Saturday, April 08, 2023
Minutia Men
Minutia Men – Performative Proposals
Marriage proposals made for TikTok performances, English dentistry, An e-mail from the Mooch, Midnight Express’ Billy Hayes, dad jokes save lives, and a nude dining experience are among the minutiae discussed this week by Rick and Dave. [Ep309]
Free Kicks
Free Kicks - Sad Sacked
13 managers have been sacked in the Premier League this season (a new record). Adam and Rick discuss. [Ep184]
Friday, April 07, 2023
Media Notebook--4-7-23
MEDIA NOTEBOOK
A curation of news items about the media from this past week, with a particular emphasis on Chicago
(By Rick Kaempfer)
RADIO/PODCASTS
*Todd Cavanah steps down at Audacy
=After 33 years, Audacy Chicago VP of Programming and B96
and 104.3 Jams Brand Manager Todd Cavanah has announced his resignation.
His statement was sent out by the Audacy brass. Here’s part of it… It’s
unheard of especially in this business, to work for the same station for 33
years but I did it. I have been fortunate to work with so many amazing people
these past three decades. We generated millions and millions of dollars with
our amazing brands B96 and 104-3 JAMS… After much consideration I have decided
to part ways with Audacy and spend the summer traveling with my boys as they
play baseball all across the country. I am looking forward to embarking on my
next career opportunity. I will soon be a free agent and excited to see what my
next 33-year job will be. I look forward to speaking with my
friends over the next few months.
=Replacing
Todd as Brand Manager at B-96 is Molly Cruz. She is a native of
Chicago’s suburbs, and most recently worked in Milwaukee. Erik Bradley
was named the interim Brand Manager at 104-3 JAMS.
*Mitch Rosen Interview
=My interview with another Audacy Brand Manager, Mitch
Rosen from the Score, was posted this week by Illinois Entertainer. One
highlight from the interview is Mitch’s description of the moment Pat Hughes
was named to the Hall of Fame.
*John Fisher back on the air in Seattle
=John Fisher was a legend in Chicago radio in the
80s and 90s, at WMET, WCKG, and the Loop. He moved to Seattle 30 years ago and
has become a legend there too. He just joined his fourth station in Seattle.
Fisher will be the midday man at 98.9 KPNW-FM.
*Senator
asks automakers to keep AM radio in cars
=I’ve previously
reported on this trend of automakers taking AM Radio out of their cars,
especially electric vehicles. Well, Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts
recently wrote letters to the eight automakers who have yanked AM out of their
newest models and asked them to reconsider. According
to the Senator, none of the eight are having any second thoughts. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s plea for public safety information to the public
during times of emergency didn’t sway them. The Senator’s letter didn’t sway
them. It’s not looking good for AM radio in cars.
*RIP Molly Hall
=Got
this news from former Chicago radio newsman Bob Roberts, via his
Facebook page…. Former INBA President and WCIA-TV anchor/reporter/Capitol Bureau Chief Molly
Hall has died suddenly and I am urging friends to remember her with a
donation to the INBA Foundation in her memory. This is such a shock. Far too
soon. Molly was innately positive, always smiling and a tireless advocate for
journalism and the First Amendment, serving as the Illinois News Broadcasters
Association's president in 1989. In fact, she was the one who first recruited
me to serve on the INBA Board -- a commitment of mine that lasted for 30 years.
John, Becky, Ben and the rest of the family, you have my prayers. I would also
urge INBA members and friends to donate to the INBA Foundation scholarship fund
in her memory. Flowers are beautiful for a week; donations to the Foundation
can change a life. I believe that Molly would approve.
*The Loop Files
=Remember it posts every Tuesday. This week’s feature is Danny
Bonaduce.
*Local radio sale
=The sale is now final for these suburban radio stations.
Studstill Media and the Studstill family, owners of Mendota Broadcasting, Inc.
and Laco Radio, Inc. have closed on the sale of the following stations: WALS-FM,
WIVQ-FM, WSTQ-FM, WYYS-FM, WGLC-FM, WBZG-FM, WSPL-AM, and W253BX 98.5 FM. The
purchaser is Shaw Local Radio Co. The purchase price was $1,800,000. Bob
Heymann of the Chicago office of Media Services Group served as the exclusive
broker for the Seller in this transaction.
*Podcast Corner
=I like that there is a women’s soccer podcast on iHeart. I don’t love the name of it. They call it “Snacks”
=On my podcast Minutia Men Celebrity Interview, I had a chance this week to interview John Lennon’s girlfriend/companion during his famous Lost Weekend, May Pang. Some great stories here.
