Media Notebook--7-19-24

MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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

RADIO/PODCASTS

 

*RIP Bob Newhart

=Bob Newhart passed away yesterday at the age of 94. Most people are aware that Bob was from Chicago. I've interviewed him a few times about that, including one time about his love of the 1945 Cubs. But the story that isn't often told about Bob is he really got his career start working in radio. He was discovered by the morning man at WCFL, Dan Sorkin. In 2010, a few years before Sorkin's death, I got a chance to ask him about it. Here's a transcript of that portion of the interview with Dan.

    Rick: One of your claims to fame was discovering a mild mannered comic/accountant named Bob Newhart. I saw an interview of Newhart a few years ago and he gave you credit for giving him his big break. How did you and Bob initially cross paths?

    Dan: Playhouse 90 writer Jim Gallagher and I were friends. Jim and Bob had put together and were selling to radio stations a 5 minute taped comedy "man on the street show" for $5 a show. It cost them $7 a show to produce. The more successful the sale, the more money they lost. I loved the comedy routines and asked Jim to bring Bob to the WCFL studios for a live interview. He did. Bob performed several of his routines on air. When Warner Bros. President Jim Conkling came to Chicago I performed Bob's routines for him and suggested a contract. Jim Conkling contracted and had Bob booked into the Tides Hotel in Dallas and recorded  "The Button Down Mind Of Bob Newhart" live. That album sold over a million copies.

    Rick: Bob later asked you to be a part of his first television show. How was that experience?
    Dan: Wonderful. Every Friday after finishing my WCFL Morning Show I would cab to the roof of the Merchandise Mart where a helicopter took me to O'Hare Field in time to catch a Continental non-stop to Burbank where I had a Honda motorcycle stashed at the air freight office. I strapped my bag to the Honda and drove to the NBC Burbank sound stage where I arrived in time to announce the Bob Newhart TV Show. It was a wonderful year!

Kevin Matthews Has a New Book

=Former Loop/WCKG/CD-94.7 radio legend Kevin Matthews has written another book in his Broken Mary series.

*Ryan Arnold Resigns from WXRT

=A day after celebrating his 11th anniversary at WXRT, night jock Ryan Arnold tendered his resignation to the station yesterday. He plans on spending full-time at his PR firm, Desoto & State, which works in the not-for-profit sector. (I interviewed Ryan for Illinois Entertainer in 2017.)

*Coming Soon: Classic Rock U

=YouTube star Adam Reader (The Professor of Rock) will be bringing his classic rock interview show to the radio. It will be produced here in Chicago at Hubbard Media (owners of the Drive, the Mix, Throwback) and will air on the Drive (97.1 FM) in Chicago. It will also be syndicated into markets like St. Louis and Phoenix.

 

*From WBEZ to Medill

=Another change at WBEZ. Natalie Y Moore is moving on to bigger and better things.

I'm headed to teach full-time at @MedillSchool this fall and run their audio program. I love WBEZ and my 17 years there, but I'm ready to take on a new adventure. I will still keep my Sun-Times column and I will find ways to collaborate with WBEZ. https://t.co/c1FxenOYvh

— Natalie Y Moore (@natalieymoore) July 15, 2024

*JRL on WGN

=John Landecker had a bit of a rant on his Facebook page this week. I enjoyed it tremendously. Thought I’d share…

Have I ever ranted on Facebook? Well, I am now. I am sick and tired of the comments about WGN whenever the Chicago ratings are posted. "Oh, it’s not what it used to be,’ 'I stopped listening when (fill in the blank)". I really like the posts that say they never listen anymore and then comment on something that happened on the air. I don't know if all of you radio experts know the current state of AM radio these days, but WGN is an exception. First of all, we are not a part of some oversized bankrupt broadcast group. WGN is the only radio station owned by NexStar media. That is a very big deal. And this constant bitching about the overnight show. Get over it. You know you're not up then anyway.

I'm not done. There was a post with the WGN and WLS ratings in the 25-54 yr old age group. I cannot tell you how misleading this is. Ever since I have been in broadcasting there has been an obsession with this demo. I mean just about every station AM/FM didn’t matter. The idea that WGN, an AM station, would be programming to 25-54 is utter nonsense and to use the ratings of this group as a measure of the station’s success is totally unfair and misleading. I 've got some news for you. There are people who are older than 54! No really. In fact, some of my best friends are over 54. As a matter of fact, I know some people who are even older than 64!

