My media focus this year will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, radio, 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
~WGN Production Guru Chris Duffy "Dies" on NBC
Don't worry, he's alive and well. He was an extra in a scene in "Chicago Fire". Here's a screen grab of his appearance...
~Loop & WKQK PD Reassigned to SF by Cumulus
This is being reported by all the trade publications. I've linked to the first one that came into my e-mailbox yesterday afternoon (Radio Insight), but there are many interviews out there. Jim Richards was with the Loop and the former Q-101 for a few years. I never met him in person, but I interviewed him on the phone for a piece in Shore Magazine. He was well-liked by his coworkers. Granted, I've been to the studios there...it's a ghost town. I think there were only a half dozen people working there.
~Want to be PD at the Loop?
Here's the listing on the RAMP Newsletter. I couldn't help but notice that the term "music knowledge" does not appear at all. You just need to know the software. At least "talent" is mentioned in passing.
Looking for a bold, creative, strategic-thinking leader to replace Mr. Richards as OM/PD of iconic Classic Rock outlet WLUP (97.9 The Loop) & Alternative WKQX/Chicago. This position demands strong skill sets in talent management, PPM execution, digital acumen and creative writing, as well as large promotion and event creation. Candidates must possess a working background in research interpretation, Nielsen data, music scheduling software and automation operating systems. A minimum of five years of major market programming experience is preferred. Qualified applicants should rush their resume and programming package to cumulusradio.jobs@cumulus.com. And remember, kids... Cumulus Media is an EEO Employer.
The F.C.C.
~F.C.C Chairman Facing Firestorm Over Net Neutrality Ruling
He knew it would be controversial, but I just don't think the new FCC Chairman understood the depth of the opposition to the whole concept of allowing the big boys to create a faster "pay" lane on the internet. The only people in favor of that are the big boys. NOBODY ELSE WANTS THIS! Just sayin. Tom Taylor is sayin' it too, but just not in capital letters...
Does the famous “fast lane” pose a existential risk to companies that don't have the vast fortunes of Netflix or Amazon? FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is talking about “the manipulation of the most important network of our time, the Internet.” (In your own market, how many broadband choices do you really have?) Wheeler says there’s not enough competition in broadband and that there’s a real danger that mammoth companies will stifle “the next Google.” Critics accuse him of doing that very thing with a proposal they claim would create a privileged “fast lane,” for companies who pay a special fee to an Internet Service Provider.
Showbiz
~Will Oprah Buy the Clippers?
That's the speculation all over the news. I've linked to ESPN's report.