*Best in Chicago
=The Chicago Reader’s Best in Chicago issue named Lin
Brehmer as the best DJ in Chicago. Another fitting tribute to Lin.
=WBEZ was chosen as the best radio station in town.
=Brand new Hall of Famer Pat Hughes was named as
the best sports announcer in Chicago.
=City Cast Chicago was the best podcast in the
city.
=And Car Con Carne was chosen as the best music
podcast in Chicago.
MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES
*April
2—Jim Johnson birthday
=His daughter Alexis posted this on the former WLS newsman’s birthday this week…
*April 2--Dr. Demento
birthday
=The king of the wacky song,
Dr. Demento championed Weird Al Yankovic and a whole generation
of parody song writers. Including me. When Stan Lawrence and I got our first
songs on Dr. Demento during our Ebony & Ivory days (1991-1992), it
was one of the highlights of our career. Dr. Demento retired from terrestrial
radio in 2010, but is still hanging in there. This week he turned 81 years old.
*April 3—Paul Konrad
birthday
=Konrad is one of the stars
of the WGN-TV Morning News, the top-rated morning television show in Chicago.
This photo of Paul with Rich King and Pat Tomasulo was taken in the WGN
offices. It appears in Rich’s book Ike and Me.
April 3—Ellen Miller birthday
=Ellen is the co-host of Out
Chicago on WCPT, Sundays from 11am-1pm. She previously worked at WXRT for
many years as a senior account executive. Ellen is married to Chicago radio
newscaster Kathy Voltmer.
April 3—Brian Noonan birthday
=Brian is a stand-up comic
who graced the airwaves at WGN radio for 15 years, usually in the evening and
overnight slots. He can currently be heard on the air in Milwaukee at WTMJ. I
previously interviewed Brian for Chicago Radio Spotlight back in 2008.
*April 4—Wayne Juhlin
birthday
=Wayne would have been 86
years old this week. The former WFYR morning man is uncle to Gregg and Dag
Juhlin who both went into the media as well, and husband to former radio
personality Penny Lane.
*April 4, 1994—Hillary
Clinton gets a wet one from Harry Caray
=This incredibly memorable
Chicago Tribune photo from this week in 1994 still haunts me…
*April 4, 2013—Roger
Ebert passes away
=Hard to believe he’s been gone ten years already. Roger was one of the all-time greats. A Pulitzer Prize winner. A great storyteller. And one of the most memorable people I’ve ever met. John Landecker wrote about his friend Roger in his book Records Truly Is My Middle Name. You can read that free excerpt here.
*April
5, 1948--The Tribune Company begins broadcasts over WGN-TV on Channel 9
=You’ve
been seeing their 75th anniversary clips for weeks now. Well, this
week was the official 75th anniversary. On Wednesday night they
aired a two-hour special.
*April 5--Pat Brickhouse birthday
=Jack Brickhouse’s widow Pat was a dogged champion of her late
husband’s legacy. Pat was tough as nails, and not afraid of anyone or anything.
She was the one who got the statue of Jack (on Michigan Avenue) created. Pat passed away in January 2022 at the age of 91.
*April 6—Dan Sorkin birthday
=When I asked Fred Winston who he considered the
greatest Chicago radio morning man of all-time, he said a name that surprised
me: Dan Sorkin. I didn’t know about Dan at the time, but the more I
researched him, the more I wanted to talk to him. Sorkin was the morning man at
WCFL in the early 60s and discovered a local Chicago comedian named Bob
Newhart. I was lucky enough to interview Dan in 2010 for Chicago Radio
Spotlight. He passed away in 2016.
*April 7—Melissa Forman birthday
=She’s the morning host on the top-rated radio station
in Chicago, WLIT. Melissa has now been in Chicago radio for nearly 30 years.
I’ve interviewed her several times, including this 2021 feature in Illinois Entertainer.
*April 7—Dorothy Humphrey birthday
=Dorothy’s unique voice was one of the highlights of the Kevin
Matthews show on AM 1000 back in the day. Dorothy was a traffic reporter in
Chicago for many years. She now works for SRN Testing Services.
*April 7—Bebe North birthday
=Chicago sportscaster Mike North talked about his wife
Bebe so often she became a Chicago radio celebrity in her own right.
TV/STREAMING
*WGN 75th Anniversary/Backstory
=Rick Kogan of the Tribune wrote a great piece
this week about Larry Potash and his show Backstory, and the 75th
anniversary of WGN-TV.
=This piece on the WGN-TV website is an interesting
behind the scenes look at a day in the life of WGN.
*Sam Charles Leaves WGN
=He announced the news himself this week on Twitter.
Personal/professional news: Today is my last day at @WGNNews.