Radio stations are in the business of making money and WGN has found a business model that does that and in doing so they have maintained a fully staffed news department and hired some heritage Chicago talent who busts their ass to put on informative and entertaining programming. So in closing if you don't have anything nice to say..shut the fuck up

=As someone who is himself out of the demo (I’m 60), I can commiserate. By the way, the ratings I post here are always 6+, meaning basically all ages. (Although the six and under crowd is brazenly ignored)

 

*Midge Ripoli Let Go by the Drive

=He announced the news this week…

*Podcast Corner

=The Office Ladies podcast (hosted by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey) is moving from Sirius/XM to Audacy. The Hollywood Reporter has the story.

=Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy had to be rescued by the Coast Guard this week.

=Sarah Spain has a new podcast too…

“Good Game” launched today!

Check out where all the magic happens—a place I affectionately call my “Radio Hole” (we still doing phrasing?). Cool neon sign, foam walls, absolutely no air flow or A.C.

I’m gonna be sweatin’ like a sore ass in spin class 😂https://t.co/IJzNeSTfAP pic.twitter.com/B0GrpqT5mQ

— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) July 17, 2024

 *Ex-Chicago Radio

=The Oakland A’s are moving out of Oakland at the end of this season, and they aren’t bringing along their radio announcer Vince Controneo, who has been with the club for 19 years. One of the announcers who worked alongside him was Ken Korach. Ken was part of the White Sox radio team back in 1992.

*Rest in Peace

=Richard Simmons

Simmons was 76. He had gone into seclusion in recent years, but there was a time when Richard was the best radio guest ever. Here’s an example. An appearance on Melissa Forman’s morning show on WLIT (h/t Tony Lossano)

 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

*July 13, 1985--Live Aid concert

=It raised more than $125M for Africa famine relief and was a major cultural touchstone for people of a certain age (like me). The lineup is still staggering.

*July 14--Dave Plier birthday

Dave hosts Friday evenings on WGN Radio. I interviewed him for Illinois Entertainer in May of 2022.

 

*July 14--Steve Stone birthday

=Played for the Cubs and White Sox, broadcast for the Cubs and White Sox. Currently the color analyst on White Sox television broadcasts.

 

*July 14—Greg Easterling birthday

=I wrote about Greg for Chicago Radio Spotlight when he was still hosting overnights at the Drive. He now does a show on WDCB.

 

*July 14--Steven Haas birthday

=Former broadcast journalist at WBBM-AM. Now lives in Florida.

 

*July 15, 2006—Twitter is founded.

 

*July 15—Jonathon Brandmeier birthday

=At one time, the biggest star on the Chicago radio dial (The Loop). Also worked at WCKG, WLS, and WGN. I wrote about him for Chicago Airwaves magazine in 1993. He is also, of course, heavily featured in my book The Loop Files

 

*July 15—Lauren O’Neil birthday

=I wrote about the Q-101 jock back in 2016 for Illinois Entertainer.

 

*July 15--Dr. Ian Smith birthday

=Chicago’s favorite celebrity TV doctor. Had him on my podcast during the pandemic.

*July 17--Lou Boudreau birthday

=The Good Kid was a Chicago boy even though he played his big-league ball in Cleveland. He was later a Cubs manager, and for many years anchored the Cubs radio broadcasts on WGN. His show “Durocher in the Dugout” is still the best Cubs radio show ever. (Have you ever heard the outtakes?) Lou passed away in 2001.

 

*July 17--Mike Kessler birthday

=Mike was in radio for many years, mostly at WMAQ, but he also worked at WXRT/The Score, WBBM-AM (as a Bears producer), WGN (doing traffic), and briefly in his early years at The Loop, WMET, WRXR, WUSN, WNUA, and WLUW.

 

*July 17--Marc Alghini birthday

=Marc was a long-time WXRTer, but moved down to Peoria a few years ago and is now serving as the PD/morning man at WWCT.

 

*July 19—Terry Gibson birthday

=Terry Gibson did nights at the Loop, afternoons on the Blaze, and is now working in a promotional capacity for the band Styx. I interviewed him for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

*July 19—Todd Manley birthday

=Todd was a production guru before moving into the programming department of WGN. He is still active in the podcast world. I interviewed Todd during his WGN days for Illinois Entertainer.

 

*July 19--Wayne Messmer birthday

=Not many people remember Wayne was once a radio guy—he worked alongside the likes of Paul Barsky and John Records Landecker as a newsman. Oh, and yes, he clearly knows how to sing the National Anthem.

