Media Notebook--4-26-24

MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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

RADIO/PODCASTS

 

 *WBBM-AM

=I love this little feature the station did on their Facebook page matching their anchors/reporters with their record collections in honor of Record Store Day last weekend.

=Barrett News Media reported the strong ratings for WBBM NewsRadio this week.

=On the other hand, Crain’s reported the news about layoffs at WBBM. 

=Former staffer George Ofman posted this…

 

 

*Mitch Rosen

=WSCR head honcho Mitch Rosen appeared in Vegas recently at a conference, and was featured this week in Inside Radio. The full article is here. This is a small taste of what he said, about the appeal of sports talk radio…

“Listen, all radio formats are great,” Rosen, who is also VP for Audacy’s BetQL Network, said outside the panel discussion. “But this one really connects with the audience. And I really think it shows… whether it’s commercials, or you go on a live broadcast, or they’re doing an appearance at a bar or a car dealer on a Saturday, people come out because they want to meet that personality who gives opinions every day, or they share their lives — we have personalities that share when their parents died, or the birth of a child… In sports, it’s 45 minutes an hour of improv, talking about sports and about life.”

=Barrett Sports Media reported the Score’s ratings this week. Good news in certain demos.

 

*Steve Cochran on Phishing Scams

=According to this piece, Cumulus made the WLS morning man undergo training because he fell victim to phishing scams multiple times.

 

 

*New Director for Voice of America

=His name is Michael Abramowitz and he is a former reporter for the Wall Street Journal. 

 

*Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

=This year’s inductees were announced on Sunday. And they are…

 

*Podcast Corner

=A new record: Taylor Swift’s new album had 30 million Spotify streams on first day. 

=Karen Conti appeared on Garry Meier’s podcast.

=In the Room with Peter Bergen explores the migrant crisis in Chicago.

 

 

*Did you hear Jason Alexander is in town?

=He was interviewed on WBEZ

 

 

*WLS 100

=Last week I mentioned that Art Vuolo was on hand filming the 100^th anniversary party. Here’s his video.

 

 

*The Loop Files

=Two events coming up. May 1, from 7-8pm at the ELA library in Lake Zurich. I have classic video to share, plus I’ll be reading from the book too. Reserve your slot here. Here’s what the program says…

Author Rick Kaempfer transports you to the good ole days of radio, the 1970s and 1980s, when “The LOOP”  reigned supreme, shaking up the airwaves and grabbing listeners with a unique brand of programming unlike anything heard before. Kaempfer shares stories from his book told through the eyes of those who were actually there.

=Also, May 11 at the Pollyanna Brewing Company in Roselle. I’ll be there along with fellow ex-Loopers (like WGN-TV’s Jeff Hoover) from 3-7pm signing and selling books. If you don’t have a copy of the book yet, or you’d like your copy signed, that will be a great opportunity. We haven’t had an event in that area yet, and this is my last scheduled event for this book.

 

 

*Rest in Peace

=Bob King

The music director at WKQX in the late 70s. Bob was 73. He is on the right in this photo. Morning man Bob Heymann is on the left.

=Mike Pinder

Keyboardist for the Moody Blues. He was 82.

 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

 

*April 21—Rick Camp birthday

=Former long-time Score producer now works for 4for4/Betsperts. For years people asked me if I produced a show on the Score because our names sound similar.

 

*April 21—Robin Meade birthday

=Robin was a TV fixture here in Chicago before moving down to Atlanta to helm the Headline News Network morning show (Morning Express with Robin Meade). She was one of broadcasters let go in December of ’22 when the network rebranded.

 

 

*April 21—David Schuster birthday

=David is one of the longest serving Chicago sports radio reporters. He has covered 12 major Chicago sports championships. His career dates all the way back to Sportsphone. 

 

 

*April 21—Bob Hale birthday

=Hale was one of the original WLS rock jocks when the format began in 1960, but he was already well known before that. His claim to fame is that he was the emcee for the very last Buddy Holly concert, the night Buddy, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper passed away in the plane crash. I got a chance to interview Bob about that and his WLS days for Chicago Radio Spotlight back in 2008.

