MEDIA NOTEBOOK
A curation of news items about the media from this past week, with a particular emphasis on Chicago.
RADIO/PODCASTS
*Rest in
Peace
=Don
Buchwald
One of the
most famous talent agents in America. This is what one of his former clients, former
Chicago radio morning man Paul Barsky, wrote on Tuesday to eulogize Don…
Today I learned that legendary broadcast
talent agent Don Buchwald passed away. He's quite famous for being Howard
Stern's long-time agent and in my opinion, he's the main person responsible for
Howard's financial success. But a couple years before he became Howard 's
agent, Don was my agent. Here's how I met him :
In
the early 80's I was hired to be part of a new coast to coast music radio
network that ABC radio constructed called " Superadio". One of the
personalities on the network was the greatest top 40 DJ of all time...Dan
Ingram of 77 WABC fame. Anyway, a month before the network was supposed to
launch all over America...the entire staff was called into a conference room
for a 2pm meeting at the ABC building in NYC and given the bad news that the
project was " postponed indefinitely", which was another way of saying
" canceled".
After
the meeting, Ingram asked me who my agent was. I said I didn't have one. Then
he said..." you need one, and I'm going to introduce you to mine.. his
name is Don Buchwald....let's go". So now I'm walking down East 44th st.
in NYC with Dan Ingram heading over to meet his agent. We get to the building,
head up in the elevator , the doors open and Dan leads me directly into
Buchwald's office and shouts, "Superadio's dead, and here's one of the
casualties ...Paul Barsky...you need to sign him..he's gonna do big
things". And right then and there , and without ever hearing a sample of
my work...I became Don Buchwald's brand-new client.
Not
long after that, Don went to work quickly and literally changed the trajectory
of my broadcasting career. He landed me my first major market morning radio
hosting job.... the morning show on WCAU-FM in Philly, and then a few years
later he secured for me the morning drive hosting job at WLS-FM in Chicago.
Always impeccably dressed, I used to call him " Dapper Don"... he was
brilliant, wise, laid back yet fearless. May he rest in peace.
*Sound
Exchange Sues AccuRadio
=Kurt
Hanson is the long-time Chicago radio guy who created the internet radio
powerhouse AccuRadio. Sound Exchange is the service that collects royalties for
recording artists. The RAMP newsletter has the blow by blow of this lawsuit.
*Musberger
Media Buys Back VSiN
=A few years
ago (2021) Brian Musberger and former Chicago Tribune writer Bill
Adee sold their multi-platform sports betting site to DraftKings. This week
they bought it back from them. In a release, Musberger said: "We
truly appreciate the work we've done with DraftKings and look forward to
continuing to collaborate on future projects. Bill and I couldn't be more
excited about leading VSiN into the future and cementing our position as a trusted
authority in sports betting."
*Blues
Brothers, on Audible
=Dan
Ackroyd is at the helm of this project on Audible. Count me in. The Associated Press has more information about it.
*Ex-Chicago
Radio
=Jay Styles,
who was here in Chicago at WSHE for about five years as the afternoon man/MD,
has re-emerged on the radio dial. He is now hosting afternoons at WHEL in Ft.
Myers, Florida.
*New Illini
Announcers
=Two former Illini players will join the radio coverage of University of Illinois football
this year, Carey Davis and Kevin Mitchell. Davis was a co-captain for the 2003 Illini and
later became a Super Bowl winner with the Steelers. Mitchell was one of the
co-captains of the 2008 Illini team that went to the Rose Bowl.
*Rest in
Peace
British blues
musician. He was 90.
Last surviving
member of the Four Tops. He was 88.
Former president of Polygram and Columbia Records. He was 92.
MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES
*July 21—Mary
Ann Ahern birthday
=Political
reporter at NBC-5 Chicago. Winner of multiple Emmy awards, and a Lisagor Award
for Lifetime Achievement (in 2012). A native of Michigan City, Indiana.
*July 21—Danielle
Tufano
=Danielle was
a morning personality and program director at the River for several years
before leaving the radio business. This has always been my favorite photo of
her, strangling her fellow River air personality Mitch Michaels at one
of Mitch’s book signings. I interviewed Danielle for Illinois Entertainer.
*July 21—Spike
Manton birthday
=Probably best known for his years paired up with Harry Teinowitz at various different Chicago radio stations. Spike also co-hosted with Steve Dahl at WCKG and was the morning man at the Loop with Dobie Maxwell and Max Bumgardner in the early 00s. In addition, Spike is an award-winning playwright. I interviewed him on my podcast a few years ago.
*July 21—Tim
Virgin birthday
=Tim is the
afternoon man at WLS-FM but also had a long and successful stint at both Q-101
and WLUP. I interviewed him for Illinois Entertainer.
*July 21—Rich
Strong birthday
=Rich has
worked at WMAQ radio, CBS-2 television, and still works as a news anchor for
USA Radio Networks. He now lives in Denver.
*July 22—Sam
Alex birthday
=Nationally
syndicated country music radio personality, originally from the Chicago area.
*July 23--Ray
Rayner birthday
=The beloved
children’s TV host of the 1960s and 1970s at Channel 9 was also a war hero. He
was one of the men who escaped the German POW camp memorialized in the film
“The Great Escape”.