 

*July 20—Pugs Moran birthday

=Pugs worked in Chicago radio at the Loop and WCKG before taking his talents down to Dallas. That’s where he lives today. He hosts a show on the Radio Misfits Podcast Network. I interviewed him years ago for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

*July 20--Tommy King birthday

=Tommy was the Loop’s promotional genius behind the “Loop Girl” competition.

 

TV/STREAMING

 

*Ranking the Local Baseball TV Announcers

=Awful Announcing did their rankings this week, and whoo boy, they are brutal to the White Sox team. They rank them dead last (30^th) with a grade of F. It should be noted that the man the Sox let walk away, Jason Benetti (in Detroit), is ranked 10^th. The Cubs team places 9^th overall with a B grade. According to these rankings, the Mets have the best TV broadcast team in baseball (Gary Cohen, Ron Darling, and Keith Hernandez). 

John Eskra Retires

=Congrats to WFLD-TV sports producer John Eskra, who called it a career this past weekend after 30+ years.

*Paul Rennie to Retire

=The VP/General Manager of WGN-TV has been at the helm for the past eight years. His last day will be August 30^th.

*Newhart Binge Weekend

=The Catchy Comedy network is doing a Bob Newhart marathon this weekend to honor the late comedian. From 11am on Saturday July 20th until Monday July 22nd at 5am they will be showing nothing but Newhart comedies, The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart and Bob.

*Livin’ the Dream

=For one day (Sunday), Alex Cohen was a MLB announcer. (He normally does the Iowa Cubs games)

.@IowaCubs broadcaster @voiceofcohen2 has dreamed of calling an MLB game.

He gets a shot today when he’ll be behind the mic today on @WatchMarquee. https://t.co/kpKeG9ktv5

— Tommy Birch (@TommyBirch) July 14, 2024

 *Cable News Corner

=The Monday following the assassination attempt on Trump, MSNBC pulled their morning show (Morning Joe) off the air to supposedly focus on breaking news. Joe Scarborough is pretty ticked off. Follow the controversy here.

=Donald Trump Jr. brought Tucker Carlson with him to the Fox News greenroom at the convention. According to this piece, he did it to get back at Fox for blacklisting him temporarily.

*Prime-Time Emmy Nominations Announced

=The full list is here. The Bear set a record for comedy nominations. Once again folks, The Bear is *not* a comedy.

Inside Out 2 is Pixar’s Biggest Film Ever

=That’s what the numbers say.

 

*Skip Bayless Leaving FS1

=The show wasn’t doing great in the ratings, but Bayless was one of the most prominent hosts on the network. More information here.

*WNBA Signs $2.2 Billion TV Deal

=It’s an 11-year deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon. The previous deal was for $50 million a year.

*Is America Finally Embracing Soccer?

=As a soccer podcast host and author and someone who traveled all the way to Berlin to watch the Euros a few weeks ago, I’m obviously biased, but this is exciting news.

Less than 10 years ago the Copa final aired on BeIn and averaged 465k viewers.

Sunday night on Fox it averaged over 6 million and was the #1 show of the week in broadcast primetime.#GrowingTheGame https://t.co/bS4Mg2tpip

— Michael Mulvihill (@mulvihill79) July 16, 2024

*Rest in Peace

=Lou Dobbs

The political commentator and cable news anchor was 78.

=Naomi Pomeroy

Top Chef Masters star. She was only 49. She died in a tubing accident.

=Shannon Doherty

The former star of 90210 and Charmed was only 53.

=James Sikking

Former star of Hill Street Blues and Doogie Howser. He was 90.

=Benji Gregory

Former Child Star in ALF. He was 46.

=Dr. Ruth

BREAKING: Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the famed celebrity sex therapist known for her blunt honesty and grandmotherly charm, has died at the age of 96, according to her publicist. https://t.co/DM0MUqA1Jk

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 13, 2024

 DIGITAL/PRINT

 

*Where’s My Paper?

=The Sun-Times and the Tribune did not publish print editions on Tuesday because of “weather-related production issues.” Needless to say, they heard from their subscribers.

*Wall Street Journal Reporter Fired Over Union Role

=That’s the claim made by Selina Cheng, who was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association last month. The New York Times has the story.

*New Book from Daily Herald’s Jim Slusher

=For 25 years Jim has been writing the “Letter to Readers” column in the Daily Herald. This week he released the highlights of those 25 years in a book published by Eckhartz Press (Yes, that’s my publishing company). It’s called To Nudge the World. The book is available for pre-order now. It ships in August.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

*Elon Musk Contributing $45 Million a Month to Trump SuperPAC

=That’s a staggering number. Trump has raised about $400 million so far. One man will give him about half of that the rest of the way. Imagine giving that much money to someone who posted this about you less than two years ago...

