Showing posts with label Scotty Kay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scotty Kay. Show all posts

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Media Notebook--9-12-24















MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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


(A day early because I'm leaving town)


RADIO/PODCASTS

 

*Barstool vs. Bernstein

=There appears to be a professional feud going on between WSCR’s Dan Bernstein and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. I know Bernstein is a little prickly and condescending, but this response by Portnoy seems like he’s bringing a howitzer to a knife fight.

=Jeff Agrest of the Sun Times is on Barstool’s side.


 

*CMA Award Nominations

=The Country Music Award nominations were announced this week. Once again, Scotty Kay from US-99 was nominated in the major market category. The Bobby Bones show, which airs locally on Free Country in the suburbs, was also nominated in the national show category.

=One big name was missing: Beyonce. Her hugely successful country album Cowboy Carter didn’t get nominated as album of the year, none of the 27 songs were nominated as single of the year, and she wasn’t nominated as artist of the year.

 


*Podcast Corner

=Mark Zuckerberg appeared on the Acquired podcast. The show was recorded in front of 6000 people.

=Candace Owens was suspended by YouTube for hate speech.

=According to this piece, podcasters report that the best social media to promote a podcast is still Facebook.

 =The NSA has a podcast now too, and they're talking about their role in the killing of Bin Laden.



*Don Stuck

=The longtime radio pro was a relative newcomer to Chicago (doing weekends at iHeart’s WCHI) when he made news this week. He tendered his resignation to iHeart after 34 years because he is pursuing an acting career, and a new radio syndication deal in Indiana (Kokomo, Greencastle, Vincennes).



*Rest in Peace

=Sergio Mendes

Singer/musician was very popular in the 1960s. Died of long-form Covid. He was 83.


 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 

 

*September 9—Jackie Bange birthday

=The WGN-TV news anchor began working at the station more than 30 years ago.

 

*September 9—Frank E. Lee birthday

=Supposedly retired, but still on the air regularly on WXRT. One of the best.

 

*Sept 10--Marc Silverman birthday

=I last interviewed ESPN’s afternoon man in 2020.

 

*Sept 10--Chris Jones birthday

=Jones is the Chicago Tribune’s theater critic.

 

*Sept 10--Irma Romano birthday

=She was known as Irma Blanco when she was on Mancow’s show.

 

*September 11, 1964

=The top hits on WLS this week in 1964…


 

*September 11—Bruce Wolf birthday

=Former sportscaster at WXRT and WLUP in radio, WFLD and WMAQ in television. I interviewed Bruce for Illinois Entertainer back in 2014.

 

*September 11--Maura Myles birthday

=I chatted with Maura back in 2009 for Chicago Radio Spotlight.

 

*September 11—Phil Rogers birthday

=The Channel 5 investigative reporter retired last year.

 

*September 12, 1993

=Steve & Garry broke up after nearly 15 years as a top-rated radio duo. That story, of course, is featured in my book The Loop Files.


*September 12—Janda Lane birthday

=The Drive’s Janda Lane was my featured interview in June 2022 issue of Illinois Entertainer.

 

*September 13—Rick Kogan birthday

=It’s always a pleasure speaking to Mr. Chicago. I last interviewed him for Illinois Entertainer in 2019.

 

September 14—Dick Biondi birthday

=He passed away in July ‘23. Still can’t believe he’s gone. I worked with Dick for ten years at WJMK.



 *September 14—Brian “Whip” Paruch birthday

=I interviewed the WTMX morning show team member during the pandemic in 2020. None of the news about Eric had broken yet.

 

*September 14—John Dempsey birthday

=I got a chance to speak with the former WLS Newsman for Illinois Entertainer in 2015.

 

 

TV/STREAMING


*Courtney Spinelli

=WGN-TV reporter Courney Spinelli posted a thread of tweets this week regarding the man who assaulted her. She’s understandably upset that our justice system let him off so easily…


 *NBC Sports Chicago Shutting Down

=The official announcement came this week. The network will be no more at the end of September.


*Jewell Hillery to Anchor WGN Weekend Morning News

=She announced the news this week and starts this coming weekend.


 

*Will there be another debate?

