Cathy2 wrote:HI,

I know several people who don't subscribe to papers nor read the news online. It is surprising how little they know of current events and don't seem to worry about it.

I'll bet they're up to speed on current events on American Idol or Dancing With the Stars.

Terry Savage cut. Neil Steinberg down to once a week.

abolt wrote:Terry Savage cut. Neil Steinberg down to once a week.

Crains is reporting that Savage was cut after Fifth Third Bank, which sponsored her column, shifted its advertising. Savage was reportedly told that her column could continue if she found a new sponsor. As a former journalist, that makes me sad.

David Hammond wrote:

leek wrote:Yesterday's food section insert had on it "Prepared by the Advertising Department" or something like that.

Yes, it's unabashedly an ad insert, so that's the right way to designate it.

Today's insert hit an all-time low. 4 pages. It consisted of a common Beef With Mushroom and Red Wine Gravy crockpot recipe that was almost copied word for word from a Food.Com recipe,3 grocery stores,Treasure Island,Walts,One Stop,2 liquor chain ads,Park Packing ad,and an ad for Bensidoun Farmers Markets.
And they wonder why they're losing subscribers

Cathy2 wrote:What goes missing if newspapers fail? An investigative unit who will peel back the facade to find out why government is not working, unveiling corruption or cover ups. I would miss that more than a well written food section (and I like well written food sections).

I agree with every part of this.

boudreaulicious wrote:They can always add spectacular new talent like this: (http://www.chicagomag.com/Radar/Dish/April-2013/Brindille-First-Impressions/?utm_source=Chicago+magazine+newsletters&utm_campaign=44e1843c37-DISH201305014_30_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a375fce08e-44e1843c37-48725629)

The state of food reporting in Chicago is at an all-time low. Hope Sula, Eng, Todd, Gebert, Chu and Pang hang in there.

This is getting rather depressing, you may now remove WBEZ's Louisa Chu from this list. According to The Reader, WBEZ has effectively let go all of their bloggers who were often used as on-air experts.

"They're being much more realistic about their priorities," says Kaufmann, speaking of WBEZ's high brass. "It's not a good economic outlook. Our numbers have been down for years for what we get from our underwriters. The board is being realistic."

He won't say what his freelance budget is. But when trying to convey the situation to the Dueling Critics—and throwing out numbers that he tells me were hypothetical (Kleiman didn't hear them that way)—he asked them to think about a budget being cut by 90 percent.

"It's not like we just cut the Dueling Critics," says Kaufmann. He rattled off names. Also gone are bloggers Claire Zulkey (pop culture), Louisa Chu (food), Chris Bentley (environment), John Schmidt (local history), and Cheryl Raye Stout (sports), though Kaufmann said she may continue at WBEZ as a podcaster. Achy Obejas (city life) resigned to become writer in residence at Mills College in California, Nico Lang (LGBTQ) in favor of a job in New York City.

Hi- The only show on WBEZ that I listen to on a consistent basis is Prairie Home Companion. They lost me when they got rid of jazz, and started doing talk show reruns in the evening. I used to listen to All Things Considered when I was in my car, but I mostly listen to WDCB in the afternoon, because I love jazz, and they have by far the best jazz programing in the Chicago area.

WBEZ used to rerun Prairie Home Companion on Sunday mornings, and I really miss that. When they used to have radio call ins at the station, I called and asked them to reinstate the Sunday morning rebroadcast of PHC, and the station manager told me that it was not going to happen. I also used to enjoy Talk of the Nation, and they got rid of that program too. Thanks, Nancy

NFriday wrote:WBEZ used to rerun Prairie Home Companion on Sunday mornings, and I really miss that. When they used to have radio call ins at the station, I called and asked them to reinstate the Sunday morning rebroadcast of PHC, and the station manager told me that it was not going to happen. I also used to enjoy Talk of the Nation, and they got rid of that program too. Thanks, Nancy

I trace my disaffection with BEZ to the day they got rid of Gretchen Helfrich (and her show "Odyssey"). She was the very best interviewer/host they had; her shows were consistently interesting even when you didn't think you'd be into the subject matter. Getting rid of Helfrich--and hanging on to the mediocrities who were there at the time, some of whom are still in place--smacked of a personal decision that didn't have the good of the station, or its listeners, in mind.

riddlemay wrote:

NFriday wrote:WBEZ used to rerun Prairie Home Companion on Sunday mornings, and I really miss that. When they used to have radio call ins at the station, I called and asked them to reinstate the Sunday morning rebroadcast of PHC, and the station manager told me that it was not going to happen. I also used to enjoy Talk of the Nation, and they got rid of that program too. Thanks, Nancy

I trace my disaffection with BEZ to the day they got rid of Gretchen Helfrich (and her show "Odyssey"). She was the very best interviewer/host they had; her shows were consistently interesting even when you didn't think you'd be into the subject matter. Getting rid of Helfrich--and hanging on to the mediocrities who were there at the time, some of whom are still in place--smacked of a personal decision that didn't have the good of the station, or its listeners, in mind.

Mediocrity is where the money is.

Cathy2 wrote: This is getting rather depressing, you may now remove WBEZ's Louisa Chu from this list. According to The Reader, WBEZ has effectively let go all of their bloggers who were often used as on-air experts.

This is completely pathetic. So very sorry to hear, both because I like Louisa but, mostly, because like the others that have recently gone before her, I really appreciated her reporting. Talking amongst ourselves is one thing but it's certainly NOT the only thing. Just seems so strange--all things food have never appeared to be more popular--so why the gutting of so much of our local food writing/reporting?????

Looks like Michael Nagrant has joined RedEye: http://chicagoist.com/2013/07/10/critic ... the_re.php

Louisa just announced on FaceBook that she is back at WBEZ as a segment producer, hooray!