Joe Knowles (Photo: Chicago Tribune)

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s over and out for top sports editor Joe Knowles after 42 years at the Chicago Tribune. He’s one of numerous staffers who’ve taken year-end buyouts offered by the company. (A Tribune Publishing spokeswoman declined to comment on “personnel matters” or say how many employees are affected.) Today is the last day for Knowles, 60, whose previous roles included sports news editor and associate managing editor/design and graphics at the Tribune, and founding co-editor of RedEye. He started as a part-timer just out of high school in 1976 and moved up to full-time in 1980. “Mixed feelings, for sure,” Knowles told me. “My dad taught me to read using the big all-caps headlines that used to be on every Tribune front page. I owe almost everything I have to this place. I'm grateful for the opportunity I was given here, and I am sure I will miss it terribly, but it's my time to move on. No solid plans yet, but you probably haven't seen the last of me.” Continue reading →

WBBM Newsradio

Chicago Bears broadcasts and the run-up to the midterm election helped boost all-news WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM to first place in the latest Chicago radio ratings.

Nielsen Audio figures released Wednesday showed the Entercom simulcast combo No. 1 among all listeners with a 5.7 percent share. It was WBBM Newsradio's fourth monthly increase and its highest overall share in nearly two years. While the station finished second or third in each of the weekday dayparts, a huge weekend share and hearty cumulative weekly audience of 1,569,500 lifted it to the top. Continue reading →

WTMX

Eleven positions were eliminated Tuesday in year-end budget cuts at Hubbard Radio Chicago, sources said, including the overnight personalities on hot adult-contemporary WTMX 101.9-FM and adult contemporary WSHE 100.3-FM.

Jeff England, vice president and market manager of Hubbard Radio Chicago, would not confirm the number of full-time and part-time jobs affected, but acknowledged the shift from live broadcasting to voice-tracking during post-midnight hours to save money. Continue reading →

WTTW WFMT

Robservations on the media beat:

Timothy Russell

For years the joke around town was that WTTW stands for "Winnetka Talking To Wilmette." That's about to change. Window To The World Communications, parent company of public television WTTW-Channel 11 and classical music WFMT 98.7-FM, announced the hiring Monday of a vice president of community engagement. In the newly created position, Timothy Russell will be responsible for crafting and executing community engagement activities and serve as liaison to the community. Russell previously was chief global diversity and inclusion officer for CDK Global and director of global diversity and engagement for PepsiCo. “After a diligent and thoughtful search, we are pleased to have found the best individual to lead our community engagement efforts,” Sandra Cordova Micek, president and CEO, said in a statement. “Tim’s passion and his understanding of the impact WTTW and WFMT can have on the lives of people make him uniquely qualified to build and strengthen true partnerships with communities and organizations across our region.” Continue reading →

WGN TV (November 25, 2018)

Robservations on the media beat:

Voluntary buyouts are being offered to employees of WGN-Channel 9 and news/talk WGN 720-AM as part of a year-end staff reduction throughout parent company Tribune Media. The move comes despite an 11 percent increase in third quarter revenues and a “strong operational year” for the company. Gary Weitman, senior vice president/corporate relations for Tribune Media, called it a “very small program that will ultimately affect a little more than 1 percent of our employees.” No word on whether layoffs will follow if the goals of the buyout are not met. A similar offer was announced earlier this month by Tribune Publishing, owner of the Chicago Tribune and newspapers in nine other cities. Continue reading →

ABC 7 Chicago

While overall viewership of Chicago’s 10 p.m. newscasts continued to decline, ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 emerged the winner of the just-ended November sweep.

Preliminary results of the monthlong Nielsen ratings survey showed ABC 7 in first place among total households and among viewers between 25 and 54. Final figures will be released Monday. Continue reading →

Walter Cronkite, CBS News headquarters in New York, November 22, 1963

12:40 p.m. "Here is a bulletin from CBS News. In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting. Continue reading →

CBS 2 Chicago

Robservations on the media beat:

David Parrish

When you’re last in the ratings and still declining, someone has to take the fall for it. That looks like the case at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, where David Parrish is out as executive producer of the 10 p.m. newscast. The move signals more changes under Jeff Harris, who’s been vice president and news director of CBS 2 since July. “It was an honor to serve as a manager at CBS 2,” Parrish told me. “This is the greatest TV news market in the country. I look forward to many more exciting years in the Chicago broadcast community.” Parrish’s 15-year run at CBS 2 was preceded by seven years as 9 p.m. newscast producer at Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9. CBS 2 has posted a job opening for a new executive producer. Continue reading →

Tribune Tower

With a deep bow to the late, great Roy Leonard, whose Turkey of the Year Awards were a Thanksgiving Day tradition on WGN 720-AM for decades, here’s a hearty flip of the bird to this year’s Chicago media recipients: Continue reading →

Jonathon Brandmeier (Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images)

Robservations on the media beat:

An afternoon snowstorm in New York Thursday delayed the start of the 30th annual National Radio Hall of Fame ceremonies — including the induction of Chicago legend Jonathon Brandmeier and 10 others. Jimmy deCastro, senior vice president and market manager of Entercom Chicago (and the man who brought Brandmeier to The Loop in 1983), said in his introduction: "If this was Chicago, the snow would've been plowed, we'd all be in the bar and this would've been over two hours ago!" Said Johnny B.: "Our hotel is six blocks from here, we're in the car for two hours and my wife of 37 years says, 'Let's make a run for it' — and we did! That's a queen!" Among other Chicagoans on hand was Museum of Broadcast Communications founder Bruce DuMont, who reported that Brandmeier "brought the highest energy level to his acceptance speech [and] referenced advice given to him early in his career by his mother: 'Be funny, Johnny.'" Also inducted were syndicated hosts Nanci “The Fabulous Sports Babe” Donnellan (in absentia), the duo of Mike Golic & Mike Greenberg, Kid Kelly, Mark Levin and Dr. Laura Schlesinger; local hosts Mike Francesa, Joan Hamburg and Jim Kerr; and consultant Fred Jacobs. Continue reading →