WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

How did a small, upstart cable network based in Bristol, CT come to dominate the global sporting field?  For some insight, we turn to James Andrew Miller, co-author of the 2011 book, These Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN.

On Monday, in a move that might seem a little out of focus to some, the social networking giant Facebook announced that it was snatching up the popular photo app Instagram for a cool $1 billion in cash and stock.

On Tuesday's episode of Afternoon Shift we'll talk about land grabs of all sorts. First James Miller will discuss how ESPN staked its claim and made sports media its own.

We Chicagoans like to maintain our friendly rivalry with New Yorkers, but "Second City"? Hardly. Chicago regularly tops the list for dining destinations, and who can forget our friendly, Midwestern charm? But, New York does have us beat in at least one category-annual visitors. 

A fitting theme for Easter and Passover, we talk about sacred spaces from the seeker to the film buff.

The media love a “sure thing.”  That’s why when it comes to religion and belief, there are plenty of stories about people who are sure that the earth was created in seven days, or sure that their god will strike down people who don’t agree with them.  Less glamorous is “the seeker,” the on

Today, we review the news of the week with NPR's Peter Sagal and Chicago Magazine's Carol Felsenthal.