Ryan Chiaverini
Robservations on the media beat:
Ryan Chiaverini, the amiable co-host of “Windy City Live,” will give talk radio a whirl all next week on WLS 890-AM. Starting Monday, he’ll be the first weeklong fill-in morning host on the Cumulus Media news/talk station until Bruce St. James — replacement for the outgoing Erich Mancow Muller — starts December 14. "I’ve done a lot of radio as a guest on shows over the years — including Mancow many times — but this will be the first time hosting for an entire week," Chiaverini told me. "I have developed a lot of celebrity friendships through 'Windy City Live' so I definitely will have some celebrity guests. I’m also creating some fun radio bits and segments. I’ve always really enjoyed radio and the creative aspect to produce some comedic bits and have the extra time for interviews that you just can’t get on television. I’m not looking forward to waking up at 3:30 a.m., but it’s a great opportunity." Now in his 10th season with co-host Val Warner, Chiaverini continues on “Windy City Live” at 1 p.m. weekdays on ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7.
Chicago Tribune
A data loss in the Chicago Tribune's print content management system Monday night wreaked havoc on production of Tuesday's print edition. A truncated 24-page issue included a note to readers from editor-in-chief Colin McMahon, who wrote: "Due to technical issues at our printing plant, some sections of Tuesday’s newspaper have been consolidated, and some features we normally publish are unavailable. We also were able to print only a limited number of pages. . . . We expect to be operating normally by Tuesday. We apologize for the inconvenience."
Laura Washington
Congratulations to Laura Washington, Sun-Times columnist and ABC 7 political analyst, on her election as president of The Arts Club of Chicago Board of Directors. The veteran Chicago journalist has been associated with the 104-year-old club as a Visual, Literary and Performing Arts member since 1999. “The Arts Club could not be in better hands than those of Laura Washington," said former president Helyn Goldenberg. "She has keen insight into the needs of the club and the city of Chicago because of the many years she has dedicated to them both. We see her leadership as a bridge to the city as we rededicate ourselves to our founding mission to open a conversation about the arts with Chicago.”
Me-TV FM
Whenever you're ready for a break from Christmas music on Lite FM (or whatever you're listening to), Me-TV FM may be just the place. The Weigel Broadcasting soft-rock oldies station at WRME 87.7-FM has two special features lined up this weekend: On Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, it's Me-TV FM's fifth annual "Festival of Musical Turkeys" spotlighting novelty songs from the likes of Dickie Goodman, Ray Stevens, Allan Sherman, Tiny Tim, Rick Dees and "Weird Al" Yankovic. Following that on Saturday and Sunday it'll be "Songs Too Good For Words," saluting instrumental tunes by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Ferrante & Teicher and many others.
The Making of Bozo, Gar & Ray
A 15-year Chicago tradition continues with the rebroadcast of "Bozo, Gar & Ray: WGN TV Classics," the 2005 special hosted by Dean Richards, airing from 8 to 10 a.m. Thursday on Nexstar WGN-Channel 9. It's a loving look back at “Bozo’s Circus,” “Garfield Goose and Friends” and “Ray Rayner and His Friends.” To mark the milestone, Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications is re-releasing its behind-scenes documentary on the award-winning production. "The Making of Bozo, Gar & Ray," produced in 2009 by museum board chairman David Plier, includes interviews with Richards, executive producer George Pappas and producer Jeff Hoover. Starting at 8 a.m. today, the 20-minute documentary will begin streaming on the museum's website (at museum.tv) and Facebook page.
Tuesday’s comment of the day: Phil Melcher: Steve Harvey may be the most impressive person in American media in the last 10 years. Television, successful. Radio, successful. Books, successful, YouTube/social media, successful. Getting into Robert Feder's blog for distributing a note saying "Don't talk to me without an appointment," successful.