— Sam Charles (@samjcharles) March 24, 2023
I'm heading to the @chicagotribune, where I'll continue covering the Chicago Police Department and other criminal justice topics.
*Streaming Corner
=This is a great profile of Succession star Kieran
Culkin in Esquire Magazine.
*ABC News loses 50 staffers
=It seems like every media company in the world is
downsizing. ABC is owned by Disney, and this week they announced layoffs in the
ABC News department.
*Cable News Corner
=Elizabeth Vargas debuted this week on NewsNation
=Don Lemon was accused of misogyny in new Variety story.
=Ana Cabrera moves from CNN to MSNBC. Her new show
debuts on Monday.
=There may be turmoil in Rupert Murdoch’s relationship. The engagement has been called off.
*Jim Nantz says farewell to NCAA Final Four
=When U Conn won the NCAA National Championship this week
it also marked the official end of Jim Nantz’s three decade run as the voice of
the tournament. The Chicago Tribune wrote a nice piece about Nantz this week.
*Roku slashes 200 jobs
=That’s 6% of their workforce.
PRINT/DIGITAL MEDIA
*Pro-Publica's Clarence Thomas Story
=This explosive story about the Supreme Court Justice and the billionaire who plies him with gifts while he has cases pending before the Supreme Court is a great example of what journalism can do.
*Why retired journalists are hopping back into the profession
=Nieman Reports published this piece explaining why
retired local news people don’t tend to stay retired very long.
*Lawyers visit detained Wall Street Journal reporter in
Russia
=This Evan Gershkovich story is getting worse and worse.
The latest update involves lawyers from the Wall Street Journal visiting him in
Russia, in an unsuccessful attempt to get him released. NBC News has the story.
*The biggest story of the week
=This is Time Magazine’s take on it. Trump is famous for
coveting his Time Magazine covers. I’m guessing he won’t covet this one.
SOCIAL MEDIA
*Twitter Labels NPR “State-Sponsored Media”
=This Elon Musk character is
losing his mind. Twitter labeled
National Public Radio’s account “US state-affiliated media” on Tuesday night, comparing
it to propaganda networks like Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua News Agency.
Needless to say, this is a preposterous comparison. NPR CEO John Lansing
responded: “NPR and our Member stations are supported by millions of
listeners who depend on us for the independent, fact-based journalism we
provide. NPR stands for freedom of speech and holding power accountable. It is
unacceptable for Twitter to label us this way. A vigorous, vibrant free press
is essential to the health of our democracy.”
=It should be noted that government
financed BBC (UK) and CBC (Canada) are considered exceptions to Twitter’s state-sponsored
rule. So are US-government financed Voice of America and the Stars
& Stripes newspaper. NPR used to be considered in the same category as
them, which of course, they should be.
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.
If you're interested in some of my other projects from this week...
The Fifth Edition (2023) of EveryCubEver is out now! Buy your copy today
Minutia Men: Rick and Dave Confess
Minutia Men Celebrity Interview: John Lennon girlfriend/companion May Pang
Minutia Men Celebrity Interview Classic: Head of the Class star Dan Frischman
Free Kicks with Adam & Rick: Sad Sacked
Meet the Eckhartz Press Author: Mike Gentile
From the Eckhartz Book Shelf: Cubsessions
My latest novel: Back in the D.D.R
Windy City Reviews Back in the D.D.R.
Podcast Interview about Back in the D.D.R: Military Family Museum Podcast
Thursday, April 06, 2023
From the Eckhartz Bookshelf: Cubsessions
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 Cubsessions by Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson.
The Cubs are more than just a baseball team to those who root for them. From the heartaches of 1969 and 2003 to the pure joy of 2016, emotional ties bind fans of Chicago’s North Side ball club. Throughout the 2017 season, writers and die-hard Cub fans Becky Sarwate and Randy Richardson interviewed a diverse collection of some of the team’s most famous fans: actors, comedians, broadcasters, musicians, restauranteurs, athletes, journalists. Even those who are ubiquitous precisely because of their fandom. Cubsessions tells the story of divergent life paths – the roads taken, the failures experienced, and the successes reached – and how those paths all come together for a collective passion. Bob Newhart, Pat Brickhouse, Dennis Franz, Joe Mantegna, Scott Turow, Bill Kurtis, and many others, share just what it means to bleed Cubbie blue.
The authors have partnered with and are donating 100 percent of their proceeds from book sales to a collection of two charities: Chicago Baseball Cancer Charities (CBCC) and Club 400. Both are federally-registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charitable organizations.
