Monday, June 05, 2017
The World Series Ring
At a charity event this past weekend I got a chance to wear a Chicago Cubs World Series ring. it belonged to the Cubs trainer, who was kind enough to let me wear it. We might have gotten a little carried away...
Friday, June 02, 2017
If the President can do it...
No blogging today. I'm conducting business.
I am technically the president and co-publisher of Eckhartz Press. The other guys I'm golfing with could be heads of state. You'll never know. There's a media blackout.
Thursday, June 01, 2017
Nigeria, Hello
In my instant messenger box this morning, a note from Nigeria...
Good morning sir,actually I see it as an honour and privelege coming in touch with you sir,on the platform,although sir,I read about you,while looking for great authors in my career of which the books,could make a great impact in my life & generally,in the practice of the profession. I am ige olalekan by name, student "nigerian institute of public relations" but now building career in broadcasting of which based on my passion for content development,I came across the name of your book"The radio producer's handbook" of which based on your wealth of experience will go a long way to improve my skills, & have in positive impact in terms of broad thinking, exposure & viewing things from the perspective of a professional.
That's not the sort of message I receive every day, needless to say.
Good morning sir,actually I see it as an honour and privelege coming in touch with you sir,on the platform,although sir,I read about you,while looking for great authors in my career of which the books,could make a great impact in my life & generally,in the practice of the profession. I am ige olalekan by name, student "nigerian institute of public relations" but now building career in broadcasting of which based on my passion for content development,I came across the name of your book"The radio producer's handbook" of which based on your wealth of experience will go a long way to improve my skills, & have in positive impact in terms of broad thinking, exposure & viewing things from the perspective of a professional.
That's not the sort of message I receive every day, needless to say.
Minutia Men, Episode 53
EP53 – Rick and Dave discuss fasting, 20th century comedy gems from Dave, another crazy story from Florida, Every Cub Ever with the letter U, and Rick’s brush with actor William Petersen.
Listen to it here.
Bonus Father Knows Nothing: The Emergency Room
My fifth book "Father Knows Nothing" has become a bit of a seasonal choice. When Father's Day rolls around, we know to be stocked up on books. This year I thought I'd feature a few of the outtakes from the book. I wrote the column for nine years, so there are lots of them that didn't make the final copy of the book, including a few of my favorites.
This one goes back to 2006. It was the second Father Knows Nothing column ever.
I always thought Emergency Rooms were supposed to be scary. They certainly seemed scary to me when I was a kid. We used to go there as a family to wait for my little brother while he was being stitched up every month or so. The waiting room was uncomfortable. Sick and injured people moaned in pain and dripped blood on the floor. Nurses and doctors came running in and out. Monitors beeped. Ambulance alarms whirred. And everyone waited for hours.
That’s what I was expecting the first time I accompanied Tommy to the Emergency Room to get stitches. He was eight years old at the time and had a very deep cut in his chin. I tried to prepare him emotionally for the whole Emergency Room experience, but he looked at me like I was crazy. He had been there a few times before with his mother and wasn’t concerned in the slightest. I gave him a comforting hug.
“You are so brave,” I said. “I’m so proud of you.”
He actually rolled his eyes. That choked me up. This kid was like one of those cowboys in the old time Westerns. His eyes were saying…“It’s just a flesh wound, Hoss; let me dig out the bullet in peace. Now go out there and keep them rustlers away from our herd.”
He was still nonchalant when we walked into the Emergency Room and awaited our turn with the triage nurse. He made small talk with her, wincing only slightly when she looked at the gash on his chin.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
“A little,” he said.
“A little?” I thought to myself. “That thing is going to need ten stitches.”
“It’s a pretty big cut,” she said, “but we’ll take care of it for you.”
“Are we going back there?” he asked, pointing to the door behind her.
She nodded.
Uh oh, I thought. Here it comes. Now he’s going to remember what happens behind those doors; the needles, the prodding, the pain. I prepared for the hysterical reaction. I saw how he behaved when some small thing went wrong, like his macaroni touching the vegetables on his dinner plate, and could only imagine what was coming. I hunkered down for the fit of all fits.
“Follow me,” she said.
We followed her through the door to the kid’s section of the Emergency Room. Suffice it to say, it has changed a little over the past thirty years. The colorful walls were painted with cartoon fish. The gigantic fish tank contained a rainbow of tropical fish worthy of the Shedd Aquarium. It was like walking onto the set of “Finding Nemo.”
When they opened the curtain to his room, he was actually excited. He jumped onto the bed, pressed the buttons to raise it to the level he preferred, adjusted the television to the proper angle, and began changing channels. While the nurse put the numbing agent on his chin, he was watching a Tom & Jerry cartoon on the Cartoon Network.
