WBBM’s Sherman Kaplan-Kris Kridel “Noon Business Hour” turns 10
By Lewis Lazare Media and Marketing Columnist March 16, 2011 5:20PM
Sherman Kaplan, cohosts the WBBM-AM “Noon Business Hour,” which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week.
Updated: March 17, 2011 12:17AM
Sherman Kaplan and Kris Kridel weren’t established business anchors and reporters when CBS Radio Chicago’s all news WBBM-AM (780) launched the “Noon Business Hour” 10 years ago, though both were already longtime WBBM on-air news anchors.
But after a decade of hosting the popular midday business-focused program on WBBM, Kaplan and Kridel have grown into their roles as the show’s regular co-hosts. “I had never covered business specifically, but I started reading everything I could and asking questions,” explained Kridel.
“I’m always learning new things,” said Kaplan, who first suggested a business-focused program to WBBM’s then-program director Drew Hayes more than 10 years ago.
A receptive Hayes, now operations director at news/talk WLS-AM (890), helped create the format, which typically includes five segments with different guests over the course of the hour. Len Walter, WBBM’s longtime financial editor, also is on three times during the hour with stock market reports.
The show is designed to play off breaking business news. “This is a news program first and foremost,” said Kaplan. Given the tumult in the business world over the past several years, it hasn’t been hard to come up with topics. “We always start the show interviewing an economist who can talk about the prevailing business trends of the day,” explained Kaplan.
Neither Kaplan nor Kridel are business experts, so they refrain from offering their own opinions. “But we do get a wide variety of opinions from our guests,” added Kaplan.
According to WBBM program director Ron Gleason, the “Noon Business Hour” has become a destination for several important parts of the larger WBBM-AM audience. “We have a lot of CEOs and small business owners who listen to the station, and we have seen our ratings go up when the show comes on,” said Gleason.
Score analysts to talk tournament online
“March Madness,” the annual tournament to crown the nation’s best men’s college basketball team, has become big business on television in recent years. Advertisers were especially eager to buy time this year, as lead “March Madness” TV network CBS is teaming for the first time with Turner Broadcasting to present every game live via a group of four network and cable TV outlets, including CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV (formerly Court TV).
CBS has found another way to capitalize on this year’s “March Madness.” CBS Radio Chicago’s sports talk WSCR-AM (670) was tapped to originate a new digital program called “Mayhem Live” beginning today. A team of analysts at the Score studios will discuss all of the tournament games as they unfold in real time.
“Mayhem Live,” which will stream live at www.670thescore.com as well as other CBS digital websites nationwide, will include a heavy social media component. “Viewers can text our analysts, send emails, Tweets or use Facebook,” said Mitch Rosen, WSCR program director.
Tim Doyle from the Big Ten Network will anchor “Mayhem Live” and a rotating series of Score personalities will appear alongside him, including Laurence Holmes, Mark Grote, Matt Abbatacola and Zach Zaidman, among others.
Windy City brings on producers
“Windy City Live,” the new live morning show slated to debut in late spring at WLS-Channel 7, has rounded out its production staff with the hiring of several key producers. Senior producer Hank Mendheim comes to the show after stints with Martha Stewart and NBC in New York. Producer David Plummer was formerly executive producer of the movie review show “At the Movies.” Producer Mary Hynes’ resume includes stints at WMAQ-Channel 5 and Chicago-based Tower Productions. And producer Daniel Barbossa worked for NBC’s “Today” before joining the promotions department at Harpo Studios.