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: The Birth of Eckhartz Press

 

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.

I've done a ton of interviews about my writing, but only once was a feature about me as the publisher of Eckhartz Press. This was published in 2018 by Voyage Chicago.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Kaempfer.

Rick, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I founded Eckhartz Press in Chicago in 2011 with my longtime collaborator and friend David Stern. The name “Eckhartz” is a tribute to the men that gave us our creative genes; My father Eckhard, and Stern’s father Fritz. Eckhartz Press is a boutique Chicago publishing company dedicated to serving the brave new 21st-century publishing world; the laughing “E” logo a constant reminder that life is too short – don’t ever lose your sense of humor.

In addition to being the co-author of four Eckhartz Press releases, “Father Knows Nothing”, “Records Truly Is My Middle Name” (with John Records Landecker), “Gruen Weiss Vor” (with Todd Schneider) and “The Living Wills” (with Brendan Sullivan). I have been published several times before (including a novel “$everance” and a how-to-book about radio called “The Radio Producer’s Handbook”), Before that, I was also a member of the media for more than twenty years as the producer of two highly acclaimed radio shows (Steve Dahl & Garry Meier and John Records Landecker), and I still cover the industry as the media critic for the Illinois Entertainer.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?

We admittedly learned how to be publishers through trial and error. I knew how to write and handle media publicity, and Dave knew the paper and printing business, but we had never interested the two before. There were some missteps along the way, but most of those came from not having a deep understanding of potential landmines in the legal and financial world. We can see them now! Full steam ahead!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Eckhartz Press – what should we know?

We are considered a hybrid publisher, meaning that the authors share in the cost and profits with us as total partners. We offer our expertise in the various different elements of the process. Not every author needs us for everything. For instance, some have their own book designers or editors, and some are very internet/social media savvy. We’ve discovered that being flexible is important because every author is different. That’s what makes us different from traditional publishers (who do everything and keep 90% of the profits), and self-publishing (who have to learn every aspect of the process), We also like to concentrate on Chicago authors, stories, and audiences. There are 8-million plus people in this town–and we want to super-serve that audience.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?

David Stern is my co-publisher, and he is just as important to the success of Eckhartz Press as I am. We complement each other perfectly. He is more adept at handling the business end, and I’m more adept at handling the talent. We also get along tremendously well because we’ve been best friends for nearly 40 years.

The other person who really helped this company was John Records Landecker. When the Radio Hall of Famer agreed to be published by this little unknown publishing company, he put us on the map. All good things that have happened to us in the past five years have flowed from that gutsy decision on his part. We’ll always be grateful.

And finally, we’ve had some great people working with us and the authors to make each book special. We couldn’t do it without our, book designers, editors, proofreaders. and printers. There have been at least a dozen of them without whom we couldn’t do this.

Contact Info:

• Address: Eckhartz Press
  3903 N. Keeler
  Chicago, IL 60641
• Website: www.eckhartzpress.com
• Phone: 847-508-8867
• Email: rick@eckhartzpress.com
• Facebook: Eckhartz Press
• Twitter: @rickkaempfer

 

***

Once again, here are a few Cubs goodies from this week in history...

July 14--Bastille Day. Let's talk French Cubs.

July 18, 1881--Birthday of Larry McLean. A Cub who was murdered.

Studio Walls--7-17-24

 

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...

July 14, 1857—Frederick Maytag is born. 

=Jim McMahon gets a visit from the washing machine guy while we're interviewing him.  

 

July 15--Jonathon Brandmeier birthday. 

=Danny Bonaduce told us a great story about Johnny B.

July 15--Dr. Ian Smith birthday

=When we talked to the famous TV doctor it was the first week of COVID. Let's just say his predictions were a little bit off. 

July 15, 1973—Release of We’re An American Band by Grand Funk Railroad

=Mark Farner talked to us about his band's most famous album. 

 

July 16—Michael Flatley birthday. 

=Irish actress Amy Shiels told us a great story about having to fake Irish dancing once during an audition.  

July 1-- Shoeless Joe Jackson birthday. 

=The actor who played him in Eight Men Out, DB Sweeney appeared on the show. 

 July 16—-Phoebe Cates birthday

=In this episode I tell my one and only Phoebe Cates story.  

July 16—World Snake Day. 