“Do you have any video games?” he asked.
I was about to chastise him for his prima-donna demands when the nurse surprised me.
“Sure,” she said. “What kind of video games do you like?”
“Do you have Super Mario Brothers?” he asked.
“I’ll go get it,” she said, and walked out of the room before I could even utter a response. My boy looked up at me and smiled.
“Dad,” he said, “You’re gonna love this one.”
I’ll admit it. I found myself watching him progress through the levels of the video game instead of watching the doctor stitch up his chin. When the stitching was done, the doctor told us it was OK to leave.
“After this next level,” Tommy said.
She smiled and said, “I’m sorry, but we need the bed.”
My son started to get upset, so I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
“Don’t worry,” I said, “I’m sure you’ll injure yourself again. We’ll be back.”
“You promise, Dad?” he asked.
“I promise,” I said.
Father Knows Nothing makes a perfect Father's Day gift, particularly for new dads, or fathers of boys. You can order the hard copy here at Eckhartz Press for only $10, and the e-book here at amazon.com
Larz Signs Off
This is his farewell note to his readers.
There was a time when I read that site daily because he always stayed on top of the local media news. His absence leaves a big hole in the local coverage.
Larz was always kind to me. He posted all of my media interviews on his site. He reviewed all of the media books released by Eckhartz Press, and he gave a wonderful review to my first novel "$everance".
I sent him a note this morning wishing him the best. That site will be missed by the dwindling number of media geeks like me.
The Daily Show Tackles Covfefe
Trevor examines Trump's North Korean-style propaganda machine. https://t.co/Z9Npp8JLFA pic.twitter.com/fcF2QMHCZZ
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 1, 2017
Ryan Arnold
My latest Illinois Entertainer article is out.
This month I interviewed WXRT night jock Ryan Arnold...a man that was destined to work at WXRT.
Read it here.
Wonder Woman Banned in Lebanon
On the other hand, she has an invisible plane. And that awesome golden lasso.
My money's on Wonder Woman.
Kathy Griffin Steps In It
That seems to be an appropriate move, if you ask me. What on earth was she thinking?
Cable News Ratings
For the May 2017 Ratings Sweep, MSNBC has beaten both Fox News and CNN. That's the first time since September 2000.
That's also a ratings increase of 105% over this time last year. The Apprentice may no longer be on the air, but Donald Trump is still making money for NBC.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Bonus Father Knows Nothing: My Un-impressible Family
My fifth book "Father Knows Nothing" has become a bit of a seasonal choice. When Father's Day rolls around, we know to be stocked up on books. This year I thought I'd feature a few of the outtakes from the book. I wrote the column for nine years, so there are lots of them that didn't make the final copy of the book, including a few of my favorites.
This one goes back to 2011, right after my novel "The Living Wills" came out.
My kids never tire of hearing stories about my childhood, but there is one thing they will never ask me about under any circumstances.
My career.
They just don't care. I can understand that on a certain level. My own father was an engineer, and I remember that after I discovered he wasn't a train engineer...he was just a civil engineer...his job didn't interest me in the slightest. Even when I attended a school that he had personally designed (Heidelberg American Middle School), I wasn't impressed. I remember telling him: "The hallways are a little confusing."
So, I suppose it's only fair that my own kids are similarly unimpressed with my career. When they were little, I worked in radio. My two oldest sons Tommy and Johnny were even featured on the show quite a bit. But I remember their reaction one time when a stranger was impressed by meeting them because he had heard them talking on the radio.
They thought the guy was nuts.
When this fan asked Tommy what it was like hanging out with a famous disc jockey like John Records Landecker, he just shrugged his shoulders. So did Johnny. To them, John was just one of Dad's friends. No big deal. And being on the radio was also no big deal. It's just a bunch of people sitting in a room with microphones.
When my first book came out, I gave an autographed copy to my oldest son. He put it in the closet. When my first novel came out two years later, I gave copies to all three boys. Two of them have no idea where their copies are now. When my most recent novel came out, none of the boys wanted a copy. None of them even asked me what it's about.
But when that book came out, I did something that I thought might actually interest them: I was interviewed by WGN Television.
I mentioned it to the boys at breakfast that morning as I put on my suit.
"Is it going to be on the Internet?" Sean asked.
"I'm not sure," I said. "I hope so. If not, I can probably post it on YouTube."
"Do you know how to do that?" Tommy asked.
"No. Do you?"