 

 

*April 21—Vince Argento birthday

=Vince is the production director at Cumulus/WLS these days but has also worked with some of the biggest names in Chicago radio history as a producer, including three shows in the Radio Hall of Fame—Steve & Garry, John Records Landecker, and Jonathan Brandmeier. I interviewed my old pal back in 2010 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

 

*April 21, 1974

=50^th anniversary of this classic…

 

 

 *April 22—Joe Ostrowski birthday

=Ostrowski is heard on the Score as a talk show host. His expertise is gambling. Joe is also a sports betting analyst at the BetQL network.

 

 

*April 22—Todd Ganz birthday

=Todd is the co-creator of the “If the Walls Could Talk” podcast and was the content production manager for Hubbard Broadcasting Chicago for more than 12 years before that.

 

 

*April 23—Scott Straus birthday

=The former radio producer/production man is now in the real estate business. I got a chance to interview him and his brother J.R. for Chicago Radio Spotlight back in 2008.

 

 

*April 23, 1914—Wrigley Field birthday

=I’ve written about that first game at what was then known as Weeghman Park many times, most recently in my book EveryCubEver. (Brand new 6th edition is out now)

 

 

*April 23, 2005—YouTube is Born

=The first video is uploaded on YouTube.

 

 

*April 25—Sherman Kaplan birthday

=Sherman was a mainstay at NewsRadio WBBM for decades. I was lucky enough to talk to him about his great career back in 2010 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

 

*April 26—Bill Wennington birthday

=The former Chicago Bulls center is now the color analyst on Bulls radio broadcasts with Chuck Swirsky. That's Bill there in the middle of this photo from Chuck’s book “Always a Pleasure”

 

 

*April 26—Paul Webber birthday

=Paul has been a key behind the scenes contributor for many years, first at Bonneville, then at Hubbard, and finally as the marketing and creative services director at WXRT.

 

 

*April 27—Kathy Voltmer birthday

=Voltmer is one of Chicago’s most respected radio news veterans, having worked at WXRT, WLUP, Q-101, WMAQ, WDRV, and WLS. She probably doesn’t like telling people this, but she was also the newscaster on my radio show on WPGU in Champaign-Urbana when we were in college. I’ve interviewed her several times over the years, most recently in 2015 for Illinois Entertainer.

 

 

 *April 27—Bill Klaproth birthday

=Bill was a longtime program director at the Loop during the Bonneville days. He is currently director of marketing for RadioMD. (Photo: Bill Klaproth, Matt Bisbee and Me)

 

 

TV/STREAMING

 

*Paris Schultz Profile

=Crain’s Chicago Business did a profile on the newest member of the Channel 32 newsroom.

 

*Alyssa Donovan Named WGN Midday and Evening News Weather Anchor

=She’ll be the weather anchor at noon and 5pm.

        “Alyssa has done an amazing job, since joining WGN-TV,” said Dominick Stasi, WGN news director. “Already an important part of our weather department, on-air presence, accuracy and teamwork make her the right choice as weather anchor.”

 

*A Conversation with Kelly O’Donnell

=Kelly is the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Their big dinner is this weekend.

*Peabody Award Nominees

=The full list of nominees was announced yesterday. The winners will be announced on May 9.

 

*Oscars Update Rules

=The Hollywood Reporter has the story about the rule changes that are designed to boost movie theaters, honor composers, and force writers to show their work.

 

 

*Elayne Boosler Arrested at Dodgers Stadium

=It involved a bag she was carrying. I’ll let her explain.

 

 

*Best Hook in Late Night? Jimmy Kimmel

=That’s the opinion of Latenighter writer Bill Carter. He explains why in this piece. 

 

 

*Cable News Corner

=Brooke Baldwin in Vanity Fair: Leaving CNN is How I Found My Voice

 

 

*Did you hear Jason Alexander is in town?