=67 Million viewers tuned in to the presidential debate on ABC. Harris immediately challenged Trump to another one, but Trump will only agree to another debate if Fox News hosts it. And…only if the most strident Trump supporters (Sean Hannity, Jesse Waters, or Laura Ingraham) moderate it. The only actual journalists at Fox News, Brett Baier and Martha MacCallum, are not sufficient.


*The Palace Coup at the Magic Kingdom

=I’ve always been fascinated by the machinations of the media CEOs. In fact, I wrote a whole book about it ($everance). This piece in the Sunday Times isn’t a book, but it’s close. A long and engaging look at the egos at the top of the ladder at Disney.


*Tonight Show Cutting Back to 4-days a Week

=Yes, it’s being done because Jimmy Fallon is increasingly busy, but let’s face it, NBC-Universal isn’t opposed to saving a few dollars, either.

 

*Trump Tried to get DOJ to go after SNL for Mocking Him

=That’s what a report in Rolling Stone claims. He also wanted DOJ to go after Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel.


 

*Kendrick Lamar to play Super Bowl Halftime concert

=The New York Times broke the news over the weekend.


 

*Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame Class of 2024

=The names are here. Among them, former Chicagoan Bryant Gumbel, and former Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany. The ceremony is December 17th in New York.



*Joe Buck Accidentally Broke His Wife’s Ankle

=Sounds like a freak accident on the golf course…


 *NFL Goes Where Their Fans Are

=Roger Goodell appeared on CNBC and talked about the game in Brazil, and the movement of NFL games to streaming services. In both cases, he says the NFL is going where their fans are.


*45 Years of ESPN

=The launch was this week in 1979. Barrett media talked to Bill Rassmussen about the history of that legendary brand.


STAGE/SCREEN

 

*The Sun-Times Reviews Royko Stage Show

=The one-man show about Mike Royko has been the talk of the town. The Sun Times posted their review earlier this week.


*Big Box Office for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

=Second biggest opening weekend ever in September. $110 million.


*Rest in Peace

=James Earl Jones

The voice of Darth Vader, The Lion King, and CNN. He was 93. For me, this is how I will always remember him…

=Edward Johnson

The CIA agent portrayed in the film Argo. He was 81.

=Will Jennings

 

DIGITAL/PRINT

 

*What is Sanewashing?

=Never heard the term until a few weeks ago. Now I’m hearing it everywhere. Margaret Sullivan explains what it is and why it is popping up so often.


*Rest in Peace

=Tom Squitieri

Award-winning journalist. Reported from war zones and the White House. He was 71. 

=Bob Dubill

Legendary USA Today editor. He was 88.


SOCIAL MEDIA

 

*Biggest Social Media Moment of the Week

=Taylor Swift to her 283 million followers…



 

 

*Selena Gomez on Instagram

=She now has 424 million followers. She gets $4.9 million for every Instagram post. This, in addition to her beauty line, and her acting and singing, has made Selena a billionaire.

 

 

 

*Reddit Gaining Popularity with the Help of AITA

=One of the most popular sub-reddits is called “Am I the Asshole?” Vox reports on how this subreddit, and a change of the algorithm has helped propel Reddit’s popularity.


 

*U.S. Faces Google in Court Again

=This time it’s about Google’s on-line ad dominance.


 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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Friday, March 15, 2024

Media Notebook--3-15-24















MEDIA NOTEBOOK

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



RADIO/PODCASTS

 

 

*Changes at the Drive

=You may have noticed some changes at the Drive this week. Bob Stroud is expanding his role in the midday hours. The 10am-1pm shift is essentially his now. In addition to continuing his feature 10 at 10, he told me, “I’m writing and recording vignettes pertaining to certain artists that will run twice an hour, M-F in the 11AM and Noon hours.”

=Janda Lane is now in the 1-6pm slot, and the syndicated Alice’s Attic with Alice Cooper is on in the evenings. Drive jocks Byrd and Tim Spencer move to weekends and fill-ins along with Dave Mazur.

 

 

*Scotty Kay

=The Academy of Country Music came out with their list of 2024 award nominees. Nominated in the major-market personality category was US-99's afternoon man Scotty Kay.



*National Black Radio Hall of Fame

=Among this years inductees, former WVON host Roland Martin.


 

*WLS Brings Back Classic Jingle Package

=TM Studios jingles are back for WLS-FM.

=Here's more about WLS nostalgia on the eve of their 100th birthday.