He just shook his head and continued eating his waffles. No follow up questions. Not the slightest bit of interest. After they came home from school I asked them if they wanted to watch the interview. All three of them said no. Bridget, to her credit, actually did want to see it when she came home from work. I even heard her guilting the boys into watching it too. Only two of them were moved by her techniques; Tommy and Sean. Johnny still didn't care. He stayed in his room reading Captain Underpants.
The rest of us watched the segment together. After it was over, Tommy said: "That's it?"
"Yup," I replied.
Sean didn't say a word, he just walked away. Bridget said: "That was pretty good, but..."
"What?"
"You were a little slouchy."
Gotcha.
I must say, there's very little chance of getting a big head in this household. I suppose that's probably for the best. But I also have a pretty good idea now how my Dad felt when I told him the hallways in his school were a little confusing.
Father Knows Nothing makes a perfect Father's Day gift, particularly for new dads, or fathers of boys. You can order the hard copy here at Eckhartz Press for only $10, and the e-book here at amazon.com
Scott Pelley Out As CBS Anchor
The New York Post has the details. According to them, his office was cleared out while he was on assignment for 60 Minutes yesterday.
Ah, the media business. Not for the faint of heart.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
A Literary Takedown
I've seen quite a few pieces that take down the president, but this is without question, the sharpest. It's written for Literary Hub by Rebeccah Solnit, and her literary knife cuts deep...
The man in the white house sits, naked and obscene, a pustule of ego, in the harsh light, a man whose grasp exceeded his understanding, because his understanding was dulled by indulgence. He must know somewhere below the surface he skates on that he has destroyed his image, and like Dorian Gray before him, will be devoured by his own corrosion in due time too. One way or another this will kill him, though he may drag down millions with him. One way or another, he knows he has stepped off a cliff, pronounced himself king of the air, and is in freefall. Another dungheap awaits his landing; the dung is all his; when he plunges into it he will be, at last, a self-made man.
Yowza. That's gonna leave a mark.
The man in the white house sits, naked and obscene, a pustule of ego, in the harsh light, a man whose grasp exceeded his understanding, because his understanding was dulled by indulgence. He must know somewhere below the surface he skates on that he has destroyed his image, and like Dorian Gray before him, will be devoured by his own corrosion in due time too. One way or another this will kill him, though he may drag down millions with him. One way or another, he knows he has stepped off a cliff, pronounced himself king of the air, and is in freefall. Another dungheap awaits his landing; the dung is all his; when he plunges into it he will be, at last, a self-made man.
Yowza. That's gonna leave a mark.
Bonus Father Knows Nothing Column: The Tooth Fairy
My fifth book "Father Knows Nothing" has become a bit of a seasonal choice. When Father's Day rolls around, we know to be stocked up on books. This year I thought I'd feature a few of the outtakes from the book. I wrote the column for nine years, so there are lots of them that didn't make the final copy of the book, including a few of my favorites.
This one goes back to 2007. My youngest son Sean was five years old at the time...
Sean had been harboring some suspicions about whether or not the tooth fairy really existed.
“Dad,” he said, totally seriously, “I noticed that your pile of gold dollars is gone. What happened to it?”
“We spent them all,” I said, truthfully.
“So, we have ZERO gold dollars in this house right now?”
“That’s right.”
“And the banks are closed, right?”
“Right.”
“Well,” he said, exposing his smile, and pointing to the new hole where a tooth had just come out, “I guess we’re finally going to find out the truth tonight.”
“The truth about what?” I asked.
“The tooth fairy.”
“How?”
“Well,” he reasoned, “Every other time the tooth fairy has come, there was a pile of gold dollars in the kitchen. How could I know for sure if it was really the tooth fairy leaving me a gold dollar, or if it was YOU!”
He pointed as he accused.
“Me? What am I going to do with a used tooth?”
“I don’t know,” he said, his finger still pointing. “But I’ve got my eye on you. Now that I know you don’t have any gold dollars in the house, and that the bank is closed so you can’t get any more, I’ll know. If I wake up in the morning and a gold dollar is there, the tooth fairy is real. I’ll let my friends know. We’ve been talking about it at school.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I said.
The next morning he came to the breakfast table with his toothless grin. “Dad,” he said. “I want you to swear on the Bible that you didn’t go to the bank last night and get some more gold dollars.”
“I swear,” I answered truthfully. “The bank was closed.”
“Then we have our answer,” he said. “The tooth fairy is real.”
When his big brothers rolled their eyes, he pounced. “It’s true! There’s no way Mom or Dad could have gotten a gold coin under my pillow because they don’t even have gold coins in the house right now. There’s no question about it. The tooth fairy is real. Right, Dad?”
