Jonathan Eig

Two years after launching as a digital destination for great local sportswriting, ChicagoSide is changing hands, founding editor Jonathan Eig announced Tuesday.

Eig and his partner, Sol Lieberman, are turning their company over to Nick Tranfaglia, director of business development at TiqIQ, a New York-based ticket broker and the principal advertiser on the ChicagoSide site.

“Having worked with top online sports brands such as ESPN, Golf Digest and SB Nation, he [Tranfaglia] has the right experience for the job,” Eig wrote in an email to his free-lance writers. “His team has a great background in SEO and social media and they’re eager to build on our success at Chicago Side.” Continue reading →

There’s a new morning line in Chicago, according to radio ratings released Monday for the period from Jan. 30 to Feb. 26.

Here’s a look at Chicago’s top 10 morning shows (as measured by Nielsen Audio among all listeners age 6 and older from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday), followed by average share of audience.

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Hub Arkush

Two suburban newspaper groups are teaming up with veteran sports analyst Hub Arkush to launch a new multimedia platform for Chicago football fans.

Shaw Media and Daily Herald Media Group announced a joint venture Monday with Arkush to cover high school, college and professional football in print and online.

Together they’ll roll out Chicago Football, a glossy magazine to be published weekly during the football season and monthly in the offseason. The first edition, set to debut on newsstands April 7, will focus on the Chicago Bears' preparation for the 2014 NFL Draft. Continue reading →

When a crying 8-month-old baby sparked national controversy by spoiling a recent Saturday night dinner for patrons of Chicago’s famed Alinea restaurant, parents of young children were in a quandary.

Many wondered aloud whether they could ever bring their offspring to a fine-dining establishment — or even to a moderately decent eatery.

Here to the rescue comes the new issue of Just Kidding magazine with a cover story on “No-drama dining: 42 ways to enjoy a family meal out,” serving up everything from “toddler-friendly restaurants” to ethic hot spots and upscale joints that set aside certain days for younger diners (and their parents).

The latest edition of the quarterly publication was delivered Sunday to Chicago Tribune subscribers in targeted zip codes. Later this week it will be distributed free in racks at Jewel-Osco supermarkets throughout the Chicago area. Continue reading →

Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon, who plunged into the icy waters of Lake Michigan on a dare from Mayor Rahm Emanuel earlier this month, continues to get a warm reception in Chicago.

Four weeks after he took over NBC’s “Tonight Show” from Jay Leno, Fallon is leading the ratings here among all four late-night talk shows — and his Nielsen numbers in Chicago are up substantially over those Leno drew during the same period last year. Continue reading →

Jake Malooley

Jake Malooley, senior editor of Time Out Chicago, has been hired as managing editor of the Chicago Reader.

Reader editor Mara Shalhoup confirmed Thursday that Malooley is replacing Sam Worley, who resigned as deputy editor in December to focus exclusively on his writing.

“I'm an admirer of Jake's work — particularly his deep knowledge of Chicago and his ability to write intelligently on a wide variety of topics,” Shalhoup told me. “I think he's a natural fit for the Reader.” Continue reading →

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Dick Cavett, who brought intelligence and sophistication to television talk shows for more than 35 years, will be honored later this year by Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications. Continue reading →

Spike O'Dell

Twenty-seven years ago today, Chicago got its first look at Spike O’Dell. By the time he left town 21 years later, he had succeeded two legendary figures at WGN AM 720 — and had become something of a legend himself.

Hired to replace Wally Phillips in afternoons at the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station, O’Dell settled in comfortably until 2000 when he suddenly was tapped to take over mornings from Bob Collins, who died in a plane crash. O’Dell rose to the occasion and kept WGN’s huge morning audience intact. For the next eight years, his show delivered top ratings. Continue reading →

Bob Saget

Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications will host “An Evening with Bob Saget” April 16.

The comedian and star of “Full House” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos” will be on tour to promote his new book, Dirty Daddy (The Chronicles of a Family Man Turned Filthy Comedian). Continue reading →

Last Friday Chicago’s top-rated morning news program cut short its final hour to air a 30-minute government-sponsored infomercial about health insurance.

Viewers who tuned in to see "WGN Morning News" at 9:30 a.m. were subjected instead to "Get Covered Illinois: A Half Hour Special,” part of a monthlong statewide enrollment campaign for the Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace. Continue reading →