=Interviewed Dean Richards on WGN Television…

 

 

PRINT/DIGITAL

 

*The Onion Sold to Chicago Company

=Tech executive Jeff Lawson is the new owner, and the company will be run by former NBC reporter Ben Collins. The company is called Global Tetrahedron, which is taken from a book written by the Onion staff.

*US Ambassador Meets with Evan Gershkovich

=Hopefully this is the first step to releasing the Wall Street Journal reporter held by Russia. 

=Although it’s still going to take months. He was ordered held until June 30.

 

*The National Enquirer

=Regardless of how you feel about former President Trump, the descriptions David Pecker provided of how they practiced “journalism” at the Enquirer during that first Trump election was enlightening. Sending the articles to Trump for approval? Completely making up stories about his competitors? It’s one thing to suspect that’s the way it works. It’s another thing to have that confirmed. 

 

*Puck Hires John Heilemann

=One of the sharpest political writers out there is now off the market. 

 

 

*Did you hear Jason Alexander is in town?

=The Chicago Sun Times interviewed him too.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

*Biden Signs TikTok Ban

=The company has one year to sell.

=TikTok will head directly to court to fight it. 

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.

20 Years: Free Excerpt from EveryCubEver--Hack Wilson & Rogers Hornsby

 

This year marks my 20th year as a professional writer. Over the course of 2024, I'll be sharing a few of those offerings you may have missed along the way.

Baseball season is in full gear, and the new version of EveryCubEver (6th edition) is now out. Seems like a good week to share a free excerpt from the book. This week I'll highlight birthday boys Hack Wilson (April 26) and Rogers Hornsby (April 27)

Hack Wilson 1900--1948 (Cubs 1926-1931)

Hack is still remembered for his record 1930 season when he drove in 191 runs, but during his Cubs days he was known for more than just slugging the baseball. He was known as a notorious hellraiser. Wilson had several run-ins with the law, his teammates, opposing players, and even fans. He was arrested for violating the Prohibition Act in 1926, but he was just getting started. Hack and his drinking buddy/teammate Pat Malone got into a fistfight in a hotel because they thought somebody was laughing at them. In 1928, he was fined after charging into the stands to fight with a heckler. Gabby Hartnett and Joe Kelly had to physically remove him off the fan — and thousands of fans swarmed the field. Hack once charged into the opposing dugout to punch a Reds pitcher…after Hack hit the ball. He was tagged out in the dugout. That same night he punched another Reds pitcher in the team train. A famous story, which may or may not be a legend, involved Cubs manager Joe McCarthy and Hack...

    To show Hack the dangers of drinking, Joe took a worm and dropped it in a glass of whiskey. The worm quickly died. “Now what does that prove?” asked Joe. Wilson thought about it for a while and replied, “It proves that if you drink whiskey, you won’t get worms!”

    Through it all, Hack was the most feared hitter in the National League. Hack still holds Cubs career records for best on-base percentage (.492), slugging percentage (.590), and OPS (1.002). He led the league in homers four years in a row, in walks and RBI twice, and led the Cubs to the World Series in 1929. For many years he held the single season home run record (56), and he still has the single season RBI record (191). But in 1931, things started to go south. Hack and player/manager Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby didn’t get along and were constantly at odds. It got so bad that the Cubs traded Hack to the Dodgers for Burleigh Grimes. Hack had one more good year with the Dodgers, but the end was near. He retired after the 1934 season.

    Near the end of his Wilson’s life he appeared on a network radio show where he spoke about the effects of “Demon Rum.” This was just a few months before his death on November 23, 1948. He was only 48. His body was unclaimed for three days before National League president Ford Frick paid for the funeral. The veterans committee named Hack to baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1979.