=Yeah, that's right. We interviewed Jake the Snake Roberts. 

 

July 17--Minutia Men releases  100^th episode (2018)

July 17--Robert Romanus (Fast Times) birthday

=One of our favorite interviews. He sounds exactly the same. 

July 19—Wayne Messmer birthday

=I wrote a parody song for him and made him sing it live on the air once. We have the audio.

 

July 20, 2002—Jimmy Neutron debuts

=The voice of Jimmy, Debi Derryberry, was a great interview. 

Publishing Portal--7-16-24

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

*NEW BOOK RELEASE (PRE-ORDER): TO NUDGE THE WORLD by JIM SLUSHER

=Thrilled to announce our latest book--Jim Slusher’s “Letter To Readers” column has appeared weekly in the Daily Herald of suburban Chicago since July 15, 1999, providing insights into the decision making of editors and behind-the-scenes descriptions of their work. In tones ranging from deeply serious to engaging humor, this collection from 25 years of the column examines themes of trust, determination and community that define the relationship between a local daily newspaper and its audience. And it offers glimpses in real time of transformative changes affecting the newspaper industry. It's available for pre-order now. The book ships in August.

 

*Happy Birthday!

=Eckhartz Press author Kim Strickland is celebrating a birthday this week (July 16). Kim wrote the novel Down at the Golden Coin for us back in 2012. It was the second book we ever published. (If you ever meet her, say "I hear that your publisher Rick is significantly younger than you." She loves hearing that.)

Last Comiskey

=Great review by WTTW of our summertime book Last Comiskey by Ken Smoller. Here's a little taste of it...

How can dispirited White Sox fans restore their faith, with 69 losses before the All-Star break and a “wait ‘til next decade” aura around the team? They might find solace by embracing memories of a beloved ballpark. “Last Comiskey” is a book-length valentine for a place once called the “Baseball Palace of the World.” An affectionate account of the last season at Comiskey Park, the book also recalls monumental moments from the 1970s and ‘80s.

Joe Jackson vs. Chicago American League Baseball Club

=Earlier this year Eckhartz Press released a trial transcript from the Joe Jackson trial, which hadn't been seen in 100 years. It has been devoured by the baseball scribes around the country. The Plaintiff in that trial, Shoeless Joe Jackson, was born this week (July 16) in 1887.

=By the way, this story is just as timely today as it was then, as co-editor Jacob Pomrenke recently pointed out on Twitter...

1 month ago today, Tucupita Marcano was banned for life and four other players were suspended for betting on baseball. It’s the first time any active MLB player has ever been banned under Rule 21(d) — betting on their own team’s games. On Rule 21: https://t.co/BrSSBix5KB

— Jacob Pomrenke (@buckweaver) July 4, 2024

Talking Bout My Generation

=This week in 2022 (July 19), author Will Wagner got to hold the first copy of his book Talking Bout my Generation, hot off the press. It's the sort of day every author remembers forever.

Belle

=The very next day (July 20, 2022), fellow Eckhartz Press author Judy Ann Jamerson got her first copy of the novel Belle. There's a reason why we take photos of those momentous events.

1001 Train Rides in Chicago

=This week in 2018, Richard Reeder's book 1001 Train Rides in Chicago (July 14) was released by Eckhartz Press. Here's a Q&A with the author discussing the book's release. Richard's launch in Evanston (July 15) was a memorable party.

 

Cubsessions

=This week in 2018 (July 18), the first edition of Cubsessions came out, and the authors Randy Richardson and Becky Sarwate had a special night at the Book Cellar in Chicago.

=The following year (July 19), Club 400 threw a big Cubs party, and every single person there got an autographed copy of the second edition of Cubsessions. Among the honored guests that night, former Cubs PA Wayne Messmer, and former Cubs Carlos Zambrano and Willson Contreras.

Surviving Sue

=Another great review this week of Vicki Atkinson's book Surviving Sue. This one comes from the Life with Alegria blog. Here's a portion of it...

There is so much to the story that spans the decades of Sue’s life and thus Vicki’s, and I don’t want to provide any spoilers. The insights you gain will be yours and there will be many. The inspiration of experiencing another warrior’s story is cathartic. And the gentle removal of tissue paper like layers is a gift that allows us to see more clearly beneath the fragilities and frailties of human complexities.

=Life with Alegria also created this video...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alegria means joy (@lifewithalegria)

Chili Dog MVP

 =This week in 2022, Chili Dog MVP authors John Owens and David Fletcher appeared at Blue Island Brewing Company and were interviewed by the Sox in the Basement podcast.

