Mai Martinez and Cisco Cotto

Mai Martinez, former weekend news anchor and reporter at CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, has been hired to co-anchor morning news at WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM, the Audacy all-news station.

Starting April 4, Martinez will team with Cisco Cotto from 6 to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, and she will report stories from the field for WBBM Newsradio.

The addition, announced Monday, will mark the station's return to dual anchors in morning drive for the first time since Felicia Middlebrooks retired in May 2020. Cotto has been anchoring mornings solo since he replaced Pat Cassidy, who retired in December 2021. Continue reading →

"Sventoonie" and Rich "Svengoolie" Koz (Photo: MeTV)

“Svengoolie,” the monstrously popular horror movie series starring Chicago treasure Rich Koz, is about to get some company in the form of a talking fish puppet dressed like him.

Premiering this weekend on MeTV is “Sventoonie,” a new half-hour companion show airing at 9 p.m. Saturdays — following the usual two-hour “Svengoolie.”

Billed as a limited-run series, “Sventoonie” will be hosted by Toony the Tuna, known to MeTV viewers from the morning cartoon show “Toon In With Me,” hosted by Bill Leff. Toony is voiced by the supremely talented Kevin Fleming. Continue reading →

Employees on strike at WTTW (Photo: Local 1220 IBEW)

Robservations on the media beat:

As the first strike in WTTW-Channel 11’s history enters its second week, politicians are being urged to honor the picket lines — both real and virtual. In an email to political candidates Wednesday, the Chicago Federation of Labor asked them not to participate in remotely recorded Zoom interviews on the public television station while the strike goes on. Local Union 1220 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, representing more than two dozen technicians, graphic artists and floor crew members, walked out March 16 over work jurisdiction and job protection issues. Among those who declined to appear on the “2022 Primary Election Voter Guide” was Chicago Alderman Pat Dowell, who’s running to succeed U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush in Congress. “Whether in person or online I will not cross a picket line at WTTW,” Dowell said. “I encourage other candidates not to be a part of the WTTW Voter Guide until the workers’ demands are met.” On-air employees and producers at the station, represented by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, continue to do their jobs under contracts that bar sympathy strikes. A Window to the World Communications spokesperson said: “The company stands ready to return to good faith negotiations with the bargaining team’s representatives as soon as possible.” The last work stoppage at a Chicago station resulted in an 11-week lockout for camera operators, news writers and other technical workers represented by the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 in 1998. It was part of a nationwide labor dispute at the ABC Television Network. Continue reading →

Leila Rahimi

Leila Rahimi is about to make history again.

Last year the Chicago sportscaster broke a 29-year gender barrier when she became the first woman to host a Monday-through-Friday daytime shift on WSCR 670-AM, the Audacy sports/talk station.

Now Rahimi, 38, is about to become the first woman to be named main sports anchor at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5. She’s been working part-time for NBC 5 since last fall while co-hosting middays on The Score with Dan Bernstein. Continue reading →

Tina Sfondeles

Robservations on the media beat:

It’s back to the Sun-Times for Tina Sfondeles as chief political reporter following a whirlwind of reporting jobs in Washington, D.C., and public relations work in Chicago. Sfondeles will rejoin the paper Monday, according to interim editor in chief Steve Warmbir. “With her excellent sourcing on local, state and national levels, she will only add to the Sun-Times tradition of political coverage that's second to none,” Warmbir wrote in an email to staff. “She's a phenomenal addition to our great roster of first-rate political journalists here at the Sun-Times and our new colleagues at WBEZ.” In her first run at the Sun-Times, Sfondeles rose from preps sports writer and wire reporter to chief political reporter. She resigned in 2020 to join the Washington-based political team of Business Insider, and she later covered the White House for Politico. Since January she’s been vice president of public and media relations for Mac Strategies Group, a strategic communications and government relations firm. Continue reading →

WBEZ Chicago; V103

Chicago Public Media news/talk WBEZ 91.5-FM overtook Audacy all-news combo WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM to tie for first place with iHeartMedia R&B WVAZ 102.7-FM in the latest Chicago radio ratings.

WBEZ also led in mornings featuring NPR's “Morning Edition” and “BBC Newshour” with local news anchored by Mary Dixon, according to the Nielsen Audio survey released Monday. Continue reading →

Brandon Pope

Robservations on the media beat:

In the latest Chicago media partnership, Weigel Broadcasting and Block Club Chicago are joining forces to launch an innovative weekly newsmagazine show. Starting in April, "On the Block" will bring to life stories from the award-winning nonprofit neighborhood news site. The half-hour show will air multiple times each week on CW affiliate WCIU-Channel 26, WMEU-Channel 48.1 and MeTV Chicago. “Social media has a played an important role in how people access the news, and with ‘On the Block’ we are taking some of the visually compelling themes and amplifying those for television. You won’t see any anchors reading copy behind a desk,” said Afua Owusu, director of news and local content for CW26 and The U. Brandon Pope, who's been a reporter for The U since 2017, will host “On the Block” with stories from Jon Hansen and Block Club reporters. Hansen also will serve as coordinating producer for the show and continue to host Block Club’s "It’s All Good” podcast. “Block Club prides itself on telling a wide range of unique stories from all over the city, including for people often ignored by legacy media,” said Shamus Toomey, publisher and co-founder of Block Club. “We are absolutely thrilled to team up with Weigel Broadcasting and get these stories out to a wider audience.” Continue reading →

Lauren Jiggetts

Long before Lauren Jiggetts joined WGN-Channel 9 to anchor its top-rated morning news show, she already qualified as one of "Chicago's Very Own."

As the daughter of Dan Jiggetts, former Chicago Bears offensive tackle and one of the founding fathers of sports/talk WSCR 670-AM, she grew up in north suburban Long Grove and began making a name for herself at Stevenson High School.

Even then she was one to watch. Continue reading →

Merri Dee (Photo: Heidi Zeiger)

Robservations on the media beat:

Merri Dee is being remembered as an inspirational and groundbreaking broadcaster whose name was synonymous with "Chicago's Very Own" WGN-Channel 9 for generations. The retired staff announcer and director of community relations died in her sleep at home Wednesday, according to family. She was 85. Before joining WGN, where she worked from 1972 to 2008, Dee hosted talk shows for south suburban WBEE Radio and independent TV stations WCIU-Channel 26 and WSNS-Channel 44. "Merri Dee was a homegrown broadcasting legend whose time as an anchor and radio and talk show host made her a beloved local celebrity," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement. She added that Dee "truly made a positive and indelible mark on our city and inspired countless others to follow in her footsteps." In 1996 Dee was inducted in the Silver Circle of the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and in 2011 she was inducted in the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame. Her memoir, Life Lessons On Faith, Forgiveness & Grace, was published in 2013. Continue reading →

Window to the World Communications

Broadcast technicians and other employees at WTTW-Channel 11 went on strike Wednesday at the Window to the World Communications public television station shortly before the start of the nightly news program "Chicago Tonight."

Local Union 1220 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, representing more than two dozen technicians, graphic artists and floor crew members, announced the walkout at 6 p.m.

WTTW aired a “Best of Chicago Tonight” rerun in place of a live broadcast at 7 p.m. Continue reading →