~Rogers Hornsby 1897--1963 (Cubs 1929-1932)
It’s hard to imagine that one of the greatest players in history was not popular in Chicago — but Hornsby clearly was not. Hornsby had one great season for the Cubs, their World Series year of 1929, and he became the manager at the very end of the following year. Despite managing a notoriously rowdy team, he ruled with an iron fist. He didn’t just ban drinking (which, of course, was illegal at the time), he banned reading, movies, soda pop, smoking, and eating in the clubhouse. He was so hated by his players that when the 1932 team won the pennant (after he was fired), the players voted to give him zero cents of a playoff share, even though he had been with the team for 4 months.

                Their hatred of him went much deeper than his strict rules. He was in deep debt to many of the players on the team. The Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis, became so alarmed by the reports he was getting about Hornsby, that he sent letters warning the team and the players about him. He also sent one to the NL President demanding any and all information he had about Hornsby’s gambling. Hornsby was defiant about it until the very end: “Gambling’s legal,” he would say. He never bet on baseball, only the horses. Probably influenced by Hornsby’s star power, Landis chose not to punish him. But his letters to the club led to an internal Cubs investigation. Team owner William Wrigley and team president William Veeck discovered that Hornsby had borrowed $11,000 from his own players. That’s when they fired him and replaced him with Charlie Grimm. Grimm led the 1932 team to the World Series. Hornsby never experienced the playoffs again.

                Later in life he was hired by Wrigley’s son Phillip to become the team’s first minor league batting instructor. The same prickly personality and inability to understand why people couldn’t naturally hit as well as he did, however, made him as lousy at that job as he was as a manager. As a player Rogers Hornsby had very few peers. His lifetime batting average is .358. He hit .400 three different times. He narrowly missed it a fourth time (.397). He won two MVP awards, two triple crowns, and seven batting titles. And he did all that while gambling away nearly every dime he earned.

 

Studio Walls--April 24, 2024

 

A weekly update/preview of my latest podcasts, and a look back at some of my previous audio work from this week in history over the past 40+ years.

Here are a few from the archives...

April 21, 1978—I Wanna Hold Your Hand movie opens. 

=We had Nick DiGilio on the show, and we discussed this gem of a film.  

April 22—Avengers Endgame premieres. 

=Bobby Holland Hanton was a stuntman in this film, and told us a few good stories about the making of one of the most successful box office movies in history.

April 22, 1932—Cubs vs. Reds at Wrigley. 

=Would you believe I have the audio of Pat Pieper stating the Cubs lineup from that day? Will we play it on this week's show?

April 23—Dan Frischman birthday

=One of the stars of Head of the Class was on our show a few years ago. 

April 23, 1999—The Movie Election premieres. 

=One of the stars of that film, Molly Hagan, was on the show a few years ago as well. 

April 23--Essra Mohawk birthday

=We knew her as one of the singers of Schoolhouse Rock, but discovered during the interview that she also was at Woodstock.  

April 23—Lee Miller birthday 

=The famous war correspondent's son Antony Penrose was on the show and told us one of the most memorable stories we've ever heard. It involves Hitler on the day of his suicide.  

April 23—John Oliver birthday.

=We've had two people on the show who have worked with John Oliver. Summer Crockett Moore and Josh Gondelman 

April 24--Richard M. Daley birthday

=I told the story of my brush with Mayor Daley in this episode of Minutia Men.  

Publishing Portal--April 23, 2024

The latest news from Eckhartz Press, and a chance to peek into some of the great previous offerings from our humble little publishing company.

Last Comiskey

=Our newest book got a teaser in the Chicago Sun Times last week. Thanks to Jeff Agrest for this mention...First-time author Ken Smoller’s “Last Comiskey,” an adaptation of Matt Flesch’s 2023 documentary, will be released in May. It serves as a companion piece, combining Smoller’s photographs from the 1990 Sox season, content from the film and new material.

=So, who is author Ken Smoller, you may ask. 

