Dan McNeil
Dan McNeil still has more to say.
After more than a year off the air, the veteran radio personality announced Tuesday he’s returning to host a twice-weekly half-hour podcast for Chicago-based Radio Misfits Podcast Network.
Starting September 5, “Dan McNeil: Unsupervised” will feature his take on Chicago sports as well as movies, music and current events. Continue reading
Eric Ferguson
Even with longtime partner Kathy Hart missing in action since April, Eric Ferguson continues to rule the morning radio roost in Chicago.
“The Eric & Kathy Show” on Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX FM 101.9 was No. 1 among all listeners in July, according to Nielsen Audio ratings released Monday. Continue reading
Steve Harvey (Photo: Willy SanJuan)
Robservations on the media beat:
I thought it was all over. But apparently Steve Harvey didn’t. Last week he decided to dredge up an embarrassing email I posted here May 10 in which Harvey lambasted his Chicago production staff for daring to approach him in the hallways or his dressing room. At an appearance before the Television Critics Association to promote his upcoming talk show, Harvey said he thought his memo was “cute” — even if no one else did. "That email," he said, "I learned two things from that email. Number one, I can't write, and number two, I should never write. It was something I wrote a year ago. And somebody didn't get a job coming to L.A., and they got pissed and they sent it to [Robert] Feder in Chicago. I was OK until I saw it on CNN, and that's when I knew I was in a lot of trouble. It’s not a big deal to me. I’m a congenial guy.” Harvey, who never apologized for writing the memo, acknowledged earlier: “I probably should’ve handled it a little bit differently.” Continue reading
Kathy O'Malley
Although “The Kathy & Judy Show” has been off the air since February, Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey still have a powerful connection with their audience.
No wonder O’Malley and Markey’s legion of fans — a loose-knit sorority known as “The Girlfriends” — was so disappointed when the duo was dropped from the Saturday lineup on WGN AM 720. (It was the second time they’d been canceled by the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station. Their first run together ended in 2009 after 20 years in middays.) Continue reading
Hosea Sanders and Roz Varon (Photo: Roz Varon)
Robservations on the media beat:
Longtime WLS-Channel 7 news anchor Hosea Sanders, who’s been out since February for treatment of prostate cancer, returned to the ABC-owned station Wednesday. He was expected back on the 7 p.m. weeknight newscast he co-anchors with Cheryl Burton, produced by ABC 7 for Weigel Broadcasting’s WCIU-Channel 26. “While I still have a long way to go on this current cancer battle, I'm excited to return to sharing your company and telling your stories,” he wrote on Facebook. “Thanks for your continued and much-appreciated support!” Sanders, 60, a 23-year veteran of ABC 7, also is slated to co-host live coverage of the 88th annual Bud Billiken Parade August 12 along with Burton and Jim Rose. Continue reading
Eric Ferguson and Kathy Hart
For the second straight month, the mystery surrounding Kathy Hart’s absence from Chicago radio and the fate of the morning show she co-hosts with Eric Ferguson led the top 10 most-read stories here.
To read the full posts, click on the headlines: Continue reading
Erik Zachary
A Chicago radio disc jockey who grew up in northwest suburban Bartlett is on his way to national stardom.
Erik Zachary, evening personality on iHeartMedia Top 40 WKSC FM 103.5, has landed a new gig on the revival of the MTV Network’s “Total Request Live.” Starting October 2, he’ll be one of five rotating hosts of the live daily music and artist-interview show. Continue reading
Felicia Lawrence, Jordan Cornette and Danielle Robay
Robservations on the media beat:
Promising “a fresh new approach to morning news,” Weigel Broadcasting WCIU-Channel 26 kicked off “The Jam” at 6 a.m. Monday. The two-hour weekday morning show, hosted by Jordan Cornette, Felicia Lawrence and Danielle Robay, replaces “You & Me,” which aired for more than seven years on The U. “‘The Jam’ represents the core of what it means to be a Chicagoan,” Steve Bailey, head of local programming and creative for The U, said in a statement. “It’s upbeat, it’s witty, it’s fearless, it’s in your face and it’s community oriented. Our hosts are unapologetic in their delivery and tapped into what’s going on around the city.” This week’s guests include singer Alessia Cara, actress and comedian Mo’Nique, and hip hop artist and songwriter Che “Rhymefest” Smith, who composed original music for the show. Continue reading
Kathy Hart
One of Chicago radio’s longest running mysteries — “What’s Up with Kathy Hart?” — could be reaching a conclusion at last.
Hart has been missing since late April from the top-rated morning show she co-hosts with Eric Ferguson. “The Eric & Kathy Show” has been a ratings and revenue juggernaut for Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX FM 101.9 for more than 20 years. Continue reading
Dick Orkin
Fifty years after Chicago radio listeners were introduced to “the most fantastic crime-fighter the world has ever known,” a new generation is about to meet the legendary “Chickenman.”
Twenty episodes of the classic serial spoof about the winged warrior, created by Radio Hall of Famer Dick Orkin, will be presented by the Earwolf comedy podcast network, starting August 2. The full 273 episodes in the original series will be available through Stitcher Premium podcasts. Continue reading