Robert Feder out at Time Out Chicago

[Fenway1912]

Robert Feder

With the sale of Time Out Chicago, I have agreed to accept a buyout of my contract. I am eager to continue my work and I expect to make an announcement soon. Until then, I'll keep you posted on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks so much for reading me!

 

[snorlax]

Not shedding any tears here.
Always struck me as a non-objective effete.
YMMV. ;-)
He's moving down the ladder consistently.

 

[cyberdad]

Not shedding any tears here.
Always struck me as a non-objective effete.
YMMV. ;-)
He's moving down the ladder consistently.

Respectfully disagree....even though I didn't/don't always agree with the guy.

 

[radioman148]

Not shedding any tears here.
Always struck me as a non-objective effete.
YMMV. ;-)
He's moving down the ladder consistently.

Respectfully disagree....even though I didn't/don't always agree with the guy.

Same here. Sometimes I didn't agree with Feder, but I always looked forward to reading his column.

 

[RickStarr]

Always struck me as a non-objective effete.
YMMV. ;-)

He *was* non-objective. He was a columnist, had opinions, and didn't try to hide them. The confusion comes because he also "reported" many of the comings and goings without comment, making people think his was a news column. Well, it was that too, but when he had an opinion you were sure to get it.

I dealt with him for several years at WMAQ, and it was a difficult relationship (at best), but I will say that he was scrupulously honest (wouldn't so much as let me buy him a hot dog on the street corner), willing to listen to my side of most any story, and would then form his opinion and kill us - or not. He started out hating WMAQ's news product (and mother company, I think. And management. And...) but over time came to appreciate the fact that there was an alternative and that WBBM wasn't perfect in everything, either.

He accurately chronicled the decline of WGN (internally and on air), and if he gave too much love to WLUP's various incarnations, well, he had a right to his opinion, and the ink to spread it. Having worked in Pittsburgh, Boston, and Chicago, I'd have to pick him as the best of the lot, even though he was hardly in our corner or made my life easier, ever, that I recall.

 

[howardm]

I miss Feder's column and all previous radio columns in the newspaper. Didn't Eric Zorn do one and I forget others. Oh those cutbacks, no more Jerry Osborne Record collecting column or Joe Goddard's "Where Are They Now"?. Man, even Peoria has a full time radio tv column written by Steve Tartar.
Any Comments welcome.

 

[FredLeonard]

Chicago is fortunate in two areas:

That is has a good writer paying attention to local radio.

And that is still has some local radio for him to pay attention to.

 

[davideduardo]

Not shedding any tears here.
Always struck me as a non-objective effete.
YMMV. ;-)
He's moving down the ladder consistently.

Having worked in several dozen markets, and having witnessed the quality and quantity of radio coverage in each...

... I'd say that Feder was the best on both respects.

While many who covered radio did not get the basics of the way listeners use the medium, both now and in the last few decades, Feder had a good understanding. He had opinions, and I didn't always agree. But he is always a good read.

 

[cyberdad]

I dealt with him for several years at WMAQ, and it was a difficult relationship (at best), but I will say that he was scrupulously honest (wouldn't so much as let me buy him a hot dog on the street corner), willing to listen to my side of most any story, and would then form his opinion and kill us - or not.

Interesting post, Rick.

My take is that Feder....like a lot of people, myself included....initially viewed WMAQ as the "WMAQ is going to make me rich country music station" that became the upstart wannabe trying to move in on WBBM's exclusive turf. The interloper going up against one of the crown jewels of the "Tiffany Network's" radio operations. WMAQ, the "pretender" invading the home of Morrow, Cronkite, Severeid, etc. But WMAQ took its all-news mission seriously and eventually earned its own chops. Feder may have had (and still has) his prejudices, but he was/is no dummy, and at the end of the day he recognized and acknowledged what had become a good, worthy product.

And BTW, he wasn't above skewering WBBM, either. One case in point that comes to mind is his repeated referring to morning drive anchor Felicia Middlebrooks as "news reader". But...again...as has been pointed out...Feder wasn't trying to be objective or unbiased. I think its safe to say he considered himself first and foremost a critic. Being a critic is all about having opinions. Offending people goes with the territory.

 

[TheBigA]

Being a critic is all about having opinions. Offending people goes with the territory.

Having opinions only matters when others agree...when you give voice to what others think. Especially now when everybody can be a critic.

 

[Fenway1912]

Group W wanted another chance in Chicago.

WIND put up a good fight but didn't have the signal. WMAQ was a second chance.

My understanding is WIND was going to go all news in 1968 and Paley fearing another WINS ordered Chicago to make WBBM all news.

Feder at least covered evrything.

I dealt with him for several years at WMAQ, and it was a difficult relationship (at best), but I will say that he was scrupulously honest (wouldn't so much as let me buy him a hot dog on the street corner), willing to listen to my side of most any story, and would then form his opinion and kill us - or not.

Interesting post, Rick.

My take is that Feder....like a lot of people, myself included....initially viewed WMAQ as the "WMAQ is going to make me rich country music station" that became the upstart wannabe trying to move in on WBBM's exclusive turf. The interloper going up against one of the crown jewels of the "Tiffany Network's" radio operations. WMAQ, the "pretender" invading the home of Morrow, Cronkite, Severeid, etc. But WMAQ took its all-news mission seriously and eventually earned its own chops. Feder may have had (and still has) his prejudices, but he was/is no dummy, and at the end of the day he recognized and acknowledged what had become a good, worthy product.

And BTW, he wasn't above skewering WBBM, either. One case in point that comes to mind is his repeated referring to morning drive anchor Felicia Middlebrooks as "news reader". But...again...as has been pointed out...Feder wasn't trying to be objective or unbiased. I think its safe to say he considered himself first and foremost a critic. Being a critic is all about having opinions. Offending people goes with the territory.

 

[Ultimajock]

Group W wanted another chance in Chicago.

WIND put up a good fight but didn't have the signal. WMAQ was a second chance.

...third chance. Decades before Westinghouse bought WIND from Ralph Atlass in 1956, they operated KYW in Chicago from 1921 to 1934, when they moved that station to Philadelphia...

My understanding is WIND was going to go all news in 1968 and Paley fearing another WINS ordered Chicago to make WBBM all news.

...the closer parallel would be Westinghouse's KYW and CBS' WCAU in Philadelphia, and Westinghouse's KFWB and CBS' KNX in Los Angeles. Westinghouse had become all-news in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles before the CBS signals, and Paley didn't want Chicago (the larger of the two other markets where Westinghouse and CBS owned competing stations in '68, the smaller being Boston) to become the fourth...