Filed under: Radio

Visit our Filed page for categories. To browse by specific topic, see our Inside page. For a list of companies covered on this site, visit our Companies page.

 
Jan. 19 at 1:32 p.m.
21 comments
Filed under: M&A, Media, Radio

New owner for 4 Chicago radio stations

By Wailin Wong

Four radio stations in Chicago, including WTMX-FM 101.9 and WDRV-FM 97.1, are getting new owners as part of a $505 million deal between Hubbard Broadcasting Inc. and Bonneville International Corporation.

Bonneville, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City, is selling 17 radio stations to Minneapolis-based Hubbard. Chicago is one of four “strategic markets” that Hubbard is adding to its portfolio with the acquisition, the company said in a press release. The other markets are Washington, D.C., St. Louis and Cincinnati. Get the full story »

Jan. 19 at 11:35 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV

Tribune creditor seeks details on Morgan holdings

Wall Street Journal | Creditor Aurelius Capital Management has amped up its opposition to the Tribune Co.’s Chapter 11 plan, demanding a full accounting of the media holdings of JP Morgan’s media holdings.

Jan. 18 at 4:21 p.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Personnel moves, Radio

WGN Radio hires new program director

By Phil Rosenthal

Tower Ticker | Bill White, operations director of WBT-AM and FM and WLNK-FM in Charlotte N.C., has been named the new program director at Chicago’s WGN-AM 720, effective Valentine’s Day.

The job at Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.’s radio station has been officially vacant since the exit of Kevin Metheny in November with Tom Langmyer, WGN-AM’s vice president and general manager, handling the programming responsibilities since then.

Dec. 17, 2010 at 9:29 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Entertainment, Media, Radio

‘Brotha Fred’ to fill ‘DreX’ spot on Kiss FM

By Phil Rosenthal

Tower Ticker | Christopher “Brotha’ Fred” Frederick, a fast-rising radio and TV star in Charlotte, N.C., is coming to Chicago to take over the morning slot vacated by the abrupt exit this week of Kevin “DreX” Buchar from Clear Channel’s WKSC-FM 103.5.

“Chicago morning radio is a dream,” Frederick said in announcing his move Thursday night on “Fox News Edge,” which he has co-hosted on Charlotte’s WCCB-TV in addition to his “A.M. Mayhem” morning program on Clear Channel’s WIBT-FM.

Kiss FM said Friday that Frederick will start here on Jan. 17.

Dec. 15, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV

1 Tribune Co. reorganization plan withdrawn

By Reuters

A group of lenders to bankrupt Tribune Co. withdrew its reorganization plan for the media company, leaving creditors with three other options when they begin voting on how to end the 2-year-old Chapter 11 case.

Pursuing the plan “was not the best focus of our resources,” said Evan Flaschen, an attorney representing the group, made up of 14 hedge funds, including GreyWolf Capital Management and billionaire George Soros’ Soros Fund Management. Get the full story »

Dec. 13, 2010 at 5:18 p.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV

Tribune Co. signs wire deal with Reuters America

By Phil Rosenthal

Tower Ticker |  The Chicago Tribune and other Tribune Co. newspapers have signed a multiyear agreement to become charter subscribers to the new Reuters America wire service, a move that will make them less reliant on Associated Press for print and online content.

Though Tribune Co. papers have experimented since May with eschewing AP content in news, business and features — and, in selected trial weeks, sports as well — there is  no plan by the newspapers to drop the 164-year-old wire service whose content is ubiquitous in print and online. Get the full story »

Dec. 9, 2010 at 9:08 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Media, Radio

Stern signs 5-year deal to stay on Sirius XM

By Tower Ticker

Howard Stern announced on his subscription satellite program Thursday that he has signed a new five-year deal with Sirius XM Radio, putting to end months of speculation and discussion that had grown increasingly heated of late. Get the full story>>

Nov. 29, 2010 at 6:26 a.m.
11 comments
Filed under: Media, Radio

Dr. Laura moves show to Sirius XM Radio

By Associated Press

Talk show host Laura Schlessinger, also known as Dr. Laura. (AP Photo/SIRIUS XM Radio)

Talk-show host Laura Schlessinger won’t stay away from radio very long — only a weekend, in fact. Sirius XM Radio Inc. said Monday it has a multiyear deal with Schlessinger to bring her “Dr. Laura” advice program to satellite radio in January. Specific terms were not revealed.