“Sounds like you’ve got some pretty airtight evidence there,” I said.
Sean looked me right in the eye. “You know, Dad, I’m going to tell my friends that this is true now. Is there anything else you’d like to say to me before I go to school? One last chance?”
It took all of my earthly restraint not to smile. He was letting me know in no uncertain terms that his credibility was at stake here, and he’d never forgive me if I led him astray.
What would you have done?
I just smiled, patted him on the head, and walked away.
Father Knows Nothing makes a perfect Father's Day gift, particularly for new dads, or fathers of boys. You can order the hard copy here at Eckhartz Press for only $10, and the e-book here at amazon.com
Biondi on the Mend
Robert Feder posted this piece over the weekend about Dick Biondi. Dick has been notably absent from the airwaves of WLS-FM for the past few weeks, and his fans are concerned about him.
He released a statement saying that he is on the mend and itching to get back to work.
Read the article here.
(Photo: Dick and I on the air together back in 2014 on an episode of "Lossano And Friends")
He released a statement saying that he is on the mend and itching to get back to work.
Read the article here.
(Photo: Dick and I on the air together back in 2014 on an episode of "Lossano And Friends")
RIP Frank Deford
He was one of the great sportswriters of his generation, but he was much more than that. Frank Deford also provided more than a thousand commentaries to NPR. He passed away this weekend at the age of 79. NPR eulogized him yesterday...
And so what began as a brief gig in 1980 became a deep and lasting relationship with NPR's listeners. Each week, he would voice opinions both creative and controversial, references to Shakespeare and scathing takedowns — not just of commissioners but even occasionally entire sports, as some ice hockey and soccer fans may still remind you.
His body of work on NPR — as well as in Sports Illustrated, HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and 20 books of his own — earned him not just listeners' loyalty but his profession's and the nation's highest honors, too: an induction into the National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame in 1998, and a National Humanities Medal in 2013.
He was the first sportswriter to win that medal.
"A dedicated writer and storyteller, Mr. Deford has offered a consistent, compelling voice in print and on radio, reaching beyond scores and statistics to reveal the humanity woven into the games we love," President Barack Obama said of Deford in a statement at the time.
RIP Greg Allman
RIP Greg Allman. If he can make it 69 years after all he did to himself, I'm feeling much better about my chances...
My weekend
I spent the weekend like I do most weekends...on the soccer field. Congrats to the boys on my team, the U15 boys who won their tournament this weekend. It's been a tough season so far for the boys, but this was nice. In a few weeks, we're taking the boys to Germany and Holland to play in a series of friendly games. Can't wait.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Vanity Fair Praises WGN-TV Morning Show
Check it out here.
It's really more about how little Trump's controversies are covered by local news, compared to the obsessive coverage on cable news. It's an interesting read.
Let's Face It, He's Dreamy
The many facets of @KrisBryant_23, thanks to @MLBNetwork. pic.twitter.com/MvKzJOliig
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 25, 2017
Ranking Sgt. Pepper's Songs
Sgt. Pepper turns 50 on June 1st, and Newsweek has ranked the tracks in order of best to worst.,
You can never please everyone with rankings like this, but I strongly disagree with their list, except for the top 3 ("A Day in the Life", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Sgt Pepper") and the last two ("Mr. Kite", "Within Without You")
The rest of Newsweek's rankings are as follows...
4. She's Leaving Home
5. With a Litte Help From My Friends
6. Getting Better
7. Lovely Rita
8. When I'm 64
9. Fixing a Hole
10. Good Morning
11. Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I personally like the Reprise as much as the first Sgt. Pepper, but I get the difficulty of where to place it with the rankings, so let's just leave that one out. Here are the rest of the rankings as far as I'm concerned...
4. Getting Better
5. Lovely Rita
6. Fixing a Hole
7. With a Little Help From My Friends
8. Good Morning
9. She's Leaving Home
10. When I'm 64
That last one is getting a little too close for comfort.
Garry is Leaving Chicago?
After 67 years in and around Chicago, Meier is telling friends he’s moving to Santa Monica, California, where he’ll continue his subscription podcast. Meier’s last on-air radio gig with WGN ended in 2014. In March, the Chicago Tribune reported that Meier and his wife had listed their three-bedroom condo on Chicago’s Near East Side for just under $2.2 million. It’s now listed for $1.9 million.
(Photo: Garry Meier as Cliff on stage at the Chicago Theater in 1989. I was one of the "Cliff Dancers")
Me-TV Radio Goes Nationwide
From this morning's Radio Online...