“During my 41-plus years as a sportswriter with the Chicago Tribune, I learned that Cubs fans are indeed a super-energized, passionate and yet often complicated breed. To capture the essence of their obsession and undying loyalty is a remarkable accomplishment. Yet Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate manage to do just that through this rare collection of stories from the team’s legion of celebrity fans.”
“Randy and Becky have knocked a 98 MPH fastball onto Waveland Avenue with their new book. For a guy who’s had a love affair with the Cubbies for over 60 years, this book is truly a ‘keeper.’”
“The Chicago Cubs didn’t win the 2016 World Series; WE did. That’s how us Cub fans feel, that we’re a part of this whole thing. Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate’s compilation of fan stories about this great triumph firmly places us in the center of the action, and in so doing shows the beautiful community that surrounds the former Lovable Losers.”
Wednesday, April 05, 2023
Minutia Men Celebrity Interview Classic: Dan Frischman
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 Frischman played Arvid on the hit sitcom "Head of the Class" and told us great stories about his days on the show, including stories about Howard Hesseman, Brad Pitt, Mike Tyson, and Robin Givens. Definitely worth a re-listen.
Tuesday, April 04, 2023
The Loop Files: Danny Bonaduce
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 the memorable Danny Bonaduce. I've interviewed Danny many times, including once for LoopScoop magazine, and more recently for Illinois Entertainer and my podcast. This one below is from 2010, for Chicago Radio Spotlight.
(Photo: Associated Press, 1994)
Rick: You’re known for all sorts of different things (including obviously, "The Partridge Family"), but it’s been more than twenty years now since you started in radio. Do you consider yourself a radio guy now first and foremost?
Danny: Well, I’ve been doing it every single day for twenty years, so I guess the answer to that has to be yes. In life I guess you either have to follow the money or your spiritual beliefs, and since I have no spiritual beliefs of any kind, I follow the money. And for me, the money is in radio.
Rick: You and I worked together very briefly when you first started on the Loop. I was doing overnights on the FM while you were doing overnights on the AM, and I remember that as a very wild time. The hallways were completely crazy every night--it was a radio free for all, and Chicago seemed to embrace you almost instantly. Did you feel the same way about Chicago?
Danny: Absolutely. If you read my book, and I’m not saying this to sell the book because it’s out of print now, but there is more than one chapter dedicated to Chicago, and not just to radio, but to the city, and the people I met there. As far as I’m concerned, my radio career didn’t start the first time I cracked the mic and said “This is Danny Bonaduce.” My real radio career started when I did talk radio—entertainment talk—which is what I do—and that happened for the first time in Chicago. That was real radio, not playing some Debbie Gibson records.
The reason you remember the craziness in the hallway is because back then, just as now, I did absolutely no preparation. I still never write anything down. I don’t even carry a pen. I just introduce the show, and I sidekick for the telephone.
I wait for the inspiration of one moment that will start the show. Let’s say I get into a huge fight with my girlfriend, just to take an obvious example of something that everyone can relate to. I tell the story on the air, and then before I even get to the phone calls of people saying I was right or I was wrong, I get the calls from other people who got into fights with their girlfriends, and that leads to a discussion about resolving the fights because divorce is too expensive, and then calls about cheating, and before you know it, you’ve got a show. I usually have one story to start, and aside from that, I don’t prepare a thing.
Rick: The bit I remember most vividly from your early time at the Loop was the bit when you drove down the parking garage ramp in the Hancock as fast as you could.
Danny: (excited) Carioke! That was my all-time favorite bit. I loved that! That was the very best thing I’ve ever done in entertainment talk radio, and the best I ever will do.
The Hancock had this eight story spiral ramp going up to the parking garage (photo), and the bit was that you had to come into the car with me and sing a song all the way down while I drove as fast as I could, and if you could do it without screaming, you’d win. No one could ever do it, because I knew something they didn’t. That garage ramp was engineered in such a way that a car couldn’t flip over. And I didn’t care if I scraped it up or dinged it, so I would hit the sides, and sparks would go flying and everybody, and I mean everybody, screamed. Nobody made it down that ramp without screaming.
One day Johnny B told me that he thought he could do it, and so I took him down the ramp too. And I went fast, but not real fast, not as fast as I could have gone, and he was singing Happy Birthday or something like that and was doing great until we got to the bottom of the ramp. When we reached the bottom, he saw a woman standing there with a baby carriage, and it was right in our way. Well, I slammed into that baby carriage at full speed, and it went flying through the air, and Johnny B FLIPPED OUT. I mean flipped out!
And then the woman, my ex-wife, got the baby carriage and showed Johnny there was a doll in there.
Rick: (laughing) Oh my God.
