Al Jerome
A former Chicago television station manager is at the center of a rebellion that could turn the public broadcasting business upside down.
In a move that's sending shockwaves across the country, the main public television station in Los Angeles announced plans last week to drop its affiliation with PBS after more than 40 years and go independent, effective Jan 1.
Robservations on the media beat:
Sam Zell
Tribune Tower
Just another day at the naughty, bawdy frat house known as Tribune Tower.
Tuesday's antics were sparked by a typically idiotic company-wide memo written the day before by Lee Abrams, chief innovation officer of Tribune Co. (and longtime crony of CEO Randy "Show Me Your Breasts" Michaels). Although it contained links to some videos that any normal person would consider outrageously inappropriate for the workplace -- including one in which women identified as "sluts were seen simulating lewd acts -- Abrams' memo was not much different than dozens of others he'd written since 2008.
After just four weeks on the air, reruns of “The Sports Writers on TV” have disappeared from Comcast SportsNet Chicago — though insiders can’t seem to agree on who’s at fault for the sudden vanishing act.
Jim Corboy
The man who was responsible for efforts to promote the return of Bill Kurtis to WBBM-Channel 2 -- and for commercials that tied news anchors to prime-time entertainment shows -- is out as vice president of marketing at the CBS-owned station.
Jim Corboy was dismissed Thursday after less than 18 months on the job.
Robservations on the media beat:
Jay Shefsky
Randy Michaels & Co.
Did Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels really offer to pay a waitress at the InterContinental Hotel bar $100 to show him her breasts?
First there was the American spy plane U-2, shot down by the Russians in 1960. Then there was the Irish rock band U2, fronted by Bono. And starting in December, there’ll also be “The U Too,” the newest Chicago television venture by Weigel Broadcasting Co.
Neal Sabin
As tipped here Tuesday, the Chicago-based parent company of WCIU-Channel 26 announced the latest addition to a lineup of stations that includes "The U," "Me-TV," "Me-Too," and "This."‚ "The U Too" will air on digital subchannels 26.5 and 26.6, and on low-power analog Channel 48, which just changed call letters from WMEU-CA to WCUU-CA.
Neal Sabin, executive vice president of Weigel Broadcasting, said the new format will feature an array of programming, including some shows currently airing on "The U," a few airing overnights on "Me-TV," and new ones from syndicated sources and independent producers. In a statement announcing the launch, Sabin said:
