{"id":30099,"date":"2021-06-25T06:00:12","date_gmt":"2021-06-25T11:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.robertfeder.com\/?p=30099"},"modified":"2021-06-25T11:26:51","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T16:26:51","slug":"robservations-totally-pumped-john-kass-off-running-new-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/2021\/06\/25\/robservations-totally-pumped-john-kass-off-running-new-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Robservations: 'Totally pumped' John Kass off and running with new blog"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

<\/a> John Kass<\/p><\/div>\n

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

In the week since he launched his independent website at johnkassnews.com<\/a> former Chicago Tribune<\/a> columnist John Kass<\/strong> says he's already picked up 35,000 email subscribers. Asked whether he'll try to monetize it through selling advertising or charging for subscriptions, Kass told Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman<\/strong> in a podcast interview<\/a>: \u201cThat will be determined, but I assume it will be some hybrid of both.\u201d (Here is the link.<\/a>) \"When you go into business for yourself, it\u2019s exhilarating and exciting. I\u2019m totally pumped for it.\" Kass, who turns 65 today, was among about 40 journalists to exit<\/a> the Tribune in the current round of buyouts. The onetime radio host also hinted at a future on the air: \u201cI\u2019m in meetings now with various broadcast entities to continue talking to people in Chicago,\u201d he said. \u201cI think they might want to hear what I have to say.\u201d Spielman, razor sharp and still at the top of her game, pressed Kass on how it felt to be \u201cstabbed in the back\u201d by some of his Tribune colleagues, who publicly accused him of invoking an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory<\/a> in a column and challenged him on other issues<\/a>. \u201cI think what happened generally is that clearly I offered a dissenting voice. I am conservative,\u201d Kass said. \u201cI can\u2019t speak to the minds of those who disparaged me and defamed me, but I think that they didn\u2019t like the fact that I refused to join the union. They repeatedly asked me to join. So they defamed me. . . . I wasn\u2019t happy about it. But, you know, we move on. So I moved on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Danny Parkins<\/p><\/div>\n

Kudos to Danny Parkins,<\/strong> who raised more than $650,000 for the Austin Harvest food mart project in a 24-hour radiothon that culminated Thursday on Audacy sports\/talk WSCR 670-AM.<\/a> Funds will benefit former Chicago Bear Sam Acho\u2019s<\/strong> Athletes for Justice. \u201cThat\u2019s the Chicago that I know and love,\u201d said Parkins, who co-hosts afternoons on The Score. \u201cWe saw a problem and helped to solve. So, when people ask \u2018What about Chicago?\u2019 I want people to tell them the story of Austin Harvest, Sam Acho and 670 The Score. Thank you to everyone who donated and helped us erase a food desert and fund the construction of a permanent facility for Austin Harvest.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Charlie Meyerson<\/p><\/div>\n

A hearty high five to Charlie Meyerson,<\/strong> the veteran Chicago journalist and digital media innovator, whose Chicago Public Square<\/a> newsletter today marks its 1,000th edition. (Here is the link.<\/a>) It debuted<\/a> on January 28, 2017. Since he launched what he has described as a \"text-based newscast\"<\/a> \u2014 a format he pioneered at the Chicago Tribune \u2014 Meyerson has won numerous awards and a loyal following for his free daily aggregation of curated links to news stories and other vital content. \u201cThat Square\u2019s reached this milestone is a tribute to the readers who open it each day, and to those whose financial support has demonstrated that an independent roundup of news of and for the Chicago area has real value \u2014 especially as the city\u2019s legacy news media suffer decline by a thousand cuts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

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

Steve Darnall,<\/strong> who succeeded Radio Hall of Famer Chuck Schaden<\/strong> as host and producer of \"Those Were the Days\"<\/a> in 2009, this weekend marks his 12th year at the helm of the weekly radio treasure. Fittingly he'll devote the show to radio's first dozen years. Included will be coverage of Charles Lindbergh's<\/strong> arrival in Washington after his solo transatlantic flight in 1927 and a 1931 episode of the Chicago-produced drama series \"Empire Builders.\" \"'Those Were the Days' has always been devoted to the totality of radio's golden age, and we're pleased for this rare opportunity to take listeners back to the early days \u2014 more or less \u2014 of that era,\" Darnall said. \"'Old-time radio' doesn't get much older than this.\" The show airs from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays on College of DuPage's WDCB 90.9-FM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ji Suk Yi<\/p><\/div>\n

Ji Suk Yi<\/strong>\u00a0has wrapped it up as digital morning news anchor at NewsNation,<\/a> the Chicago-based cable news startup. Her departure after 10 months coincided with cancellation of her \"NewsNation Now Morning Update.\" Yi joined NewsNation from news\/talk WGN 720-AM, where she hosted a variety of shows. Both are owned by Nexstar Media Group. She previously served as a contributor to the Sun-Times and \u201cWindy City Live\u201d on ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7. NewsNation officials say they plan to fortify their digital presence with the hiring of additional personnel.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Nicolette Ferri<\/p><\/div>\n

Colleagues and friends are mourning the passing of Nicolette Ferri,<\/strong> an award-winning former producer for Window to the World Communications WTTW-Channel 11,<\/a> who died Wednesday. She was 61. Before stepping down in 2016, Ferri created a wide range of programming over her nearly 30 years at WTTW, where she was executive producer and director of national programming development. Among her credits were \"Sneak Previews,\" \"Soundstage,\" \"Artbeat Chicago\" and \"\u00adDavid Broza<\/strong> at Masada: The Sunrise Concert.\" Funeral services will be private.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Edna Schmidt<\/p><\/div>\n

Sad also to learn that Edna Schmidt,<\/strong> former top news anchor for two Spanish-language stations in Chicago \u2014 Univision WGBO-Channel 66<\/a> and Telemundo WSNS-Channel 44<\/a> \u2014 died Thursday at her home in Puerto Rico, according to both stations. She was 51. No cause of death was reported. In 2014 Schmidt went public<\/a> with her battle with alcoholism in a five-part series on Univision Chicago. It coincided with her lawsuit against Telemundo Station Group for firing her, alleging that the company violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to provide her \u201creasonable accommodation\u201d for her alcoholism. \"Edna you were really were loved by all those you touched on Earth,\" wrote Teri Arvesu,<\/strong> vice president of content for Univision Chicago. \"I truly admired and respected your professionalism and your personal touch with everyone you met and worked with. You were so brave to tell your story. Fly high my friend, may you find the peace and happiness you have always deserved in the Glory of the Lord, which I know will welcome you home.\"<\/p>\n

Thursday\u2019s comment of the day:<\/a> Richard A. Berk:<\/strong> Would Amy Carr be able to get Chicago magazine to stop incessantly printing phony lists like \"The 100 Best Restaurants,\" \"50 Best Doctors,\" etc.? Maybe include some in-depth articles on Chicago history, industries, historical sites, hard reporting on corruption, middle class life, etc. instead of incessant articles about rich people, ostentatious lifestyles, \"activists\" (publicity seekers), and restaurants most people cannot afford.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Robservations on the media beat: In the week since he launched his independent website at johnkassnews.com former Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass says he's already picked up 35,000 email subscribers. Asked whether he'll try to monetize it through selling advertising or charging for subscriptions, Kass told Sun-Times City Hall reporter Fran Spielman in a podcast... 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\/30099"}],"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=30099"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30120,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30099\/revisions\/30120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}