Robservations on the media beat:  

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  ^{Jen Patterson}

  I believe it was the late Richard Hainey, the crusty former editor of Chicago Today and a beloved professor at Medill, who taught us the adage: “You can’t cover the circus if you sleep with the elephants.” It’s advice worth recalling after the firing last week of Jen Patterson, an on-air contributor and rising star at Comcast SportsNet Chicago. It came after other female sports reporters privately voiced dismay about Patterson dating Nick Boynton, a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks. By the time Sun-Times gossip columnist Bill Zwecker reported seeing them out on the town as “a nice cozy item,” Comcast SportsNet took action. I have no idea what Patterson’s relationship was with Boynton or if other issues may have led to her departure. Neither side is commenting beyond a “wish her well” statement from her former bosses. But journalists everywhere —  especially those in the volatile sports media world — would be wise to heed the lesson.
• Leslie Marshall, the talk radio veteran who once hosted evenings on Citadel Broadcasting news/talk WLS-AM (890), is back on the air in Chicago. Starting Monday, one hour of her nationally syndicated show will air live at 8 p.m. weeknights on the Newsweb Radio progressive talk lineup of WCPT-AM/FM (820/92.7), WCPY-FM (92.5) and WCPQ-FM (99.9). Marshall also is a contributor to Fox News Channel.
• Sunday night marks the debut of Sun-Times Quick Hits sports columnist Elliott Harris as a regular contributor to “Bearly Legal,” the one-hour talk show hosted by former‚ Bear Robin Earl and lawyer David Spada. It airs at midnight Sundays on Salem Communications news/talk WIND-AM (560).‚  “Not sure how gratuitous photos‚ translate to radio,” quipped Harris, who also recently launched a sensational new website —  elliottharris.com — serving up “opinion and observation, as well as video and pictures, on‚ subjects of local, national and intergalactic interest.”
• In just three weeks, Adam Delevitt moved up from assistant program director to interim program director to program director of ESPN Radio’s WMVP-AM (1000). On Thursday he officially was named to succeed Justin Craig, who shifted to the same position at ESPN’s WEPN-AM in New York. Tim McCarthy, senior vice president of ESPN Radio Group, praised Delevitt for his “unabashed Windy City passion as a lifelong Chicagoan who’s been with ESPN Radio 1000 since 1998.” He also happens to be a longtime protege of Mitch Rosen, program director of CBS Radio competing sports/talk WSCR-AM (670).
• Taylor Swift and John Rich were among country music stars who called in last week to congratulate Lisa Dent and Rambin’ Ray Stevens on winning this year’s Country Music Association Broadcast Award as Major Market Personalities of the Year. The morning duo on CBS Radio country WUSN-FM (99.5) will be cited at the 44th‚ annual CMA Awards Nov. 10 in Nashville. The event will air live on ABC.