Media Notebook--10-11-24

MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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

RADIO/PODCASTS

 

*Cutbacks at Hubbard

=In Chicago, Hubbard owns The Mix, The Drive, and Throwback 100

=Violetta Podrumedic made the announcement of her departure on Facebook. Violetta had been a part of the Mix Morning Show for the past six years. Before that she worked at WGN Radio.

=Lisa Kosty of Throwback 100 announced her departure as well. She had been with the station for ten years.

=Also let go, one of the beloved behind-the-scenes staffers, Fina Rodriguez. Fina came aboard with Greg Solk at the beginning of the Drive. She previously worked with Greg at the Loop.

 

*Hurricane Coverage

=Got an e-mail from Bart Shore with a little more information about what is happening in his area (North Carolina), and the importance of radio…

We are just south of Asheville which was hit so hard- several towns destroyed near there, our town just had no access in or out, no internet or phone service for several days- but amazing enough, our little radio station, WSQL stayed on the air. So if you had battery powered radio or got in your car, you could hear updates on conditions in the area- Our Mayor, would come on almost hourly at one point with updates- Local radio was the only source for information.   It was kind of like being on an airplane, you’re up in the air- no access in most cases to anything, when you land, you’re back and it's ok...in this case- we were all left in the dark.  We were lucky at my home, we had power, so I could hear the updates-  others, not so lucky.  In fact, there are still many without power...There were lines at the gas stations that had gas- 100 cars at times.  I have no idea, why, there was nowhere to go- but it was something to see...and of course most stations ran out of gas.   Bottled water is hard to come by, toilet paper and so many other things we taken as a given....It is getting back to normal-

=In Florida, radio once again is playing an essential role during Hurricane Milton. It’s at times like this that we remember how important radio can be.

 

*20 Years of Koz

=Congrats to Kevin “Koz” Koske for his 20^th anniversary with WTMX. In this business, that’s a lifetime. (Photo: Koz Facebook page)

 

*Ex-Chicago Radio Update

=Former B-96 jock Julian Nieh is looking for a new gig and has a unique way of looking for it. He produced a film about himself.

 

*Podcast Corner

=Kamala Harris appears on the Call Her Daddy podcast, one of the top five rated podcasts in the world.

=The New York Times does a feature story on the Smartless podcast starring Will Arnett, Sean Hayes, and Jason Bateman. Tim Walz is appearing on that podcast this week.

 

*Rest in Peace

=J.J.Jeffrey

WLS Radio legend. It was nice to hear his old colleagues and friends John Landecker and Bob Sirott talk so kindly about J.J. on the air last night and this morning on WGN Radio. Chuck Knapp is another former colleague...

=Cissy Houston

Backup singer, Gospel singer, Whitney’s mom. She was 91.

 

 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

*October 6—Jay Goeppner birthday

=Former Beatle Brother and frequent radio guest

 

*October 7--Melissa McGurren birthday. 

=I previously interviewed her for Shore Magazine (2008), when she was still part of the morning show at the Mix. She is now morning co-host at US-99.

*October 7--John Owens birthday

=Chicago/Midwest chapter President of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences until last year. Owens currently works at ABC-7 in Chicago and is the co-author of the book Chili Dog MVP.

*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 is also featured in my 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 is an Illini?

 

*October 11, 1975 

=SNL debuts. 50^th season is underway.

*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.

 

 

TV/STREAMING

 

*An Evening with Mike Myers

=Look who will be here for the 60^th Chicago Film Festival. An Evening with Mike Myers will be on October 19^th from 7-8:30pm. The Career Achievement Award will be presented and Dave Foley will be here to lead the conversation. More information here.

 *Pop Culture and the Presidential Campaign

=VP Kamala Harris tried to reach voters through pop culture this week, by appearing on The View, the Howard Stern Show, and Late Night with Stephen Colbert. Her running mate Tim Walz appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

 

*NFL Players Association Asks Reporters to Leave Locker Rooms

=I don’t think this is an unreasonable request, as long as the players are still made available for interviews in another location. Everyone is entitled to a little privacy while getting dressed, undressed, and showered.

 

*CBS Rebukes Reporter over Ta-Nehisi Coates interview

=It was definitely a tough interview, but was it unfair? That’s what CBS News brass decided. The full controversy is discussed here.

=The chairman of the company, Shari Redstone, defended the reporter.

