Robservations: Down to the wire for Tribune Publishing bids

Tribune Publishing

Robservations on the media beat:

Michael Sacks

Michael Sacks, a prominent Chicago businessman and top donor to Mayor Rahm Emanuel, could emerge today as the frontrunner to take control of the Chicago Tribune's parent company. Sources said Sacks, CEO of Grosvenor Capital Management, is poised to make a bid for the shares of former chairman Michael Ferro, who owns a controlling 26 percent stake in the company formerly known as tronc. Tribune Publishing confirmed a New York Post report that initial bids are due today. Also in the running may be McClatchy Co., Sacramento, California-based publisher of 30 daily newspapers. But McClatchy's bid reportedly depends on the uncertain participation of biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, owner of the Los Angeles Times and Tribune Publishing’s second-largest shareholder. In addition to the Chicago Tribune, the company owns the New York Daily News, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel and papers in six other cities.

Edwin Eisendrath

The abrupt resignation of Edwin Eisendrath as CEO of the Sun-Times Wednesday doesn't mean he's out of the public eye. Eisendrath will serve as a keynote speaker for the Chicago Journalists Association’s awards luncheon Saturday at Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery. Meanwhile, in a statement on his departure, the Chicago News Guild saluted Eisendrath "for his tireless work to preserve jobs in Chicago journalism and to assure that the Sun-Times and the Chicago Reader continue as independent, vibrant news sources. . . . He showed great enthusiasm for the work and has prepared both publications for a bright future. Our union wishes him well in his new endeavors."

Ericka "Sundance" Ingram

Until earlier this year, Ericka Ingram was known as "Sundance" to listeners of urban adult-contemporary WSRB 106.3-FM. Now the former midday personality is suing Crawford Broadcasting and program director Jonathan "Jay Alan" Dewberry for “race, color and sex” discrimination. Among Ingram's charges is that her bosses told her that “light-skinned radio personalities could bring in more money for the company,” according to Tom Taylor Now. Her suit claims she was “denied pay increases due to her race, skin color and gender,” and that she resigned in April “because of the hostile work environment and discriminatory treatment.” She's now hosting weekends on iHeartMedia urban adult-contemporary WVAZ 102.7-FM. Crawford has not responded to the suit, filed this week in federal court.

Jonathon Brandmeier

When Jonathon Brandmeier gets inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, he'll be introduced by Jimmy deCastro, senior vice president and market manager of Entercom Chicago. It's only fitting, since deCastro was the Chicago radio exec who brought Brandmeier to The Loop in 1983. (Thirty years later, deCastro cut Johnny B. from Tribune Broadcasting news/talk WGN 720-AM, but that was just a bump in the road of their long friendship.) Syndicated radio host and Hall of Famer Scott Shannon will emcee this year's induction ceremony November 15 in New York. Other inductees include syndicated hosts Nanci “The Fabulous Sports Babe” Donnellan, the duo of Mike Golic & Mike Greenberg, Kid Kelly, Mark Levin and Dr. Laura Schlesinger; local hosts Mike Francesa, Joan Hamburg and Jim Kerr; and consultant Fred Jacobs.

Oprah Winfrey

Don't look for Oprah Winfrey to be back on "60 Minutes" any time soon. After a year as a special contributor, the media mogul and former Chicago talk-show star is leaving the CBS News primetime magazine show to campaign for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, the Los Angeles Times reports. “Oprah Winfrey and CBS News have agreed that she will step away from her contributor role at ‘60 Minutes’ during this campaign season, in keeping with CBS News standards,” the network said in a statement. No word on when or if Winfrey will return to the show.

Wednesday's comment of the day: Michael Miner: [Edwin Eisendrath] leaving the Sun-Times probably serves it well, but not as well as buying it. The alternative was Michael Ferro. The Reader starved under Eisendrath, but he put it in competent hands.