Brent Musburger
Robservations on the media beat:
VSiN
WLS 890-AM, the Cumulus Media news/talk station, is the latest Chicago media outlet to bet on sports gambling. It's teaming up with VSiN, the Vegas Stats & Information Network, the first multi-channel network dedicated to sports betting. As of this week WLS is airing VSiN's "Action Updates," hosted by legendary sportscaster Brent Musburger, at 6:58 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting August 31, WLS will air VSiN'S "Sunday Preview" with Dave Farra and Matt Brown from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays. The weekly show breaks down every NFL game from a sports bettor's perspective. The programming additions coincide with the move of University of Illinois football and basketball to WLS this fall. "Chicago has always been one of the greatest sports cities with the greatest sports fans," Musburger said. "With regulated sports betting on its way to Illinois, those sports fans might want to have a little action on their favorite teams. We're glad to bring Chicago's sports betting enthusiasts the news and insights they need to win." VSiN updates previously aired on Entercom sports/talk WSCR 670-AM.
Julian Jumpin Perez
Julian Jumpin Perez, who hosts evenings on Entercom classic hip-hop WBMX 104.3-FM, is apologizing for a joke he made about Mexican immigrants. In an onstage appearance at Festival Cubano in Chicago's Riis Park Friday, Perez told the crowd “the way to keep Mexicans quiet was by calling ICE," referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "My apologies are sincere and heartfelt!" he later wrote on Facebook. "I made a mistake that I’m truly sorry for. In a time when we are pushed further into division, we need to come together and unite. To my Mexican family members and to every person of Mexican descent, my sincerest apologies to ALL.”
Dorothy Tucker
Dorothy Tucker, investigative reporter for CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2, is the new president of the National Association of Black Journalists. She was elected last week at the NABJ's 2019 Convention and Career Fair in Miami. The Chicago native and Northwestern University graduate worked for stations in Peoria, Memphis, Denver and Pittsburgh before joining CBS 2 in 1984. In 2011 Tucker was inducted in the Silver Circle of the Chicago/Midwest chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Janet Shamlian
Janet Shamlian, the former CBS 2 news anchor and reporter who grew up in Park Ridge, has been hired as a Houston-based correspondent for CBS News. She previously spent more than a decade as a correspondent for NBC News. Shamlian, who graduated from Maine South High School and the University of Missouri School of Journalism, worked at CBS 2 from 1993 to 1995. Earlier she worked for stations in Houston and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Peter Bowen
Peter Bowen, former vice president and market manager of Cumulus Media Chicago, has been named director of sales for Townsquare Media in Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Iowa. He will head the local sales team at KHAK, KRNA, KDAT and KRQN. Bowen most recently was director of sports sales for The Score. Earlier he was director of sales in Chicago and Los Angeles for Entercom predecessor CBS Radio and general manager of Top 40 WBBM 96.3-FM. "Peter is a rare find, having an impressive pedigree and track record of sales leadership with some of the best multimedia companies in the United States," said Terry Peters, president and chief revenue officer of Townsquare Media Cedar Rapids.
Jennifer Ellis
Jennifer Ellis, who was employed in traffic, continuity and national sales at iHeartMedia Chicago, has joined Window to the World Communications WTTW-Channel 11 as manager of digital traffic operations. “I’ve left a toxic work environment behind and am so so so happy to announce that I’ll be working for WTTW (home of Mr. Rogers, Teletubbies, Sesame Street),” she told Facebook friends. Ellis previously worked as traffic and continuity manager for Cumulus Media Chicago and CBS Radio Chicago.
Monday's comment of the day: Cara Carriveau: Wow, fantastic news. Congrats Chris Petlak!