Radiogirl

Jennifer Keiper was an anchor at CBS Radio until it shut down in the spring. I interviewed her 10 years ago at WLS and six years ago at WBBM Newsradio. She talks about working for local vs national radio, quality broadcasting and writing, advice, Burning Man, cars, journalism, and fun. She also talks about personal issues, such as her sister's suicide (she forgot to say in the interview that ...

https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM4.mp3 In today's American English Minute, I talk about the common phrase, "You're all set." This is a feature that I sometimes post, based on the English that I hear in Chicago. Click to play the minute https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM4.mp3

I met Jill Hargrave in the Writers Guild of America East, and she has lot of TV experience. She has also  been producing, writing, and directing documentaries for several years through her company EagleVision Productions.  She talks about her career, how she creates documentaries, and her latest  documentary:  Road to Liberty Through Their Eyes , which is about the battle...

Chuck Swirsky has been in sports broadcasting for 50 years and does play-by-play for the Chicago Bulls. He talks about his book,  Always a Pleasure ; doing radio  in Columbus, Cleveland, and Seattle; moving to Chicago to work at WCFL;  learning on the job and taking risks; filling in for White Sox baseball with Steve Stone; doing basketball vs baseball; working at WLUP/ The Loo...

https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM3.mp3 In today's American English Minute, I talk about phrase you'll hear in the United States: vouch for you. I post this feature periodically, based on the English that I hear in Chicago. Click to play the minute https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM3.mp3

Before working in news TV, Mark Maxwell worked at Comcast Sportsnet Chicago. Eventually he became  Capitol Bureau Chief at WCIA-TV in Springfield, Illinois, and now covers  Illinois and Missouri politics for KSDK-TV in St. Louis. He talks about how he works his beat, challenges of covering politics, his biggest controversy, his career in TV news, and a t the end  explains why ...

https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM2.mp3 In my new short segment called American English Minute, I talk about a common phrase you'll hear here: you're good. I'm doing this feature periodically, based on the English I hear in Chicago. Click to play the minute https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM2.mp3

Jay Zawaski is living the dream: he worked for The Score/WSCR and was so successful with his Blackhawks podcast, CHGO Sports asked him to join. Now he's doing everything Hawks on the network and also co-hosts the I'm Fat Podcast.  He talks about working at The Score, going digital, podcasting, success, authenticity, sports media, and more. This is from  a livestream  that we did. Cl...

https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM1.mp3 This is a new short segment called American English Minute. It’s the English I notice around me in Chicago. Shout-out to Charlie Meyerson, who I worked with [ with whom I worked] , and who is a stickler for language. Click to play the minute https://www.radiogirl.us/audio/AEM1.mp3

I've interviewed Steve Scott twice: talking about WLS and when he was at WCBS. When WCBS ceased to exist, Steve got a job at KCBS, where he anchors news. He is also the PA announcer for the Golden State Warriors in his home state of California. He talks about WCBS pulling the plug, what San Francisco is like, crime stories, his alma mater town San Jose, news reporting, NBA announcing, and mor...

I interviewed sportscaster George Ofman with Dave Kerner at WBBM Newsradio ten years ago and wanted to get an update because he's written a book, Tell Me a Story I Don't Know, based on his popular podcast series, and now has a new career. He talks about writing for radio, storytelling with sound, his long radio broadcasting career at The Score/WSCR, WMAQ, WGN, WBBM Newsradio, NPR, the BB...

Craig Dellimore spent more than 40 years at WBBM Newsradio, and the last time I interviewed him was in 2018 at City Hall (you can listen to that interview here , direct audio link at  http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG156.mp3 ). In this update after his retirement, he talks about his experience in Chicago as an anchor/reporter, managing editor, legislative correspondent, suburban reporter, and poli...

Listen at  http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG203.mp3 I'd never met Justin Kaufmann before, but he quickly responded to my interview request and was very friendly and smart in this interview. He talks about a lot: why news stories are like radio shows; producing and being on the air at WBEZ; working with producers; working during the pandemic and  broadcasting alone ; radio challenges; building...

