Friday, June 30, 2023

Media Notebook--6-30-23















MEDIA NOTEBOOK

A curation of news items about the media from this past week, with a particular emphasis on Chicago

(By Rick Kaempfer)



RADIO/PODCASTS

 

 

*Eric Ferguson Lawsuit Dropped

=The Chicago Tribune posted a front-page article this week reporting that former WTMX producer Cynthia DeNicolo has dropped her lawsuit against Eric Ferguson. That news was a big shock because the trial was already scheduled. Attorneys for both sides declined to comment, and there’s no indication if there was a financial settlement or not. This marks the official end of the controversial saga. Late last year DeNicolo’s defamation lawsuit against Hubbard was also dismissed.



*Harry Teinowitz Has a New Liver

=This is exciting news. Harry went in for liver transplant surgery this week and it was a success. 



*Salem Falls Out of NASDAQ Compliance

=First it was Audacy. Now it’s Salem. Who is next?


 

*Meet Anna DeShawn

=Anna is a Chicagoan and a radio host focusing on telling queer stories. Thank you Block Club Chicago for featuring her this week. Click here if you'd like to know more about her and her show.



*AI Commercials

=According to this report in Inside Radio, AI can now write radio commercials in less than a minute. As someone who once co-owned an advertising agency specializing in radio ads, I’m happy I decided to get out of the business. 

 

 

*Larry Wert Interview

=The July issue of Illinois Entertainer comes out tomorrow. It will include my interview with former NBC, Tribune, and Loop boss Larry Wert.

 

 

*Max Armstrong Book

=The 48-year-veteran farm reporter teased the news on his Facebook page this week: “More Stories From The Heartland” to be published by Bantry Bay Books. It will be in print, digital and an audiobook. We may have some at the Half Century of Progress and the Farm Progress Show, if they allow us.

 

 

*Podcast Corner

=From the ‘everybody has a podcast now’ department, add Seth Meyers to the list. His late-night television show is sidelined during the writers strike, so Seth and his brother are doing a podcast about their family trips from childhood.

=Stitcher is being shut down by Sirius/XM. It has been a leading podcast app for 15 years. 

=Want to check out an all-Chicago podcast? Host Brent Petersen grew up in the Chicago burbs. The authors are both Chicago authors. The book is about Chicago food. And the Radio Misfits Podcast Network is based in Chicago.


 

*Brilliantly Black Business Awards

=Chicago’s iHeartMedia stations-- 107.5 WGCI, WVAZ (V103), WGRB-AM (Inspiration 1390), WLIT (93.9 Lite FM), WCHI (Rock 95 FIVE), WKSC (103.5 Kiss FM) and WVON (BIN 640 AM)  are bringing back the "Brilliantly Black Business Awards.” Black-owned businesses in Chicago and NW Indiana have a chance to win. 10 winners will be picked. For more information about how to nominate a business, click here.



*The Loop Files

=This week’s interview is with Jimmy Mac McInerney. You can read it here.


 

 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

*June 25, 2017

=John Records Landecker was named to the National Radio Hall of Fame. He was inducted by his longtime friend and colleague Bob Sirott.



*June 25—Mark Suppelsa birthday

=I got a chance to interview the Channel 9 anchor a few times before his retirement, including this one from 2009.


*June 25—John Kass birthday

=The former Chicago Tribune columnist and WLS Radio host suffered a heart attack and stroke earlier this year, but he is back to writing a blog. This week’s post is a sincere thank you to the folks at Shirley Ryan who helped him recover. 

 

*June 27—Jim Wiser birthday

=He is probably most famous for his time as Jonathon Brandmeier’s producer (Jimmy “Bud” Wiser), but Wiser went on to produce Fox Thing in the Morning at WFLD-TV and Spike O’Dell and Greg Jarrett’s morning shows at WGN Radio. I interviewed him in 2013 during his time at the Tribune.

 

*June 27—Adam Howarth birthday

=Adam is the Director of Coaching for the Illinois Youth Soccer Association, but he’s also the co-host of the Free Kicks podcast about the English Premier League. It’s currently on summer hiatus but will return in August on the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.

 

*June 27—Doug Buffone birthday

=The Chicago Bears legend was just as beloved in Chicago during his post-playing days, particularly during his days at the Score. He passed away in 2015. 



 

*June 28—Steve Downes birthday

=The former morning man at both the Loop and the Drive is probably better known for his voice over work, especially in the world of video games. I interviewed him about that in 2008.


*June 28—Elon Musk birthday

=The owner of Twitter was born in 1971.

 

*June 28—Mark Grace birthday

=The Marquee Network commentator (and former Cubs first baseman) turned 59 years old this week.

 

*June 28, 1975

=Super CFL record survey, featuring the morning team of Dick and Doug. Thanks to Chicago Radio Archives and Memories for posting it.



 

*June 29—Chuck Schaden birthday

=Chuck has been keeping old-time radio alive for decades. His show “Those Were the Days” still airs every weekend on WDCB 90.9, although now it is hosted by Steve Darnall. Schaden was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1993.

 

*June 29—Craig Sager birthday

=A fixture on NBA basketball television coverage for decades. Sager passed away in 2016. (Photo with Chicago Bulls Radio PBP man Chuck Swirsky).

 

*June 30—Cristina Ohr birthday

=Cristina was the GM of the Loop during the Bonneville days, and before that was the sales manager at WVAZ. She is now a professional/executive coach.

