Saturday, January 28, 2023
Friday, January 27, 2023
EveryCubEver--Alec Distaso
I've been working on revising the book for the upcoming 5th edition (which will be out on Opening Day). Thought I'd share a few of these EveryCubEver entries with you while I worked...
~Alec Distaso 1948--2009 (Cubs
1969)
In 1967, the Chicago Cubs had the first pick in the amateur draft. Most of the
teams in the league agreed the top two picks were outfielder Ken Singleton and
catcher Carlton Fisk. The Cubs disagreed with most teams. They chose a pitcher
instead; an 18-year-old high schooler from California. His name was Al Distaso.
The Cubs considered him the second coming of Don Drysdale. He didn’t have
Drysdale’s size or fastball, but he did resemble him physically. And at first,
he showed some promise. In his first two minor league seasons he struck out 225
in just over 300 innings. But he also hurt his elbow, and by the time spring
training rolled around in 1969, he wasn’t the same pitcher. Leo Durocher took a
chance he could rediscover the magic and named him the 10th man on the pitching
staff going into the season. Al debuted on April 20th against the Expos and
pitched two scoreless innings. He came in again on April 22nd, but this time he
wasn’t facing the Expos. He was facing the fearsome Pittsburgh Pirates. Richie
Hebner, Matty Alou, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Stargell all got hits against
Al in what turned out to be his final major league appearance. He was sent down
to the minors after that and never returned. But Al found a higher calling
after leaving baseball for good in 1971. He became a police officer; a
decorated homicide detective in the roughest neighborhood of Los Angeles. Al
retired from the force in 1994, and the other guys in his unit made sure that everyone got a copy of his Topps 1969 Cubs Rookie card. Al passed away in 2009.
Media Notebook--1-27-23
MEDIA NOTEBOOK
A curation of news items about the media from this past week, with a particular emphasis on Chicago…
RADIO/PODCASTS
*Chicago Radio Ratings
=The Holiday season numbers are out, and to the
surprise of no-one, WLIT is strongly atop the ratings perch. They pulled in an
amazing 14.8 rating (12+), which is their best in eight years. Rounding out the
top five are…WDRV and WVAZ (tied for second at 5.0), WBBM-AM (4.8) and WTMX
(3.7)
=Other stations that brought in respectable numbers
this time around include WBEZ (3.4), WOJO (3.3), WLS-FM (3.2), WXRT (3.1).
=Also in the top 15, US-99 (2.9), WKSC (2.9), WGN (2.8),
WBMX (2.8), WLEY (2.6), and WGCI (2.3)
=Obviously this isn’t broken down by daypart or other
demos, but the numbers are available for all to see at Radio Online.
*Tributes to Lin Brehmer Pouring In
=Chicagoans were reeling all week after WXRT announced
the news that Lin Brehmer had passed away. The Marquees at his favorite
old concert venues (like the Vic, the Metro, and more) paid tribute to him.
Fellow broadcasters from all across the radio dial chimed in with their words
of admiration and comfort, and so did music artists like Steve Earle.
And, of course, WXRT produced an incredible tribute to him that aired on Monday. Here are few other
tributes you might have missed…
=His congressman Mike Quigley posted this video
of him praising Lin on the floor of the US House of Representatives. It’s from
ten years ago, but how many other Chicago broadcasters have a similar video?
=His longtime producer Pete Crozier has been writing touching tributes to Lin all week. I recommend going on his facebook page to read them. Beautifully written. This is also the very last Lin’s Bin,courtesy of Pete.
=I had no idea that Channel 5’s Alex Maragos grew up across the street from Lin.
=This interview Lin did with RadioGirl (Margaret Larkin) was certainly one of his last long form interviews. Worth a listen.
=My own interview with Lin (from 2018) was reposted by the Illinois Entertainer this week and got tons of retweets.
=I also posted this excerpt from the Eckhartz Press book “Cubsessions” that featured an interview with Lin talking about how much
the Cubs World Series win meant to him.
=And finally, I think this might be the tribute that would have meant most to Lin.
RIP @LinBrehmer. pic.twitter.com/3VqyCNGwkr
— Ryan Cox (@CoxRyan89) January 22, 2023
*The Loop Files
=I’ve been very gratified at the interest this new feature of mine (posted every Tuesday) has been generating on social media.
This week I featured my interview with former Brandmeier show producer/writer Brendan
Sullivan. Since I posted it, I was sent the audio of a very funny bit
Brendan referenced in the piece. Harry Caray (Jim Volkman) and Jerry
Lewis (Jeff Hoover) recreating the Royale with Cheese scene from Pulp
Fiction. I posted it at the end of the interview.
