John Cravens

John Cravens, a 40-year radio veteran who began his career as an intern at WLS AM 890, is out after 10 years in top management positions at ESPN Radio sports/talk WMVP AM 1000, sources confirmed Monday.

Cravens was named vice president and general manager of ESPN 1000 in 2009 after four years as general sales manager. Since 2013 he also held the title of vice president of local revenues for ESPN Radio’s three owned stations and websites. Continue reading →

WBBM broadcast booth at Wrigley Field

On the night the Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the National League wild-card game, 28.5 percent of all Chicago area radio listeners were tuned to the play-by-play.

According to Nielsen Audio figures released Monday, that pivotal game on October 7 drew an astonishing 23.4 share for the local broadcast on CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780 and an additional 5.1 share for the national broadcast on ESPN Radio WMVP AM 1000. Continue reading →

Jenniffer Weigel

Robservations on the media beat:

More than 50 years after John Weigel put WCIU-Channel 26 on the air, another Weigel is about to turn up on Chicago's first UHF station. Jenniffer Weigel, granddaughter of the late founder (and daughter of the late Chicago sportscaster Tim Weigel), has been tapped to host a holiday-themed shopping special. Titled “A Gift for U,” the half-hour special will air multiple times between Thanksgiving and Christmas on The U and The U Too, according to Steve Farber, senior vice president of operations at Weigel Broadcasting. “I’ve known Jen for years and I’m a fan of hers,” Farber said. “If we can find additional programming to develop, that would be great.” A longtime Chicago broadcaster, Jenniffer Weigel most recently was a video reporter/columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Weigel Broadcasting was acquired in the 1960s by the late Howard Shapiro, whose family still owns and operates the company. Continue reading →

John Burnett

John Burnett, veteran morning personality at WDCB FM 90.9, announced his retirement Thursday after 19 years as jazz host at the College of DuPage public radio station.

Burnett, 76, who’s known to his audience as “Your British-American Buddy,” will host his last morning show Thursday. At least through the end of the year, WDCB music director Paul Abella will succeed Burnett from 6 to 10 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Leslie Keros will continue from 6 to 10 a.m. Fridays. Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune

Friday is the last day employees of the Chicago Tribune and other Tribune Publishing media properties can apply for buyouts under a voluntary staff reduction plan.

But those who opt for the severance packages won’t know for three more weeks whether the company will honor their requests. All were told to expect to hear back by November 12. Continue reading →

Public Narrative

Community Media Workshop, the vital Chicago institution that has been bringing journalists and nonprofit neighborhood organizations together for 25 years, has rebranded itself as Public Narrative.

The group unveiled its new name along with its new website (publicnarrative.org) Thursday. Continue reading →

Chicago Cubs

CBS Radio plans to move Chicago Cubs baseball broadcasts to sports/talk WSCR AM 670 next year, sources said.

For the past season, the Cubs aired on all-news WBBM AM 780. Under a seven-year agreement signed in 2014, CBS Radio has a one-time opportunity to move the team to The Score in 2016. Continue reading →

Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media marked its 25th anniversary as the independent parent company of WBEZ FM 91.5 this week with a gala celebration and a smart new mobile app.

More than 500 people attended a $500-a-plate fundraising dinner Tuesday at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago. Ira Glass, host and executive producer of “This American Life,” headlined the event, which featured a galaxy of public radio’s biggest stars. Continue reading →

Good Day Chicago

Robservations on the media beat:

Richard Roeper

It’s official: Richard Roeper has signed to host “Good Day Chicago,” the weekday morning news show on WFLD-Channel 32. Colleagues are hailing the move, first reported here Monday, as a coup for the Fox-owned station. Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rosenthal tweeted it was “the smartest hire Fox 32 News has made in years.” Marlaine Selip, former executive producer of “Windy City Live,” called Roeper “a smart, talented, funny guy [who] will help their effort.” Now it’s up to new “Good Day Chicago” exec producer Dan Salamone to figure out how to deploy Roeper alongside current anchors Corey McPherrin and Darlene Hill. While continuing as Sun-Times film critic, Roeper starts his new duties on Fox 32 later this month. Terms of his two-year deal, negotiated by agent Brian Musburger, were not disclosed. Continue reading →

Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper, the Sun-Times film critic and one of Chicago’s best known journalists, is expected to be named a host of “Good Day Chicago,” the Monday-through-Friday morning news show on WFLD-Channel 32, sources said.

It will mark a return to the Fox-owned station for Roeper, who won two Chicago Emmy Awards during seven years as a commentator on “Fox Thing in the Morning” and co-host of “The Media Creatures,” a weekly segment with Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Kogan. Continue reading →