Columns
Media: November 2026 ⢠MBCâs Late Show Exhibit
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert signed off for good on May 22, 2026. When the show was canceled, it was still the top-rated late-night show on television. The cancellation was blamed on the cost of putting a show like this on the air every night. Whether you believe that public reason or not, itâs […]
Hello My Name IsâŚMartin Rossiter of Gene
With an elegant, multifaceted sound and themes that swung grandly between sweet, sharp, witty, romantic, and melancholy, Gene gathered a devoted cult of British rock fans from the mid-90s to the early 2000s. Martin Rossiterâs poetic lyricism and sweeping melodies formed the bandâs musical foundation, with guitarist Steve Mason, bassist Kevin Miles, and drummer Matt […]
Media: October 2026 ⢠Nick Dâs Horror Favorites
Nick Digilio is best known for his 35-year stint at WGN Radio, but his resume includes much more. Heâs been a film critic for over four decades, currently hosts three podcasts on the Radio Misfits Podcast Network, including the popular Nick D podcast, and last year added “author” to his business card (40 Years, 40 […]
Media: September 2026 ⢠Champaignâs Indie Filmmaker
Robin Christian is an Indie-filmmaker, the writer of over a hundred film scripts, and the director of films for more than twenty years. Yes, thatâs all very impressive. But what makes his accomplishments even more impressive is where he is doing it: right here in Illinois. Robin is based in Champaign. His journey into this […]
Media: August 2026 ⢠Kev Meets the Pope
Kevin Matthews is still fondly remembered in Chicago for his days on the radio here, particularly his time at the Loop (AM 1000/FM 98). Those crazy days of improv radio are chronicled at the Museum of Broadcast Communications if you want to check it out. Kevin was just over there recently and signed the […]
File: Remembering Bonnie Tyler
In February 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning to take hold, my IE Green Day interview could have been my last as we weathered the early days of the COVID-19 storm. By March, as Lockdown tightened its stranglehold on the world, I toyed with the idea of quitting, just walking away from writing to […]
Hello My Name Is…Michael Marcagi
Write what you know, goes the old Mark Twain-attributed creative imperative. Itâs wisdom not lost on singer-songwriter Michael Marcagi, who once felt that his humdrum hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, was no great shakes in the inspiration department. So how could he possibly ever hope to compete with edgier streetwise artists from New York or […]
Hello My Name is…Gary Klebe of Shoes
As Shoes guitarist/vocalist Gary Klebe remembers it, he never really entertained the notion of cutting his first solo disc at the seasoned age of 73, as heâs just done with the shimmering new Out Loud set, issued on the bandâs longtime personal imprint, Black Vinyl Records. In fact, whenever he would stop to review […]
Media: June 2026 ⢠When Landecker Met Travolta
50 years ago, John Records Landecker (then on WLS) and John Travolta (then starring in Welcome Back, Kotter) shared a moment they will both remember forever. âTravolta had a single out on RCA Records,â John recalls, âand my show was really popular with kids who bought records, so RCA brought him into the WLS […]
Media: April 2026 ⢠100 Years of Sirens In The Loop
The journalism business has obviously changed dramatically over the past few decades. The latest book about the history of the Chicago News Bureau (Sirens in the Loop), written by Paul Zimbrakos and Jim Elsener, really shines a spotlight on just how much it has changed. Â The City News Bureau was a news cooperative, meaning […]
Media: March 2026 ⢠National Radio Hall of Fame Chicago Nominee Suggestions
The National Radio Hall of Fame is located right here in Chicago, in the Museum of Broadcast Communications (440 W. Randolph).* This is a National Hall of Fame, but Chicago is well represented. For instance, among the inductees youâll find Chicago radio greats like Dick Biondi, Jonathon Brandmeier, Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, Bob Collins, Steve […]
Media: February 2026 ⢠Norville: Back in the Game
Deborah Norville was a journalist for 40 years and is now a game show host (The Perfect Line, on WCIU-TV), but she got her career start right here in Chicago at Channel 5. âMy five years in Chicago was really when I grew up,â she remembers. âI was 23 when I came here, and coming […]
Spins: Split Enz ⢠ENZyclopedia Volumes One and Two 3xLP box
Split Enz ENZyclopedia Volumes One and Two 3xLP box (Chrysalis/Mushroom) Can the music of Split Enz really be 50 years old? ENZyclopedia Volumes One and Two offers a crash course in the influential and off-the-wall group’s music for 21st century listeners who might only know the Neil Finn single “I Got You” from 1980’s True […]
Media: January 2026 ⢠In Remembrance
2025 was an especially cruel year for this media writer because I lost two personal friends, Harry Teinowitz and Tony Fitzpatrick. Harry passed away in July, and Tony died in October. If the crowd you draw at your memorial is any indication, both men had a significant impact on the people who knew them. Harryâs […]
Spins: Jason Sinay ⢠The Mountain
Jason Sinay The Mountain (Next Revolution) Veteran guitarist and singer Jason Sinay expanded his recognition and audience by holding his own alongside revered Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell in The Dirty Knobs. Other notable sessions have ranged from work with pop legend Neil Diamond to alt-country singer-songwriter Tift Merritt. Sinay departed […]
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