In this INBA Podcast, Margaret Larkin speaks with WGN Radio’s Dave Schwan.

After 45 years in radio news, Schwan is at the height of his career at WGN Radio where he is also on the air with Dean Richards. He talks about anchoring and reporting in Chicago, why he loves doing radio news, hosting the Grant Music Festival concerts and jazz network for WFMT, his mentors, advice, writing, and more. This is from a livestream that Dave did with Margaret Larkin.

In this podcast, INBA’s Margaret Larkin speaks to Charlie Meyerson about his decades-long career in Chicago news. Meyerson has worked for WGN-AM, WXRT, WNUA, and FM News. He also worked for the Chicago Tribune. Now, he runs his own free email newsletter called Chicago Public Square, where he curates important highlights of the day’s news for subscribers. He also works for Rivet Radio.

Meyerson talks about the challenges with getting younger audiences to listen to radio and how to make money in today’s world of digital news. Despite those challenges, he says he still thinks it’s a great time to get into the communications business. Hey says nowadays, “One person can communicate with thousands of people daily.”

The INBA is thrilled to release the winners of our second annual INBA Crystal Mic Awards. The awards will be presented at our Fall Convention in Bloomington on Saturday, Oct. 8. To register, head to our Eventbrite link. You can also book a room at the Parke Regency Hotel and Conference Center at our group rate through Sept. 16. To book now, click here.

Small Market Radio

Best Station                          

1st place               WCBU-FM, Peoria                                              

2nd place              WNIJ-FM, DeKalb

Best Newscast                     

1st place               WGLT-FM, Normal                                              

2nd place              WLBK, DeKalb

Best Reporter                      

1st place               Joe Deacon, WCBU-FM, Peoria                                        

2nd place              Lyndsay Jones, WGLT-FM, Normal

Breaking News                     

1st place               WMBD, Peoria, “BioUrja Ongoing Disaster”                                  

2nd place              WILL, Urbana, “Rare December Tornado Hits Coles County”

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WVIK-FM, Quad-Cities

2nd place              WNIJ.org/Hola, DeKalb

Investigative Report           

1st place               WNIJ-FM, DeKalb, Peter Medlin, “Water Woes”

2nd place              WIUM-FM, Macomb, Jane Carlson, “A One Hospital Town”

Sports Report                      

1st place               WILL, Urbana, “Women’s Basketball Hires Shauna Green As Head Coach”

2nd place              WIUM-FM, Macomb, Jane Carlson, “A National Champion”

Use of Sound                       

1st place               WTAX, Springfield, “Fair Fare”

2nd place              WVIK-FM, Quad Cities, “Do You Want To Work On The Railroad?”

Best Writing                         

1st place               WTAX, Springfield, Dave Dahl

2nd place              WNIJ-FM, DeKalb, Yvonne Boose

Large Market Radio

Best Station                          

1st place                WBBM-Chicago                                   

Best Newscast                     

1st place               WBBM-Chicago                                   

2nd place              WLS-Chicago

Best Reporter                      

1st place                Lisa Fielding, WBBM, Chicago                                          

2nd place              Eric Schmid, KWMU, St. Louis

Investigative Report           

1st place                KWMU, St. Louis, “Lack Of Tornado Safe Rooms For Metro East Warehouses”

Sports Report                      

1st place                WBBM, Chicago, “Sports Report with Jeff Joniak”

Use of Sound                       

1st place                KWMU, St. Louis, “This app lets you see what Cahokia Mounds looked like 1,000 years ago”

2nd place              WBBM, Chicago, Lisa Fielding

Small Market TV

Best Station                          

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford                                            

2nd place              WCIA-TV, Champaign

Paul Davis Best Newscast                  

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford                                            

2nd place              WGEM-TV, Quincy

Best Reporter                      

1st place                Mike Miletich, WGEM-TV, Quincy                                    

2nd place              Shelby Kluver, WQAD-TV, Moline    

Breaking News                     

1st  place              WGEM-TV, Quincy, “Firefighters Battle Fire And Ice”

2nd place              WIFR-TV, Rockford, “Jury Finds Floyd Brown Guilty Of Second Degree Murder”

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WREX-TV, Rockford

2nd place              WMBD-TV, Peoria

Investigative Report           

1st place               WEEK-TV, Peoria, Kyle Beachy, “Panhandling in Peoria: How A Pandemic Has Fueled A Problem”

2nd place              WAND-TV, Decatur, Deron Molen/Eric Ahola, “Transferring Trauma”

Sports Report                      

1st place               WQAD-TV, Moline, “La Panterita”

2nd place              WEEK-TV, Peoria, “All-American Hometown Hero”