MeTV FM (87.7 FM) in Chicago has partnered with Envision Networks to syndicate its new radio format with a winning mix of music from the 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond to U.S. markets. MeTV FM is curated for long listening and features a deep playlist from an active library of more than 3,000 songs across nearly four decades, including singer-songwriters, country crossovers, Motown, iconic groups and many other artists. There's a wide diversity of music programming from folk rock to funk, deep tracks to disco favorites, and sixties British Invasion to eighties pop.
"We created MeTV FM as the musical companion to America's #1 all classic TV network, MeTV. Both our television and radio formats present timeless and memorable entertainment that resonates with hipsters, hippies, baby boomers and beyond, as we like to say," said Weigel Broadcasting Co. Vice Chairman Neal Sabin. "MeTV FM's music format has broken many of the radio rules in terms of presentation, depth of playlist and mixing of genres. Using a challenging dial position in one of the most competitive radio markets in the country, we have proven the validity and viability of the format. We look forward to working with Envision to bring MeTV FM to many more places."
"We created MeTV FM as the musical companion to America's #1 all classic TV network, MeTV. Both our television and radio formats present timeless and memorable entertainment that resonates with hipsters, hippies, baby boomers and beyond, as we like to say," said Weigel Broadcasting Co. Vice Chairman Neal Sabin. "MeTV FM's music format has broken many of the radio rules in terms of presentation, depth of playlist and mixing of genres. Using a challenging dial position in one of the most competitive radio markets in the country, we have proven the validity and viability of the format. We look forward to working with Envision to bring MeTV FM to many more places."
The Body Slam Guy Wins Anyway
He did apologize during his acceptance speech to the reporter he body slammed by the neck and punched, however, so it's all good.
Nothing to see here. Just because it happened on the same day the president pushed another NATO head of state out of the way so he could be in the front of a picture, doesn't mean we are turning into a cartoonish caricature of the ugly American before our very eyes.
It depends on your perspective. We could also be Making America Great Again by being assholes. I think that's the other side of the argument, but I can't be sure. I'm not an asshole. I don't speak the language.
Hall of Famer
In November he was named to the Illinois Soccer Hall of Fame, and last night he was honored at Toyota Park before the Fire game along with the rest of the '16 inductees.
Super proud of him. You'll never meet a nicer man. I couldn't be there last night because of commitments to Green White (ironically), but my sister Cindy was there, and snapped this photo.
John & Bobby
I heard a portion of that broadcast. I was a senior in high school and a big fan of both guys. If you would have told me that day I'd eventually work with both of them (with Bobby at the Loop for 7 years, and with John at WJMK for ten), I would have been excited beyond words. If you would have told me that I'd also eventually publish both of their books, I never would have believed you.
What a long strange trip its been.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Minutia Men, Episode 52
EP52 – Rick and Dave discuss sologamy, German children’s stories, bastard cats, Cubs during historical events, and Rick’s brush with Kerry Wood.
Listen to it here.
Fantastic
Chicago's Best Celebrity Chefs Are Bringing Their Dishes To Wrigley Field
— Chicagoist (@Chicagoist) May 25, 2017
https://t.co/rPTvxMoJXx pic.twitter.com/kKdsjO0L1j
Blowback to Hannity
It may take a while to get there (O'Reilly, Ailes), but it eventually does. Right, Sean Hannity? His forays into conspiracy garbage are finally hitting him where it hurts. His advertiers are starting to leave his show.
That's what started the downfall of O'Reilly. It's the only thing that matters to his bosses.
Body Slam
But you can't do that when there's an audio recording.
And you can't do that when a Fox News crew witnesses it, and sides with the "liberal" reporter.
Oy
That was my one word reaction to this...
Did Trump just shove another NATO leader to be in the front of the group? pic.twitter.com/bL1r2auELd
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) May 25, 2017
David Ross, What Have You Done?
In the David Ross era, even the Cubs minor leaguers are dancing now...
Dancing is part of @Cubs family, with @D_Ross3 at helm. #CubsFamily dance off? @IowaCubs @smokiesbaseball @Pelicanbaseball @EugeneEmeralds pic.twitter.com/TbTxcYgGeX
— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) May 24, 2017
WGN Walk of Fame
From Radio Online, big day today for a few WGN legends...
WGN Radio will induct ten honorees into the WGN Radio Walk of Fame on Thursday, May 25. Three sports legends, four renowned traffic reporters, one story chaser and two present-day voices with a combined 63 years behind the microphone at WGN comprise the fourth class of the WGN Radio Walk of Fame.
