Doug Banks

In a fitting tribute to a stellar career cut way too short, the late, great Doug Banks went out on top among Chicago radio personalities in the Nielsen Audio survey released Monday.

Hours after Banks died from complications related to diabetes, ratings showed his nationally syndicated afternoon program on iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ FM 102.7 tied for first place in Chicago with the CBS Radio all-news combo of WBBM AM 780/WCFS FM 105.9. Both had a 5.5 percent audience share. Continue reading →

Doug Banks

It was impossible not to like Doug Banks. That’s what endeared him to legions of fans and admirers over more than three decades as a top-rated and nationally syndicated radio personality and popular television host in Chicago.

Banks died Monday at his home in Florida from complications related to diabetes and kidney failure, according to Marv Dyson, a longtime friend and former president and general manager of WGCI FM 107.5 and WVAZ FM 102.7. Banks was 57. Continue reading →

WGN Radio Walk of Fame

An innovative executive, a trailblazing producer, an ace engineer and four distinguished broadcasters are among this year’s honorees in the WGN Radio Walk of Fame.

The seven veterans of Tribune Media news/talk WGN AM 720 will be enshrined May 27 with bronze plaques embedded outside the station’s Tribune Tower studios at 435 North Michigan Avenue. Continue reading →

Mike Kasper

CBS Radio Chicago has reached out to Richmond, Virginia, for its new afternoon personality on country WUSN FM 99.5.

Mike Kasper, who most recently was afternoon host, assistant program director and music director at WRVQ in Richmond, will join US 99.5 from 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, starting April 20. He succeeds Shila Nathan, who left in January for WNSH in New York. Continue reading →

Tina Sfondeles

Robservations on the media beat:

Tina Sfondeles, a general assignment reporter at the Sun-Times, will be promoted Thursday to full-time political reporter for the paper. Her new role essentially consolidates the duties formerly held by political writers Natasha Korecki, who left for politico.com, and Dave McKinney, who resigned in protest and works for the Midwest bureau of Thomson Reuters. Before joining the Sun-Times in 2007, Sfondeles was a news writer at CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780 and a production assistant for “The Steve Dahl Show.” She’s a graduate of Lemont High School and holds degrees from Loyola University and Columbia College.  Continue reading →

Mike Adamle

For the second time in four years, veteran Chicago sportscaster Mike Adamle is out of commission at WMAQ-Channel 5 with no word on when he'll back.

Adamle, 66, has been off the air since March 13 when he anchored his last “Sports Sunday” broadcast for the NBC-owned station. Continue reading →

Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips just landed a third gig on Chicago radio. Not bad for a guy talking about movies.

The veteran Chicago Tribune film critic has signed on as a weekly contributor to Pete McMurray and Dan McNeil’s morning show on Hubbard Radio classic hits WDRV FM 97.1. Continue reading →

Matt Piacente

Matt Piacente, a former executive producer at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5, is coming home to Chicago to become news director of Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32.

Piacente, who most recently has been vice president of news at WVIT, the NBC-owned station in Hartford, Connecticut, will succeed Tom Doerr, who’s stepping down for “personal family reasons” after three years at Fox 32. Continue reading →

Lauren Magiera

Lauren Magiera, a native Chicago sports fan who most recently co-hosted the Green Bay Packers pre-game show, has been hired as a sports anchor and reporter at Tribune Media WGN-Channel 9.

Starting later this month, she will succeed Chicago sportscasting veteran Rich King, who last January announced plans to retire June 15. Continue reading →

Michael Savage

Robservations on the media beat:

Mark Levin

The start of White Sox baseball on WLS AM 890 Monday also will bring a new weeknight lineup to the Cumulus Media news/talk station. Michael Savage, whose syndicated talk show previously aired from 6 to 9 p.m., is trading places with syndicated talker Mark Levin, who’s been on from 9 p.m. to midnight. On nights when the shows are preempted by White Sox broadcasts, they’re expected to stream online in their entirety. Peter Bowen, vice president and Chicago market manager of Cumulus Media, called the timeslot swap “an internal programming decision,” but declined further comment. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, WLS ranked 17th in evenings with a 2.5 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 122,900. Continue reading →