Evan Allen-Gessesse and Niccole Thurman

With the launch of a new national series next week, Chicago's WTTW-Channel 11 is living up to its name as a "Window to the World."

"Local, USA" is billed as a 13-part documentary series showcasing segments from public television stations across the country along with the work of independent producers and other content creators. Each half-hour episode will explore a particular theme.

Premiering at 5 p.m. Oct. 21 on the World Channel and locally at 11 p.m. Oct. 24 on WTTW, it marks WTTW's first national series in years and its first in partnership with World, the digital channel produced and distributed by WGBH-TV in Boston, WNET-TV in New York and American Public Television. Continue reading →

Bob Sanders

Long before Bob and Marianne, Steve and Johnnie, or Don and Roma, there was Bob and Betty Sanders — Chicago radio's quintessential husband-and-wife team. And listeners loved them.

"Bob and Betty were the epitome of comfort radio," said veteran broadcaster Steve Dale, who was their producer in the 1980s. "The influence that they had was undeniable. They were at the top for a reason."

A trusted and admired voice on WBBM AM 780 for decades, Bob Sanders died Sunday near Lake Geneva, Wis., after a long illness. He was 89. Continue reading →

If you're not already sick of hearing, seeing and reading about the 10th anniversary of the Bartman debacle, there's one more look back you might not want to miss.

At 9 p.m. Tuesday Comcast SportsNet Chicago premieres "5 Outs . . ." — a 90-minute documentary on the collapse of the Chicago Cubs in the 2003 National League Championship Series. Included are interviews with everyone involved in the Cubs' heartbreaking loss that season. Everyone except infamous fan Steve Bartman, of course. Continue reading →

The redesign of Chicago magazine in print and online marks the first complete makeover of the publication since 2007. And it's a beauty.

From its bold new logo and new tag line ("Big City, Big Stories") to its sharp new typography, layout and organization, the monthly magazine and chicagomag.com have been reconfigured and reimagined from top to bottom with the November issue.

Now fully integrated with its namesake publication, the streamlined and engaging website operates as efficiently on a mobile device as it does on a desktop. (There's still a glitch or two to be fixed. The link to Carol Felsenthal's articles about politics take you to a menu of unrelated posts.) Stand-alone blogs, such as "The 312" and "Style Sheet," have been eliminated in favor of stories organized by subject area. New video and photo features also are being added. Continue reading →

Alison Scholly

(This post has been updated to include a statement received late Sunday from SAG-AFTRA.)

The federal government shutdown is delaying an effort by editorial employees of WBEZ FM 91.5 to secure union representation through the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Thirty-nine staffers at the public radio station presented a petition late last month to Alison Scholly, interim CEO of parent company Chicago Public Media, seeking recognition of SAG-AFTRA as their bargaining agent. The move was first reported by the public media website current.org.

But nothing can happen until the request is accepted by the National Labor Relations Board, which has been shut down since Oct. 1. Once the petition is accepted, the NLRB may proceed by scheduling a union authorization vote. Continue reading →

Troy Christensen

Troy Christensen, who began as a weather intern at WLS-Channel 7 while a student at Naperville Central High School, returned to the ABC-owned station this weekend as an on-air meteorologist.

Just in from KFOR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City, Christensen debuted on the 6 and 8 a.m. Saturday newscasts anchored by Stacy Baca. News director Jennifer Graves confirmed his hiring for the Saturday morning position.  Continue reading →

They are the denizens of the dawn patrol. The sultans of sunrise. The top of the morning.

Here’s a look at Chicago’s most popular radio personalities in morning drive. Click on the arrows to advance the photos:

Continue reading →

The sale of NextMedia Group's 33 radio stations nationwide — including 11 in the Chicago suburban area — was hailed Thursday as a victory for local broadcasting.

Dean Goodman, whose newly formed Digity LCC is acquiring the group for an undisclosed price, said he plans to continue NextMedia's strategy of providing live and local programming on all of its stations. "Our similar operational approach will super-serve local communities with compelling on-air products and innovative digital strategies," he said in a statement. Continue reading →

Mike McConnell

Mike McConnell, whose three-year run as midday personality on WGN AM 720 ended with the regime change at the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station, is finally leaving the building.

Since August, McConnell had been live-streaming and podcasting for WGN's website — a major step down from the 50,000-watt stage he'd previously commanded.

Sources said McConnell's agent has agreed to a tentative settlement with the station on the remaining two years of his $500,000-a-year contract. If everything works out as planned, McConnell presumably would be free to return to radio in Cincinnati, where he successfully spent most of the last 30 years. Continue reading →

Arsenio Hall

Is Arsenio Hall’s comeback already on the skids?

One month after its auspicious debut as a nationally syndicated late-night talker, “The Arsenio Hall Show” is showing signs of trouble in the ratings and behind the scenes.

For Tribune Broadcasting, which is a partner in producing the show, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Since its launch Sept. 9, it’s been airing at 10 p.m. Monday through Friday on Chicago flagship WGN-Channel 9 and on the company’s other stations across the country. Continue reading →