Bed Bug Love

The hidden talents of our authors. This song is doing well in France, which is currently undergoing a small bedbug issue, The genius and singer of the song is Duane Scott Cerny, author of Selling Dead People's Things and Vintage Confidential (both of which are available at Eckhartz Press). Enjoy his subversive vision

Media Notebook--10-13-23

MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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

(By Rick Kaempfer)

TV/Streaming

 

*Tom Skilling's Big Announcement

*75^th anniversary for Channel 5

=If you’ve been watching Channel 5 News this week, you’ve seen some of the segments celebrating the station’s 75^th anniversary. Great features from the wayback machine. They’re going to keep on doing it through December. New interviews with Channel 5 alums like Ron Magers, Carol Marin, Mark Giangreco, Bob Sirott, Rob Stafford, Lisa Parker, Phil Rogers, Rich Samuels and more will be part of the celebration. I’m thoroughly enjoying it.

 

 

*Um, so close

=Whoops…

I don’t think that’s alderman Brendan Reilly @fox32news pic.twitter.com/wQxCTl5LJH

— AudubonAndrew (@AudubonAndrew) October 9, 2023

 

 *Blackhawks Broadcasting Plans for 2023

=The season started this week. The broadcasting crew has some new names, some old. 

 

 

*SAG/AFTRA strike talks break down

=If you assumed the SAG/AFTRA strike talks would be resolved quickly after the WGA strike was settled (like I did), you were mistaken. This piece in the Hollywood Reporter explains the contentiousness of the negotiations. 

 

 

*How big will it be?

=Taylor Swift’s concert movie comes out today. Experts are predicting box office records. 

 

 

*A Conversation with Brian Williams

=My alma mater (U of I) scored Brian Williams for a chat. He’ll be down in Urbana, but it is possible to join via zoom. October 23^rd, 7-8pm. 

 

 

*Cable News Corner

=CNN Boss Assesses His Network

The big one, from his recorded message: “TV is also too dominant at CNN and digital, too marginal.” He added: "Despite some recent encouraging developments like the launch of CNN Max, this company is still nowhere near ready for the future.”

— Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) October 9, 2023

*Rest in Peace

=Terence Davies

 

Media birthdays/milestones

 

*October 10--Jeff Hoover birthday.

=I’ve interviewed the WGN Morning News producer a number of times over the years. This one from 2007 was the first time. Yes, he will also be featured in my upcoming book, The Loop Files.

 

*October 10--Carol Marin birthday.

=You surely know that Carol has won countless awards (including Emmys, a Polk, a Peabody, and more), but did you know she was the sister-in-law of the late news great Garrick Utley? She is also an Illini. Just sayin.

 

*October 11, 1975, SNL debuted. By my math, that’s 48 years ago. Laraine Newman says 49.

Can’t believe it. 49 years ago today. pic.twitter.com/XDEtfd4BNC

— Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) October 11, 2023

*October 12--Marv Nyren birthday

=WLS Radio executive, VP/Market Manager 

 

*October 12--Stephanie Tichenor birthday

=Another WLS Radio executive, Program director

 

*October 12--Ryan Chiaverini birthday.

=Former Windy City Live host and current ABC-7 sportscaster 

 

*October 12-- Tom Teuber birthday.

=Tom recently passed away but is remembered fondly in this town for his time at WMET and WBEZ.

 

*October 13--Roseanne Tellez birthday.

=Roseanne has been on television in Chicago since the mid-90s. She previously worked for Channel 9 and Channel 2, and currently works at Fox-32.

 

*October 13—Ty Bentli birthday

 =The former Kiss-FM host is now out in Los Angeles.

 

*October 14—Lisa Wolf birthday

=The former WGNer and current AM 560 air personality also happens to be the cover girl of this month’s Highland Park Neighbors

 

Radio/Podcasts

 

*Delilah to be Awarded Inaugural Gracie’s Icon Award

=Consider it to be a lifetime achievement award, if you will. Delilah can be heard locally in Chicago at WLIT. 

 

*WGN Spooktacular

= WGN Chicago (720) will air “WGN Radio Theatre Spooktacular with Carl Amari” on Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 8pm-1am. The five-hour special will include old-time radio episodes of “Lights Out,” “Suspense,” “Inner Sanctum Mystery,” “The Whistler,” and “The Sealed Book.” That last one originally aired on April 14, 1945, on WGN. That’s two days after the death of FDR, and two weeks before Hitler’s suicide in the bunker.

 

*Spotify’s Supremium

=Word is leaking about the latest plans at Spotify. They are working on a new category of listening that will go for $19.99/month. Read more about it here to see if it’s worth it for you. 

 

*The bots have come for podcasts

=Semafor explains.

 

*Podcast Corner

=Surprised it took this long. Chip and Joanna Gaines announce their own podcast network. 

=One for the youngsters: NPR’s college podcast scholarship opportunity 

 

*Rest in Peace

=Rudolph Isley

Writer of the classic tunes "Shout", "It's Your Thang" and "That Lady" among others. He was 84.

*The Loop Files

=The Loop Files  book has gone to the printer. In the meantime, I appeared on Matt Kissane’s podcast this week to talk about the book. 

=Many thanks also to the RAMP newsletter for their nice write-up about the book. 

=Here are a few more teases of what you’ll find in the book, including stories by Bobby Skafish, Dorothy Humphrey, and Buzz Kilman 

=I’m getting the galleys in my hands (for interviewers) in the next week or two.

 

 

Digital/Print

 

 

*Washington Post Cutting 240 Jobs

=The paper has been having financial difficulties. The Hill has details of how these cuts will occur. 

