Retirements, remembrances and rivalries: What's new in Chicago media
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
/2025/06/27/1751033492576.gif?w=3840)
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
We are halfway through 2025, and the media beat is stirring with comings, goings, anniversaries and milestones.
Why it matters: In Chicago, media figures are our celebrities.
The latest: In June, we lost some notable leaders, including longtime radio programmer Lorna Gladstone.
Zoom in: Gladstone was a mainstay of Chicago radio in the 1980s/1990s as one of the first women to run radio stations like WGN-AM and WMAQ-AM.
- She had a stellar reputation with journalists who worked for her.
What they're saying: "She had an incredible ear for talent, and for the power of good radio to connect people and connect communities," former WLS-AM news anchor John Dempsey wrote on social media.
- Gladstone died at the age of 76.
Other notable passings in June:
- Renee Ferguson, the first Black woman to be an investigative reporter in Chicago television. She started in 1987 and retired in 2008. "Renee considered herself a voice for people who otherwise weren't heard," said former NBC Chicago station manager Frank Whittaker.
- Earl Moses, one of the first Black journalists and editors in Chicago newspapers. He died at the age of 94.
Hanging up the headphones: Political reporter Craig Dellimore started at WBBM Radio in 1983, and he moved on to not only report but edit and host for the station. He was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Headline Club in 2024.
Missing in action: John Clare took over mornings at WFMT-FM earlier this spring after the station fired longtime host Dennis Moore.
- After just a few short months, Clare isn't with the station anymore. "John Clare is no longer with WFMT," a spokesperson tells Axios. "Dave Schwan and Jan Weller are hosting the majority of weekday morning shifts."
Switching teams: Telemundo Chicago hired five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Maria Berrelleza from rival network Univision.
Still hiring: Telemundo's sister station, NBC Chicago, has still not hired a full-time sports anchor for the 10pm news. Leila Rahimi left late last year, and Mike Berman has taken over her duties, while others have been filling in.
Anniversaries: Sun-Times political reporter Fran Spielman celebrates 50 years; WGN Radio's Steve Bertrand hit the 40-year milestone and his engineer counterpart Bob Ferguson is close behind with 35 years.
- Axios Chicago's Monica Eng is also celebrating 40 years covering Chicago news. She started as a teenager at the Sun-Times and has worked for the Chicago Tribune, WBEZ and now Axios.
- Congrats, kid!