Chicago Public Media
Employees of WBEZ FM 91.5 ratified their first union contract Tuesday with management of the Chicago Public Media station.
Terms of the comprehensive, two-year agreement negotiated with the local unit of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists go into effect immediately, according to Goli Sheikholeslami, president and CEO of Chicago Public Media. Continue reading
Tribune Tower
The parent company of the Chicago Tribune has eliminated the positions of 25 advertising managers and employees, including some who had been with the company for decades.
A spokesperson for Chicago Tribune Media Group said the cuts, which became effective last Friday, were part of a reorganization of the company’s sales force. Continue reading
NBC Chicago Storm Team 5 (June 29, 2015)
On Monday night, WMAQ-Channel 5 preempted “NBC Nightly News” for Brant Miller’s coverage of storms 100 miles west of Chicago. One week earlier, WGN-Channel 9 repeatedly interrupted a Cubs baseball broadcast for Tom Skilling’s updates on tornadoes in the area.
Decisions to break into regularly scheduled programming can be costly to stations in terms of lost advertising revenue and unhappy viewers. But when it comes to the perceived threat of danger, Chicago broadcasters seem increasingly willing to accept the risks. Continue reading
Chet Coppock
Legendary sportscaster Chet Coppock is the latest Chicago media personality to jump on the podcasting bandwagon.
“Coppock Uncensored,” an hourlong weekly show covering music, movies, sports and current events, will premiere July 16 on the Radio Misfits Podcast Network, a growing lineup of locally produced talk shows taped at various locations around the city. Continue reading
Alba Mendiola
Spanish-speaking victims of identity theft, consumer fraud, predatory practices and other scams in the Chicago area have a new place to turn for help.
Telemundo Station Group’s WSNS-Channel 44 has launched Telemundo Responde, a full-time consumer investigative team pledged to assist viewers who say they’ve been wronged — no matter how big or small the problem. Continue reading
Eric Brown Studio (Photo: Bob Bresse-Rodenkirk)
Colleagues of the late Chicago radio sportscaster Eric Brown paid tribute to him Friday with the dedication of a studio in his memory at WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9.
Brown, who died of cancer at 58 on June 24, 2014, was a highly regarded 26-year veteran of the CBS Radio all-news station. Continue reading
Troy Hanson
Troy Hanson, corporate program director of rock formats for Cumulus Media, Friday was named program director of WKQX FM 101.1, the company’s alternative rocker in Chicago.
Hanson replaces P.J.Kling, who has been program director since 2012. A holdover from Merlin Media ownership, Kling previously was interim operations manager of classic rock WLUP FM 97.9 and director of user insight for Tribune Interactive. Continue reading
Nick Digilio
Weeks after marking his 30th year on Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720, overnight host Nick Digilio has been sidelined for undisclosed health reasons.
Digilio, 49, was hospitalized this week and said to be undergoing tests to determine his illness. He’d been off the air most of last week and returned early Monday morning sounding strangely weak, according to numerous listeners. He hasn't been heard from since. Continue reading
Reese Marcusson
Reese Marcusson, chief financial officer of Window to the World Communications, was promoted Wednesday to chief operating officer and CFO.
His responsibilities will include continued financial oversight, management of day-to-day operations, and new business development opportunities for the parent company of public television WTTW-Channel 11 and classical music WFMT FM 98.7. Continue reading
Brant Miller (NBC 5, June 22, 2015)
Despite an embarrassing snafu involving a Howard Stern prankster, NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 is defending its decision to put live calls on the air during Monday night’s coverage of tornadoes in the area.
Chief meteorologist Brant Miller handled the awkward moment when “Ryan,” identified as an eyewitness to the storm calling from the back of his tractor trailer in Morris, Illinois, said the wind was blowing “like it’s a blast from Howard Stern’s asshole.” Continue reading