Illinois Entertainer

“There’s been a lot of agitation on the part of the electronic media and regular press to open up the courtrooms,” says courtroom artist Andy Austin, author of the new book Rule 53: Capturing Hippies, Spies, Politicians, And Murders In An American Courtroom (Lake Claremont, $19.95). Rule 53 is a Federal Rule Of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits cameras and recording devices in the courtroom, in turn ensuring artists like Austin have a job.

• Read more: Andy Austin, Courtroom Artist

Two years ago Steve Rhodes left his post as Chicago magazine media and political writer and launched The Beachwood Reporter, an online magazine chronicling all things Chicago (www.beachwoodreporter.com).

Last year longtime New York Daily News TV critic David Bianculli made the leap to the Web with Tvworthwatching.com, after the newspaper he’d been with for 14 years did not renew his contract. Former Chicago Reader music critic Bill Wyman also recently made the leap to the Web, with a music and media blog, Hitsville.org.

• Read more: Webbed Migration

They can’t give us universal health care. They can’t fix the subprime mortgage problem. They can’t even find Osama bin Laden.

But at least they can subsidize our TV viewing.

The government is spending some $1.5 billion on its digital converter switchover program, which will ensure people with analog TVs can continue to watch over-the-air programming when the signals go completely high definition February 2009.

• Read more: TV, The HDTV Switchover, & You

NBC will make network history on February 18th when it premieres the Internet TV series, “Quarterlife.”

But not because the half-hour show follows the lives of six good-looking white Los Angeles 20-somethings as they express their angst and try to find their place in the world.

• Read more: Why Free TV Sucks

Chicago radio was like a revolving door in 2007 – even at the left side of the dial.

Last summer, Loyola University opted out of its contract with Chicago Public Radio, which had been running the college’s WLUW-FM (88.7) since 2002. Under the leadership of program director Shawn Campbell, WLUW had just become financially self-sufficient, but Campbell was fired, as was station manager Craig Kois, who also lost his part-time teaching gig, which he’d held for the past 19 years.

• Read more: Don’t Look Back

Chicago is a city of firsts. It’s the home of the first steel-frame skyscraper, the first atomic reaction, and the first daytime TV soap opera. It’s also where the term “jazz” was coined, back in 1914.

And on August 12th, the Windy City became one of the first major media markets in America to boast a reggae show on mainstream commercial radio.

• Read more: Sister Act

WNUA-FM (95.5)’s Ramsey Lewis is not the only game in town when it comes to jazz musicians moonlighting as DJs.

Sax player Bruce Gibson and bass guitarist Nick Calabrese co-host a show called “Local Jazz Focus” each Tuesday night from 7 to 9 on Triton College’s WRRG-FM (88.9). They’ve had a whole host of musicians on the air ranging from Typhanie Monique and Neal Alger to the Oak Park-River Forest High School band Listen to saxophonist/ composer Scott Burns to whoever is playing Pop’s and Andy’s.

• Read more: Jazz Hands

At first glance it’s a story of a high-school kid versus his principal in a quirky schoolyard First Amendment stand. A student fought for his right to hold up a sign that read “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” during what may or may not have been a school fieldtrip.

• Read more: Bong Hits 4 Freedom

Trent Modglin had the idea of starting a cultural magazine years ago. “I was close to turning 30 and said, ‘If I don’t do it now, I’m never going to do it,’” says the DeKalb-area native. “I didn’t want to look back when I was 40 and say, ‘I wish I’d done that magazine about cornering the Chicago market.’”

• Read more: A Third Down & Ten

Is the musical Wild West of Internet radio about to become as predictable as commercial broadcast radio?

A new Copyright Royalty Board measure that goes into effect July 15th would massively increase the rate webcasters must pay each time they stream a song, and put thousands of small, independent outlets out of business.

• Read more: Save Internet Radio

Small, independently owned publications such as No Depression and Punk Planet could face financial ruin if a proposed rate hike goes through July 15th.

• Read more: Please Mr. Postman

My parents, who divorced in 1972, will never get back together – they’re dead. But now there may be hope for the pioneering radio duo of Steve Dahl and Garry Meier.

• Read more: The Return Of Garry Meier

It’s a lesson in taking the high road and not bashing your ex in public. Make that ex-boss.

• Read more: In Through The Out Door

GOOD NEWS: When Chicago radio personalities get fired they wind up in one of four places: Michigan (Kevin Matthews), TV (Mancow), the ether (Garry Meier), or the Internet. The last is where you can find former WXRT-FM (93.1) jock Bobby Skafish.

• Read more: News Of Every Kind

“When my life and my income and my profession are affected by media consolidation, we don’t need to make a move any further in the wrong direction,” George Jones said at a recent Federal Communications Commission media ownership hearing in Nashville. Jones was one of several country musicians – including Naomi Judd – who testified against further media consolidation in front of the five FCC commissioners last December.

• Read more: Bad Radio Hurts Musicians