Felicia Middlebrooks

Felicia Middlebrooks, the trailblazing broadcaster who’s been a star of morning-drive radio in Chicago for more than 35 years, announced today she’s leaving WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM, the No. 1-rated Entercom all-news powerhouse.

Middlebrooks, 62, said her last day on the air will be May 29. To her credit, she’s going out on top — and on her own. Continue reading →

NBC Tower

Robservations on the media beat:

David Doebler

Faced with unprecedented plunges in advertising revenue at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 and Telemundo Chicago WSNS-Channel 44, employees of the two NBCUniversal stations are bracing for imminent layoffs. At a virtual town hall last week, David Doebler, president and general manager of the stations, announced the staff reduction plans in response to the coronavirus shutdown. Doebler, who did not say how many positions would be affected, declined to comment further. Earlier the company said it was reducing the pay of senior management by 20 percent and rolling back pay by 3 percent for employees making more than $100,000. Other cuts include elimination of overtime and makeup services. Continue reading →

Felicia Middlebrooks

As radio continued to redefine its role in the lives of listeners sheltering in place, WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM widened its first-place lead in Nielsen Audio ratings released Monday.

With a cumulative weekly audience of 938,400, the Entercom all-news combo again finished first overall, and led in mornings with Felicia Middlebrooks and Pat Cassidy, afternoons with Keith Johnson and Lisa Fielding, and evenings with Bob Conway and Andy Dahn. Continue reading →

WLS 890 AM

With the world of sports at a standstill because of the pandemic, it may seem like an odd time to launch a sports talk show. But that’s not stopping WLS 890-AM.

Beginning tonight the Cumulus Media news/talk station will air a new “sports-focused program” from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, hosted by news anchor and sports reporter Rob Martier. Continue reading →

Chicago Independent Media Alliance

Robservations on the media beat:

At a time when reliable local news has never been more important, many Chicago area publications and websites are fighting for survival amid drastic declines in revenue. Under the umbrella of the Chicago Independent Media Alliance, more than 40 media outlets have teamed up for an unprecedented online fundraising campaign. Starting today, donations will be accepted through June 5 at savechicagomedia.org. Donors can split their contribution among all of the outlets or specify one or more individually. (Here is the link.) “We who are in independent media find ourselves in a unique and dangerous economic situation,” said Tracy Baim, publisher of the Chicago Reader. “In response to COVID-19, national news outlets are tallying death tolls and assessing the situation globally. While that coverage is important, it leaves the average citizen confused and unsure of how to proceed within their community.” Participants in the fundraising effort include: Continue reading →

Jenn White

Jenn White, who’s been a prominent program host at Chicago Public Media news/talk WBEZ 91.5-FM since 2016, is about to go national.

White and the station announced Thursday she’s moving to Washington, D.C., to become host of “1A,” the Monday-through-Friday NPR talk show produced by WAMU at American University and distributed to more than 375 stations nationwide. Continue reading →

News Nation

Robservations on the media beat:

A Monday-through-Friday anchor team has been hired, studios are under construction, and a September 1 target date has been announced for the launch of "News Nation," the primetime national newscast from WGN America. The identity of the anchors and other on-air talent remains under wraps, but in an earnings call with analysts Wednesday Nexstar Media Group chairman and CEO Perry Sook said plans are proceeding despite business challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Airing from 7 to 10 p.m. seven nights a week, the newscast will originate from WGN America's Chicago headquarters and reach a potential audience of more than 75 million homes. Jennifer Lyons, former news director of WGN-Channel 9, was named vice president of news for WGN America in January. Vowing that "News Nation" would be "100 percent absent of bias,” Sook said: “We’re so serious about that we’re hiring a panel of rhetoricians to review our broadcasts for unconscious bias that may creep into the words we use and the reporting that we do.” Continue reading →

Jim DeRogatis

Jim DeRogatis, the longtime Chicago music critic, crusading reporter, author and broadcaster, and Clarence Waldron, former senior writer and senior editor of Jet Magazine, have been named recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Chicago Headline Club.

In lieu of the 2020 Peter Lisagor Awards ceremony, which has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ll be recognized at a virtual event May 15. Other winners of awards for excellence in journalism from the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists also will be announced at that time. Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune Guild

Robservations on the media beat:

Are the new owners of the Chicago Tribune using the cover of coronavirus to gut the newspaper's staff? That's the word from the union representing editorial employees following a meeting with the company Monday. "Tribune Publishing wants to furlough half of the Chicago Tribune’s features and sports departments, plus an unspecified number of photographers, for three straight months," the Chicago Tribune Guild executive board told its members. "It’s in addition to the furloughs and pay cuts they want to implement for everyone else. And they didn’t rule out longer furloughs in other areas of the newsroom, either." Here's the key: "We are fighting Alden now," the board said, referring to New York-based hedge fund Alden Global Capital, now Tribune Publishing’s largest stockholder. "The economic downturn opened the door for them to try to gut us despite our union protections." Continue reading →

SHE 100.3 Chicago

On the heels of firing 12 employees in response to revenue declines, Hubbard Radio Chicago eliminated the program director’s position Monday at adult contemporary WSHE 100.3-FM.

Cat Thomas, who held the job since 2015, will move to Seattle to become brand and content director of two Hubbard Radio stations — KQMV and KRWM. Continue reading →