*Sportscaster of the Year
=Congrats to ESPN Radio’s Jonathan Hood for being named Sportscaster of the Year for his work with the UIC Flames. You’ll probably recognize a few of the other faces in this photo.
Congratulations to The Voice of the Flames, @tweetjhood for being named @PitchHitClub's Sportscaster of the Year!#FireUpFlames pic.twitter.com/OjsGNdQwyS
— UIC Flames Athletics 🔥 (@UICFlames) January 23, 2023
*Chicago-Area Cluster of Radio Stations Sold
=This news comes from Bob Heymann, who brokered the
deal. Shaw Local Radio Co, an Illinois corporation, has purchased WALS-FM,
WIVQ-FM, WSTQ-FM, WYYS-FM, WGLC-FM, WBZG-FM, WSPL-AM, W253BX98.5FM from
Studstill Media and the Studstill family. The stations are licensed in Ogelsby,
Spring Valley, Streator, Mendota, and Peru, Illinois. The price tag was $1.8
million.
*Job Opening at Audacy
=Whenever I see an opening like this
in Chicago, I’ll try to pass it along. Audacy is looking for a Midwest regional
promotions director based in Chicago. You can apply right here. That page also
lists the job duties and the qualifications necessary to be considered.
*Ex-Chicago Radio Corner
=Todd Fooks, who worked at Q-101 in Chicago for six
years, was just named the host of the syndicated show Loudwire Nights. He
had been hosting the weekend version of the show. Radio Insight has more information.
*Podcast Corner
=The top 20 rated podcasts of 2022 are featured in
this piece in Radio Ink. Six of them come from the NPR family including the top
podcast of the year, NPR News Now.
=George Ofman interviewed Hockey Hall of Famer Chris Chelios this week on his podcast. Worth a listen for sure.
*Mike Fowler
=The former General Manager of Rock
103.5 and WJMK Oldies 104.3 is dealing with a major health crisis. He has been
diagnosed with ALS. Mike and his daughter announced it publicly this week via
his Facebook page. Best wishes to Mike and his family as they go through this.
I know his former colleagues (including me) are rooting for him.
RIP Jerry Blavat
=Jerry was unknown in Chicago, but he was
huge in Philadelphia. John Records Landecker paid tribute to Jerry in
his book “Records Truly Is My Middle Name.” He told an abbreviated version of his
Blavat story on his Facebook page this week: I just learned that Jerry Blavat died. Shit.
Many associate my career with Chicago. That's true. BUT before Chicago I was In
Philadelphia at WIBG. It was my big break. I dropped out of my senior year at
Michigan State to go there. Philadelphia was more than radio stations. There
were HUGE personalities who transcended any individual radio station. Joe Niagra,
Hy Lit and Jerry Blavat. I've always thought that one of the cool things about
my career was the list of people I worked with. Hy Lit, Joe Niagra, Jerry
Blavat, Joey Reynolds, Larry Lujack, Fred Winston, Tommy Edwards, Bob Sirott,
Jonathon Brandmeier, Steve and Garry, Joel Sebastian, and more. Jerry was
amazing. I worked until 10pm and he would invite me over to his home for some
cocktails at an outdoor bar by the pool. Then we would go to the second story
of a garage where he had turntables, microphones, a board and a stack of 45's.
He would put on a private show. Playing the hits and doing talkovers. Mind you
this was not on the air just in a garage. It was something .....RIP
MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES
*January 22--Charlie Meyerson birthday
=I interviewed the editor-in-chief of Chicago Public Square (and former radio guy at places like WXRT, WNUA, WGN) for Illinois
Entertainer shortly after he began his excellent newsletter.
*January 23—Jack Quinlan birthday
=Jack was the radio play-by-play man for the Cubs for
several years. His life was tragically cut short in a car accident in 1965. Cub
geeks like me still look for audio of his work. Here is something from 1962.
*January 23—Dan Walker birthday
=Danger Dan, as he was known on Murphy in the Morning
(Q-101), had a long and distinguished career in Chicago radio. I worked with
him at WJMK in the 1990s.
*January 24—Jack Brickhouse birthday
=Jack has been gone now for more than 20 years, but the
Hall of Famer was the soundtrack to our youth (for the 55+ crowd). Luckily
there are still lots of samples of Jack’s work out there for us to enjoy.
Here’s one.