    Ken Smoller (aka “Stadium Vagabond”) is a photographer and writer based in Brookline Massachusetts, with childhood roots in Chicagoland. In over three decades of extensive traveling, he has photographed more than 2,350 stadiums in 48 states and 24 countries. His mantra is that one of the best ways to understand the culture and fabric of a place is through its sporting arenas and stadiums. Today, Ken runs the “Stadium Vagabond” blog (www.stadiumvagabond.com and on social media @stadiumvagabond) to share his photographs and stories from years of sporting adventures around the globe. When he is not at the ballpark, Ken works as a commercial real estate attorney and lives with his wife, Jaime, and two sons, Simon and Charlie. He received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Smoller also spent his college summers back in Chicago as a vendor at new Comiskey Park during its first three seasons, and on Sox off-days at Wrigley Field and Soldier Field. Despite living in the Boston area, his sporting loves remain the White Sox, Bears, Bulls and Blackhawks.

=This week he appeared on WCIU, The U, with Kenny McReynolds.

EveryCubEver

=April (Opening Day), May (Mother's Day), June (Father's Day) and December (Christmas) are the four busy seasons every year for EveryCubEver. Two of those are coming up soon. If Mom and/or Dad are Cub fans, the all-new 6th edition is out now!

=This week in 2019, Rick Kaempfer appeared at the Orland Park Sports Card show to sign and sell the book. Randy Richardson was also there signing and selling his book Cubsessions. That's former Cubs catching great Randy Hundley in the photo with him below.

=This week in 2023, Rick Kaempfer appeared on the Andrea Darlas podcast to talk about it.

=This week's birthday boy (April 25), former Chicago Bull Dave Corzine, has a copy of the book.

=Two other significant birthdays this week are featured in the book, Hall of Famers Hack Wilson and Rogers Hornsby. They were teammates on the Cubs and hated each other. Rick's blog will feature their book write-ups on Thursday.

=Here's one more bonus Cubs feature. A home movie from this week in 1938. 

Monkey in the Middle

=Dobie Maxell was in the news this week in 2016. The Milwaukee Journal reviewed his book Monkey in the Middle and had this to say...

    There has been talk of turning "Monkey in the Middle" into a movie. The book opens with Maxwell sharing his rough start in life, which included having a drug addict mother who abandoned him and his siblings, and a father who was in a motorcycle gang. Maxwell was separated from his siblings — they have since reunited — and raised from age 5 months by his grandparents near 20th and Hampton.
    Maxwell calls himself a dented can and, sarcastically, Mr. Lucky. But he has made a life working on the radio in Milwaukee, Chicago, Reno and Los Angeles, and in stand-up comedy, now mostly as a regular at Zanies clubs in the Chicago area. He also teaches comedy.
    Maxwell's humorous approach to life comes through often in the book, even in his exchanges with federal agents and prosecutors. "I realize you're a comedian, but this is damn serious," one of them warns him.

=Just a year later, this week in 2017, Dobie threw out the first pitch at a Brewers game in Milwaukee.

 The Loop Files

=Two events coming up. May 1, from 7-8pm at the ELA library in Lake Zurich. Reserve your slot here. Here’s what the program says…

    Author Rick Kaempfer transports you to the good ole days of radio, the 1970s and 1980s, when “The LOOP”  reigned supreme, shaking up the airwaves and grabbing listeners with a unique brand of programming unlike anything heard before. Kaempfer shares stories from his book told through the eyes of those who were actually there.

=Also, May 11 at the Pollyanna Brewing Company in Roselle. I’ll be there along with fellow ex-Loopers (like WGN-TV’s Jeff Hoover) from 3-7pm signing and selling books. If you don’t have a copy of the book yet, or you’d like your copy signed, that will be a great opportunity. We haven’t had an event in that area yet.

=Two of the contributors to the Loop Files are celebrating birthdays this week. Happy birthday to Vince Argento (April 21) and Kathy Voltmer (April 27). Both contributed stories to the oral history. In the first picture, that's Vince on the far right. He and his wife Liz are among the couples who met at the Loop and later got married, just like Rick and Bridget Kaempfer (also in the photo)

=A frequent guest on the Loop, Mayor Richard M. Daley, is also celebrating a birthday this week (April 24). That's Hizzoner in a photo with Loopers Carol Harmon, Catherine Beckman, Colleen Colleton, and Sandy Stahl.