The 2017 inductees are: Leonard Baldy, Lou Boudreau, Nick Digilio, Lincoln Hampton, Vince Lloyd, Mike Mathis, Anne Maxfield, Judy Pielach, Jack Rosenberg and Larry Schreiner. The ceremony will be open to the public.
The 2017 inductees are: Leonard Baldy, Lou Boudreau, Nick Digilio, Lincoln Hampton, Vince Lloyd, Mike Mathis, Anne Maxfield, Judy Pielach, Jack Rosenberg and Larry Schreiner. The ceremony will be open to the public.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Looks like a real picture
I photoshopped in the kid from THE OMEN and it’s so perfect it’s unnerving. pic.twitter.com/I3wGIrbvBW
— James White (@Signalnoise) May 24, 2017
Cute family. pic.twitter.com/XkY4Vf5QnY
— 👉 #FireHannity 👈 (@williamlegate) May 24, 2017
Colbert Will Not Be Fined by FCC
The agency found it was a pretty standard joke, and there isn't any reason to fine him.
Farneda Removes "Interim" Label
From Radio Online...
CBS Radio Chicago appoints John Farneda as Music Director for AAA WXRT-FM. He's held MD duties on an interim basis since early April. This marks a return to the station for Farneda who previously held the MD post at XRT for more than 13 years from 2001-2014. He was promoted to Assistant Program Director/MD in 2001. He later added Operations Director duties beofre leaving the station in 2014.
Farneda will report to WXRT OM/PD Greg Solk who commented, "Christmas has come early to WXRT. John's rich history here and his unequalled knowledge of the Chicago rock market make him the perfect programming partner. John is WXRT."
"I'm very fortunate to rejoin my beloved colleagues at WXRT," stated Farneda. "I'm extremely excited to finally have the opportunity to work with Greg Solk. He's a proven winner and I'm looking forward to working closely with him to steer WXRT to a new level of programming excellence."
By the way, on a semi-related note, Farneda's name will be cropping up in my next Illinois Entertainer column on June 1st. I interviewed WXRT's Ryan Arnold.
CBS Radio Chicago appoints John Farneda as Music Director for AAA WXRT-FM. He's held MD duties on an interim basis since early April. This marks a return to the station for Farneda who previously held the MD post at XRT for more than 13 years from 2001-2014. He was promoted to Assistant Program Director/MD in 2001. He later added Operations Director duties beofre leaving the station in 2014.
Farneda will report to WXRT OM/PD Greg Solk who commented, "Christmas has come early to WXRT. John's rich history here and his unequalled knowledge of the Chicago rock market make him the perfect programming partner. John is WXRT."
"I'm very fortunate to rejoin my beloved colleagues at WXRT," stated Farneda. "I'm extremely excited to finally have the opportunity to work with Greg Solk. He's a proven winner and I'm looking forward to working closely with him to steer WXRT to a new level of programming excellence."
By the way, on a semi-related note, Farneda's name will be cropping up in my next Illinois Entertainer column on June 1st. I interviewed WXRT's Ryan Arnold.
Minutia Men Reviews on iTunes
I didn't even know these reviews existed, but we just recorded our latest episode (which drops tomorrow), and during the podcast Dave told me where to find them. There are 50 reviews at iTunes. This is just since the beginning of May, all five star reviews...
*Austin Colon
"This podcast is awesome. It's funny, witty, and well produced. Keep up the good work!"
*Devious Shadow
"This is what all podcasts should be. High quality production, entertaining and engaging hosts, great flow and subject. This is a can't miss podcast."
*Knicole29
"Love this duo from Chicago! They are always entertaining!!! Great to add to your must listen shows!"
*Mistypop182
"This is what my friends and I would sound like if my friends and I were entertaining and funny! These guys are really entertaining and super funny. I'm going through their entire library to fulfill my itch."
*Mister Pankake
"A podcast that adds the right effects and music with hosts who build very witty conversation. The show itself is filled with great information and fun listening for anyone who tunes in."
*Hysterical and Witty
"These two are great together. I just finished the 50th episode and loved it. They have a great chemistry together. Keep up the good work. Love the accent."
*Justintime Jnt
"You can tell these guys are great friends. Their chemistry is fluent and they create some great laughter."
*Mark Mancaveitch
"I have been listening to Minutia Men for almost a year and it's one of the funniest shows out there today. Rick and Dave play so well off each other, their chemistry is great. Each week I look forward to hearing the new episodes and what they are going to say next. Minutia Men should be sponsored by Depends for Men because they have made me piss my pants more than once."
Aw shucks, guys and gals. Thanks so much for the kind words.
Our 52nd episode will be posted tomorrow.