 

 

*Bart Shore Update

=Checked in with retired traffic reporter Bart Shore, who has been appearing on the air again. He reports: “Still retired- but still doing fill in work on our local radio station here WSQL Brevard and this week I started voice tracking for an internet radio station .  Beach Radio - playing nothing but beach music.  an interesting niche. They have me on in the mornings 6-Noon, then play my Time Warp Song of the Day from my web site.”


 

*Jim Thome’s Wife Ticked Off at ESPN-Cleveland

=It sure sounds like ESPN-Cleveland was harassing her (and her son—at high school) to get Jim Thome to call in to their show so an intern could win a $100 bet.


 

*Podcast Corner

=Chicago’s very own Brad Edwards…


=Rolling Stone Magazine turns their Top 500 songs into a podcast.



 

*Rest in Peace

=Eric Carmen

One of the great pop/rock vocalists. He was 75.

=Paul Lepek

Former morning man at WRLR.


 

MEDIA BIRTHDAYS/MILESTONES

 


*March 10—Corey McPherrin birthday

=The native Chicagoan (south suburbs) was a local television star for three decades, first at WBBM-Channel 2, and then for many years at WFLD-Channel 32.  Corey retired last year.

 

 

*March 10—Dan Jiggetts birthday

=The former Chicago Bears offensive lineman was also a sports radio pioneer during the early years of the Score, co-hosting the midday show with Mike North. He’s also done sports for Chicago television (Channel 2). His daughter Lauren is a local television star in her own right at WGN-TV. (Photo: Dan with Cheryl Raye Stout, and Jim O’Donnell at the Chet Coppock tribute event)


*March 11—Les Grobstein birthday

=Les passed away in 2022, but he is remembered fondly by all those who knew him and listened to him at WLS-AM, WLUP-AM, and the Score. I interviewed him for Chicago Radio Spotlight in 2009.

 


*March 11—Valerie Warner birthday

=Valerie continues to work at Channel 7. She was also the co-host of Windy City Live at Channel 7 for ten years. This photo was taken on the Windy City Live set, along with the guest of the show that day, Joel Daly.



*March 11—Phil Schwarz

=The long-time Channel 7 weatherman retired last year.

 

 

*March 12--Rich Koz birthday

=The great Svengoolie is no longer just a Chicago treasure. Thanks to Me-TV, he’s nationwide. I interviewed Rich about that last year. I also had a fun chat with him on my podcast a few years ago. For a really deep dive into Koz’s career, check out this piece from 2009. We talk about his beginnings in radio, including his time working with Dick Orkin and Jerry G. Bishop.


 

*March 12—Kevin Matthews Birthday

= Kev remains one of the most gifted radio performers in Chicago history. I featured him in Illinois Entertainer in 2016 and interviewed him for my podcast in 2021. The podcast interview ends with another interview I did live on Kevin’s show on the Loop back in 1993. He insisted I do it in German. (Jim Shorts supposedly spoke German). He’s currently working on a documentary about his book Broken Mary and recently completed another documentary about his band Ed Zeppelin, which debuted last October (Full disclosure: I’m the director of that film, and my son Tommy is the editor. Photo of Kev below by Paul Natkin)

 


 

*March 12—Mary DeBaggis birthday

=Mary has done traffic reports on virtually every radio station in Chicago over the years.



*March 12—Dave Juday birthday

=Dave was a longtime sports reporter/anchor for ESPN Radio in Chicago. He now resides in the Phoenix area.

 


*March 13—Adam Delevitt birthday

=Adam was the executive producer of the Mac, Jurko & Harry show, and later became program director of ESPN Radio in Chicago. I interviewed him for Chicago Radio Spotlight in 2012. He is now Director of Broadcast and Streaming Media at Rush Street Interactive/Bet Rivers.

 

 

*March 14—Steve Cochran birthday

=The current morning man at WLS (890-AM) has been a big part of the Chicago radio landscape for more than thirty years, with stints at WCKG, WLUP-AM, WPNT, WIND, and of course, WGN Radio. A great interview subject. Here’s one from 2009 (for Chicago Radio Spotlight), and another from 2017 (for Illinois Entertainer).