Danny: I’ve tried recreating that in other places, but I can’t. It was just that spiral, and the engineering of it that made it work. On flat surfaces or other garages it wouldn’t work, because it would be too dangerous.
Rick: To a lot of people, the big highlight of your time here, the thing that everybody remembers is your fight against Donny Osmond. You’ve since fought a bunch of other people, and everybody knows that you’re a tough guy now, but nobody really knew what to expect for that fight. What are your memories of that night?
Danny: I didn’t know what to expect either. I came close to losing that fight. For one thing, I was drunk. Somebody asked me on my way into the ring what I thought was going to happen, and I said, "I’m going to kick his ass then get drunker."
I mean, c’mon, this is Donny Osmond we’re talking about here. I had a girl to hold my cigarette, because you know, I was smoking three packs a day. But that’s how unconcerned I was. And I started off by pounding away at this guy for like seventy five seconds, and then I stepped away, figuring he would just collapse onto the ground. But he didn’t. He had protected himself. And I thought, “Holy shit, if Donny Osmond kicks my ass, I’m going to have to leave the country!”
Rick: But you did win that fight. And you’ve fought a few more since then.
Danny: After that Donny fight, I took training more seriously. I recently fought Jose Canseco. And that guy was HUGE. I mean the measurements were hilarious. On weigh-in day he was 6’6, 265. I was 5’6, 165. He hit me once, and I’ve never been hit that hard before. I went flying halfway cross the ring, but I happened to land on my feet. I opened my eyes expecting to see him coming in for the kill, but he hadn’t moved. I had to walk back over to him. I think the only reason I didn't lose that fight was because he was tired of being hated.
Rick: Do you still have a tattoo of the Loop logo and Larry Wert’s name on your butt? (Photo: Life Magazine)
Danny: Sure, of course. You don’t think I would have that taken off do you? It’s a hell of an ice breaker in Chicago.
Rick: And Larry really is the godfather of your child.
Danny: I know people thought I was kissing the boss’s ass when I made him the godfather, but I didn’t do that because he was the boss. We really were best friends. And plus, I was already #1 by then. You don’t kiss the boss’s ass when you’re #1. You do it when your ratings suck.
Rick: I don’t know if people remember this, but Johnny B was also critical in the beginning of your radio career. I talked to Johnny the other day and mentioned that I would be talking to you, and he told me to say hi.
Danny: I love Johnny (photo). The reason I give Johnny the credit for my radio career is because even though he never actually hired me anywhere, even at the Loop, he gave me my start with a bit he did.
An article came out in the National Enquirer that Danny Bonaduce was homeless and hungry, so he did a mock food drive for me. I got a call from Chicago saying: "We’ve got 7000 pounds of canned food, and about 12 grand in cash, and would you come to Chicago?" So I did, and you have to remember I was living in LA where everyone is apathetic. If a DJ told someone to do something there, maybe five people would show up. When I got to Chicago though, there were hundreds of people in the airport with signs and billboards. I remember one very well. It had a picture of a red-headed skeleton, and it said “Stop hunger before it stops Danny Partridge.”
I couldn’t believe it—that’s when I discovered the power a DJ could have.
And Johnny had me come up on stage with him and sing “I think I love you” and I wrote funny new lyrics to it, but while I was up there, I felt like I was being pelted with ice. I thought, "man these people in Chicago turn on you fast," but then I noticed it wasn’t ice. It was coins. It was money, and I was running around that stage picking it up. Sure, it was a funny bit, but I really was homeless. I needed that money.
So, DJs being the scum that they are, started stealing the bit. And it became so popular, I went around the country one station at a time, repeating the bit. And one station in Philly even hired me to come on their lame show and be a sidekick and play Debbie Gibson records.
And then Larry Wert saw me do stand up. He called his boss Jimmy de Castro (photo) and said “I’ve seen Danny’s show four nights in a row, and it’s completely different every night. I think he’d be great for the Loop.” So, when my contract ran out in Philly, I went to Chicago, and I got the overnight shift. One night I was on the air on a Saturday, because I worked six days a week back then, and Jimmy called Larry Wert, and said, “Is this what this fucker does? He just screams into the microphone all day?” Just as he was saying that to Larry, I guess I actually said, “What I lack in talent, I make up for in volume.”
I had a contract offer to do overnights, but before I even had a chance to sign it, they moved me to nights, and then to middays, and I never actually signed it. Jimmy finally said to me, “Is it OK if we just shake on it?” And we did. We just shook hands. They gave me a raise and gave me a great deal of money, and I worked for their company and the company it became, which is Clear Channel, for 16 years—all without a contract.
Next week: Dave Benson