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
*Joey Boy Leaves B-96
=He announced the news on his Instagram feed this week:
I’ve decided to
take my “talents” back to Phoenix‼️ I have made a personal decision to
come back HOME. First to be with ALL my kids and loved ones. And secondly, to
focus on my well being, as well as my attention on the Valley. Rockin for you
Mornings, on Live 101.5‼️ With that said.
The other members of the show decided to still rock for you in Chicago and I
wish them nothing but good luck and success.
=The show, which had been simulcasting in Phoenix, will simulcast no more. The rest of the B-96 show is Aneesh Ratan, Jeana Shepard and Karla Hernandez. The station is looking for a replacement for Joey Boy. Click here if you want to know more.
*National Radio Day
=I always look forward to National Radio Day (August 20).
It’s a great day to see old pictures from radio’s heyday. This one is my
favorite from this year’s batch. Sky Daniels…
*ESPN Radio Changing Transmitters
=I’ve actually been out to the old transmitter, which
still has the WCFL call letters on it. ESPN 1000 announced this week they have
applied to move to a new transmitter, 20 miles south, at the night site of
WCPT’s tower in Willow Springs. Good Karma (owner of ESPN 1000) is not selling
the old transmitter because they never owned it. It still belongs to Disney.
ESPN would still be 50,000kw during the day, and 38,000kw during the night.
*50 Years of Charlie Meyerson
=Charlie’s career has included stops at WXRT, WNUA, and
WGN, and he is currently the editor-in-chief of Chicago Public Square, but this
week also marks the 50th anniversary of his career launch at the
University of Illinois radio station WPGU. Congrats to Charlie.
*Bernie Tafoya Steps Back
=In case you missed it, at the end of June, WBBM morning
reporter Bernie Tafoya announced he was stepping back from his full-time
reporting job after (only) 37 years at the radio station, and 25 years as the
morning reporter. I know what you’re thinking. “But I still hear him on the
air!” Well, it’s not a full-fledged retirement. Bernie just cut down to three
days a week.
=How tough of a reporter is Bernie? He’s a southside Cubs
fan. I interviewed him for Chicago Radio Spotlight in 2009.
*Calling
all podcasters!
=This year’s Chicago’s
Arts in the Dark parade, a parade of Chicago artists, is also inviting
podcasters to participate. If you’re a podcaster and you’d like to participate
(there’s no fee), e-mail info@rivet360.com and ask for all the
information. They will send it to you. The parade is on October 21st
from 4:30-8pm.
*Podcast Corner
=The 2023 Most Powerful People in Podcasting
=iHeart starting up a True Crime podcast network.
=White noise podcasts are costing Spotify millions. It’s algorithm related.
=NPR’s podcast chief is leaving.
*Pick the Winner
=These four media pros (Andrea Darlas, Rick DiMaio,
Kathy Voltmer, and John Dempsey) golfed together this week. Guess who won?
(*The answer at the end of the column)
MEDIA
BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES
*August
21—Joel Daly birthday
=The late
great newscaster would have been 89 today. My publishing company Eckhartz Press
published Joel Daly's book The Daly News in 2014. My co-publisher David Stern and I had monthly
breakfasts with Joel until he got too sick. He was a great storyteller. Joel
seemingly met every major historical figure from the second half of the 20th
century.
*August 21—Steve Johnson birthday
=The
former arts and culture writer for the Chicago Tribune has always been
one of my favorite local writers.
*August
21—Joe Strummer birthday
=The late Clash guitarist obviously isn’t a member of the Chicago media world, but I do have this picture of him with former WXRT great Bobby Skafish (from Bobby’s book: We Have Company)
=The
former WGN-TV reporter (she just stepped down in June ’23) owns her own public
relations firm, Marcella Raymond Media.
*August
21—John Filo birthday
=Who is John Filo, you ask? He’s just the guy who won the Pulitzer Prize for taking this photo during the Kent State Massacre. I interviewed him on the 50th anniversary. The story of how he happened to be there to take that photo, and what it took to get it to a newspaper, is a great one. Filo went on to become an executive at CBS.