 

*July 1—Shemp DeYoung birthday

=His real first name is Mark, and for many years he was well known to Chicago radio listeners as the producer for Kevin Matthews, Danny Bonaduce, and Steve Dahl. His nickname Shemp was given to him by Kevin. DeYoung currently resides in Texas. (PHOTO: The Loop producers in the late 80s…Wiser, Shemp and me)



*July 1—Karen Hand birthday

=Karen was a newscaster at WLS AM before her star turn as the newsperson on Eddie & Jobo’s show on B-96. I got a chance to interview her for Chicago Radio Spotlight in 2008.


 

 

TV/STREAMING

 

 

*Smoke on the Water

=The city of Chicago has been engulfed in Canadian smoke all week. Here are a few examples of how Chicago’s TV newsrooms covered the biggest story in the news this week. (CBS-2, NBC-5, ABC-7, WGN-9, Fox-32)

 

 

*Marcella Raymond’s Final Weekend Break

=After 25 years on WGN-TV…

 

 

*The Bear Scores Huge Numbers for FX/Hulu

=The Bear is a show about Chicago (Axios-Chicago has a story about the real Chicago restaurants showcased in the show), but the rest of the country loves it too. The numbers are up 70% since the second season launched this week. Variety has the details.


 

*Ryan Seacrest to Take Over Wheel of Fortune

=Of course he will. Seacrest lives by the motto “you can’t have too many jobs." Pat Sajak will step down at the end of this season. Variety has the story. And Vanna White wants a raise. Puck has that story.


 

*Iowa meteorologist quits after death threats

=Talking about climate change on air led to death threats, so this Iowa meteorologist quit to devote himself to the cause.


 

*Neil Everett Signs Off at ESPN

=The SportsCenter anchor had been on ESPN for 23 years before stepping down last week. The network gave Neil a nice sendoff…


 

*Cable News Corner

=Fox News announces new prime-time lineup. Laura Ingraham to 6pm CT followed by Jesse Waters, Sean Hannity, and Greg Gutfield.

=30 years of Dana Bash

=Don Lemon’s first interview since leaving CNN. 

=A New Golden Age of Lawyers Who are Good at Talking on TV. If you watch any of the cable news networks you know the lawyers featured in this Washington Post article. 

 

 

*NBC Signs “Best Soccer Announcer in the World”

=That’s what they call Jon Champion. Big get for NBC. I know most of you are not soccer fans, but I am.


 *Rest In Peace

=Archie Fletcher. He was the co-founder of Fletcher Camera, and a giant in the local film community. He was 90 years old.

=Joe Pedott. The native Chicagoan was the advertising genius behind the Clapper and the Chia-pet. He passed away at the age of 91. 

=David Bohrman. He created the “Magic Wall” that CNN uses in their election coverage. He was 69. 

=Julian Sands. The Room with a View actor’s body was found this week in the mountains of California. He was 65.


 

 

PRINT/DIGITAL

 

 

*Jim O’Donnell’s Take on Chicago’s NASCAR race

=The Daily Herald’s sports media critic Jim O’Donnell is one of the most gifted writers in Chicago. I just love this little turn of phrase in his column NASCAR, NBC Bringing Non-Muffled Nonsense to the Streets of Chicago: "Confederate-fried capitalism will meet civic intrusion Saturday and Sunday when the teched-up heirs to moonshiners and the General Lee go vrooming around Grant Park."


 

*USA Today Resumes Book Best Seller List

=The best seller list at USA Today has been on hiatus since December. The AP reports the reasons it went away, and the reasons it has returned. 

 

 

*National Geographic Lays Off Last Staff Writers

=Times aren’t quite as exciting at National Geographic as they were during young George Bailey’s life. The last of the National Geographic staff writers were let go this week. 

 

 

*Vox Media C-Suite Shakeup

=Vox is trying to diversify and is shuffling the deck at the top of the company to implement it. Axios has more details.  

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 


*During breaking news, Twitter is no longer the go-to source

=I’ve noticed this too.  I was trying to follow the news in Russia last weekend during the near-coup.  A year ago Twitter would have been the place to go. Now it’s too spotty and unreliable. I went back to cable news.


 

 

FYI: I've been doing this column every Friday for a year now, but it's time for a break. This is my last Media Notebook column until August. I’m taking off the month of July to finish writing my latest book. When the column returns, I hope to add a newsletter element to it. Fingers crossed. 


In the meantime, I don’t want to shortchange the July birthdays in the media. They are listed below. If a name is highlighted, you can click on the name to read or hear the interviews I’ve done with them over the years.

 

Upcoming July birthdays: Connie Szerszen (July 3), Jim Rose (July 5), Robert Loerzel (July 6), Steve Touhy (July 6), Paige Wiser (July 6), Nick Digilio (July 6), John Gehron (July 7), Dick Orkin (July 9), Will Clinger (July 9), Fred Mitchell (July 10), Connor McKnight (July 12), Barry James (July 12), John Chancellor (July 14), Steve Stone (July 14), Greg Easterling (July 14), Jonathon Brandmeier (July 15), Lauren O’Neil (July 15), Dr. Ian Smith (July 15), Lou Boudreau (July 17), Mike Kessler (July 17),  Terry Gibson (July 19), Todd Manley (July 19), Wayne Messmer (July 19), Pugs Moran (July 20), Danielle Tufano (July 21), Spike Manton (July 21), Tim Virgin (July 21), Ray Rayner (July 23), Kathy Brock (July 24), Anna Devlantes (July 25), Steve King (July 26), Rick Kaempfer (July 28), Walter Jacobson (July 28), Irv Kupcinet (July 31), Bill Frink (July 31)


See you in August.

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