*July 24—Sky
Daniels birthday
=Sky was the
evening jock and music director of the Loop during its initial heyday in the
late 70s, early 80s. (PHOTO: Paul Natkin). I interviewed Sky for Illinois
Entertainer just last year.
*July 24--Kathy
Brock birthday
=Kathy was an
anchor at ABC-7 in Chicago for 28 years. She retired in 2018. It was clear her
co-workers thought very highly of her…
*July 25--Anna
Davlantes birthday
=Anna has
worked at high profile gigs in both radio and television in Chicago, WGN Radio,
and Fox-32, NBC-5, and WTTW.
*July 26—Steve
King birthday
=Steve had a
famous run at WLS during their music radio days but is best known for his
two-plus decade run as the overnight host at WGN Radio along with his wife
Johnnie. He’s also the writer of a cult rock and roll hit. I wrote about that
in the Illinois Entertainer in 2021.
*July 26—Charlie
Van Dyke birthday
=One-time
WLS-AM morning man during the station’s music radio days. Really made his mark
out on the west coast at KHJ. Voice of television stations around the country. Father
of Kiss-FM’s morning man Christopher “Brotha Fred” Frederick.
*July 26—Jim
Avila birthday
=Award-winning
television journalist, best known for his years at ABC network. He also worked
here in Chicago at Channel 2 and is originally from the Chicago area (Glenbard
East High School grad). Currently working in local television again in San
Diego.
*July 27—Jon
Hansen birthday
=Jack of all
trades. Has worked in both radio (WGN) and television (WCIU, Fox-32), and also
provides the in-arena entertainment at Chicago Blackhawks games. He’s also in
the Illini Media Hall of Fame. I interviewed him for Illinois Entertainer.
July 27—Will
Byington birthday
=Will is one
of the premier photographers in Chicago. He’s also a frequent radio guest. He
combined those two back in November when he came out to the first book signing
for The Loop Files, hopped on the bar at Pippin’s, and took this photo.
TV/STREAMING
*Olympic
Coverage
=There’s no
excuse to miss any part of the Summer Olympics you’d like to see. NBC-5 Chicago
and Telemundo Chicago will have 500+ hours of coverage beginning today with the
Opening Ceremonies. The newscasts on both Channel 5 and Telemundo will also
feature locally-focused coverage in every newscast through the closing
ceremonies on August 11.
*Gaynor
Hall Leaves WGN
=She announced
the news on Friday just a few hours after my last column came out….
*Jon Lester
on Marquis Network
=They gave
Lester a tryout in the TV booth alongside the Hall of Famer Pat Hughes.
If you want to see how he did, here’s a little taste of it.
*Ernie
Johnson Takes a Leave of Absence from TBS
=He was the
in-studio anchor for TBS baseball coverage, but he’ll be taking off the rest of
the regular season and post season to attend to a personal matter. More info here.
*He’s Back
=Meanwhile, it
appears someone else’s exile is over.
🚨 NEWS: Thom Brennaman, who has been exiled from broadcasting for fours years after using a homophobic slur on air, has been hired to call nationally televised college football games for The CW, The Athletic has learned.
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 21, 2024
Full story: 👇👇https://t.co/Elp1WpwbtS
*The BBC to
Lay Off 500 People
=That’s a big number, even if it’s over a two-year period as this article explains.
*Rupert
Murdoch’s Battle with his Children
=Reading this article it’s almost impossible not to think about the show Succession.
Rupert is trying to change his “inviolable trust” so that his oldest son inherits
it all because he has the same politics as Rupert. Murdoch considers his other
three children too politically moderate to “maintain the value of his media
properties”. He’s pitting his children against each other exactly the way Logan
Roy would have done it.
*One more
Newhart item
=This was one
of my favorite pieces about Bob Newhart in the wake of his passing.
Block Club Chicago explained the opening sequence of his show set in Chicago,
and why he was hopelessly lost every day.
*Rest in
Peace
=Autumn
Crittendon
The former 16
and Pregnant star was 27.
16 and Pregnant alum Autumn Crittendon has passed away at 27 years old. pic.twitter.com/lv6NMFohgR
— E! News (@enews) July 23, 2024
South African
actress who appeared in All My Children. She was 51.
DIGITAL/PRINT
*RIP Walter
Shapiro
=Jeff
Greenfield announced the news via Twitter
Some very sad news this morning: Walter Shapiro, died. A political journalist for half a century, he was steeped in political lore, leavened with a love for history a wicked sense of humor, and a rich abiding love for his wife, Meryl Gordon. (1/2)
— Jeff Greenfield (@greenfield64) July 21, 2024
=In addition to being a great political commentator, Walter also wrote a book about one of his ancestors who hustled Adolf Hitler. I talked to him about that for my podcast just last year.
*Gershkovich
sentenced to 16 years in Russian Prison
=Evan Gershkovich was given a 16-year sentence.
=Meanwhile
another US/Russian journalist (Alsu Kermasheva) was given 6 ½ years in a
Russian prison after a rushed and secret trial. The AP has that story.
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.