 

*Cable News Corner

=Coming soon: Spanish Language Fox News

=CNN Fact Checks Misinformation about Hurricane Response.

=Important CNN executive, Ken Jautz, steps down

 

*Rest in Peace

=Nicholas Pryor

Actor in Risky Business, General Hospital, Beverly Hills 90210. He was 89.

 

 

DIGITAL/PRINT

 

*Nobel Prize in Literature

=It goes to Han Kang, author of "The Vegetarian"

*The Atlantic Endorses Harris

=It’s only the fifth time in the magazine’s long history that it has endorsed a candidate for president.

 

*Hearst and OpenAI Make a Deal

=One of the largest newspaper (and magazine) groups in the country is teaming up with OpenAI. This whole AI revolution is not a future thing. It’s a now thing.

 

*Rest In Peace

=Steven Hurst

Reporter for AP, NBC, and others. He was 77.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA/TECH

 

*Facebook Removing Posts from Chicago Public Square

=Charlie Meyerson’s Chicago Public Square newsletter seems to rub the content moderating folks at Facebook the wrong way. Charlie expounds on that in his Thursday edition.

 

*Google has been ruled a monopoly. Now what?

=The Justice Department is trying to figure out exactly what to do with the search engine giant. The Washington Post has been covering the story.

 

*Democrats outspending Republicans on Social Media

=The notable exception is on X, where Elon Musk is using his platform to promote Republicans.

*New gig for FTX executive

=The crypto-criminal Ryan Salame posted his new position on LinkedIn: prisoner.

 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.

Media Notebook--4-5-24

MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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

RADIO/PODCASTS

 

*Me-TV FM

=This month’s Illinois Entertainer is out and includes my interview with Me-TV FM program director Phil Manicki. Next month: New WXRT afternoon man Andy Chanley.

 *WBEZ Disbands Podcast Unit

=Nerdette, Making and When Magic Happens were all canceled. Their podcasts were always high quality. In all, 14 staffers were let go. Urban alternative Vocalo Radio (91.1) is also going to be shuttered. Broadcasts will end on May 1. 

 

*Colin Cowherd on Danny Parkins

=Here's what the nationally syndicated Cowherd said about Parkins (afternoon co-host at the Score) when he had him on his show this week: "The most talented sports talk radio host I think out there right now at his age…”

*WLS 100

=Three new interviews posted on the WLS website. Interviews with WLS legends John Records Landecker and Jeff Davis, plus that interviewed teased in last week’s photo with media critic emeritus Robert Feder.

*Loop Lisagor

=This happened over the weekend…

 *Podcast Corner

=The Webby Award nominations were announced this week. Full list of nominees is here. Nearly 13,000 podcasts submitted entries. Winners will be announced on April 23.

=Coming soon to the world’s podcast library: Suits, the podcast. It will be hosted by two of the stars of the hit TV show, Patrick J. Adams and Sarah Rafferty.

 

*Tom Sochowski

=Former WJMK/WCKG/ESPN/WZFS Tom Sochowski has a big day coming up on May 4^th. For the last 30 years he has been serving as PA announcer for Maine West basketball games in Des Plaines. For his many years of outstanding service, he was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

*Ex-Chicago Radio

=Former WGN host Brian Noonan is killing it in Milwaukee at WTMJ. This week they moved him into the 1-3pm slot. More details are here.

=Former WCKG/WMET/WLUP jock John Fisher was the victim of a format change this week in Seattle. His alternative rock station KPNW switched back to country music.

=Former B-96 jock Julian Nieh is in the same boat after another format switch at KPLZ in Seattle.

 

*Tommy Williams

=I’ve gotten quite a few notes and emails from Score and former Score staffers about the passing of Tommy Williams. He was highly regarded by his former colleagues. See if you can name all of the faces on this throw-back ad from the Score, when they were still at the 1160 AM frequency. The second to last one is Tommy Williams. (h/t Tom Shaer)

*Rest in Peace

=Larry O’Brien

The WCFL great was 81 years old. This is an aircheck of Larry on the air at WCFL in 1970.

 MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

*March 31—Dean Richards birthday

=Dean has been a key part of the WGN-TV morning show for decades now. He’s also a major contributor to WGN Radio. I interviewed Dean back in 2008 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

*March 31—Orion Samuelson birthday

=He turned 90 this week. The man who taught Chicago radio listeners about pork bellies worked at WGN radio for five decades. I had the honor of interviewing him on the eve of that anniversary back in 2010.

