As expected, WVAZ FM 102.7 marked its 25th anniversary on Chicago radio by again winning the Nielsen Audio ratings crown in November. It marked the 18th victory in the last 19 monthly rating periods for the Clear Channel urban adult-contemporary powerhouse.

Here are Chicago’s top 30 stations among listeners 6 and older as measured by Nielsen Audio from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Sunday, followed by average share of audience. (Survey was conducted  from Oct. 10 through Nov. 6): Continue reading →

Michael Ferro Jr.

Rocky Wirtz

Dennis Welsh

Gary Weitman

Garry Meier

Cumulus Media

Carol Roth

Jim Laski

Jerry Springer (Photo: Kathleen Virginia)

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With a deep bow to the immortal Roy Leonard, whose Turkey of the Year Awards were a Thanksgiving Day tradition on WGN AM 720 for decades, here's a hearty flip of the bird to this year’s Chicago media recipients: Continue reading →

Robin Robinson

With the elegance and class that have been her trademarks, Robin Robinson signed off Tuesday night after 26 years as principal news anchor at WFLD-Channel 32.

But she left no doubt that it wasn’t her decision to leave the anchor desk: “This is what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be,” she told viewers. Continue reading →

Amara Walker

“The brightest new addition to Fox Chicago” was how I described reporter Amara Walker just before she was promoted to weekend news anchor at WFLD-Channel 32 last year.

So of course she’s on her way out now. Of course. Continue reading →

Marcus Gilmer

After little more than a year as digital editor of the Sun-Times, Marcus Gilmer is leaving to become newsroom social media manager for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Gilmer, 34, previously was editor-in-chief of Chicagoist and associate editor of The A.V. Club, the pop culture sister publication of The Onion. He joined the Sun-Times in October 2012 from Chicago Public Media, where he wrote a daily news blog for wbez.org. Continue reading →

Bob Ramsey

After two and half years as vice president and general manager of WCIU-Channel 26, Bob Ramsey was promoted Friday to executive vice president of local media for parent company Weigel Broadcasting.

The move puts Ramsey in charge of all local broadcast operations in Chicago, Milwaukee and South Bend.

In accepting the new role, sources said, Ramsey turned down an offer to become general manager of Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9, where he previously worked as station manager from 1998 to 2002. He joined Weigel Broadcasting in 2011 after stints as general manager at KSWB-TV in San Diego and KTXL-TV in Sacramento. Continue reading →

A tentative contract settlement between the parent company of the Sun-Times and the union representing editorial employees could lead to the rehiring of some of the photographers who were laid off by the newspaper earlier this year, sources said.

Negotiators for Sun-Times Media and the Chicago Newspaper Guild reached agreement late Friday on a new three-year contract, insiders said, covering 130 reporters, copy editors and other editorial staff at the Sun-Times, Pioneer Press, Post-Tribune in Merrillville, Ind., Lake County News-Sun and Joliet Herald-News. Continue reading →

Steve Baskerville, Rob Johnson, Kate Sullivan and Ryan Baker

Think it's too late to bring Bill & Walter back for a fourth time?

In hindsight, WBBM-Channel 2 bosses may be sorry they gave the heave-ho to Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson last February after two and half years as 6 o’clock news anchors. Continue reading →

James Robert "Jim" Leavelle, Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby, Dallas City Jail, November 24, 1963

Reporter Ike Pappas, 11:21 a.m. “Now the prisoner, wearing a black sweater, he's changed from his T-shirt, is being moved out toward an armored car. Being led out by Captain Fritz. [Car horn sounds.] There's the prisoner. Do you have anything to say in your defense? [Ruby steps out of the crowd and fires into Oswald.]

“There’s a shot! Oswald has been shot! Oswald has been shot! A shot rang out. Mass confusion here, all the doors have been locked. Holy mackerel!" Continue reading →

Walter Cronkite, CBS News headquarters in New York, November 22, 1963

12:40 p.m. “Here is a bulletin from CBS News. In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting. Continue reading →