Every weekday in 2014, I'll be keeping an eye on what's happening in the media. My focus will be on some of my favorite subjects...the moguls, the pundits, the broadcast news biz, show business, and the publishing business. (Read "
$everance" if you want a crystallization of my positions on those subjects.) And, of course, I'll also keep tabs on Chicago's media.
Chicago Media
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Bob Sirott uncovers a gem from 1983
Robert Feder posted videos that Bob Sirott discovered in his home, a three-part television series about morning radio in 1983. Totally cool and fascinating if you're a radio geek like me. It's a fun trip down memory lane.
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The Sun Times Considers Another Move
First they had the big building along the Chicago River (now the site of Trump Tower), and then they moved into a nearby (smaller) building, where they now reside. Chicago Real Estate Daily reports that they may be moving again by the end of the year into an even smaller building. Have you seen the paper lately? It looks like a free neighborhood handout. They'll be moving to my basement before long.
~101 gets it's old call letters back
From today's Tom Taylor column:
Chicago’s normal order of things is restored, with the WKQX call letters reinstalled on 101.1 as part of the Cumulus reclamation project. Cumulus has begun a long-term LMA (as long as four years?) with Merlin Media and it’s already dropped the hot AC format it inherited to put alt-rock back on 101.1. Meanwhile, 101.1’s former call letters of WIQI are swapped to the silent downstate Watseka, Illinois FM at 95.9 that’s owned by Randy Michaels’ Radioactive LLC (January 6 NOW).
The Moguls
~Rupert, the Stage Show
In the West End of London, a satirical play making fun of Rupert, his wife, and their relationship to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will soon be hitting the stage. It's an updated version of the smash hit from Australia. It takes a lot of work and effort to be hated in so many different countries.
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A New Record Golden Parachute
Another guy being paid huge bucks ($60 million) just to go away. This time it's Yahoo's Enrique de Castro. From the article...
Experts in executive compensation say the larger nine-figure exit packages given to some executives are typically for those who retire, voluntarily leave a company or leave upon the purchase of their company. "As a pure severance package due to performance-related termination, de Castro's exit package is definitely at the top end of the severance we have seen," said Gary Hewitt, the managing director and head of research at GMI Ratings, an expert in corporate governance issues.
Broadcast News
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Chris Christie Calls MSNBC Coverage "A Gleeful Assault"
He's right, of course. Every sniff of news about this scandal has been reported on MSNBC with a smile, a wink, and full-throated faux outrage. This, of course, is exactly how Fox News reports anything bad about Democrats. For years I've tried to explain to my conservative friends the difference between Fox News and the mainstream media. Yes, there is a slight liberal bias in the mainstream media. The type of people drawn to journalism are generally more likely to be liberal. However, they report the news with as much objectivity as they can muster. They are actually trained to do it, and they take it seriously. If they report in a biased fashion, there are editors above them who help smack it down. Are there times when bias slips through? Yes. Does it happen a lot? No. Fox News has never even tried to be objective, and never will. Fox News is openly rooting for Republicans, and openly trying to destroy Democrats. At least I can now point out what it looks like when liberals
actually do the same thing. It's called MSNBC. That is the only fair comparison, period.
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More Changes at CNN
TV Newser has the latest info. Basically Ashley Banfield is being moved up an hour, Suzanne Malveux's show is being dropped, and a new show hosted John Berman and Michaela Pereira will take the place of her show. It sounds like more deck-chair rearranging to me.
Showbiz
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Film will soon be dead
Paramount Pictures, one of the biggest movie studios, released their latest hit "The Wolf of Wall Street" entirely in digital form--no film. Other studios will probably follow. The LA Times has the story at the link. This shows you how stupid I am. I thought they were already doing this.
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Ellen is America's Favorite Television Personality
That's based on a poll of viewers. I'd say that's about right. She does come off as very likable. I only met her once.
This is my story.
The Radio Biz
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Radio's Answer to Spotify? Less Variety
This piece in the Wall Street Journal examines how radio has responded to things like Spotify and Pandora. It's not the way I would have responded (Less variety!), but there are researchers quoted who try to explain the reasoning. There is always data to back up decisions like this. It may not seem like it, and it may not make sense, but someone somewhere has data.
