Cheryl Scott

Cheryl Scott, the hottest free agent in Chicago media, is close to accepting an offer from WLS-Channel 7, where she eventually would succeed Jerry Taft as the ABC-owned station’s top meteorologist, sources said.

Finalizing the deal has been delayed by Scott’s former employer, WMAQ-Channel 5, which could exercise its right to match ABC 7’s offer, raising the slim possibility that she would return to the NBC-owned station. But insiders said they don’t expect that to happen. Continue reading →

Effie Rolfe

Effie Rolfe, Chicago radio’s “Voice of Inspiration” for more than two decades, has a worldwide pulpit for her message now.

Rolfe has been named program director and operations manager of Chicago-based Moody Radio’s Urban Praise, a 24/7 Internet channel of soulful and inspiring music “that exalts Christ and encourages the believer.”

In her new role, Rolfe will oversee music and content for the channel, “putting a strong emphasis on increasing our promotional and social media outreach to build audience across the country and beyond,” said Denny Nugent, national program director of Moody Radio. “We look forward to the impact she will create.” Continue reading →

Chicago Sun-Times

After insisting for nearly three years that it would no longer endorse candidates for political office, the Sun-Times is reversing itself and formally backing Republican Bruce Rauner for governor.

The Sun-Times announced Friday that its Sunday edition would carry its choice for governor. Although the announcement stopped short of saying whom the newspaper would endorse, sources confirmed that Rauner would get the nod enthusiastically over Democrat Pat Quinn. Continue reading →

Terry Savage

Terry Savage, the nationally known expert on personal finance, the stock market and the economy, is the latest veteran of the Sun-Times to be welcomed inside Tribune Tower.

The former Sun-Times columnist and author this week was added to the roster of contributors to the Tribune Content Agency, the syndication and licensing unit of Tribune Publishing. Continue reading →

Dionne Miller

It’s official: Dionne Miller is joining WLS-Channel 7 as weekend sports anchor — and the first woman on the ABC-owned station’s sports staff.

Confirming a report here earlier this month, ABC 7 announced Miller’s hiring Thursday in a memo to the staff. She starts Monday. Continue reading →

Ashley Fields

The potentially game-changing addition of Cubs broadcasts to the WBBM AM 780 lineup also brings a new marketing and promotions team to the top-rated CBS Radio all-news station.

Ashley Fields has been promoted to marketing director of WBBM Newsradio, simulcast partner WCFS FM 105.9 and sports/talk WSCR AM 670. She also will oversee integrated marketing and non-tradition revenue efforts for Cubs baseball and Bears football on WBBM Newsradio and White Sox baseball on the Score.

Fields, who joined CBS Radio Chicago as a sales account executive out of Northwestern University graduate school, most recently has been director of marketing at the Score. Continue reading →

Karen Lewis

With Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis sidelined by illness, the race for mayor of Chicago just got a whole lot less interesting.

What had been shaping up to be to an epic battle against a seemingly vulnerable Mayor Rahm Emanuel suddenly may have turned into a snoozer. Continue reading →

Ron Magers and Roe Conn

The sudden demise of Roe Conn and Richard Roeper’s afternoon show on WLS AM 890 last week also brought an end to Ron Magers’ daily in-studio appearances on the Cumulus Media news/talk station.

For more than 16 years, the Chicago television news legend was a star attraction with Conn and his various co-hosts, often providing the best half-hour of conversation in all of radio. But with the latest turn of events, Magers says he’s through with radio and plans to focus on his duties as 5 and 10 p.m. news anchor at top-rated ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. Continue reading →

Carol Marin

Newsrooms generally cheer when their exclusives get picked up and credited by others. But in the case of a recent WMAQ-Channel 5 investigative report, the NBC-owned station isn’t happy about how it’s being used at all.

At issue is a 30-second commercial that began airing throughout Illinois Friday for Democratic Governor Pat Quinn in his campaign for reelection against Republican challenger Bruce Rauner. The commercial excerpts an NBC 5 report about Rauner and includes the voice of political editor Carol Marin. Continue reading →

Corey McPherrin and Darlene Hill

A year ago it looked like Corey McPherrin’s days were numbered at WFLD-Channel 32. Now the Fox-owned station is turning to him to help save its tanking morning show.

After stumbling around with a bunch of relatively inexperienced newcomers, Fox 32 just put two familiar faces front and center on “Good Day Chicago.” McPherrin and Darlene Hill, both 20-year veterans of the station, this week were promoted to anchor the show’s 7 to 10 a.m. hours as well as Fox 32's noon newscast Monday through Friday. Continue reading →