Use of Video                        

1st place               WQAD-TV, Moline, “John Deere Strike”

2nd place              WMBD-TV, Peoria, “Destination Illinois: Bob & Tom Excellent Adventures”

Best Writing                         

1st place               WIFR-TV, Rockford, Mike Garrigan

2nd place              WQAD-TV, Moline, Josh Lamberty

Best Weather Operation

1st place               WGEM-TV, Quincy

2nd place              WREX-TV, Rockford

Large Market TV

Best Station                          

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis                                    

2nd place              WLS-TV, Chicago

Paul Davis Best Newscast                  

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis                                    

2nd place              WLS-TV, Chicago

Best Reporter                      

1st place                PJ Randhawa, KSDK, St. Louis                                           

2nd place              Emily Manley, KTVI, St. Louis

Breaking News                     

1st  place               WGN, Chicago, “Oak Brook Mall Shooting”                   

Best Digital Presence         

1st place               WLS-TV, Chicago

2nd place              KSDK, St. Louis

Sports Report                      

1st place               KSDK, St. Louis, “Justin Hardy Story”

2nd place              WGN, Chicago, “Ukrainian Boxers”

Use of Video                        

1st place                KSDK, St. Louis, “Stone Carver”

Best Writing                         

1st place                KSDK, St. Louis, Mike Bush

Best Weather Operation

1st place                WLS, Chicago

INBA’s Margaret Larkin interviews WGN Radio’s Lauren Lapka about her career in journalism from sports to news in this podcast.

For managers and aspiring managers, Lauren talks about how working as a manager at Hollister helped her navigate leading other young people in the broadcast business.

Lauren’s worked all over the country from Missouri, to Oregon, and now Chicago. In this podcast, she talks about the importance of speaking truth and including a variety of voices in her storytelling. In a world of divisive politics, Lauren says she feels a responsibility to keep doing the news, and provide balance to the public. She says, “WGN is home,” recalling how special the radio station was to kids and families growing up in the Chicagoland area.

Lapka also talked about her decision to not read a controversial promo script from Sinclair Broadcast Group during her time in Oregon, even against the advice of her own family.

Clips of Sinclair anchors reading the promo was strung together and went viral online in 2018. The promos emphasized that one-sided, biased, and false news stories are “extremely dangerous to our democracy.” While the message of the promos seems journalistic at face value, many former Sinclair employees have spoken publicly about one-sided, must-run stories being a regular part of local broadcasts, contrary to the company’s message.

Before she became the Kane County Public Information Officer, Julie Mann worked a few decades in radio news, starting out as an intern at WGN Radio, then as a reporter in Kane County, an anchor at WMAQ, and an anchor and reporter at WBBM until she became the Managing Editor there.

In this interview with Margaret Larkin, Mann talks about what attracted her to radio over TV and print. Mann talks about the thrill of not knowing where you’re going to go next as a reporter whether it’s a parade or a riot, and the dreaded call she used to get from her editor, “Uh yeah it’s snowing, I need you to go to O’Hare.”

Mann also talks about being prepared to receive criticism in journalism. Whether it’s constructive or unwanted, she says, “you can always do better.” She even talks about the one thing she still thinks she’s not good at. Mann emphasizes that news is a public service and talks about her career transition into becoming a public information officer for Kane County, Illinois.

Bob Kessler recently moved up as a weekend fill-in anchor for WGN 720-AM, to midday anchor Tuesday-Friday.

“My heart just led me there,” Kessler said about why he does news radio instead of talk radio.

In this interview with Margaret Larking, Bob talks about how he went from producing to on-air work and why he lives at a Buddhist temple right now. He also talks about his past experience working at Voice News Network, Rivet, and The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show. Kessler also talks about lessons he’s learned from being a musician that translate to the radio world.

Bob was interviewed by Margaret Larkin on the streets of downtown Chicago.

Davis is a former WGN-TV News Director and past president of INBA. He also served as president of both the Radio-Television News Directors Association and the Society of Professional Journalists, Sigma Delta Chi.

Davis grew up in Effingham in a broadcasting family. His mother was news director of WCRA radio for 37 years.

Davis also worked at WCIA-TV in Champaign before serving as news director at WGN.

Davis was awarded the Illinoisan of the Year in 1993 and again in 2013 surrounded by family and friends.

Davis calls the honor, “A remarkable present– a nice tip of the hat.”

INBA general membership voted wholeheartedly at the organization’s spring convention in favor of creating the “Paul Davis Best TV Newscast Crystal Mic” which will be presented at INBA’s fall convention in Rockford to the station who wins this category.

Thanks to Paul for his generous service to INBA over the years.