Tom Shaer is part of Chicago radio history. He was one of the first broadcasters hired at The Score, WSCR. He starts talking about Rich King and a Crain’s Chicago Business article 1982; why ego is important; being and having an agent: wins, lies, challenges, advice; how the biz has changed; treatment of Mark Giangreco; sports staff issues; working in news and sports; the importance of working in d...

Stefan Holt is from Chicago and started at NBC 5 Chicago in 2011. He talks about reporting, anchoring, and working in Florida and  at WNBC in New York ; why reporting is challenging; what he learned from his dad, Lester Holt,  when he was growing up and visited CBS 2 Chicago/WBBM-TV; why he likes working in Chicago; how his bosses and his dad helped his growth and on-the-job training; th...

Listen at  http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG200.mp3 Joe Donlon is an anchor at CBS News Chicago. He was on the air at WGN-TV and NewsNation in Chicago, and was at KGW-TV in Oregon for several years before coming to Chicago. He talks about why he loves Chicago and feels relaxed; how he's been living the dream; how he got to WGN-TV from Oregon; having fun at work; the journalism profession including...

I interviewed Molly Jirasek at the Illinois News Broadcasters Association convention six years ago, when she was Assistant News Director at Heart of Illinois ABC in Peoria. Now she is News Director at ABC57-TV in South Bend, Indiana. Molly explains what she looks for in a journalism professional, and gives advice on topics that include: appearance, demo reels, reporting, applying for jobs, importa...

http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG198.mp3 Jerry Agar has been on the air since October, 1973. I interviewed him in 2010 when he was starting at Newstalk 1010 CFRB in Toronto. He went back to Canada after spending 25 years in the U.S.  (he's originally from Canada), and is still at Newstalk 1010. He talks about a lot in this update: what he thinks of the radio industry and talk radio; why he switche...

Listen at  http://radiogirl.us/audio/RG197.mp3 Ron Gleason worked in sports for many years before switching to news at WBBM Newsradio. He talks about Sports Phone, doing play-by-play, sportscasting, being the boss at WSCR The Score, Mike North and Dan Jiggetts, radio before and during the Internet, how radio can be effective and entertaining, being management vs on the air, starting his radio...

I first interviewed Rafer Weigel 11 years ago  when he was at WLS-TV in Chicago. When I did this  livestream with him, he was at KUSI-TV in San Diego. Now he's Chief Communications Officer at VetComm , so but I want to post this anyway because Rafer talked a lot not just about his professional experience, but his personal struggles as well, which is pretty rare in the few-hundred intervi...

A musical discussion: Steve Leventhal, creator of InternetFM, and his son and cofounder Eric Leventhal, talk about their music and broadcasting experience, what is top-shelf radio, paying for songs, why vinyl is popular with some younger music fans, commercials, changing technology and music delivery, how they define oldies, the resurgence of psychedelic music, concerts, rock’s waning popularity,...

John Siuntres (host and creator of the popular Word Balloon livestream and podcast  and I often talk on the phone for at least an hour, so we decided to do a livestream conversation, and it ended up being much longer! Topics covered: how entertainment and the media have changed, the WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes, creativity and syndication in TV and radio, innovation, digital access and viewpoint...

Ravi Baichwal is an anchor at ABC 7 Chicago and  talks about his hockey documentary Summit 72 ; his hometown  Toronto and Canadian culture;  his radio career at CKNW in Vancouver before he went to CTV National News, then doing CTV and being on the air at CFRB radio in Toronto (where I previously interviewed Jerry Agar  and John Moore );  filling in at WLS Radio; why h...

Justin Roman has done a lot during the 21st century: he hosts The MVP Game  (sign up there to be a guest on the show) with Kenzie K  (who was his  fiancée  when this was recorded); it's a super-fan Cubs game show (and a couple of Bears shows during the off season) on the Marquee Sports Network. He talks about his media and performing career, which includes the Vi3 boy band and...

Doug Cummings is a  resident of Highland Park, where the shooting tragedy happened on July 4th at the Independence Day parade. He wrote the personal safety handbook, Escaping the O-Zone , to help people take steps to keep themselves safe and  preventing becoming a victim . All  proceeds go to the Highland Park Community Foundation .  He talks about his reporting career, which&n...