*January 24—Greg Solk birthday
=Greg has been a Chicago radio executive since he was a very young man. He was the program director of the Loop for many years and has served in the executive suite for companies like Bonneville, Hubbard, and now Auducy. Since 2021 he has been the VP/Programming for Audacy-Chicago. I interviewed Greg for Chicago Radio Spotlight in 2010.
*January 25—Cindy Gatziolis birthday
=The former Promotion Director for the Loop went on to
work for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. Gatziolis sadly passed away in
2014 at the way too young age of 56. I interviewed Cindy for Chicago Radio Spotlight shortly after her beloved White Sox won the World Series. She was
responsible for putting that victory parade together. (I also wrote this tribute to her after she passed)
*January 25—Joan Esposito birthday
=The WCPT talk-show host is still probably better known in Chicago for her many years as a reporter/anchor on television. I was lucky enough to interview her for Illinois Entertainer in 2021.
* January 25—Suzanne Le Mignot birthday
=Suzanne is the weekend morning news anchor for CBS-2Chicago and works as a reporter during the week.
*January 25—Brian Haddad birthday
=The current morning man at Q-101 will be my next
feature in Illinois Entertainer. It comes out late next week.
*January 26—Tom Barnas birthday
=The WGN-TV staffer has worked on both the midday news and morning news, and is the host of The Chicago Scene
*January 27—Pat Tomasulo birthday
=Sportscaster and comedian, one of the stars of
WGN-TV’s morning news. This photo of Pat in action (interviewing Chuck
Swirsky about his book Always a Pleasure) is from just a few months
ago.
*January 28—Jack Silver birthday
=Jack was the ringmaster at AM 1000 back in the
Johnny/Kevin/Steve & Garry heyday. He went on to become a bigshot for CBS
Radio and later Audacy in Los Angeles. I interviewed him in 2009.
*January 29—Oprah Winfrey birthday
=It’s hard to remember that Oprah was a complete
unknown when she arrived in Chicago in the mid-80s. They didn’t quite know what
to do with her, and even used her on the news with Joel Daly.
*January 29—Dane Placko birthday
=The top reporter for WFLD-TV (Channel 32) has been
there now for over 30 years. He has a closet full of Emmys, and a profile in Illinois Entertainer written by me. This is a fun interview about his forced
month-long vacation in England.
*January 29—Tony Lossano birthday
=The former host of the Nude Hippo show and the
podcast Lossano & Friends is also a long-time radio producer (WLIT,
WLS) and podcast producer (including my podcasts, Minutia Men & Minutia
Men Celebrity Interview).
TV/STREAMING
*Larry Potash Rates Chicago TV Anchors in Order of
Handsomeness
=Of course, he added the caveat (not named Ponce). You can watch him do his top ten list here.
*Paul Deanno Leaves NBC-5
=It seems like half the staff has left over the past few months. Here’s another one.
Best wishes to one of the good ones in our business, @PaulDeanno. He heads to @CBSLA to be closer to family out West. It was great working with him these past 3+ years. pic.twitter.com/SQzcO6fKjF
— Alex Maragos (@AlexMaragosNBC) January 21, 2023
*Streaming Corner
=The list of top streaming programs from 2022 was released yesterday, and there aren't too many surprises on the list. #1 is Stranger Things. #2 is Ozark. The top 15 list is here.
*GM3 Anchor Soap Opera/Controversy Still Unresolved
=This story broke months ago and it still hasn’t been
resolved. GM3 anchors T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach have both left their spouses
and are engaged in a love affair. When the network (ABC) found out, they
weren’t happy about it and took them off the air. It appears that ABC wants
them out for good now, but Holmes and Robach are not leaving quietly because
they don’t think they violated any workplace rules. The Daily News has the update, which involves the two sides going to mediation. Sounds a bit messy.
TV Show Based on Twitter Handle
=I admit it. I’ve been following Super 70s Sports on
Twitter for years, and he really is a great follow. But I never would have
thought of making his quips into a television show. Jimmy Kimmel is the
executive producer of it.
*Chip Caray Joins Cardinals TV Booth
=The former Cubs TV play-by-play man has agreed to sit in the booth of the enemy. Naturally he doesn’t look at it that way because his grandfather also did games for the Cardinals.
*Cable News Corner
=Fox News is being sued by former head-booker Laura Luhn. The Hollywood Reporter has the details, and it’s about as lurid as anything you’ll ever read. It involves sexual blackmail, oral sex, S&M, and more. Roger Ailes is the culprit.
=In another Fox News lawsuit, NPR and the New YorkTimes have asked a judge to unseal the files in the Dominion case.