*Austin Colon
"This podcast is awesome. It's funny, witty, and well produced. Keep up the good work!"
*Devious Shadow
"This is what all podcasts should be. High quality production, entertaining and engaging hosts, great flow and subject. This is a can't miss podcast."
*Knicole29
"Love this duo from Chicago! They are always entertaining!!! Great to add to your must listen shows!"
*Mistypop182
"This is what my friends and I would sound like if my friends and I were entertaining and funny! These guys are really entertaining and super funny. I'm going through their entire library to fulfill my itch."
*Mister Pankake
"A podcast that adds the right effects and music with hosts who build very witty conversation. The show itself is filled with great information and fun listening for anyone who tunes in."
*Hysterical and Witty
"These two are great together. I just finished the 50th episode and loved it. They have a great chemistry together. Keep up the good work. Love the accent."
*Justintime Jnt
"You can tell these guys are great friends. Their chemistry is fluent and they create some great laughter."
*Mark Mancaveitch
"I have been listening to Minutia Men for almost a year and it's one of the funniest shows out there today. Rick and Dave play so well off each other, their chemistry is great. Each week I look forward to hearing the new episodes and what they are going to say next. Minutia Men should be sponsored by Depends for Men because they have made me piss my pants more than once."
Aw shucks, guys and gals. Thanks so much for the kind words.
Our 52nd episode will be posted tomorrow.
Fox News Retracts Seth Rich Story
Somebody there has a conscience. That somebody is not Hannity, by the way, who only vows to give up talking about it 'For Now'. Here's the statement from Fox News...
So anyway, sorry for the millions of people who now believe a completely untrue story, and for destroying the reputation of an innocent man who can't defend himself because he's dead, and for putting his family through hell. Our bad. (That last part must have been accidentally lopped off the end of their statement)
On May 16, a story was posted on the Fox News website on the investigation into the 2016 murder of DNC Staffer Seth Rich. The article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting. Upon appropriate review, the article was found not to meet those standards and has since been removed.
We will continue to investigate this story and will provide updates as warranted.
So anyway, sorry for the millions of people who now believe a completely untrue story, and for destroying the reputation of an innocent man who can't defend himself because he's dead, and for putting his family through hell. Our bad. (That last part must have been accidentally lopped off the end of their statement)
Ross' Last Dance
He ended up finishing in second place. Not a bad run for a catcher. This was his final dance...
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Perfect Score
I think even David Ross is shocked at how well this DWTS gig is going. This routine got a perfect score.
RIP James Bond
First Bond movie I ever saw was The Spy Who Loved Me. That's probably why I always considered Roger Moore, who passed away today, the legitimate James Bond. I later got to appreciate Sean Connery, but this first scene I ever witnessed remains one of the all-time great Bond scenes...
Infowars Gets White House Press Credentials
Actual journalists are not happy about this, and for good reason.
Infowars is run by Alex Jones who recently admitted under oath in court that his whole personna is an act. Infowars is part of the Russian investigation because they were peddling stories pushed by fake news sites run by the Kremlin.
Honestly, this is getting into some pretty scary territory.
Fox Ratings
Le$ Moonve$
The CEO of CBS might just be the richest executive in media, and now he has a few more years to pour wheelbarrows full of money into his forty car garage with elevators. From Tom Taylor's NOW column...
CBS keeps Chairman/CEO Les Moonves around until at least June 2021. Just as with Bob Iger over at Disney, the board sees a strong and experienced executive – and nobody on the scene who might succeed him. (Disney’s board essentially told Iger’s #2 Tom Staggs that he wouldn’t automatically be anointed when Iger retires.) At CBS, Moonves’ annual salary of $3.5 million remains unchanged but it’s the other stuff – stock awards, options – that levitated his 2016 total compensation to $69.6 million. After Moonves finally does depart, he’ll have five years as a “senior advisor,” and CBS would support him in starting his own production company. Most CBS Radio folks probably aren’t thinking much of Moonves or his #2, Joe Ianniello. They’re too busy trying to figure out their future under Entercom, once that merger closes later this year. (CBS Radio just parted company with a top-ten market programmer, as you’ll read in today’s “Transitions.”)
Zorilla Crunch?
I like Ben Zobrist. He's a key player for the Cubs. His nickname is apparently Zorilla.
Cool nickname for a ballplayer. Kind of an unappetizing name for a breakfast cereal. Available at your neighborhood Jewel/Osco now.
Cool nickname for a ballplayer. Kind of an unappetizing name for a breakfast cereal. Available at your neighborhood Jewel/Osco now.
