Robservations: Lite FM turns off Kristina Kage

Kristina Kage

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s over and out for Kristina Kage as morning personality at WLIT 93.9-FM. Friday was her last day on the air at the iHeartMedia adult contemporary station. No comment from station bosses, but insiders said her replacement will be named today. Kage, whose full name is Kristina Zsenyuk, arrived in 2015 from Portland, Oregon, where she previously had worked with Mick Lee, program director and afternoon personality at Lite FM. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, Kage’s morning show ranked 12th overall with a 2.9 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 468,000.

Cheryl Scott

A man who’s been stalking Cheryl Scott through social media was arrested and charged with felony electronic harassment Saturday after violating a probation order by sending another harassing message to the WLS-Channel 7 meteorologist. A report on the case in the Chicago Tribune (which referred to Scott only as a female meteorologist at the ABC-owned station) prompted fellow weather forecaster Paul Konrad of Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9 to tweet: “This is a growing and increasingly common problem with Social Media. TV Stations want their talent to engage with their viewers. And, it is great for about 80% of the audience. However, . . .”

Roger Triemstra

Meteorologist Roger Triemstra had jaws dropping at WGN 720-AM during his induction in the WGN Radio Walk of Fame Friday. In off-the-cuff banter with emcees Wendy Snyder and Bill Leff, Triemstra half-jokingly dissed two other Tribune Broadcasting forecasters: “If you want to know what the weather is, fine. If you want to see a lot of goofy pictures, get [Tom] Skilling,” he said. “Skilling is such a nice young man. But he ought to spend more time with the science instead of them dumb pictures of [a] sunrise. Who the heck cares about a sunrise when it’s 40 below zero?” Of Morgan Kolkmeyer, Triemstra said: “I think they have a gal now on Channel 9 in the morning. She must be in eighth grade. She’s a cute gal, but she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” Triemstra retired from WGN after 33 years in 1998.

Carol Marin

Legendary broadcast journalist Carol Marin and her longtime producer-partner, Don Moseley, were awarded honorary doctorates Saturday from Governors State University in recognition of their lifetime commitment to journalistic excellence. In addition to their work on Chicago television, the two are co-directors of the DePaul Center for Journalism Integrity and Excellence. "If you love what you do, it will propel you to do so much more, to love so much more, to be so much more,” Marin told the graduates.

Carol Felsenthal

Bill Holderman, the Chicagoan who wrote and directed "Book Club" (the new film starring Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton and Candice Bergen), may be setting his sights on a project about Katharine Graham, the late publisher of the Washington Post. Holderman and his co-writer and producer Erin Simms, have the option on Power, Privilege and The Post: the Katharine Graham Story, the unauthorized biography by Carol Felsenthal, the Chicago magazine blogger. Since its publication in 1993, the book had been optioned twice before. “I’m hoping the third time’s the charm,” Felsenthal said.

Bruce DuMont

Bruce DuMont, founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications, will be honored by the Publicity Club of Chicago Tuesday at its 59th annual Golden Trumpet Awards at the Palmer House Hilton. He’ll receive the group’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award for his multifaceted career. DuMont, who recently retired as president of the museum, continues to host “Beyond the Beltway,” his syndicated  radio show now in its 38th year.

Friday’s comment of the day: Lorraine Hearn-Mccray: Why did [WCIU-Channel 26] ever change from “You & Me” with Jeanne Sparrow and Melissa Forman? That was a much better show and hosts were genuine.