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Published on Monday, 02 July 2012 19:46
Today's News & Notes feature 10 local media stories, including: Tom Kent's "80s" on hold at The Lite; TribLocal's operators getting looked at closely; Matt Dahl returning to his show; Steve Dahl returning to the RAIN Midwest Summit; WLS-TV wakes you up; WGN-TV shows off fireworks; Gidget goes to Antenna TV; Steve Bartlebaugh looks for his next opportunity; Svengoolie plays ball; and Darren Marlar makes people laugh. All of the details are just below.
* * Last week, it was announced that
WLIT-FM had picked up the syndicated show by Tom Kent, "Lovin' Life, Livin' the 80s." It was supposed to be heard on Saturday nights from 7:00pm-Midnight, starting last Saturday night. It didn't start then, though. In its place was just regular AC programming from Clear Channel with no DJ. So what happened? According to insiders at Clear Channel Chicago, Tom Kent was just premature with the announcement. The program is still coming to Saturday nights on WLIT-FM/93.9 Lite FM, but it will premiere in mid-July, not at the start of July. Check back in a couple of weekends.
* * This past weekend, "This American Life," the nationally syndicated Chicago Public Radio show, looked at
some of the practices of Journatic, the Chicago-based company that oversees all content operations of TribLocal -- the Chicago Tribune's suburban periodicals and websites. According to the report, Journatic has been using writers from the Philippines, but then assigning fake, Anglo-American names to the bylines. These writers, who work for pennies on the dollar, do the work assigned to them by Journatic via the Internet. This practice has started to become more common with bloggers, and companies looking to fill websites with news articles -- there are even websites that connect companies with the Filipino writers for a small fee -- but it is not normally done with news items, and certainly not done with the true author's name changed. Over the years, newspapers have used ghost writing and aliases in feature writing often, but not normally in the actual news section. According to this report, several real estate-related news stories appeared to be written and credited to false names, which first appeared on the Journatic-owned Blockshopper website, but were then shared with some of the TribLocal websites. The Chicago Tribune is now investigating these allegations and the possible breech in Journatic's agreement with the company to uphold Tribune ethics and standards. In April, the Chicago Tribune
became investors in the Journatic operation, which is headquartered within Tribune Tower.
* * "The Matt Dahl Show" is making a return tomorrow. Matt Dahl & Brendan Greely will be working together again, only this time it will only be able to be heard on the Steve Dahl Network, the subscription podcast collection, started by Matt Dahl's father
last summer. The show, now being renamed "The Matt and Brendan Show" (finally giving Greely co-host credit), will feature the two longtime friends who have been doing radio shows and podcasts together for almost a decade. Matt Dahl started working as a radio personality in 2003 on WCKG-FM, starting as a weekend music DJ, followed by a nighttime talk role, eventually partnering with Brendan Greely, doubling the fun. Subscribers to the
Steve Dahl Network will get access to all new "Matt and Brendan Shows" for no additional cost, as well as the already included regular podcasts of Steve Dahl, Steve Dahl classic archives, Kevin Matthews, James VanOsdol, and Dino Stamatopoulos. Tomorrow's podcast will be the first for the duo since June 2011. (Past podcasts of theirs can still be heard via
iTunes.)
* * Speaking of Chicago radio/podcast legend Steve Dahl... he will once again be the featured speaker at the RAIN Midwest Summit, taking place at the 2012 Conclave conference at the Doubletree Park Place Hotel in Minneapolis, MN later this month. Dahl will be interviewed by RAIN Publisher/Founder Kurt Hanson and speaking about his post-radio podcasting career. The RAIN Midwest Summit will take place on July 20th. For more details on the event, visit this link
HERE. The will be the third RAIN Midwest Summit and the second speaking appearance for Dahl at one.
* * Last week, WLS-TV/ABC7 released a new news & alarm app for iPhone users. In addition to the latest news/traffic/weather and information one would expect from a newscast app, this particular app has something unique. For those looking for a fun new way to wake up in the morning, the app has custom alarm tones featuring the voices of the ABC7 morning news team: Hosea Sanders, Judy Hsu, Roz Varon, and Tracy Butler. It also has the ABC7 Breaking News theme sounds, a rooster crowing, a dog barking, a doorbell, and numerous other sounds to get your eyes open each morning. The new "ABC7 Chicago Alarm Clock" app is available in the iTunes store at this link
HERE. The app is free, but for now is only for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.
* * WGN-TV will end its 9:00pm newscast 30 minutes early this Wednesday to air "Chicago's Summer Blast: The Navy Pier Fireworks" at 9:30pm. The half-hour special presentation will air in HD and also be simulcast nationally on WGN America. Additionally, the program will be rerun in its entirety ay 11:30pm on cable sister-station CLTV.
* * The Chicago-based classic television network, Antenna TV, will celebrate the 4th of July with the All-American girl, Gidget. For 24 straight hours, starting at 6:00am Wednesday, the network will four "Gidget" movies, as well as the entire 32 episode "Gidget" TV series from 1965-1966 starring Sally Field. For movie & episode names & times, visit Antenna TV's schedule page
HERE. Locally, Antenna TV airs on WGN-TV's digital sub-channel 9.2.
* * The longtime Executive Director for Evanston Community Television (ECTV) and the Evanston Community Media Center (ECMC), Steve Bartlebaugh will be out of a job this week. Due to an ever-shrinking budget, the Board of Directors let Bartlebaugh know that they will be unable to renew his contract. His final project will be a live telecast on local cable for Evanston's Fourth of July parade. Steve Bartlebaugh has been with ECTV/ECMC since 1994 and its Executive Director since 1999. WGN-AM's Roger Badesch said of Bartlebaugh
yesterday: "He's one helluva guy!! Considerate, understanding, caring, nurturing, friendly, knowledgeable, creative, professional, and has done fantastic things with ECMC." Badesch will be joining Bartlebaugh for this July 4th parade telecast.
* * WCIU-TV/Me-TV's Svengoolie will be posing for photos, signing autographs and having some on-field fun this Friday night at the Joliet Slammers baseball game. The Slammers, who play at Silver Cross Field (1 Mayor Art Schultz Dr., Joliet), will be taking on the Normal CornBelters Friday starting just after 7:00pm. More information can be found
HERE. Fans in the Joliet area will also be able to hear Svengoolie on the radio that day when he visits WJOL-AM around Noon to talk about his appearence at the Slammers' game.
* * WYLL-AM morning show host Darren Marlar will be performing his family-friendly stand-up act this weekend as part of the big "Tickle Me Silly" comedy event. Other comedians performing will be Funny Freddie, Sundi Folke, Derrick Sims, and headliner Big Will. The laughs will take place this Saturday at 7:00pm at the Abundant Restaurant, located at 17429 S. Center Street in suburban East Hazel Crest. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 708-510-9712 or emailing
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