Michael Ferro (Photo: Christopher Michel)

Robservations on the media beat:

#MeToo, Michael? Now we know the real reason Michael Ferro retired Monday as chairman of tronc, parent company of the Chicago Tribune. Hours after his announcement, Fortune published allegations by two female entrepreneurs that Ferro had made inappropriate sexual advances toward them. (Here is the link.) Fortune also quoted former Sun-Times staffers who recalled Ferro making “sexual comments about women’s clothing and appearance” during the time he owned the paper. For a man who had done so much to undermine two Chicago news organizations (including the elimination of more than 1,125 newspaper jobs companywide in the last two years), it seemed fitting that Ferro would be brought down by the power of journalism. Continue reading →

Me-TV FM

Days after parent company iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy protection, urban adult-contemporary powerhouse WVAZ FM 102.7 remained firmly entrenched as the top-rated radio station in the Chicago area.

But far bigger news in the Nielsen Audio survey released Monday was the growth of Weigel Broadcasting’s WRME FM 87.7, the soft-rock oldies station known as Me-TV FM. Jumping from 21st place to sixth in one month, it delivered its highest total audience share ever. In middays the station ranked No. 2 overall — behind only V103. Continue reading →

Michael Ferro (Photo: Christopher Michel)

In an unexpected move, Michael Ferro announced his retirement Monday as chairman of tronc, parent company of the Chicago Tribune and newspapers in nine other cities.

CEO Justin Dearborn was named to succeed Ferro as chairman of the Chicago-based media company. Continue reading →

Tribune Tower

Robservations on the media beat:

Chris Kuc

One day after the Chicago Tribune axed a dozen journalists, parent company tronc disclosed raises and bonuses for chief executive officer Justin Dearborn and chief financial officer Terry Jimenez. The notice in the company’s annual report Friday followed the award of a $15 million consulting contract to Merrick Ventures, another company owned by tronc chairman Michael Ferro. Tronc still won’t confirm the names (or even the number) of Tribune employees who lost their jobs Thursday. But sources said there were 12, including sports writer Chris Kuc, who tweeted that he learned his fate while covering a team on the road. Kuc, the son of veteran Chicago sportscaster Jerry Kuc, began working at the Tribune while in high school at Hinsdale South. Among others laid off were Washington correspondent Kathy Skiba, education reporter Diane Rado, artist Phil Geib, visual editor Michael Zajakowski, and copy editors Jason Morris and Mark Misulonas. Continue reading →

Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune staffers bid farewell to more of their colleagues as another wave of layoffs hit the newsroom today.

“Everyone who walks out of the newsroom with their things gets a round of applause,” tweeted Tribune reporter Peter Nickeas. “Nobody has communicated to the newsroom about what's going on.” Continue reading →

Chuck Goudie, March 14, 2018 (Photo: ABC 7)

Robservations on the media beat:

Northwestern University tweet

Chicago television stations broke into their regular afternoon programming Wednesday for live coverage of the lockdown at Northwestern University. It began after Evanston police received a call about a shooting at a graduate residence hall and dispatched a SWAT team to search the campus. With their helicopters in the air, TV newsrooms augmented sketchy reports with calls from NU students and staff members, who vividly described their experiences during the harrowing two-hour ordeal. One Medill senior told NBC 5’s Dick Johnson she had “confirmed information” that shots were fired in the area. To his credit, ABC 7’s Chuck Goudie raised serious doubts early on about whether there was any gunman at all. By 4:30 p.m., police determined there was no shooter and the initial call was a hoax. Continue reading →

670 The Score

WSCR AM 670 unveiled a revised talent roster today, including the return of Dan McNeil and Connor McKnight and new shifts for Dan Bernstein and Danny Parkins on the Entercom sports/talk station.

Forced to the sidelines for now were Jason Goff and Matt Spiegel, although both are expected to be offered weekend and fill-in work at The Score. Continue reading →

Anthony Ponce (Photo: "Backseat Rider")

Robservations on the media beat:

Anthony Ponce, who quit his job as reporter and weekend morning anchor at NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 to become a Lyft driver, is returning to TV news. He’s joining Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32, where he’ll anchor “Good Day Chicago” from 4 to 6 a.m. weekdays with Natalie Bomke. Ponce left NBC 5 in 2016 to launch “Backseat Rider,” a podcast in which he interviews his Lyft passengers. He’ll continue to host the podcast and use segments from it on “Good Day Chicago.” A graduate of Indiana University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Ponce will be competing against his brother, Dan Ponce, who's morning news anchor at Tribune Broadcasting WGN-Channel 9. Their father, Phil Ponce, hosts “Chicago Tonight” on public television WTTW-Channel 11. Continue reading →

Marty Wilke

Marty Wilke, president and general manager of CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2 since 2012, surprised her staff Monday by announcing that she’s retiring.

No successor has been named for Wilke, whose last day at the station will be March 23. By all accounts, her decision was voluntary. Continue reading →

Garry Meier

Robservations on the media beat:

It was hardly a surprise that Garry Meier was missing from The Loop’s four-hour star-studded send-off Friday, hosted by Steve Dahl and simulcast on Cumulus Media’s WLUP FM 97.9 and WLS AM 890. Dahl told listeners he made numerous efforts to get Meier to participate in the once-in-a-lifetime broadcast. Although it’s been 25 years since the breakup of Steve & Garry, Meier apparently remains as bitter and angry as ever. (Here is the link to Dahl’s show.) What was a surprise was that Meier backed out of a well-publicized agreement to appear on David Plier’s tribute to The Loop early Sunday morning on Tribune Broadcasting’s WGN AM 720. A couple of hours before the taping, Meier texted Plier that he was canceling, Plier said. (Here is the link to Plier’s show.) Meier could not be reached for comment. Continue reading →