WLS host blasts rival as 'Jackson's mouthpiece'

Chi Sun Times ^ | 2/21/3

[NativeNewYorker]

The usually friendly competition between two of Chicago's top news-and-talk radio stations exploded this week over the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the aftermath of the E2 nightclub catastrophe.

In a stunning, personal attack on his top-rated rival, WLS-AM (890) morning host Don Wade blasted Felicia Middlebrooks, the high-profile morning news anchor at WBBM-AM (780), as "Jesse Jackson's million-dollar mouthpiece."

Wade concluded his on-air tirade by calling on Middlebrooks' bosses to take her off the air "whenever a Jesse Jackson controversy erupts" because of Jackson's role in securing her new contract with the station last year. Operating behind the scenes, Jackson persuaded management to renew Middlebrooks several days after she turned down what had been its final offer.

WLS is an ABC talk station owned by Walt Disney Co., and WBBM is a CBS/Infinity Broadcasting all-news station owned by Viacom Inc.

While Middlebrooks declined to comment on Wade's attack, her boss was quick to respond.

"I would expect a competitor who has half the audience of 'Newsradio 780' to behave like that," said Drew Hayes, WBBM's operations director.

Wade made his remarks in the wake of news stories questioning Jackson's relationship with one of the owners of the E2 nightclub and his criticism of the city's safety enforcement.

"The inside story on the news department at WBBM over there is the Jesse connection," Wade told listeners. "The morning news anchor there has her job only because of the intervention of Jesse Jackson.

"There is no way that you can characterize Felicia Middlebrooks at WBBM as anything other than Jesse Jackson's million-dollar mouthpiece. Jesse Jackson's million-dollar mouthpiece is supposedly telling you the true story about this nightclub disaster and whether there's a Jesse connection. She owes her job--her million-dollar contract--to Jesse.

"I believe that in the interest of accuracy, that there should be full disclosure on the part of Miss Middlebrooks every time she reads a story about Jesse Jackson. She should read a disclaimer before the story divulging the fact that she owes her job to Jesse Jackson's strong-arming CBS.

"If I were the management at CBS, I would ask Miss Middlebrooks to take some time off and recuse herself whenever a Jesse Jackson controversy erupts. And considering the frequency with which Jesse Jackson controversies erupt, that could be a long, long time off," Wade said.

Since Jackson's role in her contract renewal became public, Middlebrooks has been under orders not to read any stories that involve him. But from time to time, she still does.

In the latest Arbitron quarterly survey, "Newsradio 780" ranked first in mornings with a 7.9 percent share and a cumulative weekly audience of 864,500.

Wade's WLS morning show tied for third place with a 5.0 share and 352,500 weekly cume.

[ken5050]

Wanna venture a guess as to when, or, even, if, Jesse gets to speak at the DNC in Boston next year?

[NativeNewYorker]

They can't avoid putting him on, because his bleats get full press focus. Heh heh.

[mhking]

I know Felicia and used to work with her (great woman, personally) - I don't think she'd qualify as Jackson's "mouthpiece," but she wouldn't be adverse to talking to him either...

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[ken5050]

But this time Rev Al's a candidate...he won't want to share stage time with Jessee....it's gonna be a bigger circus than the Ringling Bros..

[Illbay]

"I would expect a competitor who has half the audience of 'Newsradio 780' to behave like that," said Drew Hayes, WBBM's operations director.

Yeah, that's right. Focus on the accuser, rather than the accusations. Handy when you have no rational answer.

[NativeNewYorker]

If Rev. Al doesn't end up floating down the Hudson, I'd expect the Dims to put them both on, in a format no one can anticipate now.

[robertpaulsen]

Actually, the show is called "Don Wade & Roma"; Roma being his wife. Very conservative show.

[aruanan]

I heard the so-called "attack" and it was neither stunning nor personal. It stuck with the facts. Because of J Jackson's intervention on Felicia's behalf after she had turned down a lucrative offer, the radio station had ordered her not to cover Jackson. She has, though, at times continued to do so. The only thing Don Wade is guilty of is straight reporting, something Felicia could learn from.

[mhking]

Another irony of it all is that Drew Hayes of WBBM used to be General Manger of WLS. Hmmmmm...

[NativeNewYorker]

the radio station had ordered her not to cover Jackson. She has, though, at times continued to do so.

I don't expect the self-selected media ethics frauds to comment on this.

[spintreebob]

said Drew Hayes, WBBM's operations director.
Yeah, that's right. Focus on the accuser

There is a lot more than Felicia Middlebrooks involved here. Drew Hayes is the anti Jesse conservative (who moved from such a low rated talk show host it got replaced by Spanish radio) to create the WLS flamethrower and the emergence of modern talk radio. I believe Drew Hayes hired Don & Roma. The Drew left WLS for a better offer.

Don & Roma are not the straight shooters they (sometimes) claim to be. For 10 years they refused to admit their own relationship. For 10 years they refused to mention their conflict of interest in covering the Gulf war, military actions, and the Blue Angels. Now that their conflict of interest is out in the open (their son is a top pilot leader in aerial stunts, and now in the Gulf) should Don & Roma recuse themselves from discussing the war ?

Of course not. This is all WWF style show biz. Conservative Drew Hayes is sitting back, laughing and saying, "At least nobody is talking about WGN. We're making them irrelevant."

[aruanan]

Don & Roma are not the straight shooters they (sometimes) claim to be. For 10 years they refused to admit their own relationship. For 10 years they refused to mention their conflict of interest in covering the Gulf war, military actions, and the Blue Angels. Now that their conflict of interest is out in the open (their son is a top pilot leader in aerial stunts, and now in the Gulf) should Don & Roma recuse themselves from discussing the war ?

"Not straight shooters" is an inapt description how they handled their marriage and their son's occupation. Besides, the fact that their son is in the military doesn't constitute a conflict of interest. One may as well say that a food critic has a conflict of interest in reporting on anything to do with food because he eats it.

[facedown]

Another irony of it all is that Drew Hayes of WBBM used to be General Manger of WLS.

Good catch! I thought that name was familiar.

[Chi-townChief]

"For 10 years they refused to admit their own relationship."

Pretending not to be married was part of Don and Roma's shtick for a time; I'm highly doubtful they meant it seriously. If so, they didn't fool many people.

[BlessedBeGod]

Go get her, Don!!!!!!!!!