ESPN 1000 blasts Nielsen for ratings undercount

ESPN Chicago

A rare correction and admission of error by Nielsen Audio Thursday wasn’t enough to satisfy WMVP 1000-AM after the ESPN Radio sports/talk station was shortchanged in the latest Chicago radio ratings.

Acknowledging that it had failed to credit ESPN 1000 for its streaming simulcast in the April audience survey, Nielsen re-issued its market report with revised figures that combined over-the-air and digital listenership. Continue reading →

Robservations: Nielsen bungles ratings for ESPN 1000

ESPN Chicago

Robservations on the media beat:

Nielsen Audio

ESPN Radio sports/talk WMVP 1000-AM is about to get a do-over in the ratings. In a confidential email to clients, Nielsen Audio acknowledged that it failed to credit the station for its streaming simulcast in the April audience survey. In rankings reported here last week, ESPN 1000 tied for 25th place with a 1.2 share. That's expected to rise when Nielsen releases a revised Chicago report at noon today. No other stations were affected, according to Nielsen. It's not the first time this year the company was caught with its pants down. In January Nielsen admitted it shortchanged stations in 48 markets (including Chicago) when it tabulated "abnormally low or non-existent" audience estimates for two days in December. Continue reading →

Cubs announce general manager for Marquee Sports Network

Wrigley Field

With the hiring of a seasoned sports and media executive as general manager, the picture became a little clearer Tuesday for the upcoming television home of the Chicago Cubs.

Michael McCarthy, former president of MSG Network in New York and a former top official of the St. Louis Blues and the Milwaukee Bucks, was named general manager of Marquee Sports Network. The joint venture of the Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group is set to launch in February 2020. Continue reading →

Robservations: WGN names Mary Sandberg Boyle news and operations director

Mary Sandberg Boyle

Robservations on the media beat:

Mary Sandberg Boyle, executive producer of Steve Cochran’s morning show on WGN 720-AM, has been promoted to director of news and operations at the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station. She succeeds Stephanie Tichenor, who jumped to Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM as program director. “Mary brings us years of success managing high profile talent and a fresh vision for the next generation of WGN Radio,” said Todd Manley, station manager and vice president of content. Before joining WGN in 2015, Boyle was exec producer of "The Steve Dahl Show" on multiple outlets and exec producer of the morning show at Entercom Top 40 WBBM 96.3-FM. She’s a graduate of Carmel Catholic High School and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Continue reading →

Robservations: Tracy Baim celebrates 35 years as media trailblazer

Tracy Baim

Robservations on the media beat:

Friends and colleagues of Tracy Baim will gather next week at Sidetrack, 3349 North Halsted Street, to toast the groundbreaking Chicago journalist on her 35th year in LGBTQ media. Baim, who’s been publisher of the Chicago Reader since last fall, will be honored Wednesday at a fundraiser for Windy City Times, the newspaper for Chicago’s gay, lesbian, bi, trans and queer community she co-founded in 1985. Before that she was managing editor of GayLife. Starting at 6:30 p.m. NPR correspondent Cheryl Corley will host a Q&A with Baim. (Here is the link for tickets.) “I am really lucky to have been able to do this work for 35 years,” Baim told me. “When I was 21 years old, right out of journalism school, I did not know what path there was for me as an open lesbian. I was told by many people that there would be no path in the mainstream media. So when my mom heard there was a job at GayLife newspaper, I jumped at that chance, and have never looked back.” Continue reading →