Maybe it was the return of its branding as “Eyewitness News” after a 17-year lapse. Maybe it was the spiffy new opening and graphics package. Or maybe it simply was the 15 percent boost in its lead-in ratings at 9:45 p.m. (Yeah, that’s probably it.)

For whatever reason, ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 showed the biggest late-news growth in November, widening its lead in total viewership at 10 p.m. over NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 and CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2. Continue reading →

Janet Davies

Good news, fellow merrymakers: The lovely and charming Janet Davies, who’s helped Chicagoans ring in every New Year since 1991, will be right where she belongs on WLS-Channel 7 for “Countdown Chicago 2014.”

Word at the ABC-owned station is that Davies again will host the local New Year’s Eve special with longtime partner Mark Giangreco. They’ll be joined by Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini of “Windy City Live.” Of course four hosts for a one-hour show may be a bit unwieldy, but half the fun of watching the live broadcast is to see what goes wrong.

Plans for the Dec. 31 special are still being finalized, but producers say Hosea Sanders and Ji Suk Yi also are expected to return as contributors. Continue reading →

David Polk

David Polk, the 30-year-old host and producer of an award-winning music series on WFMT FM 98.7, has been named program director of the classical music station.

Polk succeeds Peter van de Graaff, who served just one year as program director and now shifts to a new role as chief announcer. Both moves are effective Jan. 6. Continue reading →

Gil Soffer

Alert the media: Chicago's top television news outfit has lawyered up.

Former federal prosecutor Gil Soffer was hired Wednesday as legal analyst for ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, where he’ll contribute to newscasts “whenever important legal stories develop.”

Soffer is the managing partner of Katten, Muchin and Rosenman’s Chicago office and national co-head of its white collar defense practice. Before joining the firm in 2000, he was an assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago for six years. He stepped away from the firm for one year in 2008 to serve as associate deputy attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice. Continue reading →

Mark Elfstrand

For nearly 15 years, Mark Elfstrand inspired thousands of listeners each day as the warm and friendly morning host at Christian talk WMBI FM 90.1. But he may have delivered his most inspiring message after his run at the Moody Radio flagship station ended.

“Radio is not who I am,” Elfstrand wrote on his blog Monday. “My identity is not wrapped up in being a radio personality. . . . Our work should never define us as human beings. God created in each of us something much greater. The Creator of all things has made every human being in His image. He doesn't stamp us with a job title. He gives us His divine imprint.” Continue reading →

Todd Hollandsworth and Ron Coomer appear to be the last men standing in the search for Pat Hughes' new partner in the Cubs radio booth, according to insiders at WGN AM 720.

Both former Cubs-turned-broadcasters are said to be at the top of the list to replace Keith Moreland as color analyst alongside play-by-play announcer Hughes. Moreland, who succeeded Ron Santo in 2011, announced last month he would not return next year, citing a desire to spend more time with his family in Texas. Continue reading →

Kris Kelley

Chicago’s top two young-adult radio stations are without a program director following the sudden and unexplained exit of Kris Kelley after 15 years with Clear Channel Media + Entertainment.

Since October 2012, Kelley had been program director of both urban contemporary WGCI FM 107.5 and Top 40 WKSC FM 103.5 — until this week.

No reason was cited for her departure, but a Clear Channel spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday that Kelley was no longer with the company, adding: “We wish her the best in the future.” Continue reading →

Ginger Zee

Just two years after she was working the weekend weather beat at WMAQ-Channel 5, Ginger Zee has been named chief meteorologist for the top-rated morning show in the country. Even those who still think of her as “Chicago’s sweetheart” couldn’t have forecast a sunnier scenario in such a short time.

With the resignation of Sam Champion after seven years on ABC’s “Good Morning America” to join the Weather Channel, Zee was promoted Monday to the show’s No. 1 weather job. She’d been weekend weather anchor and weekday weather correspondent for “GMA” since November 2011. Continue reading →

Scott Duff

Chicago’s progressive talk radio station is about to add a variety of programming elements geared to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

Centerpiece of the initiative is “Out Chicago,” a two-hour weekly talk show airing at 11 a.m. Sundays on WCPT AM 820 (simulcast on WCPY FM 92.5, WCPT FM 92.7 and WCPQ FM 99.9), starting Jan 5.

In addition, the Newsweb Radio station will air a series of one-minute vignettes culled from "Out Chicago" hourly from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays. Each segment will spotlight a gay angle on topics ranging from health, legal, real estate and personal finance matters to music and club events and theater. Continue reading →

Kim Vatis

Four reporters at WMAQ-Channel 5 will take turns filling in as weekend morning news anchor while the station seeks a replacement for Kim Vatis, who signed off Sunday.

Michelle Relerford, Lauren Petty, Emily Florez and Susan Carlson will anchor Saturday and Sunday mornings alongside Anthony Ponce in the coming weeks — although NBC 5 bosses say their search isn’t limited to station insiders. Continue reading →