Media Notebook--10-4-24

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 September radio ratings are in, and these are the top ten rated radio stations in Chicago for the month…(6+, M-Sun, 6am-Mid)

WBBM-AM 6.0

WDRV 6.0

WVAZ 5.8

WXRT 5.0

WLIT 4.7

WLS-FM 4.6

WOJO 3.8

WUSN 3.8

WRME 3.3

WBMX 2.8

=If you add in the streaming ratings, the Score finishes with a 3.7, so they would be in the top ten as well.

=This is the first time WBBM-AM has been in first place in a long time (January ’22), although they are always near the top. (And in this case, they are actually tied for first)

=The biggest gain for the month goes to WLS-FM (+0.4), while the biggest drop was suffered by US-99 (-0.8). Both WDRV (-0.5) and WLIT (-0.6) also dipped a bit this month.

=A few notes outside the top 10. WCHI (95.5FM) had their best numbers ever for this current format (2.5), WBEZ has almost recovered from their record lows (back up to 2.5), and WTMX had their lowest numbers since 2003 (2.3). They are currently tied with WGN for 18^th place.

 

*Dean Richards

=Dean is the subject of my interview this month for Illinois Entertainer. We talked mainly about his role on the WGN-TV Morning News as that show celebrates its 30^th anniversary.

 

*Bart Shore

=The dean of traffic reporters in Chicago retired a few years ago and moved to North Carolina, which this week, has been ravaged by a hurricane and floods. He reported this news via his Facebook page…

=By the way, during an emergency like the one that just hit N.C., we remember the importance of local radio. By all accounts, local radio stations were a lifeline during the storm and its aftermath.

*FCC Approves Audacy Bankruptcy Plan

=The vote was along party lines (3-2 in favor), but despite the controversy of George Soros being the new owner of these 200-plus stations, the plan was approved. Just for the record, the vast majority of those stations are *not* political talk stations (For instance, in Chicago they own the Score, WXRT, WUSN, WBMX, and B-96, along with NewsRadio 78).

=Next step: Audacy is going private.

 

*New WGN Contributor

=The first Wednesday of every month…

 

*iHeart Jingle Ball Tour

=The tour hits Chicago on Monday, Dec. 9. WKSC (103.5 KISS FM) is sponsoring the show at Allstate Arena with Jack Harlow, Teddy Swims, Jason Derulo, Benson Boone, Madison Beer, Saweetie, NCT Dream and Wonho.

 

*Bob Heymann

=Chicago’s very own media broker Bob Heymann is quoted in the latest issue of Radio Ink.

 

*An Ode to Carts & Cassettes

=Strictly for the radio nerds out there. This piece is about those cartridges we used in the 1970s and 1980s. We called them carts.

=Would you believe that cassettes are making a comeback? It’s true. 

 

*Sista Strut

=The 8th annual Sista Strut for Breast Cancer is taking place tomorrow. iHeart stations put on this event and host it. Carla Ferrell, co-host of The Steve Harvey Morning Show; V103 midday host Bioncé Foxx; Sonya Blakey from Inspiration 1390; KeKe Hampton from KISS-FM and WGCI; and Val Warner from Channel 7 will be there. 

*Podcast Corner

=Storytellers Studio interviews WLS historian Scott Childers

=Someone is going hard for the young bro-vote, and that’s former president Donald Trump. He’s been doing a bunch of bro podcasts, including Logan Paul’s Impaulsive, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and The Lex Fridman Podcast.

=The five most popular podcasts for kids.

=The Rich Eisen Network adds two new podcasts, one hosted by former NBA star Jim Jackson, and one hosted by Straight Outta Compton star O’Shea Jackson.

 

*Ford Frick Award Finalists

=The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced the list of finalists for this year’s Ford Frick Award, the broadcasting wing of the Hall of Fame. Among the finalists this year, former Cub Mike Krukow (a broadcaster with the Giants) and Skip Caray (Harry’s late son).

 

*Rest in Peace

=Kris Kristofferson

Musician, singer, actor. One of the all-time greats. He was 88.

Kris Kristofferson, Country Music Legend and 'A Star Is Born' Leading Man, Dies at 88 https://t.co/BoHsfZijUw

— Variety (@Variety) September 29, 2024

*Music News

=Pink Floyd sells music rights to Sony for $400 million.

*Jeff Davis Remembers Pete Rose

=Jeff is a WLS Radio legend. His memories of Pete. RIP.

 

 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

*September 29, 1952, Garfield Goose debuted on Chicago television, WBKB.

=The host was not Frazier Thomas. It was Bruce Newton. The first puppeteer for Garfield was the station secretary Leann Prineas. The show ran opposite Howdy Doody on NBC.

 

*September 29-- Diann Burns birthday

=Former Channel 2 & 7 anchor. She was an Emmy winner as a newscaster, but I recently also spotted her in the film Richie Rich. 

