Friday, July 26, 2024

Media Notebook--7-26-24















MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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



RADIO/PODCASTS

 

*Rest in Peace

=Don Buchwald

One of the most famous talent agents in America. This is what one of his former clients, former Chicago radio morning man Paul Barsky, wrote on Tuesday to eulogize Don…

        Today I learned that legendary broadcast talent agent Don Buchwald passed away. He's quite famous for being Howard Stern's long-time agent and in my opinion, he's the main person responsible for Howard's financial success. But a couple years before he became Howard 's agent, Don was my agent. Here's how I met him :

In the early 80's I was hired to be part of a new coast to coast music radio network that ABC radio constructed called " Superadio". One of the personalities on the network was the greatest top 40 DJ of all time...Dan Ingram of 77 WABC fame. Anyway, a month before the network was supposed to launch all over America...the entire staff was called into a conference room for a 2pm meeting at the ABC building in NYC and given the bad news that the project was " postponed indefinitely", which was another way of saying " canceled".

After the meeting, Ingram asked me who my agent was. I said I didn't have one. Then he said..." you need one, and I'm going to introduce you to mine.. his name is Don Buchwald....let's go". So now I'm walking down East 44th st. in NYC with Dan Ingram heading over to meet his agent. We get to the building, head up in the elevator , the doors open and Dan leads me directly into Buchwald's office and shouts, "Superadio's dead, and here's one of the casualties ...Paul Barsky...you need to sign him..he's gonna do big things". And right then and there , and without ever hearing a sample of my work...I became Don Buchwald's brand-new client.

Not long after that, Don went to work quickly and literally changed the trajectory of my broadcasting career. He landed me my first major market morning radio hosting job.... the morning show on WCAU-FM in Philly, and then a few years later he secured for me the morning drive hosting job at WLS-FM in Chicago. Always impeccably dressed, I used to call him " Dapper Don"... he was brilliant, wise, laid back yet fearless. May he rest in peace.

 


*Sound Exchange Sues AccuRadio

=Kurt Hanson is the long-time Chicago radio guy who created the internet radio powerhouse AccuRadio. Sound Exchange is the service that collects royalties for recording artists. The RAMP newsletter has the blow by blow of this lawsuit.


 

*Musberger Media Buys Back VSiN

=A few years ago (2021) Brian Musberger and former Chicago Tribune writer Bill Adee sold their multi-platform sports betting site to DraftKings. This week they bought it back from them. In a release, Musberger said:  "We truly appreciate the work we've done with DraftKings and look forward to continuing to collaborate on future projects. Bill and I couldn't be more excited about leading VSiN into the future and cementing our position as a trusted authority in sports betting."

 


*Blues Brothers, on Audible

=Dan Ackroyd is at the helm of this project on Audible. Count me in. The Associated Press has more information about it.



 

*Ex-Chicago Radio

=Jay Styles, who was here in Chicago at WSHE for about five years as the afternoon man/MD, has re-emerged on the radio dial. He is now hosting afternoons at WHEL in Ft. Myers, Florida.

 


*New Illini Announcers

=Two former Illini players will join the radio coverage of University of Illinois football this year, Carey Davis and Kevin Mitchell.  Davis was a co-captain for the 2003 Illini and later became a Super Bowl winner with the Steelers. Mitchell was one of the co-captains of the 2008 Illini team that went to the Rose Bowl.


 

*Rest in Peace

=John Mayall

British blues musician. He was 90.

=Abdul “Duke” Fakir

Last surviving member of the Four Tops. He was 88.

=Dick Asher

Former president of Polygram and Columbia Records. He was 92.

 

 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 


*July 21—Mary Ann Ahern birthday

=Political reporter at NBC-5 Chicago. Winner of multiple Emmy awards, and a Lisagor Award for Lifetime Achievement (in 2012). A native of Michigan City, Indiana.

 


*July 21—Danielle Tufano

=Danielle was a morning personality and program director at the River for several years before leaving the radio business. This has always been my favorite photo of her, strangling her fellow River air personality Mitch Michaels at one of Mitch’s book signings. I interviewed Danielle for Illinois Entertainer.



 

*July 21—Spike Manton birthday

=Probably best known for his years paired up with Harry Teinowitz at various different Chicago radio stations. Spike also co-hosted with Steve Dahl at WCKG and was the morning man at the Loop with Dobie Maxwell and Max Bumgardner in the early 00s. In addition, Spike is an award-winning playwright. I interviewed him on my podcast a few years ago.


 

*July 21—Tim Virgin birthday

=Tim is the afternoon man at WLS-FM but also had a long and successful stint at both Q-101 and WLUP. I interviewed him for Illinois Entertainer.