 

*March 31—Jock Hedblade birthday

=Jock was a producer at WGN (Bob Sirott) and WLS (Roe Conn), and later produced for the Rosie Show at Harpo and the Steve Harvey Show during his time in Chicago. He is now the executive director of the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

*March 31, 2008—CBS 2 Announces 17 Departures

=It was a bloodbath in the CBS 2 newsroom this week in 2008. Mary Ann Childers, Diann Burns, Mark Malone and 15 others were let go on the same day.

 

*March 31, 1994—Madonna’s appearance on David Letterman’s Show

=Such a memorable appearance that Latenighter wrote this oral history of the interview on its 30^th anniversary.

*April 1—Rob Johnson birthday

=Rob is also a former Channel 2 veteran. He was an anchor at WBBM-TV for 13 years, ending in 2019. Rob is active in many charities including the Special Olympics, and currently runs his own media consulting firm.

 

*April 1—Norm Van Lier birthday

=Norm was one of a kind and is still missed by those who knew him, including me. His former producer Tom Serritella wrote this tribute to Norm when he passed away in 2009. 

*April 1—Bernie Tafoya birthday

=One of the top radio reporters in Chicago, Bernie has been doing it for decades at NewsRadio WBBM-AM, although he is now semi-retired. I interviewed him about his career back in 2009 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

*April 1—Jim Shorts birthday

=This is the listed birthday of the Kevin Matthews show sportscaster. How many of you have interviewed an imaginary character in a foreign language? One of the oddest moments of my career. The English translation of that interview is here.

 

*April 1—Penny Lane birthday

=Penny Lane was in your ears and in your eyes in the 1970s as one of the gals on WSDM (a station with all female jocks), which later became the Loop. She was also a very prominent commercial voice-over artist for many years, and was married to the great Wayne Juhlin (WFYR). I interviewed her in 2011 about her memorable career

 

*April 1—Eddie Volkman birthday.

=Eddie is best remembered for his days with Jobo on B-96, but he currently holds down the fort afternoons on the Star network in Chicago’s suburbs. (Photo of Eddie & me taken back in his podcasting days)

*April 1, 1991

=WFYR (103.5FM) becomes the Blaze, featuring hard rock and roll all day long. Leslie Harris was there.

*April 2—Jim Johnson birthday

=The veteran WLS newsman is struggling through dementia these days. His daughter often posts poignant pieces about him on her Facebook page. I was lucky enough to interview Jim back in 2010. 

 

*April 2--Dr. Demento birthday

=The king of the wacky song, Dr. Demento championed Weird Al Yankovic and a whole generation of parody song writers. Including me. When Stan Lawrence and I got our first songs on Dr. Demento during our Ebony & Ivory days (1991-1992), it was one of the highlights of our career. Dr. Demento retired from terrestrial radio in 2010 but is still hanging in there. This week he turned 82 years old.

 

*April 3—Paul Konrad birthday

=Konrad is one of the stars of the WGN-TV Morning News, the top-rated morning television show in Chicago. He shares a birthday with someone else on that show.

*April 3—Brhett Vickery birthday

=Brhett does traffic.

 

*April 3, 1975

=The first mobile phone call was made. Martin Cooper stood on a sidewalk on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan with a device the size of a brick and made the first public call from a cell phone to one of the men he'd been competing with to develop the device.

 

*April 3—Ellen Miller birthday

=Ellen is the co-host of Out Chicago on WCPT, Sundays from 11am-1pm. She previously worked at WXRT for many years as a senior account executive. Ellen is married to Chicago radio newscaster Kathy Voltmer.

 

*April 3—Brian Noonan birthday

=Brian is a stand-up comic who graced the airwaves at WGN radio for 15 years, usually in the evening and overnight slots. He can currently be heard on the air in Milwaukee at WTMJ. I previously interviewed Brian for Chicago Radio Spotlight back in 2008.

 

*April 4—Wayne Juhlin birthday

=Wayne would have been 87 years old this week. The former WFYR morning man is uncle to Gregg and Dag Juhlin who both went into the media as well, and husband to former radio personality Penny Lane.