 

*March 14—Dobie Maxwell birthday

=The pinnacle of comedian Dobie Maxwell’s radio career came in the early 00s when he was paired with Spike Manton & Max Bumgardner on the Loop morning show (97.9FM). He has since published a very popular book called Monkey in the Middle. I interviewed Dobie about his radio days for Chicago Radio Spotlight in 2008, and about his book on my podcast in 2022.

 


 

 *March 14—Pat Boyle birthday.

=Pat has been the Chicago Blackhawks host and anchor/reporter at NBC-Sports Chicago for years now.

 


*March 14—Chris Rongey birthday

=Rongey was associated closely with the White Sox during his time in Chicago media. He was the radio in-studio host for the White Sox and occasionally filled in as play-by-play man. He also wrote about the White Sox for the Daily Herald. Chris is now in St. Louis, working for the legendary KMOX.

 


*March 14—Jerry Taft birthday

=Taft was one of the most popular weathermen in Chicago television history, first at Channel 5 and later at Channel 7. That run at Channel 7 lasted 33 years. Jerry retired from the business in 2018 and passed away in 2020.

 

 

*March 15, 1960—WSBC signs on the air

=When the station began broadcasting in 1960, WSBC-FM carried a variety of musical programming including classical, jazz, and folk. In 1971, it moved into a new location at 4949 W. Belmont and changed the call letters to WXRT. In 1972, the progressive rock format was introduced by Don Bridges, Mitch Michaels, John Platt, Bob Schulman and Seth Mason. It’s still going strong today, 52 years later.

 



*March 15, 1976—WCFL signs off as a Top-40 station

=The new format was beautiful music. One of the tragic days in Chicago radio history. I still maintain that the old WCFL jingles from the late 60s were the greatest jingles in radio history. 

 

 

*March 15—Ben Hollis birthday

=Ben was the host of WTTW’s “Wild Chicago” which was a groundbreaking program back in it’s day. Rick Kogan wrote about Ben and that show a few years ago in the Chicago Tribune.

 

 

*March 16—Scott Simon birthday

=The host of NPR’s Weekend Edition and Special Contributor at CBS Sunday Morning grew up in Chicago and has strong attachments to the city despite living in the DC area for many years. He wrote a book about his love of the Cubs (My Cubs: A Love Story), contributed to the book Cubsessions, and also to the John Landecker book Records Truly Is My Middle Name.

 

 

TV/STREAMING

 

 

*Allison Rosatti Profile

=In Hinsdale Magazine

 

 

*Stephen Bardo Had a Head Start in Broadcasting

=Jeff Agrest has a nice piece in the Sun-Times this week about one of the broadcasters of this weekend's Big Ten tournament, former Illini star Stephen Bardo.



*Tucker Carlson: “I’m a Dick”

=A rare moment of introspection and accurate reporting from Tucker Carlson on NewsNation this week.


 

*March Madness Coming Soon

=This will be the first year without Jim Nance, but we learned this week, CBS also won’t have Greg Gumbel anchoring the studio show. This will be the first March Madness he has missed since 1998. The reason is family health problems.


 

*Taylor Tomlinson is Perfect Late-Night Host for the Tik-Tok Era

=So says the New York Times Magazine.


 

*The Holdovers Accused of Plagiarism

=The charge was formally made to the WGA, and according to this piece in Variety, the accuser says it’s “brazen”.


 

*Rest in Peace

=Michael Culver

He was an actor in The Empire Strikes Back. Culver was 85.


 

DIGITAL/PRINT

 

 

*Deadspin Sold, Entire Staff Fired

=This is a cold business. Even in Europe.


 

 *Chicago Magazine’s Deep Dive into The Blues Brothers

=And I thought I knew everything there was to know about that movie. Apparently not. Great piece in Chicago Magazine.


 

SOCIAL MEDIA

 

 

*TikTok is in trouble

=The opposition to TikTok is bipartisan. The bill to force American ownership of the video sharing site passed the House this week.

=Donald Trump who tried to ban TikTok via executive order when he was president, is suddenly on TikTok’s side after meeting with their billionaire owner. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the $500 million Trump has to come up with by the end of this month.

=Rand Paul promises to kill it in the Senate.

=Steve Mnuchin wants to buy it.


 

*Musk cancels deal with Don Lemon

=Lemon only did one interview, and that was with Musk. Musk didn’t like it. Deal canceled.



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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