*August 22—Alison Moran birthday
=Alison is a trailblazer in covering women’s sports. I interviewed her in 2012 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.
*August
22—Darrin Jackson birthday
=The
White Sox radio analyst.
Happy birthday, Darrin Jackson! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/VjTUI0ijGj
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 22, 2023
*August
23, 1991—The World Wide Web
=It’s not
that long ago. Think how much it has changed the world. The World Wide Web
officially opened to the public this week in 1991.
*August
25—Ken Zurski birthday
=Ken is a
long-time radio traffic reporter (currently working in Peoria), but he’s also
an author. His book is called The Wreck of the Columbia
August
26—Ernie Scatton birthday
=Ernie was one of the blade men (old term, look it up) at ESPN Radio in Chicago for many years.
*August
26—Vicki Truax birthday
=Vicki
Truax was a traffic reporter and morning co-host at WJMK in the 1990s. She was also married to the
late sportscaster Tim Weigel.
*August
26, 1968—The Whole World is Watching
=This is
the anniversary of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which
famously ended with a nasty confrontation between Chicago police and war
protestors. A friend of mine, local Chicago actor (and son of the police chief
at the time) Johnny Conlisk was there. He wrote about that day for myblog a few years ago.
TV/STREAMING
*The Air & Water Show
=Barry Butler took the best pictures…
Hanging at the Hancock. The US Air Force Thunderbirds performance on Saturday at the Chicago Air & Water Show. #chicago #news pic.twitter.com/sPE9PmKlfS
— Barry Butler Photography (@barrybutler9) August 19, 2023
=Christian
Piekos Rode with the US Air Force Thunderbirds, as part of
Channel 7’s coverage of last weekend’s Air & Water show
=Stephan Holt Rode with the US Army Golden Knights, as part of Channel 5’s coverage of last weekend’s Air & Water show.
=All well and good but check this out.
ABC7's Stephanie Wade got the exclusive chance to star in the Chicago Air and Water show by jumping out of a plane with the U.S. Army Golden Knights. https://t.co/743h1xoQft
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) August 21, 2023
*Ex-Chicago TV
=Remember Larry Mendte? He was controversial anchor/reporter
here in Chicago during his television days at Channel 2 (1991-1995). He is now
a conservative talk radio news director. Details are here.
*Strike Update
=The two sides are talking at least, although the latest offer was rejected by the union yesterday.
*ESPN Announces New Monday Night Countdown crew
=Suzy Kolber had been the host of the show in
previous seasons. She was let go this summer. The new host is Scott Van Pelt.
The rest of the crew is noted here.
*Guess Who is a Cult Hero Now?
=Would you believe it’s Mrs. Roper from Three’s
Company? I definitely didn’t see this one coming. The New York Times has the story.
*Cable News Corner
=Is Newsmax shaking down non-Trump candidates to appear on their network?
=CNN considering NYT editor for new boss
*Rest in Peace
=Ron Cephas Jones
The “This Is Us” star was only 66 years old.
=David Jacobs
He was the creator of Dallas and Knot’s Landing
PRINT/DIGITAL
*What happened to theater in Chicago?
=An in-depth piece by Tribune theater critic Chris Jones
about an industry devastated by COVID.
*Froomkin vs. Baker
=Dan Froomkin was a reporter for the Washington
Post for years and is now a media critic. This piece about New York Times reporter
Peter Baker is quite the take-down.
SOCIAL MEDIA
*More Twitter Controversies
= Elon Musk to Limit Block Feature. Trolls will
now have free reign. Just what everybody wants.
=Twitter will now also remove news headlines. Forbes has the story.
*The winner of the golf outing was Kathy Voltmer.
As always, if you have any media story you’d like to share or think that I might be interested in sharing, drop me a line at rick@eckhartzpress.com or amishrick@yahoo.com. If you're in Chicago media and wondering why I didn't mention your birthday, it's probably because I don't know it. Drop me a line and let me know and I'll put you on my calendar.
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