Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.
Chicago Media
~Larry Lujack Tribute by Art Vuolo
Art Vuolo is radio's best friend--the man who goes around the country videotaping radio people in action. This is his tribute video to Larry featuring some of Larry's friends, admirers, and of course vintage video of Larry in action on the radio...
~New Program Director for WGCI
Kenard Karter is his name, and Radio Online has the details: "Urban WGCI-FM/Chicago appoints Kenard Karter as Program Director, effective March 3. Karter returns to Chicago after four years of with Clear Channel co-owned Rhythmic CHR KMEL-FM/San Francisco, where he most recently served as the Assistant PD and middays. He's a Chicago native that began his radio career in his hometown ten years ago. Kenard has held a variety of positions in Chicago including air personality and promotions assistant at WGCI and Music Director at both WGCI and CHR WKSC-FM (103.5 KISS FM)."
Broadcast News
~CNN Lays Off More Than 40 Journalists
I've been saying they need to do more than rearrange the deck chairs, but of course, this is a step in exactly the wrong direction. When news gatherers are laid off, it's bad news for everyone. You don't think about this in your daily life, but the number of people gathering the news has actually declined over the last decade despite the explosion in news coverage. It's just more people (like me) giving you news that someone else has gathered. In this case, The Financial Times is reporting that "CNN has laid off more than 40 senior journalists in its newsgathering operation -- including a pregnant producer who was two weeks away from giving birth to twins."
~Elizabeth Vargas Back From Rehab
She was on Good Morning America this morning, and admitted on the air that she is an alooholic. Good for her. I went to high school with her in Germany, and I'm always rooting for Elizabeth.
The Pundits
~Matt Yglesias to join Ezra Klein's new venture
Yglesias is an important voice on the center-left, and it looks like he'll be leaving his post at Slate Magazine to join Ezra Klein. The Huffington Post has the info.
~Bill O'Reilly to interview the president
It will be part of the Super Bowl pre-game coverage, and yes I'm listing this story here under pundits and not broadcast news, because O'Reilly is not a newscaster. Although, I do suspect this interview will make news.
Showbiz
~The Grammy's
I guess I'm not the only one who will be tuning in this weekend to the Grammy's. Billboard says that ads are selling for a million dollars.
~More Bieber-Arrest Info
The Miami Herald has all the gruesome details, but to me one thing stands out. Bieber's father was involved in this incident too--he was helping. That's not the part that bothers me. The part that bothers me is that his father is 38 years old. 38! I'm almost old enough to be Bieber's grandfather.
