{"id":13806,"date":"2017-03-31T05:00:21","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T10:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.robertfeder.com\/?p=13806"},"modified":"2017-03-31T08:11:26","modified_gmt":"2017-03-31T13:11:26","slug":"robservations-earlier-start-good-day-chicago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/2017\/03\/31\/robservations-earlier-start-good-day-chicago\/","title":{"rendered":"Robservations: \u2018Good Day Chicago\u2019 getting earlier start"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

<\/a> Kristen Nicole and Natalie Bomke<\/p><\/div>\n

Robservations on the media beat:<\/p>\n

Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32<\/a> announced plans Thursday to expand \u201cGood Day Chicago\u201d by 30 minutes \u2014 starting at 4 a.m. Monday through Friday \u2014 effective April 10. It means an earlier wakeup call for news anchors Kristen Nicole<\/strong> and Natalie Bomke.<\/strong> \u201cOur energetic team is ready to deliver up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather reports that prepare early-rising commuters to take on the day,\u201d Matt Piacente,<\/strong> vice president and news director of Fox 32, said in a statement. Nielsen figures for March showed \u201cGood Day Chicago\u201d averaging a 0.9 rating (31,167 households) from 4:30 to 10 a.m. weekdays. Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9<\/a> and NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5<\/a> already start their morning newscasts at 4 a.m. Representatives of ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7<\/a> and CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2<\/a> said they have no plans to do so at this time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Steve Dahl<\/p><\/div>\n

Sending get-well wishes to Chicago broadcast legend and Radio Hall of Famer Steve Dahl,<\/strong> who\u2019s recovering from an undisclosed illness. Dahl, 62, has been off the air and in the hospital since Wednesday, but he\u2019s expected to return Monday to his afternoon show on Cumulus Media news\/talk WLS AM 890.<\/a> \u201cHe's a tough guy,\u201d wife Janet Dahl<\/strong> told Facebook friends. \u201cHe will be good as new soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

David Kidwell<\/p><\/div>\n

David Kidwell,<\/strong> an investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune<\/a> since 2005, has been hired as special projects editor for the Better Government Association.<\/a> He joins the nonprofit watchdog organization in mid-April. Kidwell, who broke the Chicago red light camera scandal for the Tribune, previously worked for the Tampa Tribune and the Miami Herald, where his team won a Pulitzer Prize. Said BGA president and CEO Andy Shaw:<\/strong> \u201cWe look forward to more impactful, mission-driven investigations from Dave and his team here at the BGA, where we will also be adding more firepower to our other core programs: Policy advocacy, open records litigation, civic engagement and communications.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Wayne Besen<\/p><\/div>\n

Wayne Besen,<\/strong> who was cut last week after two years as afternoon host on Newsweb Radio progressive talk WCPT AM 820, <\/a>is fighting back: Besen said Thursday he has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board claiming his firing was in retaliation for his activity with the SAG-AFTRA union. He also cited pressure from management to drop his support of Bernie Sanders<\/strong> in favor of Hillary Clinton<\/strong> in the Democratic presidential race last year because Newsweb owner Fred Eychaner<\/strong> was a major Clinton donor. (Read his statement here.<\/a>) Besen was replaced <\/a>from 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays on WCPT by Ben Joravsky,<\/strong> political writer for the Chicago Reader.<\/a> Charley Gross,<\/strong> president of Newsweb Radio, said in response: \u201cWayne is a talented, passionate guy. WCPT, which has several national shows on weekdays, believes its audience is entitled to hear discussion of local issues as well. We had attempted for some time, without success, to encourage Wayne to focus more on local, i.e. Chicago (not just Springfield) matters. Ben Joravsky, a Bernie Sanders supporter, brings an encyclopedic knowledge of and passionate interest in all things Chicago. We are excited to have him on board and are confident he will provide WCPT's audience with a focus that Wayne was not willing to pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Roger Ebert<\/p><\/div>\n

Family and friends of Roger Ebert<\/strong> will gather Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the famed film critic\u2019s death. The commemoration will start at 11 a.m. outside the Chicago Theatre, 175 North State Street, where a star was dedicated in Ebert\u2019s honor under the marquee in 2005. At a private reception to follow, Chaz Ebert<\/strong> will award $1,000 grants from the Ebert Foundation to 21 organizations working to improve the lives of Chicagoans and advance the arts. For a complete list of recipients, see rogerebert.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Bart Shore<\/p><\/div>\n

After 17 years as the voice of morning-drive traffic on CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780\/WCFS FM 105.9, <\/a>Bart Shore<\/strong> is getting a new station identification. Starting Monday he\u2019ll be reassigned to iHeartMedia adult contemporary WLIT FM 93.9<\/a>, working with MyFM morning host Kristina Kage.<\/strong> By coincidence, Shore started his Chicago radio career in 1985 as a disc jockey on the same station (then known as WLAK). Prompted by CBS Radio\u2019s switch from Total Traffic to USTN (formerly Radiate Media), WBBM Newsradio\u2019s new traffic lineup will feature Beau Duran<\/strong> in mornings, Abby Ryan<\/strong> in afternoons, Brian Travis<\/strong> in evenings and Steven Haas<\/strong> overnights.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Gordon Deal<\/p><\/div>\n

Monday will mark the debut of \u201cThis Morning: America\u2019s First News\u201d<\/a> on Cumulus Media news\/talk WLS AM 890. Airing from 5 to 6 a.m. weekdays, the syndicated magazine show is hosted by Gordon Deal<\/strong> and focuses on national and world headlines as well as business, finance, lifestyle, careers and technology. Previously produced by Wall Street Journal Radio Network, it last aired on WLS in 2015.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Paul Magers<\/p><\/div>\n

Another Magers calls it a day: Paul Magers,<\/strong> younger brother of former Chicago news anchor Ron Magers,<\/strong> retired<\/a> this week after 38 years in television news. In signing off from CBS-owned KCBS in Los Angeles, where he spent the past 13 years, Paul Magers disclosed he\u2019d been in treatment for alcohol addiction earlier this year and planned to focus on recovery. Ron Magers, who went into recovery for alcohol and drugs in 1980 and became an outspoken advocate for addiction treatment, retired <\/a>last May from ABC 7, culminating five decades in journalism, including 35 years in Chicago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Robservations on the media beat: Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 announced plans Thursday to expand \u201cGood Day Chicago\u201d by 30 minutes \u2014 starting at 4 a.m. Monday through Friday \u2014 effective April 10. It means an earlier wakeup call for news anchors Kristen Nicole and Natalie Bomke. \u201cOur energetic team is ready to deliver up-to-the-minute news, traffic... Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13806"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13806"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13823,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13806\/revisions\/13823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}