getting squeezed out over a change in the station's chopper vendors. Continue reading →

Daniel Ash

Chicago Public Media is losing its voice.

After nine years as vice president of strategic communications, Daniel Ash is leaving the parent company of WBEZ 91.5 FM to join the Chicago Community Trust as chief marketing officer. Ash confirmed that he will start his new job in early September. Continue reading →

Monica Eng

Chicago Tribune reporter Monica Eng is leaving newspaper journalism after 28 years to join Chicago Public Media WBEZ 91.5 FM as a producer and content provider. She starts at the public radio station Aug. 5.

Eng, 44, who most recently has been an investigative reporter specializing in food policy, nutrition, health, cooking, sustainability and consumer issues, joined the Tribune in 1996 after serving as entertainment editor of the Daily Southtown (now the SouthtownStar) and as a reporter and editorial assistant at the Sun-Times. Continue reading →

Demetrious Ivory

With the expansion of its weekday morning news block to six hours this fall, WGN-Channel 9 is beefing up its on-air weather staff.

Joining meteorologist Paul Konrad on “WGN Morning News” is Demetrius Ivory, who’ll sign on next month from WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. Greg Caputo, news director of the Tribune Broadcasting station, confirmed the hire in an email to WGN staffers. Continue reading →

Scott Wager

Scott Wager, who helped put College of DuPage's WDCB-FM (90.9) on the air in 1977 and has led the public radio/jazz outlet for more than 30 years, is retiring as station manager. His last day will be July 31.

"We tried to build a good staff over the years and work hard to fine-tune the programming content," Wager told me Wednesday. "We always thought of WDCB as an 'island of difference' within the Chicago market dominated by pop music stations and talk, maintaining our focus on an American art form — jazz — and presenting that to an audience." Continue reading →

Hubbard Radio, owner of the Mix, the Drive and Rewind 100.3 in Chicago and stations in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, St. Louis and Cincinnati, is acquiring Sandusky Radio for $85.5 million.

Sandusky Radio is a privately held, family-owned company operating five stations in Seattle and five stations in Phoenix. The deal brings to 25 the total number of stations owned by Hubbard Radio. Continue reading →

Rob Johnson

Veteran Chicago newsman Rob Johnson has agreed to a multiyear renewal with CBS 2 to continue as 5, 6 and 10 p.m. weekday news anchor. His co-anchor on all three newscasts is Kate Sullivan.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Johnson confirmed the extension negotiated between his New York-based agent, Gregg Willinger, and bosses of the CBS-owned station. Continue reading →

Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano

Veteran Chicago broadcaster and Fox 32 news anchor Bob Sirott is headed to a Monday-through-Friday air shift at WGN AM 720 with his wife, Marianne Murciano. They're expected to co-host a midday or afternoon show on the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station, starting in the next few weeks.

Sirott continues to anchor the 9 p.m. weekday newscast for the Fox-owned station under an extension of his contract, which was to have expired Saturday (July 6). While talks proceed between Sirott's agent, Steve Mandell, and management, Sirott remains onboard with co-anchor Robin Robinson, whose contract expires in August. Fox Chicago bosses did not respond to inquiries about reported plans to alter their anchor lineup. Continue reading →

Cheryl Scott

NBC 5 Chicago is giving more air time to weekend meteorologist Cheryl Scott. And in other news, the station is expanding its Saturday and Sunday morning newscasts by an additional two and half hours.

Starting July 27, NBC 5 will air local news on Saturdays from 5 to 7 a.m. and from 9 to 10 a.m., and on Sundays from 5 to 7 a.m., 8 to 9 a.m. and 10 to 10:30 a.m. Kim Vatis and Anthony Ponce anchor both mornings.

Scott, who's been a rising star in Chicago since she joined the station in 2011 from NBC affiliate WBIR-TV in Knoxville, Tennessee, forecasts weather on NBC 5's weekend morning and evening newscasts. Continue reading →

In a key behind-scenes hire at WGN AM 720, Todd Manley has been named vice president of creative content. He joins the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station Monday.

Manley most recently was director of creative content at CBS Radio adult rock WXRT FM 93.1.  Continue reading →