=You ever get the feeling you’ve witnessed the making
of a star? I got that vibe when I watched this young TikTok comedian make his
cable news debut this week on Ari Melber’s show on MSNBC. Best Trump
I’ve ever seen.
*Academy Award Nominations Announced
=Just in case you haven’t seen the full list yet, it’s here.
SOCIAL
MEDIA/PRINT MEDIA/DIGITAL MEDIA
*It was a rough week in the media world…
=Spotify laid off 6% of their workforce
=Vox Media made massive layoffs
=The Washington Post fired 20 staffers.
=But at least none of them did it quite as heartlessly as Google allegedly did it in New York. Yowza.
Google NYC employees who arrived at the office early this morning stood in a line to test their badges-- if light turned red, it meant you had been laid off. if green, you were safe. 👎
— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) January 20, 2023
*The DOJ Files an Anti-Trust Lawsuit Against Google
for their Advertising Monopoly
=It’s the second bite of the apple for the government
against Google. Seems like they have a pretty good case.
*Facebook Letting Trump Back on their Platform
=The company released the news this week via a Nick Clegg blogpost. They promise new guardrails will be in place,
and any repeat insurrection talk will not be tolerated.
*Ad Spending on Twitter Drops by 70% in December
=I’m guessing the welcoming back to the platform of
actual Nazis (that’s not a slur on my part—they call themselves that) isn’t
helping the advertising atmosphere. Details here.
*Margaret Sullivan Back on the Media Beat
=She left the Washington Post last
year, and it appeared that was the end of her reporting on the media. Guardian
USA stepped in this week and lured her back, on a once-a-week basis. They made the announcement this week.
*The Last Days of Hollywood’s Most Reviled Reporter
=Nikke Finke of Deadline.com was feared and hated by
those she covered. This piece examines her sad final days.
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.
Thursday, January 26, 2023
The Eckhartz Bookshelf: Behind the Glass
With over 80 books in our library, this year we're taking some time every week to highlight one of the books on the Eckhartz bookshelf. This week's book is Behind the Glass: Stories of a Sports Radio Producer.
Do you want to know how a radio show is produced? Are you interested in sports radio and booking big-name guests? This book will take you through one producer’s daily grind to land important guests and put them on the air with hosts. It’s not always as easy as it may seem. Just because you get their number, doesn’t mean they are willing to talk!
Randy Merkin, Radio Producer for almost 30 years, takes you Behind the Glass for a glimpse into this industry. He reveals how he finds the guests and what it takes to schedule their radio appearances. Randy shares many great stories about athletes, coaches, journalists, and celebrities and also gives you a glimpse into their personalities and temperament.
As you will see, rejection is a big part of this business. However, Randy’s anecdotes highlight how rewarding it is to put guests on the air and give them a platform to talk about what is newsworthy.
“As a new talk show, finding the right executive producer is vital to a show’s long-term success. I can say that the Waddle & Silvy Show has been successful over parts of three decades due, in part, to Randy Merkin. After his sweaty first interview with Waddle, our PD, and me in 2007, Randy quickly established relationships with A-list guests, a trust with Chicago teams, and a quick wit on the air.
Merk is much more than an executive producer & is one of the best storytellers I know. I’ve enjoyed watching him creatively navigate booking the best guests in the business. And, if he’s booked them once, they continue to join us thanks to Merk establishing a trust that few other producers earn. Merk is a pro’s pro, a lifelong friend & radio brother.”
“Randy is an incredible radio talent. His vast knowledge of the business and bottomless pool of contacts are unmatched. I’ve learned a lot about the business from Randy. His talent is only exceeded by his loyalty and integrity. Randy is the best!!!”
”In our years together I saw Randy go from green to whatever the opposite is when it comes to experience. I also saw him go from black to grey (now I’m talking hair), maybe from having to deal with us! But when it came to guest booking, I’ve never been with anyone better. My partner, Bob Berger, and I would marvel at his naivete when it came to his guest pursuits, and what he said he could deliver, until he actually DELIVERED! What a great joy it was for us to have those conversations, thanks to Randy’s passion and ‘never take no for an answer approach.’ He was the best!”
“After more than 40 years in radio, I can tell you that Randy’s the best. There’s nobody better at booking guests! If there was a Hall of Fame for producers, Randy would get in on the first ballot. The list of those he somehow convinced to come on radio shows is a who’s who’s of the sports world and beyond. I was lucky enough to be in front of the microphone for many of those interviews.”