Monday, May 22, 2017
Israeli Commercial
I've been trying to tell my Republican friends that President Trump is being mocked around the world, but they don't believe me. They think America is now more respected than ever. Mmmm Hmmm.
This ad is running in Israel, the one country that supposedly is always behind us...
This ad is running in Israel, the one country that supposedly is always behind us...
Anti-Trump is Good for Ratings
And the Daily Show with Trevor Noah, which had struggled to replace Jon Stewart, is now nearly back to Jon Stewart's ratings.
He may not be good for the country, but Donald Trump is definitely good for the ratings. Check that...being anti-Trump is good for ratings.
A Harvard study that came out last week says that the coverage of Trump has been overwhelmingly negative. 93% of the coverage has been negative. I'd say that's probably correct.
It's also justified. He's been president for four months and he's already under FBI investigation and the White House lawyers are resarching impeachment. That's not because of the negative coverage. The negative coverage is because of that. The scandal should be that some media outlets are actually 93% positive toward Trump. That's almost the textbook definition of fake news under the circumstances.
Bob Beckel Fired Again By Fox News
He was fired by Fox in 2015 for "personal issues". After a short stint at CNN, he returned to Fox News last year.
This time they fired him for an insensitive remark to an African American staffer.
Good for Fox News for trying to change the culture in the hallways there. They might also want to switch on the Tv and see if they can find an insensitve remark or two about African Americans on the air. It's not an every five seconds occurance now that the black guy isn't president any more, but it's still a regular feature.
Girl Dragged into Water by Sea Lion
This is a scary moment, but the girl is fine. A cautionary tale for parents, who needed one more thing to worry about...
Best Program Directors
Three of them are in Chicago. Mary Ellen Kachinske, WTMX (#7), Ron Gleason, WBBM-AM (#10), and Rob Cressman, WDRV-FM (#41).
The full list is here.
Beat Tom & Bill Golf Outing
I was honored to help out the folks at the Beat Tom & Bill Foundation at their golf outing this year. They raised over $100,000 this weekend to help families struggling with cancer, which took them over the $1 million mark since they started this event in 2002.
It's hard to overstate what an unusual golf outing this is. They do whatever they can to make it fun and entertaining. For instance, how many golf outings have their own opera?
Last year one of the sponsored kids was my cousin's son Caleb. He couldn't be there this year for all the happiest reasons. He was in Disneyworld with his family enjoying their "Make a Wish" trip. Caleb is doing very well!
Caleb's absence didn't stop several other members of our family from going out there. My sister and aunt came out to volunteer. So did my son Sean and my wife Bridget. Bridget got the very glamorous gig of dressing up like a T-rex.
I golfed. One hole had a hydraulic gun that did the drive for you. Another hole you had to drive off a toilet seat. Another one you had to dress like Elvis. Another hole featured the polka stylings of Eddie Korosa.
Motivational speaker Matt Foley (Matt Kissane) was wandering around, and so was a barbershop quartet. Here are a few photos from that nutty day...
At the banquet later that night, Tom Latourette (one of the brothers) unveiled his brand new book which is being sold to help raise money for the foundation. That book is published by Eckhartz Press.
We'll have more information about that soon. It will be on our website probably by the end of the week.
Thanks Tom & Bill for all you do.
It's hard to overstate what an unusual golf outing this is. They do whatever they can to make it fun and entertaining. For instance, how many golf outings have their own opera?
Last year one of the sponsored kids was my cousin's son Caleb. He couldn't be there this year for all the happiest reasons. He was in Disneyworld with his family enjoying their "Make a Wish" trip. Caleb is doing very well!
Caleb's absence didn't stop several other members of our family from going out there. My sister and aunt came out to volunteer. So did my son Sean and my wife Bridget. Bridget got the very glamorous gig of dressing up like a T-rex.
I golfed. One hole had a hydraulic gun that did the drive for you. Another hole you had to drive off a toilet seat. Another one you had to dress like Elvis. Another hole featured the polka stylings of Eddie Korosa.
Motivational speaker Matt Foley (Matt Kissane) was wandering around, and so was a barbershop quartet. Here are a few photos from that nutty day...
At the banquet later that night, Tom Latourette (one of the brothers) unveiled his brand new book which is being sold to help raise money for the foundation. That book is published by Eckhartz Press.
We'll have more information about that soon. It will be on our website probably by the end of the week.
Thanks Tom & Bill for all you do.
John Records at the Record Show
Awesome time Sunday morning at the Chicagoland Record Collector show. Thanks to John Govi for making us feel welcome. We sold out of books! (A few more events will be coming up soon)
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