Write City Review, Volume 3

 =This week in 2020, the third volume of the Write City Review was released. The book is currently sold out, but boy what a memorable cover it had.

Lost in the Ivy

=This week in 2014, Randy Richardson was in the midst of his publicity tour for his murder-mystery novel Lost in the Ivy. He appeared on All Write Already, the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography podcast, was featured in Wrigleyville Nation, and made the trek down to Beverly to appear at the Beverly Arts Center. Despite being a Cubs fan (and setting his murder mystery in Wrigleyville), Randy is originally a Southsider. Despite being born a north sider, moderator Penny Golden is a die-hard Sox fan. Made for an interesting discussion. (That's Penny holding Randy's book)

We Have Company

=If you're a rock star and you've never been interviewed by Bobby Skafish, are you really a rock star? Three of the stars featured in Bobby's book are celebrating birthdays this week, Jackson Browne (July 14), Joe Satriani (July 15), and Stewart Copeland (July 16).

=This week in 2017, Bobby appeared at the Record Mart in Hillside to tout his book. 

Always a Pleasure

=White Sox announcer Steve Stone is celebrating a birthday this week (July 14). Stone is a big fan of Eckhartz Press author Chuck Swirsky, and provided this quote for Chuck's book...

• When I first met Chuck I didn’t believe anyone could be that positive and supportive. Add that to enthusiastic and genuine and you have Chuck Swirsky. A great basketball broadcaster and a better man.

  Steve Stone, 1980 American League Cy Young Award Winner, Baltimore Orioles. Chicago White Sox TV baseball analyst.

The Loop Files

=Our best selling book of all-time came out last November, The Loop Files. Three of the contributors to that book are celebrating birthdays this week, including Terry Gibson (July 19), Pugs Moran (July 20), and perhaps the biggest star in the radio station's history, Jonathon Brandmeier (July 15). This is a photo of Johnny performing at his 5th anniversary concert in 1988 along with Newsman/Bluesman Buzz Kilman.

Records Truly Is My Middle Name

=Ten years before The Loop Files was released, John Brandmeier also contributed to the Eckhartz Press book Records Truly Is My Middle Name. His radio idol was John Records Landecker and he told a few stories in the book about that, including this one...

“To me listening to John Landecker was appointment radio. I would look forward to six o’clock every night, just waiting for his show to begin. He didn’t just talk. He had this rhythm in his voice. If Larry Lujack showed us all that it was OK to be yourself on the air, John Records showed us not to forget the showbiz. Records was showbiz. He WORKED the music. He talked in rhythm with the music, on the beats, he became a part of the song. There was no better radio guy, pure top 40 energy, no one better. Name me one guy that was better than John Records. No one was! In the whole country! Let me give you an idea of the kind of impact he had on me. My dad took my brothers and me fishing in Canada. Imagine, we were surrounded by this incredible scenery, breathtaking view, and here I was sitting in the boat with my crackling little transistor radio, waiting for 6:00, so I could hear John Records Landecker booming on WLS. And I heard him too! In Thunder Bay. I heard him. I would have given anything to watch him in action. To me, he was like Wolfman Jack was like to those characters in American Graffiti. I imagined him in this tower somewhere, just mesmerizing us, just bringing it. Man he was the best. I can still hear it in my head. All these years later I can still hear it. That’s the kind of impact he had on me.”

=This week in 2013, Landecker (and co-author Rick Kaempfer) appeared at the Beverly Arts Center to discuss the book...

The Unplanned Life

=This week in 1982, the network television show Real People came to Chicago to do a feature on our fine city. One of the people working in the Mayor's office at the time was author Roger Badesch, who writes about that brush with network television in his book The Unplanned Life.

=This week in 2021, Roger released the audio version of his book. 

Signature Shoes

=One of the first stars to have his own signature shoe was the Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase. Naturally this week's birthday boy (July 19) is featured in the Eckhartz Press book Signature Shoes.

Transatlantic Passage

=This week in 2021 (July 19), Eckhartz Press author Paul M. Banks sat down for this Q&A about his book Transatlantic Passage. 

Everything I Know I Learned from Rock Stars
=Author Bill Paige appeared on WBEL this week in 2017 (July 20) to talk about his book. 

 Your Dime My Dance Floor

=He was known as "The Good Kid", the Chicago-born long-time Cubs announcer and baseball Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau. Lou was born this week in 1917. He also appears in Chet Coppock's Eckhartz Press book Your Dime My Dance Floor.