 

*July 21—Rich Strong birthday

=Rich has worked at WMAQ radio, CBS-2 television, and still works as a news anchor for USA Radio Networks. He now lives in Denver.

 


*July 22—Sam Alex birthday

=Nationally syndicated country music radio personality, originally from the Chicago area.

 


*July 23--Ray Rayner birthday

=The beloved children’s TV host of the 1960s and 1970s at Channel 9 was also a war hero. He was one of the men who escaped the German POW camp memorialized in the film “The Great Escape”.

 


*July 24—Sky Daniels birthday

=Sky was the evening jock and music director of the Loop during its initial heyday in the late 70s, early 80s. (PHOTO: Paul Natkin). I interviewed Sky for Illinois Entertainer just last year.



 

*July 24--Kathy Brock birthday

=Kathy was an anchor at ABC-7 in Chicago for 28 years. She retired in 2018. It was clear her co-workers thought very highly of her…


 

*July 25--Anna Davlantes birthday

=Anna has worked at high profile gigs in both radio and television in Chicago, WGN Radio, and Fox-32, NBC-5, and WTTW.

 


*July 26—Steve King birthday

=Steve had a famous run at WLS during their music radio days but is best known for his two-plus decade run as the overnight host at WGN Radio along with his wife Johnnie. He’s also the writer of a cult rock and roll hit. I wrote about that in the Illinois Entertainer in 2021.


 

*July 26—Charlie Van Dyke birthday

=One-time WLS-AM morning man during the station’s music radio days. Really made his mark out on the west coast at KHJ. Voice of television stations around the country. Father of Kiss-FM’s morning man Christopher “Brotha Fred” Frederick.

 


*July 26—Jim Avila birthday

=Award-winning television journalist, best known for his years at ABC network. He also worked here in Chicago at Channel 2 and is originally from the Chicago area (Glenbard East High School grad). Currently working in local television again in San Diego.


 

*July 27—Jon Hansen birthday

=Jack of all trades. Has worked in both radio (WGN) and television (WCIU, Fox-32), and also provides the in-arena entertainment at Chicago Blackhawks games. He’s also in the Illini Media Hall of Fame. I interviewed him for Illinois Entertainer.


 

July 27—Will Byington birthday

=Will is one of the premier photographers in Chicago. He’s also a frequent radio guest. He combined those two back in November when he came out to the first book signing for The Loop Files, hopped on the bar at Pippin’s, and took this photo.



 

TV/STREAMING

 


*Olympic Coverage

=There’s no excuse to miss any part of the Summer Olympics you’d like to see. NBC-5 Chicago and Telemundo Chicago will have 500+ hours of coverage beginning today with the Opening Ceremonies. The newscasts on both Channel 5 and Telemundo will also feature locally-focused coverage in every newscast through the closing ceremonies on August 11.


*Gaynor Hall Leaves WGN

=She announced the news on Friday just a few hours after my last column came out….


 

*Jon Lester on Marquis Network

=They gave Lester a tryout in the TV booth alongside the Hall of Famer Pat Hughes. If you want to see how he did, here’s a little taste of it.


 

*Ernie Johnson Takes a Leave of Absence from TBS

=He was the in-studio anchor for TBS baseball coverage, but he’ll be taking off the rest of the regular season and post season to attend to a personal matter. More info here.


 

*He’s Back

=Meanwhile, it appears someone else’s exile is over.


 

*The BBC to Lay Off 500 People

=That’s a big number, even if it’s over a two-year period as this article explains. 

 


*Rupert Murdoch’s Battle with his Children

=Reading this article it’s almost impossible not to think about the show Succession. Rupert is trying to change his “inviolable trust” so that his oldest son inherits it all because he has the same politics as Rupert. Murdoch considers his other three children too politically moderate to “maintain the value of his media properties”. He’s pitting his children against each other exactly the way Logan Roy would have done it.


 

*One more Newhart item

=This was one of my favorite pieces about Bob Newhart in the wake of his passing. Block Club Chicago explained the opening sequence of his show set in Chicago, and why he was hopelessly lost every day.


 

*Rest in Peace

=Autumn Crittendon

The former 16 and Pregnant star was 27.

=Ester TerBlanche

South African actress who appeared in All My Children. She was 51.


 

DIGITAL/PRINT

 


*RIP Walter Shapiro

=Jeff Greenfield announced the news via Twitter

=In addition to being a great political commentator, Walter also wrote a book about one of his ancestors who hustled Adolf Hitler. I talked to him about that for my podcast just last year.


 

*Gershkovich sentenced to 16 years in Russian Prison

=Evan Gershkovich was given a 16-year sentence. 

=Meanwhile another US/Russian journalist (Alsu Kermasheva) was given 6 ½ years in a Russian prison after a rushed and secret trial. The AP has that story.



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.

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