Block Club Chicago journalists (Photo: Colin Boyle)

Robservations on the media beat:

Tuesday was another red-letter day for Block Club Chicago. In what it called "a wonderful vote of confidence," the vital nonprofit neighborhood news site landed a $1.6 million grant from the American Journalism Project and a $450,000 matching grant from the Chicago Community Trust. The funding will be used to expand Block Club's business and operations side, creating five new positions — vice president of revenue, director of member services, director of major gifts and corporate sponsorships, director of sales and operations coordinator. An expansion of Block Club's editorial team will follow. “Local news isn’t dying, it’s evolving,” said co-executive editor Jen Sabella. “The support from Chicagoans for our ultra-local newsroom has been overwhelming, proving that newsrooms don’t need to abandon the boots-on-the-ground basics — they just need to be responsive to the communities they cover.” Block Club was founded in 2018 by Shamus Toomey, Stephanie Lulay and Sabella, three editors of the former DNAinfo Chicago. Continue reading →

Tatevik Aprikyan

Robservations on the media beat:

Monday marked the relaunch of “The Why,” a one-hour primetime news program originating from the Chicago studios of Newsy, the free 24/7 broadcast news network owned by E.W. Scripps Company. Billed as going "beyond the headlines with hyper-visual explanatory journalism and compelling guest interviews," it airs at 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. “We are going to provide viewers with the kind of information that offers insight into the complex issues of the day," host Tatevik Aprikyan, a former Seattle news anchor, said in a statement. "It’s the kind of work that journalists live for. It’s a chance to make a difference for our audience.” Executive producer of "The Why" is Hank Mendheim, former executive producer of “Windy City LIVE” on ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. Senior producer of Newsy is Andrew Herrmann, former managing editor of the Sun-Times and former senior editor of DNAinfo Chicago. In addition to over-the-air TV (including Channel 38.7 in Chicago), Newsy is available at Newsy.com and on a variety platforms including Apple TV, Fire TV, Pluto TV, Roku, Samsung, Sling, Vizio and Xumo. Continue reading →

Mick Lee, Edison the Reindeer and Melissa Forman

To the surprise of absolutely no one, WLIT 93.9-FM swept the radio ratings in its 21st consecutive season as Chicago's Christmas station.

The iHeartMedia adult contemporary powerhouse finished first overall in the Nielsen Audio survey released December 28. Lite FM tied for first place the previous month with Audacy all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM. Continue reading →

Cheryl Burton and Mark Giangreco

A few of the stories that made headlines on the Chicago media beat in 2021:

An offhand remark by Mark Giangreco at the end of a sports segment on WLS-Channel 7 (“Cheryl can play the ditzy, combative interior decorator,” were his precise words) sounded disrespectful to news anchor Cheryl Burton, who set off enough alarms that what might have been a newsroom squabble turned into a serious corporate matter for the ABC-owned station. It triggered a process that led to a payout on Giangreco's contract and an early, bitter exit after 27 years as ABC 7's top sports anchor — and one of Chicago TV's all-time greatest. The year will end with WMAQ-Channel 5 shrewdly reuniting Giangreco and Janet Davies (another outcast from ABC 7) as contributors to the NBC-owned station's New Year’s Eve special. Despite all the uproar, ABC 7 still leads in the late-news ratings, with Burton more powerful than ever. Continue reading →

Allison Payne

Gone but not forgotten: A look back at Chicago media luminaries who left us in 2021. Continue reading →

Eric Ferguson

A former assistant producer’s lawsuit against Chicago radio personality Eric Ferguson over allegations of an “unwelcome sexual relationship” during their employment at WTMX 101.9-FM can proceed, according to a court ruling Wednesday.

Cook County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Kubasiak denied a motion by Ferguson’s attorneys to dismiss the suit filed last May by Cynthia DeNicolo, who worked with Ferguson at the Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary station for 20 years before her job was eliminated in 2020. Continue reading →

Cheryl Scott and Terrell Brown (Photo: Viet Phan with New Pixel Films)

Robservations on the media beat:

If competitors want to take advantage of WLS-Channel 7 for banishing Chicago's king and queen of New Year's Eve, that's show biz. ("Love this!" tweeted former Chicago Tribune critic Steve Johnson. "Bring back local news wars. WLS-Ch. 7 needs to hire away Stefan Holt.") But there's still one big reason I wouldn't count out the ABC-owned station's "Countdown Chicago: 2022" next week: For the fourth consecutive New Year's Eve, morning news anchor Terrell Brown and meteorologist Cheryl Scott will open with a glossy, show-stopping dance number — this one set to a music mix of the '90s. To film the elaborate production just outside their 190 North State Street studios, ABC 7 closed down State Street overnight and hired lighting, camera operators and a drone operator and brought in props and costumes and who knows what else. Hosted by Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini with Hosea Sanders, ABC 7's 30th annual blowout starts at 11:25 p.m. December 31. Continue reading →

Doug Whitmire and Nneka Nwosu Faison

In an unexpected move, WLS-Channel 7 has chosen to go inside and outside the newsroom to replace the No. 2 news executive at the top-rated ABC-owned station.

On Tuesday ABC 7 announced the appointment of two assistant news directors to fill the vacancy left by Sarah Dunlap Burke, who resigned in August to become vice president and news director of WCBS, the CBS-owned station in New York.

Sharing the title of assistant news director will be Doug Whitmire, executive producer of ABC 7's 10 p.m. newscast, and Nneka Nwosu Faison, an executive producer of programming at WCVB, the Hearst-owned ABC affiliate in Boston. Continue reading →

Cisco Cotto

Making smooth transitions may be one reason WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM has managed to stay at or near the top of the ratings for most of its 53 years as an all-news station.

Whether it's gliding seamlessly from traffic to weather reports or replacing top-line talent without missing a beat, the Audacy combo makes everything it does appear straightforward and uncomplicated.

On Monday WBBM Newsradio promoted midday news anchor Cisco Cotto to morning drive anchor and anchor/reporter Rob Hart to succeed Cotto as midday anchor, effective January 3. Neither move was much of a surprise. Continue reading →

Janet Davies, Matthew Rodrigues, Cortney Hall and Mark Giangreco (Photo: NBC Chicago)

Janet Davies and Mark Giangreco, who rang in the New Year together for two decades on WLS-Channel 7 before they were ousted from the ABC-owned station, will turn up for this year's countdown show on NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5.

Davies and Giangreco will reunite as they join Matthew Rodrigues and Cortney Hall, hosts of NBC 5’s “Chicago Today,” on "A Very Chicago New Year," starting at 11:08 p.m. December 31. It also will stream on NBCChicago.com and through NBC Chicago's free apps on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.

“We’re thrilled to bring this very Chicago ensemble together to start the New Year and provide viewers with an expanded show this year,” said Kevin Cross, president of NBC Universal Local Chicago. Continue reading →