=One last Looper from this week. Former Loop program director Bill Klaproth's birthday is April 27. That's Bill in a photo with fellow Loopers Matt Bisbee and Rick Kaempfer.

Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=This week in 1954, Joseph Nye Welch appeared at the McCarthy hearings and famously declared, "At long last, have you left no sense of decency?" That wasn't just a crucial moment in American history, it was a crucial moment in John Landecker's life. Joseph Nye Welch is the grandfather of his first wife. He tells that story in this free excerpt from Records Truly Is My Middle Name. 

 

 

Cameo

=This week in 2018, while Rick Kaempfer was down in New Orleans making Cameo available in jewelry stores that sell cameos, author Beth Jacobellis was on the Patti Vasquez show on WGN Radio talking about the book.

Always a Pleasure

=Three of the people featured in Chuck Swirsky's book are celebrating birthdays this week. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (April 25), the late Blackhawks great Tony Esposito (April 25), and Chuck's partner on Bulls broadcasts, Bill Wenningon (April 26)

The Balding Handbook

=This week in 2013, David Stern appeared on the Mancow television show on WPWR-TV. Who did he meet there? Chicago sportscaster Mike North, shown here taunting Dave with his full head of hair.

Brandwidth

=This week in 2018, Kipper McGee appeared on the Brandstorm podcast to talk about his book Brandwidth. 

 Inside Melania

=This week is the real Melania Trump's birthday (April 26). The fake one, Melania impersonator Lauren LoGiudice was in town recently. She does the world's best Melania impersonation, and wrote a whole book about it for Eckhartz Press.

 Best Seat in the House

=This week in 2015, Bruce Bohrer made the trek into enemy territory to promote his Cubs book about his years as a Wrigley Field usher. Penny Golden interviewed him on-stage at the Beverly Arts Center.

Turn it Up

=Bob Shannon's great book about radio personalities features an entire chapter about this week's birthday boy, the late Casey Kasem. Casey also makes an appearance in the Rick Kaempfer spy thriller set in 1976, Back in the DDR.

We Have Company

=Peter Frampton (born April 22) gets the full-chapter treatment in Bobby Skafish's great memoir about his rock and roll interviews...

Hospital, Heal Thyself!

=Congratulations to author Mark Taylor. We signed him to a deal at Eckhartz Press a few months ago, and his book was selling very well on our site. So well, in fact, that it caught the eye of a big publisher. When we sign our authors they maintain the copyright to their work, and we agree in advance that we won't hold them back if they get a better opportunity. That's what happened with Mark. He was very grateful for all we did for him...

“I was feeling pretty destitute when a friend referred me to Chicago’s Eckhartz Press in 2023. My first and only book, “Hospital, Heal Thyself,” had been rejected for several years by scores of publishers and book agents. They said it didn’t neatly fit into a marketing niche. Admittedly, it was a tough sell: part biography of Eugene Litvak, a math genius and Soviet émigré-turned- healthcare innovator, part jeremiad railing against a broken healthcare delivery system. But the very qualities that other publishers shied away from, Eckhartz Publisher David Stern embraced. He and his talented professional staff helped me to get my book into better shape and published it in early 2024.  

By mutual agreement, I maintained ownership of the copyright to my book. So when a large international publisher expressed interest in producing “Hospital, Heal Thyself” for a wider national audience, Eckhartz and Stern could not have been more supportive. He was kind, generous and totally helpful, a writer’s dream!  A few weeks later John Wiley & Sons, a publisher with deep contacts in business, academia and foreign language markets, agreed to publish my book. That never would have happened without Eckhartz’ help. I’m so grateful to David Stern and the Eckhartz staff for their support and assistance.”

 =Mark Taylor, April 2024