 

*September 29—Cindy Morgan birthday

=The star of “Caddyshack” was a DJ in Chicago (WSDM) before heading west to Hollywood. She passed away last year.

 

*September 30—Pat Cassidy birthday

=Former WBBM-AM and WMAQ-AM morning news anchor. I’ve previously interviewed him a few times, including this one in Illinois Entertainer in 2020.

 

*September 30--Java Joel Murphy birthday

=Formerly with Kiss-FM. I talked to him during his Chicago heyday back in 2008 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

*September 30--Amy Landecker birthday

=The talented offspring of John Landecker is a successful actress in Hollywood now. She has been in 88 different movies or television series including the Emmy-winning Transparent, and the Academy-Award nominated Coen Brothers film A Serious Man. She’s also been on my podcast.

 

*September 30--Carol Harmon birthday

=Carol was Jonathan Brandmeier’s producer for many years and is very highly regarded.

 

*September 30--Art Vuolo birthday

=Radio’s Best Friend

*October 1^--Norm Winer birthday.

=Norm was the driving force behind WXRT for many decades. He’s currently the co-founder and chief content curator at Noteworthy.

 

*October 2—Dave Fogel birthday

=Morning man at WLS-FM. I have interviewed Dave several times, including this one in the Illinois Entertainer.

October 2^-- Michelle Damico birthday.

=Former WBEZ broadcaster

 

*October 2—Edward Glab birthday

=Former supervising engineer at WLS Radio.

 

*October 2, 1950

=Peanuts debuts as a comic strip.

 

*October 3, 1995

=OJ Simpson acquitted of murder by a jury in Los Angeles.

 

*October 4—Mark Konkol birthday

=Former writer for the Chicago Sun Times.

 

*October 4—Pete Kastanes birthday

=Pete is the administrator of Vanished Chicagoland Facebook group.

 

*October 5, 1947

=President Harry Truman gave the first televised address to the nation from the White House. The topic was the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Europe.

 

 

TV/STREAMING

 

*How to Get Chicago Sports Network

=It debuted this week (on Tuesday), but where on Earth can you find it? This article has an explanation.

=Some of the programming offered by CSN was announced this week as well, including the addition of WSCR’s David Haugh.

 

*Familiar Chicago Face on CNN

=Yes, that was former media writer Robert Feder on CNN last weekend…

 

*Jason Benetti

=Imagine going from the worst team in baseball to a playoff team. That’s what broadcaster Jason Benetti did this season, going from the White Sox to the Tigers. In an interview with the Sun Times, Jason says he has found a new home in Detroit.

 

*All-Star SNL This Season

=Dana Carvey as Biden, Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, and Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff will be part of the SNL cast all season. They debuted on Saturday.

 

*VP Debate Ratings

=43 million tuned in for Vance and Walz. Those numbers are down 25% from the 2020 VP debate. The Harris/Trump debate had nearly 70 million viewers.

=The 50 best jokes about the debate.

 

*Dish and Direct TV merger

=They have been trying to do this for years…

 

*New York Times interviews John Oliver

=Very entertaining interview in last Sunday’s edition. 

 

*Melania's Publisher Asks for $250,000 Fee for Interview

=I have clearly been doing this publisher thing all wrong. Melania Trump's publisher said that Melania would agree to an interview with CNN if they paid her $250,000. Needless to say, that interview will not be taking place.

*Cable News Corner

=CNN Wades Back into the Documentary Business

=CNN.com’s paywall

 

*Dick Vitale inducted into Hall of Fame

=Getting difficult to keep track of all the different Halls of Fame who have recognized him. This one is the Broadcasting Cable Hall of Fame.

 

*Rest in Peace

=Dame Maggie Smith

Star of stage and screen (Downton Abbey). She was 89.

=John Amos

Star of Good Times, Roots, and many others. He was 84.

=Frank Fritz

Host of American Pickers. He was 58.

=Drake Hogestyn

Days of Our Lives star. He was 70.

=John Ashton

Actor best known for Midnight Run and Beverly Hills Cop. He was 76.

John Ashton has sadly passed away at the age of 76. pic.twitter.com/zhToT7VMDw

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 29, 2024

 

DIGITAL/PRINT

 

*Sun-Times Editor’s Note in Jefferey Leving Story

=The “Dad’s rights” attorney was suspended from practicing law because he charged exorbitant fees to his clients. When the Sun-Time reported the news, they included this editor’s note. It wasn't hidden. It was a box inside the article.

 

*Olivia Nuzzi Story Gets Even Stranger

=According to this piece in the Washington Post, she thinks that her ex-fiancé Ryan Lizza (who writes for Politico) is responsible for the leak of her “relationship” with RFK, Jr. She has filed a restraining order against him. Lizza has been asked to take a leave of absence at work.

