Alan Krashesky and Cheryl Burton

With Cheryl Burton anchoring election night coverage alongside Alan Krashesky for the first time on WLS-Channel 7, the ABC-owned station again proved a decisive winner in the ratings Tuesday.

Straight up at 10 p.m., when all five general market stations were competing head to head, ABC 7 led the Nielsen ratings in overall households and among viewers between 25 and 54. NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 was No. 2 in overall households, while Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9 was No. 2 in the 25-54 demographic. Continue reading →

93.9 Lite FM

Ready or not, here comes Christmas: At 4:05 p.m. Thursday, holiday music will begin airing around the clock on WLIT 93.9-FM, the iHeartMedia adult contemporary station.

Edison the Reindeer will return as mascot of “Chicago’s Christmas Music Station” to kick off the format in the studio with Lite FM personalities Melissa Forman, Robin Rock and Mick Lee. The sounds of the season will air through the end of the year. Continue reading →

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon

Robservations on the media beat:

Here’s your chance to attend a taping of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” in Evanston. Hosts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser will originate their show November 16 from Northwestern University’s newly renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena hours before the Northwestern and Binghamton University men’s basketball game. (Admission and parking are free.) Wilbon is a 1980 graduate of NU’s Medill School of Journalism (where he has been on the faculty since 2015), and Kornheiser is a 1970 graduate of Binghamton. The two also will be calling that night’s game with ESPNews play-by-play commentator Will Flemming.
Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times (November 6, 2018)

Robservations on the media beat:

Another day, another change at the Sun-Times: Citing phone calls and emails from readers, the Sun-Times has restored the evening TV grid to its pages, effective today. The move follows the return Friday of the paper’s daily crossword puzzle. Both were casualties of cutbacks announced last week. In a note explaining the latest reversal, the Sun-Times said: “Newspapering in 2018 isn't easy; in rolling out the changes, we noted that newsprint and other production costs have taken their toll on our industry. That hasn't changed. Paring back some comics and interspersing others through our classifieds space is allowing us to invest in the quality journalism you’ve come to expect.” Lottery results are back at the bottom of the TV grid page, rather than in the sports section, where they’d been running in recent days. And Ziggy? He's still a goner. Continue reading →

Mike Parker

Blessed with a deep voice, handsome features and a rare gift for storytelling, Mike Parker was a fixture at WBBM-Channel 2 for more than 35 years. The veteran broadcast journalist, who retired from the CBS-owned station in 2016, has died at 75.

On its morning news Monday CBS 2 reported Parker died overnight at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he had been admitted for heart failure last week. Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times

Robservations on the media beat:

The people have spoken: Just one day after the Sun-Times announced its was dropping most of its comics, puzzles and daily TV grid to save newsprint and production costs, the paper has brought back its crossword puzzle. “Based on feedback from readers, ‘Today’s Crossword’ is being restored to daily print editions,” the paper said in an unsigned editor’s note Friday. “We appreciate your feedback and thank you for reading the Sun-Times.” No word on whether Ziggy or the paper’s other banished comics have a prayer. Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune

Robservations on the media beat:

The race is on for Tribune Publishing. Just under the deadline Thursday, multiple bidders submitted offers to buy the parent company of the Chicago Tribune. A company spokeswoman would not specify how many bids had been received or identify any of the bidders, but confirmed that more than one had come in. Bloomberg News reported there were three — McClatchy Co., William Wyatt’s Donerail Group and Jeremy Halbreich’s AIM Media. Also in the background is Michael Sacks, CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management, who was expected to make an offer for the shares of former chairman Michael Ferro. The next key date is Monday when the board of Tribune Publishing is scheduled to meet to review the bids and decide whether to move forward with any of them. Continue reading →

Steve Dahl

Steve Dahl's announcement that his final WLS 890-AM afternoon show will air December 21 and other changes in store for the Cumulus Media news/talk station led the top 10 most-read stories here in October.

To read the full posts, click on the headlines: Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times (November 1, 2018)

Edwin Eisendrath, who abruptly resigned as CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times Wednesday, isn't the only thing missing from the newspaper today. About half its comics and its daily TV listings are suddenly gone too.

In an unsigned message to readers Thursday, the Sun-Times said it was saving newsprint and production costs by cutting two of its three pages of comics and eliminating its TV grid. Some comics and puzzles (including the New York Times crossword) will be interspersed throughout the classifieds section. Continue reading →

Tribune Publishing

Robservations on the media beat:

Michael Sacks

Michael Sacks, a prominent Chicago businessman and top donor to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, could emerge today as the frontrunner to take control of the Chicago Tribune's parent company. Sources said Sacks, CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management, is poised to make a bid for the shares of former chairman Michael Ferro, who owns a controlling 26 percent stake in the company formerly known as tronc. Tribune Publishing confirmed a New York Post report that initial bids are due today. Also in the running may be McClatchy Co., Sacramento, California-based publisher of 30 daily newspapers. But McClatchy's bid reportedly depends on the uncertain participation of biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing’s second-largest shareholder. In addition to the Chicago Tribune, the company owns the New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and papers in six other cities. Continue reading →