Kathy Hart

Radio Hall of Famer Kathy Hart temporarily has stepped aside from the popular morning radio show she co-hosts with Eric Ferguson on Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX FM 101.9.

Except for an abbreviated appearance last Monday, she’s been off the air since April 27, with listeners given no explanation for her absence. No one at the station — including her co-host — seems to have any idea when Hart will be back. Continue reading →

iHeartMedia Chicago

Robservations on the media beat:

Steve Harvey

On the same day iHeartMedia announced a long-term renewal for syndicated morning star Steve Harvey Tuesday, the company initiated another wave of layoffs nationwide. No full-time on-air personalities in Chicago were affected, but sources said at least two part-time weekend hosts were among the cuts here. With the company staggering under $20.4 billion in debt and warning investors it may not survive the next 10 months, does it really help iHeartMedia to put a couple of part-timers out of work? Matt Scarano, president of iHeartMedia Chicago, did not respond to requests for comment. Harvey’s show airs on urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7. Continue reading →

WGN Television Opening Night (April 5, 1948)

Don’t look now, but “Chicago’s Very Own” may not belong to Chicago much longer.

Regardless of who buys Tribune Media — and right now the leading contenders appear to be Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox and Sinclair Broadcast Group — it is all but certain to mean the end of local ownership for WGN-Channel 9 and WGN AM 720, two venerable hometown icons. Continue reading →

Anita Padilla

Robservations on the media beat:

Under pressure from their bosses to boost social media traffic, reporters at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 may be going too far. Exhibit A is Anita Padilla, a 20-year veteran of Chicago television news. Since Thursday, Padilla has drawn more than 25,000 views to Facebook Live videos she’s been posting about Semaj Crosby, the 16-month-old girl who was found dead in a Joliet Township home. Acknowledging that much of her information was “unofficial” and “unconfirmed,” and included “things I can’t say on the air,” Padilla has been riffing in the videos on who’s to blame and how she feels about the crime. Grisly rumors she cited that the victim was found “stuffed in a couch” were specifically refuted by the Will County Sheriff's Office. It may be great clickbait, but Padilla’s speculation on the actions and motives of potential suspects (before any charges by police) may come back to haunt Fox 32. Continue reading →

WLS Studio

Cumulus Media cut at least six jobs at its Chicago radio stations Friday, including four on-air traffic reporters.

Sources said the employees included traffic reporters Jen DeSalvo, Christina Filiaggi, JoAnn Genette and Marti Jones. In most cases, they doubled as sidekicks or contributing personalities to morning or afternoon drive-time shows. Continue reading →

Madeleine Doubek

Veteran Chicago area journalist Madeleine Doubek has exited as publisher of Reboot Illinois, the website and subscription newsletter reporting and opining on state and local government and politics.

Doubek’s departure, effective immediately, signaled changes by AFK Media Group, the Chicago-based investor group that took over Reboot Illinois last year from Anne Dias, the hedge fund manager (and ex-wife of billionaire Ken Griffin), who bankrolled the startup in 2012. Continue reading →

Lilia Chacon

After spending a year with a Mundelein public relations firm, former television news reporter Lilia Chacon is taking a job with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration.

Starting Monday, Chacon will join the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection as public information officer. It’s a return to City Hall for Chacon, who spent four years as spokeswoman for former Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely. Continue reading →

Daily Herald

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s been a week of acquisitions for Paddock Publications. On Thursday the parent company of the Daily Herald announced the purchase of three weekly newspapers downstate — the Carbondale Times, Weekend Times and Nightlife — along with their commercial printing and niche publication business. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the addition brings to 15 the number of papers in Paddock’s Southern Illinois group. “Paddock’s strategy for growth includes purchase of select community newspapers and niche products where Paddock’s brand of community journalism and marketing innovation provide additive revenues and profitability,” Doug Ray, chairman, publisher and CEO of Paddock Publications, said in a statement. Earlier this week, as you may have read, the company hired a media columnist for the Daily Herald. Continue reading →

Daily Herald

I am very happy to share the news that today I joined Paddock Publications, owner of the Daily Herald, as media columnist.

My daily media blog will continue to be posted right here at RobertFeder.com. In addition, my work will appear in the pages of the Daily Herald and the Daily Herald Business Ledger, and online at dailyherald.com and dhbusinessledger.com. Continue reading →

Dee Alexander

Robservations on the media beat:

WDCB

In an unusual partnership between two Chicago area radio stations, College of DuPage’s WDCB FM 90.9 is picking up a weekly jazz show produced by the syndication division of Window to the World Communications’ classical WFMT FM 98.7. Starting May 7, “Sunday Jazz with Dee Alexander,” hosted by the famed jazz vocalist and songwriter, will air from 8 to 10 p.m. Sundays on WDCB. It’s the first show to air locally from WFMT Radio Network’s newly rebranded Jazz Network. “We’re ecstatic to have an artist of Dee Alexander’s stature joining our radio lineup,” said Dan Bindert, station manager of WDCB. “Dee’s wonderful voice and warm personality, combined with her unique insights and deep knowledge of the music – that’s an unbeatable combination for a jazz radio program.” Continue reading →