 

*April 4, 1994—Hillary Clinton gets a wet one from Harry Caray

=This incredibly memorable Chicago Tribune photo from this week in 1994 still haunts me…

*April 4, 2013—Roger Ebert passes away

=Hard to believe he’s been gone eleven years already. Roger was one of the all-time greats. A Pulitzer Prize winner. A great storyteller. And one of the most memorable people I’ve ever met. John Landecker wrote about his friend Roger in his book Records Truly Is My Middle Name. You can read that free excerpt here.

 

*April 5, 1948

=Broadcasts begin for WGN-TV on Channel 9. Still going strong 76 years later.

 

*April 5--Pat Brickhouse birthday

=Jack Brickhouse’s widow Pat was a dogged champion of her late husband’s legacy. Pat was tough as nails, and not afraid of anyone. She was the one who got the statue of Jack (on Michigan Avenue) created. Pat passed away in January 2022 at the age of 91.

 

*April 6—Dan Sorkin birthday

=When I asked Fred Winston who he considered the greatest Chicago radio morning man of all-time, he said a name that surprised me: Dan Sorkin. I didn’t know about Dan at the time, but the more I researched him, the more I wanted to talk to him. Sorkin was the morning man at WCFL in the early 60s and discovered a local Chicago comedian named Bob Newhart. I was lucky enough to interview Dan in 2010 for Chicago Radio Spotlight. He passed away in 2016.

 

TV/STREAMING

 

*WGN at 3:30am

=Have you checked this out yet? I’d recommend rolling tape. Jeff Hoover gave a preview before the week began…

*Cable News Corner

=The Newsmax/Smartmatic case has a trial date: September 24. It wouldn’t be a shock if this was settled out of court before then.

=Greg Gutfield signs contract extension at Fox News.

*Larry Potash's Backstory Returns for New Season

=The show returns this weekend (April 7) and there will be four new episodes. Backstory airs on Saturday nights at 7pm and Sunday nights at 11pm on WGN-TV, and also on the WGN+ app.

*Rest in Peace

=Joe Flaherty

SCTV veteran. Also appeared as the Czech security guard in Stripes. Great comedy star. Don’t forget this character in Happy Gilmore.

No one could have played the role of Donald like Joe Flaherty did. His comedic delivery was perfect and his role alone made Happy Gilmore the classic it is today. He will be missed. Rest easy Joe pic.twitter.com/npdVOjQFpp

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) April 2, 2024

=Louis Gossett Jr.

The Academy Award winning actor was 87 years old.

 

PRINT/DIGITAL

 

*Lisagor Award Finalists

=The Chicago Headline released the finalists for this year’s Peter Lisagor Awards. The full list is here, and of course, is led by the print powerhouses in Chicago, the Sun Times and the Tribune. The Reader, The Daily Herald, Block Club Chicago, New City, Hyde Park Herald, Crain’s, the Southside Weekly, Chicago Health Magazine, The Windy City Times, the Evanston RoundTable, The Crusader, Axios Chicago, the Invisible Institute and City Bureau, Bloomberg, Reuters, the AP, Poynter, Chalkbeat Chicago, and the DePaulia all garnered at least one nomination.

=Of the radio finalists, WBEZ was the far and away leader, but WGN and the Score were also finalists. As was Car Con Carne.

=The television leader was WTTW, but NewsNation, Voice of America TV, and WLS-TV also received nominations.

=Special congratulations go to the Lifetime Award winners: former Tribune writer Fred Mitchell, retiring meteorologist Tom Skilling, retiring traffic reporter Roz Varon, and WBBM radio's Craig Dellimore. 

*The National Enquirer

=Incredible piece in the New York Times magazine by Lachlan Cartwright, who worked at the National Enquirer during the leadup to the 2016 election. A lot of this will come out in the trial, but it is even sleezier and creepier than you think.

*White House Correspondents Awards

=Among the winners this year, Peter Baker of the New York Times. Full list is here.

 SOCIAL MEDIA

 

*The Truth Hurting Truth Social

=More details emerged this week about the true financial status of Trump’s media company (it lost $58 million last year) and that has sent the stock plunging. It’s still ridiculously overvalued at this point. 

=Truth Social was kept afloat before the IPO by a truly shady group of characters. 

 

*X Hires New Safety Chiefs to Repair Relationships with Advertisers

=I think that’s a better plan than Musk’s previous “Go F Yourself” approach (he literally said that). 

=Also, X has reinstated blue check marks to any user with over 2500 verified followers. Previously, he forced users to pay for that. 

 

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.