Schlessinger had said in August that she was quitting her syndicated radio program, a week after she apologized for using the N-word on the air 11 times while talking to a black woman, and activists demanded her ouster.

She ends her traditional radio program on Friday, Dec. 31. The following Monday, her “Dr. Laura” show will begin live at 2 p.m. on Sirius XM. It will air for three hours a day on Monday through Friday. Get the full story »

Nov. 23, 2010 at 6:43 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Internet, Media, Radio

Robert Feder pulling blog from Vocalo

By Tower Ticker

Robert Feder, the former Chicago Sun-Times columnist whose local media coverage and criticism gave Chicago Public Media’s Vocalo both an identity and much of its Web traffic, announced early Tuesday on his blog he is leaving the site he joined only last fall.

Nov. 16, 2010 at 5:38 p.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Media, Radio, Sports

Agar, ‘News Junkie’ out in latest WGN-AM moves

By Phil Rosenthal

Jerry Agar and Shawn “The News Junkie” Wasson are off the WGN-AM 720 schedule, and former Chicago Bear Glen Kozlowski is back with a weekend revival of the long-running “Sports Central” program.

Nov. 11, 2010 at 5:44 p.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Radio

Kevin Metheny, Jim Laski out at WGN-AM 720

By Phil Rosenthal

Kevin Metheny, the WGN-AM 720 program director whose abrupt moves to grow the audience grew a well of resentment among some long-time listeners, is is leaving the station along with his most controversial hire, former convicted Chicago City Clerk Jim Laski.

Nov. 2, 2010 at 7:27 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Bankruptcy, Media, Newspapers, Radio

Creditors sue Zell, banks over Tribune bankruptcy

By Reuters

Tribune Co. creditors filed sprawling lawsuits on Monday that take aim at Sam Zell, his banks and advisers for the disastrous leveraged buyout that plunged the publisher into bankruptcy two years ago.

The lawsuit accuses billionaire Zell and the Tribune board of defrauding Tribune’s creditors by pursuing the buyout of the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune knowing it would lead to bankruptcy. Get the full story »

Oct. 29, 2010 at 6:53 p.m.
1 comment
Filed under: Bankruptcy, Investing, Litigation, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV

Hedge funds sue lenders in Tribune Co. LBO

By Michael Oneal

A group of hedge funds sued the four banks that funded Tribune Co.’s 2007 leveraged buyout, alleging that the lenders knowingly rendered the company insolvent and precipitated its 2008 bankruptcy.

The suit, filed on Friday in New York state court, charges JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch Capital Corp., Citicorp North America Inc. and Bank of America with breach of contract, breach of good faith and negligence. It asks the court to set damages. Get the full story »

Oct. 29, 2010 at 11:07 a.m.
Comments Off
Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV, Work culture

Abrams: Tribune tales ‘blown out of proportion’

Business Insider | Lee Abrams tells online video studio My Damn Channel that the stories of the “frat boy” atmosphere at Tribune Co., which ultimately cost him his job as chief innovation officer at the media giant, were “blown out of proportion.”

Oct. 13, 2010 at 11:00 p.m.
43 comments
Filed under: Chicago executives, Media, Newspapers, Radio, TV, Work culture

Tribune executive suspended over e-mail

By Phil Rosenthal and Michael Oneal

Tribune Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrams. (Tribune file photo)

By Phil Rosenthal and Michael Oneal | Tribune Co. Chief Innovation Officer Lee Abrams on Wednesday was placed on indefinite suspension without pay because of a company-wide memo he sent this week with links to off-color satirical videos, which spurred a rash of employee complaints.

“Lee recognizes that the video was in extremely bad taste and that it offended employees,” Randy Michaels, chief executive of the Chicago Tribune’s parent company, said in an e-mail announcing the suspension. “But, this is the kind of serious mistake that can’t be tolerated; we intend to address it promptly and forcefully.” Get the full story »

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »