WGN Radio Walk of Fame
Robservations on the media beat:
For the last time at Tribune Tower, WGN 720-AM will add a new class of Chicago radio veterans to the WGN Radio Walk of Fame. In a live broadcast starting at 10 a.m. Friday, the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station will induct sportscasters David Kaplan and Chuck Swirsky, meteorologist Roger Triemstra, traffic reporter Mary VanDeVelde and the late announcer Pierre Andre. With WGN about to move to new studios at 303 East Wacker Drive, plaques for this year's honorees will not be embedded in the pavement outside 435 North Michigan Avenue. They’ll be held for installation with the four earlier classes when WGN selects a new site for the Walk of Fame.
94.7 WLS
As long as nobody messes with the music, fans of WLS 94.7-FM don’t mind the fresh look unveiled this week by the Cumulus Media classic hits station. “The new logo better represents who we are — a legendary Chicago radio station that plans on being more in tune with our listening audience and advertising partners,” said Marv Nyren, vice president and market manager of Cumulus Chicago. “It also gives us the opportunity to have fun with it,” he added, promising we’ll see several variations throughout the year. No logo changes are planned at this time for the company’s two other Chicago stations — alternative rock WKQX 101.1-FM and news/talk WLS 890-AM, Nyren said.
Ron Magers
Legendary Chicago anchorman Ron Magers, who retired from WLS-Channel 7 two years ago this month, will be back on the ABC-owned station Friday. While Ryan Chiaverini is away, Magers will turn up as guest-host of “Windy City Live” alongside Val Warner. Magers divides his time between homes in Chicago and Aventura, Florida. “I’m filling in for Ryan as the result of a bet we made,” he told me. “I can’t tell you which one of us lost.”
Rev. Clay Evans
"It Is No Secret: The Life and Inspiration of Reverend Clay Evans,” a 2017 documentary on the Chicago broadcast minister and civil rights leader, will air at 7:30 p.m. Friday on Window to the World Communications WTTW-Channel 11. Produced by Patty Nolan-Fitzgerald and directed by Ines Sommer, the film includes interviews, archival photos and recordings about the 92-year-old pastor who founded the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church and hosted “What a Fellowship Hour.”
Wednesday’s comment of the day: Fred Weintraub: Robert, as Chicago's Royal Watcher for WCIU The Jam, any royal observer or reporter will quote their sources in dishing out information most of it which is pure speculation based on what we think we know and what we have seen in the past. That's the way royal family works. Unless you are reading a press release directly from Buckingham Palace or Kensington or the royal press office has strategically setup a photo shoot . . . none of us really knows exactly what Saturday will look like. But you seemed to scoop us all on the Chicago news about Meghan Markle's father having worked at WTTW with your brand of concrete, responsible reporting. Well done! My royal watcher sense is that Mr. Markle, who might really need heart surgery, has found a perfect time to do it as to not cause anymore family drama for Meghan and the royal family!