“While we cherish champions in the world of sports, we cheer louder for champions in the game of life. Character, integrity and honesty matter. That sums up Randy Merkin.”
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Talking 'Bout My Generation
Minutia Men Celebrity Interview Classic: Dan Butler
We have now done over 200 interviews on our various Minutia Men podcasts, and this year we're going to revisit some of the best. Dan Butler first became famous as sports-talk host "Bulldog" on the classic television sitcom Frazier. We talked to Dan about that, plus his memorable scene in the film Silence of the Lambs, his work supporting LGBTQ causes, and his appearance on the Chicago stage portraying another sportscaster, Harry Teinowitz, in the Jeff-nominated play When Harry Met Rehab.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Minutia Men
Minutia Men – Joke, Joke, Joke…REPEAT!
Twins Peaks talk with one of the actresses from the series, what not to compare your wife to, husband calling contest winners, 1910’s slang, and some classy ways to go out in style. [Ep299]
The Loop Files: Brendan Sullivan
I'm working on a special project this year about a certain radio station, so I've been going back into my files and pulling out some old interviews with former Loop colleagues and pals. I'll feature one a week here on the blog. This week, it's Brendan Sullivan. Brendan was part of the producing team for the Jonathon Brandmeier Showgram during part of Johnny's Loop years. I interviewed him in 2011 for Chicago Radio Spotlight...
Brendan: Blue Velveeta, my improv group, was getting a lot of press at about the time "Johnny B. on the Loose" (TV show, summer of 1991) was being produced at Channel 11 studios for NBC Productions. We'd just won a national improv competition. Johnny hired a group of us including Brian McCann, Andy Richter and Kevin Dorff who all went on to Conan, Jay Leggett who has done very well in LA acting and writing, and me. We generated ideas for the show. When the TV show ended, Johnny invited me to join the radio show, at first part-time, and later full-time.
Rick: Officially I believe you were classified as a producer, but how would you describe your list of job duties during those years?
Rick: I may be biased because of my heritage, but I always got the biggest kick out of the Nazi Stormtroopers bit that you did with Jeff Hoover. What was the origin of that bit?
Brendan: As I recall, we were on the Loop, and one morning the announcement was made that our AM station, which shared our space, WMVP was either going all-sports, or the all-sports concept was being dumped. It's a blur. But people were getting fired that morning and Johnny painted this picture of Nazi Germany with staffers hiding under their desks and stormtroopers marching down the hallways and cleaning out the offices. He told Hoover and me to 'do something with that.' And so we created Helmut and Wilhelm, who owned the radio stations and ruled with an iron fist. It was really more like Hogan's Heroes. Let me stress that. Helmut and Wilhelm were soulless idiots, and that's where the humor came in. For the biggest promotional error I was ever a part of, some beer company sponsor sent us in 'uniform' to some bar in Morton Grove or Skokie. No one there knew that there was a radio promotion going on. They just thought we were Nazis, and they were not happy. We drank heavily and wrapped it up quickly before the riots broke out.
Rick: Talk about fellow storm trooper Jeff Hoover. He's obviously doing great work these days working as a producer on the WGN-TV Morning News. What was it like working with that nut every single day?
Rick: In ten years of working for Brandmeier you saw and did a lot of things. When you look back on those years, what are some of your favorite moments?
Brendan: Wow, there were a lot. Too too many to mention here. My favorites were probably when I cracked Johnny up. I had a bit idea where we recreated a scene from Pulp Fiction. Word for word, we recreated the "Royale with Cheese" scene with John Travolta and Samuel Jackson. Except I had Jim Volkman read Travolta's lines as Harry Caray and Hoover read Jackson's lines as Jerry Lewis. My concept, but Volkman and Hoover (and Jimmy McInerney's audio magic) made it work. Hard to explain why it's so funny unless you know the original and hear the parody. There was also a morning where Johnny's Eddie Abler interviewed a teenager who'd changed his name to Trout Fishing in America after the philosophy book. Well, "Eddie" thought the kid had named himself after a fish. The kid believed he was actually on "Eddie Abler's Good Outdoorsman Show." When "Eddie" found out it wasn't about fish, he said he oughta wrap a 50-pound line around the kid's scrotum and drag him around the lake. I happened to be in the studio with Johnny (Eddie), which was rare, and Johnny was on the ground, laughing so hard he was crying, and trying to hold down the mute button while the kid was profusely apologizing to "Eddie."
Rick: I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but how would you describe the difference between John Brandmeier the person, and John Brandmeier the performer?