 

 

*Getting Evan Released

=From the Wall Street Journal…

In an email today, WSJ editor @emmatuckerWSJ says DC bureau chief Paul Beckett will shift to a job working full-time to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich, and WSJ will search for a new DC chief https://t.co/wtjPmIvIlJ pic.twitter.com/peVi4Q6NpW

— Katie Robertson (@katie_robertson) October 11, 2023

 

Social Media

 

 

*X (Twitter) Under Pressure for Lack of Content Moderation

=The European Union is demanding that X do a better job of moderating content from Hamas. NBC News has the details. 

 

 

*Utah Sues TikTok

=They claim that it harms the mental health of Utah’s youth. 

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.

 

If you're interested in some of my other projects...

 

Minutia Men Podcast: The Animal Kingdom

Minutia Men Celebrity Interview Podcast: Apple Co-Founder Ronald Wayne

Free Kicks with Adam & Rick: Premier League Predictions

The Fifth Edition (2023) of EveryCubEver is out now!  Buy your copy today

The Fifth Edition (2023) of EveryCubEver is also on amazon. Buy your copy today.

My latest novel: Back in the D.D.R

Windy City Reviews Back in the D.D.R.

Podcast Interview about Back in the D.D.R: Military Family Museum Podcast

 

Ronald Wayne

My first podcast since the accident. An interview with one of the three founders of Apple (along with the two Steves). Ronald drew up the first contract when the company was founded. At the time, he owned 10%. You don't want to know how much he sold it for https://t.co/f2XbKE2Bqv

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) October 11, 2023

In today's RAMP newsletter

 

In Other News...

• There was that magical period of time when all the stars aligned... when rock and roll and comedy and radio were all simultaneously kings (1977-1998) ... when the "1927 Yankees of Radio" all gathered in the same hallway at the same time in history -- the legendary WLUP (The Loop)/Chicago created something special that will never be forgotten.  Author Rick Kaempfer, who was a member of the Loop crew from 1987-93, has gathered all the talented people who worked there to tell the story of that great radio station -- in their own words.  We're talking more than 150 interviews that resulted in some amazing true-life tales from Loop legends Jonathon Brandmeier, Steve Dahl & Garry Meier, Kevin Matthews, Sky Daniels, Mitch Michaels, Danny Bonaduce, Chet Coppock, Patti Haze, John Landecker, Bob Stroud, Bobby Skafish, Buzz Kilman, and many more, and have been lovingly compiled into handy book form in The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever (Eckhartz Press). Great story after great story. Unforgettable celebrity encounters. Rock and Roll mayhem. The book ships in November but is available for pre-order now.

Countdown to The Loop Files--Buzz Kilman

 

Our professional Eckhartz Press team is currently putting the bells and whistles on my upcoming book The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever, and the printing presses will begin rolling very soon to fill the many pre-orders (pre-order yours today) and future orders (and books for our upcoming book signings). The book ships in mid-to-late November.

While we eagerly await holding it in our hands, here's a little preview of what you'll find inside. The book is called an oral history because I interviewed over 100 different people who worked there, and the story of this radio station's amazing history is told in their own words, in a narrative style.

Among the Loopers featured in this book: Buzz Kilman

Buzz worked at the Loop during both of the heydays, anchoring news for Steve and Garry and Johnny B. He tells the stories about what it was like working both of those legendary shows, plus the difficulties of combining a Blues music career, with doing a morning show.

Buzz  is just one of the people telling the Loop story. In the coming days I'll feature a few more. In the meantime, pre-order your copy today

Countdown to The Loop Files: Dorothy Humphrey

 

Our professional Eckhartz Press team is currently putting the bells and whistles on my upcoming book The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever, and the printing presses will begin rolling very soon to fill the many pre-orders (pre-order yours today) and future orders (and books for our upcoming book signings). The book ships in mid-to-late November.

While we eagerly await holding it in our hands, here's a little preview of what you'll find inside. The book is called an oral history because I interviewed over 100 different people who worked there, and the story of this radio station's amazing history is told in their own words, in a narrative style.

Among the Loopers featured in this book: Dorothy Humphrey

Dorothy was a key member of the Kevin Matthews show, You may remember the times Kev made her join the LuvaBulls, or jump out of an airplane, or do a show lying in a funeral home coffin. She tells those stories and more in the book.

Dorothy is just one of the people telling the Loop story. In the coming days I'll feature a few more. In the meantime, pre-order your copy today

Rick on the Radio

The Sting

Chuck is right on the money with this. The Sting was huge, and I was one of the die-hard fans. Best logo ever. https://t.co/ajhZWZpjKd

— Rick Kaempfer (@RickKaempfer) October 8, 2023

Countdown to The Loop Files: Bobby Skafish

   

Our professional Eckhartz Press team is currently putting the bells and whistles on my upcoming book The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever, and the printing presses will begin rolling very soon to fill the many pre-orders (pre-order yours today) and future orders (and books for our upcoming book signings). The book ships in mid-to-late November.

While we eagerly await holding it in our hands, here's a little preview of what you'll find inside. The book is called an oral history because I interviewed over 100 different people who worked there, and the story of this radio station's amazing history is told in their own words, in a narrative style.

Among the Loopers featured in this book: Bobby Skafish

During that second Loop heyday, Bobby interviewed the biggest stars in rock and roll. He tells about his encounters with members of Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, the Rolling Stones and more.

Bobby is just one of the people telling the Loop story. In the coming days I'll feature a few more. In the meantime, pre-order your copy today