This week’s installment of “American Greed” marks the 100th episode of the CNBC documentary series on frauds, hustlers and other white-collar criminals, created and produced by Chicago-based Kurtis Productions.

Airing at 9 p.m. Thursday, the profile of Barry Minkow, who began a carpet-cleaning business as a teenager and amassed a fortune as a con man, hits a milestone for “American Greed” and the company founded by Chicago television news icon Bill Kurtis. Continue reading →

Bart Feder

Veteran network and local news executive Bart Feder (no relation) has been named senior vice president of news for Tribune Broadcasting, overseeing news operations at the Chicago-based company’s 42 television stations nationwide.

Feder succeeds Katherine Green, who quit last December after just after seven months, citing the “seemingly endless wheel of travel” the job entailed. His appointment, announced Wednesday, is effective March 2.

Like Green, Feder worked for CNN, where he spent five years as senior vice president of current programming until May 2013. He left after Jeff Zucker took over as president of CNN Worldwide. Also exiting around that time was Christa Robinson, senior vice president of communications, who subsequently joined Tribune Media as chief communications officer. Continue reading →

Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein

Afternoon listenership was up for grabs in January, with CBS Radio all-news WBBM 780 and WCFS FM 105.9, anchored by Kris Kridel and Keith Johnson, rising to the top of the charts.

Nielsen Audio ratings released Tuesday for the period from January 1 to 28 showed the Newsradio combo displacing longtime afternoon leader Doug Banks of iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7, who fell to third. Continue reading →

For the first time ever, Chicago’s listener-supported public radio station has cracked the top 10 among all Chicago radio morning shows.

Nielsen Audio ratings released Tuesday for the period from January 1 to 28 showed NPR’s “Morning Edition” and the locally produced “Morning Shift” anchored by Tony Sarabia on Chicago Public Media WBEZ FM 91.5 in a four-way tie for 10th place. The noncommercial station posted a 3.0 percent share of all listeners — up one full share point from December. Continue reading →

Pete McMurray and Dan McNeil

Last week’s scoop du jour is today’s press release: Chicago radio veterans Dan McNeil and Pete McMurray have signed on to co-host mornings on classic hits WDRV FM 97.1.

Hubbard Radio Chicago bosses formally introduced McNeil and McMurray to the staff Tuesday and officially announced that the duo would succeed Steve Downes, who’s retiring after 14 years as morning personality on The Drive. Continue reading →

Carol Marin, Tim Novak and Chris Fusco

Just days before it will lose more than 20 percent of its editorial staff to buyouts and layoffs, the Sun-Times won one of the nation’s most prestigious prizes for journalism. Go figure.

Reporters Tim Novak, Chris Fusco and Carol Marin were cited Sunday by the George Polk Awards in Journalism for reports that led to a conviction in the 2004 death of 21-year-old David Koschman. On an epic day for Chicago journalism, their investigation culminated in a guilty plea by a nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley. Continue reading →

If radio revenue is down by double digits and more listeners are turning to other sources for music, why would one of Chicago’s savviest television operators be getting into radio now?

The announcement last week that Weigel Broadcasting was extending the brand of its MeTV digital network by launching an oldies radio station may seem counterintuitive. That it’s doing it on WGWG LP 87.7, a low-power signal with a strange dial position and a checkered history, makes the move even bolder. Continue reading →

Dan Proft

Dan Proft, who’s been filling in as guest morning host at WIND AM 560 since John Howell signed off last month, spilled the beans Thursday night: He’s getting the job permanently.

Proft, who was emceeing the annual Northwest Suburban Republican Lincoln Day Dinner in Rolling Meadows, preceded his introduction of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie by telling the crowd of 900 that he’d accepted the WIND gig. “So do a fellow conservative a solid and listen in,” he said, "because I only get paid if you listen." Continue reading →

Erik Bradley

The man who’s been calling the musical shots at WBBM FM 96.3 for more than two decades soon will be calling them from a thousand miles away.

Erik Bradley is considered so vital to the success of the CBS Radio Top 40 station that when he told his bosses he was moving to Dallas, they arranged to keep him on the job as music director and assistant program director. Continue reading →

NBC Tower Chicago

Employees of NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 have been ordered to review the network’s 83-page manual on news guidelines in the wake of the Brian Williams scandal at NBC News.

NBC 5 news staffers were told they have until Friday to acknowledge in writing that they have read NBCUniversal News Group Policies and Guidelines, a massive tome that covers everything from accuracy and fairness in reporting to ownership of securities and insider trading. “It is important that our staff and daily hires be up to date on NBC News Policies and Guidelines,” NBC 5 news director Debra Juarez told employees Tuesday. Continue reading →