Off the Grid: Copple exits Sun-Times

Brandon Copple

Brandon Copple

In what appears to be the final nail in the coffin of Grid, veteran Chicago journalist Brandon Copple is out as general manager of the Sun-Times’ digital and print business news venture.

Jim Kirk, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Sun-Times, confirmed Monday that Copple has left the company to pursue other opportunities.

“Brandon came here with some great new content ideas across different areas,” Kirk said in a statement. “Grid content continues in the form of the Grid 12 business report in the paper as well as our early morning newsletter roundup. Brandon was a terrific colleague and friend and we wish him nothing but the best.” Continue reading

Eureka! Sirott unearths ’83 treasure

Bob Sirott (1983)

Bob Sirott (1983)

If you thought the “Radio Wars” video posted here last month was something, wait till you see this.

The appearance of that WBBM-Channel 2 feature on the up-and-coming radio stars of 1983 sent Bob Sirott on a quest to find the entire three-part sweeps series it came from. He wrote, produced and reported “Radio Wars in Chicago: Jockeying for Your Morning” just three years after he left his own successful radio career to join the CBS-owned station. Continue reading

Bayless, Dolinsky serving ‘The Feed’

Rick Bayless and Steve Dolinsky

Rick Bayless and Steve Dolinsky

Famed Chicago chef Rick Bayless and veteran Chicago restaurant critic Steve Dolinsky have cooked up a new podcast together on (what else?) food.

Billed as “food news, recipes, author interviews, celebrity food chats, spirits and a ‘final bite’ that will literally make your mouth water," “The Feed” debuted online Friday in both video form and audio form: Continue reading

Inside Chicago radio’s cash register

Cash registerIn another year of declining revenue for Chicago radio, CBS Radio’s all-news simulcast of WBBM AM 780 and WCFS FM 105.9 retained its crown as Chicago’s top-billing station.

Though down more than 8 percent from last year, the Newsradio combo produced $41.9 million in advertising income — leading the way for CBS Radio, which had four of the top seven revenue-generating stations in the market.

Overall Chicago radio revenue dropped about 2.5 percent from $430,911,000 in 2012 to $419,715,000 in 2013, according to figures compiled by the accounting firm of Miller, Kaplan, Arase & Co. (based on revenue reports submitted by station groups). The only year-to-year growth was in digital advertising — up 10 percent to $28,175,000 in 2013. Continue reading

Fox 32 news exec to Al Jazeera

Chris Myers

Chris Myers

Veteran Chicago news executive Chris Myers has resigned as assistant news director at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 to join Al Jazeera America.

Myers told staffers in a meeting Wednesday that he’ll work through next week at Fox 32 before moving to Los Angeles to help start up a new weekly show for the fledgling cable news channel. No word yet on his replacement.

Myers, a former executive producer at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 and producer at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7, joined Fox 32 in January 2012 as assistant news director under his mentor, Phyllis Schwartz. When Schwartz resigned the following December, Myers served as interim news director, but was passed over for the permanent job in favor of Tom Doerr, who signed on from Fox-owned KRIV-TV in Houston. Continue reading

Jacobson joins WGN at 'perfect time'

Walter Jacobson

Walter Jacobson

Chicago broadcasting icon Walter Jacobson is bringing his signature “Perspective” commentaries and his unique political insight to WGN AM 720.

Starting next month, his weekly, 90-second commentaries will air Thursdays during Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano’s midday show and repeat weekends during “The Sunday Spin: Politics with Rick Pearson.” The celebrated anchorman also will appear as a contributor to various shows on the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station. Continue reading

Crain’s expands management team

Lias Emerick

Lisa Emerick

Lisa Emerick, marketing director of Crain’s Chicago Business, has been promoted to associate publisher, adding responsibility over the company’s sales operation.

The move comes as the publication plans to enhance its political reporting, lifestyle coverage and digital presence as part of a broader strategy to boost Crain’s standing among affluent and influential readers.

The associate publisher position has been vacant since David Snyder moved up to publisher in 2010. “As our business has expanded — and as we step up our efforts to grow even more — this appointment will enable me to focus even more on charting the future path of CCB,” Snyder told staffers in a memo Monday. “Lisa is ideally suited to help manage CCB during this important phase of our history.” Continue reading

CBS 2 still stonewalling on Savini

Dave Savini (Naperville police photo)

Dave Savini (Naperville police photo)

It’s been more than a week since longtime Chicago investigative reporter Dave Savini was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, battery, child endangerment and leaving the scene of an accident in west suburban Naperville.

But CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, where Savini, 47, has been a prominent figure since 2004, hasn’t said a word about it on any of its newscasts or on its website. Nor has the station issued any statement since court documents showed Savini’s blood-alcohol level registered 0.134 after he failed field tests and admitting consuming alcohol in the early hours of Jan 4. Continue reading

How ’XRT put down its Marker

Tom Marker

Tom Marker

Chicago radio veteran Tom Marker, whose full-time position was eliminated after 33 years at WXRT FM 93.1, returns to the CBS Radio adult album alternative station Monday under decidedly different circumstances.

Gone will be his six-figure salary, his contract, his benefits and all the perks of employment he earned over three decades as evening personality and host/producer of his signature weekly “Blues Breakers” hour.

Instead, when Marker hits the air at 9 p.m. to host his annual “Blues Breakers Blues Of The Year In Review” show, it will be on a part-time basis for a meager hourly wage. Continue reading