 

*The Onion is Pivoting to Video

=And they’ve hired a former MSNBC anchor to deliver their “news”.

 

*Jimmy Carter at 100

=I think this is my favorite trivia about Carter. He’s the only former president to have written more books than he had books written about him.

 

*Margaret Sullivan Critiques the Media

=There aren’t many full-time media writers these days, so I always check out the substack of this long-time media critic/writer. This week’s column is a sharp critique of how the media covered Trump’s unhinged speech in Wisconsin.

=Bill Moyers Agrees with Sullivan

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA/TECH

 

*X (Twitter) Worth 80% Less than when Musk Bought It

=Maybe not such a genius after all.

 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: Freelance Highlights

 

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.

For about ten years I wrote for various different entities owned by Lee Publishing, including the NWI Times, NWI Parent, Get Healthy Magazine, Shore Magazine (and a few others I can't remember). They were really good to me, gave me some great exposure, and basically let me write whatever I wanted. It was a wonderful freelance gig that ended when editor Pat Colander left the company.

I think my all-time favorite assignment was going to the Marche region of Italy. I even got to take my wife Bridget along (on my dime). This is just one of the articles I filed from that trip. The day I went truffle hunting...

One of the things we did in Italy was go on a truffle hunt.  Truffles aren’t grown. They are found. We were only briefed that we’d need to wear the proper footwear—preferably boots we didn’t mind getting muddy, and that we’d be traveling to the village of Acqualagna.

A quick look at the map let us know that the ride might be a bumpy one, and it certainly was. Acqualagna is seemingly in the middle of nowhere, but the journey from our hotel on the Adriatic Coast of the Italy’s Marche Region to our destination was an incredibly picturesque ride through the spectacular Furlo River Gourge, and the rolling hills of Italy.

When we arrived in the village, it was obvious we were in a place that was famous for their truffles. References to truffles could be seen everywhere.  We pulled into the compound of our truffle hunter, Giorgio, who also doubled as the town’s Chief of Police, and immediately heard the dogs barking. Giorgio had dozens of them, all in various stages of truffle hunting training. He filled us in on the training technique as his assistant fetched his prize truffle dog.

“The dogs have very developed senses of smell,” he told us through the interpreter, “but they also have a very good sense of taste.”  He was smiling as he spoke. “They know good truffles when they smell them, so the trick is to make sure they don’t eat them too. With the finest white truffles going for 3000 Euros a kilo, that’s like eating money!”

We met the star of today’s truffle hunt, the most famous truffle hunting dog in the entire region, Chicca (Photo above). Her travels have taken her around the world, including a visit to the White House at the tail end of the Clinton Administration.

“How much is Chicca worth?” Bridget asked.

“She is not for sale!” Giorgio replied.

“I know,” I said, “I’m just curious how much she would be worth if...”

“Not for sale,” Giorgio said once again. He looked like he had been asked to part with one of his children.

Giorgio released Chicca from her leash, and we followed.

“She knows where to look,” Giorgio said as we slowly trotted behind her. “At the base of the trees. The white truffles are up to sixty centimeters under the ground, but it is not yet white truffle season. It is the tail end of the black truffle season, so those will be a little easier to find, only ten to twenty centimeters under the ground.”

Our amazing truffle hunting dog stopped abruptly at the base of a small oak tree and started digging. Giorgio saddled up beside her and crouched on a knee. “Aha, see here, she has found one.”

After he wiped the dirt off, he held it up for all to see. It still looked like a black clump of mud in his hand, but when he passed it around, we could immediately smell the fine musky aroma of the black truffle. For the next thirty minutes or so we followed Chicca around as she dug for gold. We began to figure out where to look, so we started hunting for them too.

“I found one!” Bridget said.

Giorgio looked at the clump she had in her hand. “Ah,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “That is a brown truffle.”

“A brown truffle?” she asked.

“Yes, probably the droppings of a porcupine or a wild boar.”

She dropped it immediately.

Perhaps it was best to leave the truffle hunting to the professionals.

***

I wrote cover stories for all of these issues...

***

A Cubbie Bonus...

Forgotten Cub Harry Steinfeldt should be just as famous as the other members of his infield, Tinker, Evers & Chance. So much so, I wrote a poem for him in EveryCubEver...

An Ode To Harry…It seems only right that someone should write a poem about Harry Steinfeldt. With apologies to Franklin P. Adams, here is my contribution…

The poem by Franklin P. Adams definitely enhanced,

The Hall of Fames chances of Tinker, Evers & Chance,

But the other name in that infield has been lost to time,

Just because Harry Steinfeldt’s name didn’t rhyme,

He hit for more power, he drove in more runs,

He made fewer errors, and when the game was to be won,

They leaned on Harry Steinfeldt, the World Series MVP,

Though his name was a mouthful, depriving immortality