AndrewFinlayson's Blog

MY50  And FOXJOX.com ANNOUCE 2008 IHSA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE LINEUP

 

 

Continuous Coverage To Be Streamed Live on FOXHILITESCHICAGO.com

 

 

CHICAGO – WPWR My50 has announced its coverage lineup for the 35th Annual IHSA state football finals, beginning Friday, November 28thrd at 10:00 a.m. (CT) and concluding Saturday, November 29th at 7:00 p.m. (CT).

 

Broadcast LIVE from the University of Illinois’ Champaign/Urbana campus, all games will also be streamed live on FOXJOX.com.

 

 

 

IHSA Football Championships Schedule

 

 

LIVE on My50 and FOXJOX.com

 

 

 

State Championships, Friday, 11/28                

 

 

            10:00am – Class 1A                  Toulon Stark County vs. Concord Triopia

 

Ø       #1 ranked Concord Triopia is undefeated

 

            1:00pm – Class 2A                    Immaculate Conception (Elmhurst) vs. Casey-Westfield

 

Ø       # 15 seeded Elmhurst Immaculate Conception, the lowest seed ever to make the Class 2A state championship game, plays undefeated and # 2 seed Casey-Westfield

 

            4:00pm – Class 3A                    Carthage Illini West vs. DuQuoin

 

            7:00pm – Class 4A                    Aurora Christian vs. Bloomington Central Catholic

 

Ø       Its #1 vs #2. Top seeded Aurora Christian features QB Jordan Roberts who has thrown the most career TD's and Passing yards in Illinois high school history.  Bloomington Central Catholic will be trying to avenge last year’s 4A championship game loss to Addison Driscoll.

 

 

State Championships, Saturday, 11/29

 

 

10:00am – Class 5A                  St. Francis (Wheaton) vs. Metamora    

 

1:00pm – Class 6A                    Lemont vs. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

 

Ø       Two more power houses tee it up at 1pm in the 6A title game with the top two seeds, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Lemont colliding.  Lemont lost in last years 6A title game.

 

eart Griffin

 

 

 

4:00pm – Class 7A                    Geneva vs. East St. Louis

 

Ø       East St. Louis and their 50 points-per-game scoring average meet undefeated and #1 seed Geneva in Class 7A.

 

7:00pm – Class 8A                    Maine South (Park Ridge) vs. Hinsdale Central

 

Ø       Hinsdale Central (11-2) takes on unbeaten Maine South, featuring QB Charlie Goro who is heading to the SEC and Vanderbilt next fall.

 

 

For more information, please visit FOXJOX.com or www.my50chicago.com.   

 

Thanks to Steve Tucker at the Sun-Times for mentioning today that schools in our area can enter a "So Fox" sponsorship program to win $4000 for a school program.  You have to submit an essay and some supporting material.  Go to FoxJox.com...entries are being accepted until Nov. 29th.

 

NEWS RELEASE

 

                               Caroline Schrenker, Director of Community Relations

 

Mike Corbo, Media Relations Coordinator    

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     

 

Monday, November 3, 2008

 

 

 

20th ANNUAL CHICAGO BEARS/JEWEL OSCO

 

“ COAT DRIVE”

 

 

Bears kicker Robbie Gould will appear at the Jewel-Osco store ( 6509 W. Grand Avenue) in Gurnee on Tuesday, November 4 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. in support of the 20th Annual Chicago Bears/Jewel-Osco “ Coat Drive.”  This will be the first of four live shots that can be viewed during the 9:00 a.m. hour on FOX Chicago’s morning show, Good Day Chicago.  Fans will have the opportunity to meet Robbie and are encouraged to bring a coat to donate.  Winter coats may also be dropped off at any of the 186 Jewel-Osco stores throughout Chicagoland through November 30, 2008.  A store locator is available at www.JewelOsco.com.

 

 

Upcoming locations include (Bears players TBD):

 

 

Tuesday, November 11:  Jewel-Osco ( 1600 Deerfield Road, Highland Park)

 

 

Tuesday, November 18: Jewel-Osco (307 Des Plaines at Kinzie, Chicago)

 

 

Tuesday, November 25: Jewel-Osco (1220 S. Ashland at Roosevelt, Chicago)

 

 

The Chicago Bears, Jewel-Osco, FOX Chicago, The Salvation Army, and Wm. Meyers Movers are joining together to make this coat drive a success.  There will not be a stadium collection drive at Soldier Field this year, so all fans should bring their new or gently used coats to a Jewel-Osco store near them.  Thousands of coats will be collected this year as part of the 20th Annual Chicago Bears/Jewel-Osco " Coat Drive" benefiting The Salvation Army and public schools in the Chicagoland area. 

 

 

 

 

HALAS HALL AT CONWAY PARK   1000 FOOTBALL DRIVE   LAKE FOREST, IL  60045-4829    (847) 295-6600

 

WPWR MY50 PRESENTS THE 2008 IHSA FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

 

 

Live Coverage Kicks Off This Weekend on FOXJOX.com

 

 

CHICAGO –My50 Chicago and FOXJOX.com will be the home of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Football Playoffs for the third year in row, announced Patrick Mullen, the station’s Vice President and General Manager.  Coverage begins Saturday, October 25th with live streaming Web coverage of the IHSA Football Playoffs Pairings selection show on FOXJOX.com from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. (CT) 

 

 

In making the announcement Mullen stated, “We are proud to be continuing partnership with the IHSA to give Illinois high school football fans a place to watch their favorite teams compete for the state title over the air and online.”

 

 

This year’s IHSA tournament coverage begins with FOXJOX.com live online streaming of this weekend’s two-hour IHSA Football Playoffs Pairings show.  Included will be interviews with coaches, highlights from schools across the state, and live coverage of the tournament pairings announcements, as the 256 playoff-bound high schools find out which bracket they will compete in and who they will face in the first round of this year’s tournament.  IHSA state playoffs are divided into eight classes of 32 teams. The tournament culminates with the IHSA State Championship Games, played Thanksgiving weekend at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.  

 

 

My50 and FOXJOX.com will also present live broadcast and live streaming Web coverage of an IHSA semi-final game on November 22nd, as well as eight championship games on November 28th and 29th.  A full schedule of coverage is below.

 

 

IHSA Football Playoff Schedule LIVE on My50 and FOXJOX.com

 

 

IHSA Football Playoff Pairings Show

 

FOXJOX.com, Saturday, October 25th @ 8:00 p.m. (CT)

 

 

IHSA Class 6A, 7A, or 8A Semi-Final

 

WPWR My50 and FOXJOX.com, Saturday, November 22nd @ 7:00 p.m. (CT)

 

 

IHSA State Championships

 

 

WPWR My50 and FOXJOX.com, Friday, November 28th

 

 

Class 1A – 10:00 a.m. (CT)

 

Class 2A – 1:00 p.m. (CT)

 

Class 3A – 4:00 p.m. (CT)

 

Class 4A – 7:00 p.m. (CT)

 

 

WPWR My50 and FOXJOX.com, Saturday, November 29th

 

 

Class 5A – 10:00 a.m. (CT)

 

Class 6A – 1:00 p.m. (CT)

 

Class 7A – 4:00 p.m. (CT)

 

Class 8A – 7:00 p.m. (CT)

 

 

For more information, please visit www.FOXJOX.com or www.my50chicago.com.   

 

 

WPWR My50 is part of the Fox Television Stations, one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 27 stations in 18 markets and covering nearly 37.34% of U.S. television homes.  This includes six duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.

 

 

This post has been edited by an administrator

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dominic Mancuso, 312-565-5557

FOX CHICAGO ANNOUNCES “FINAL WORD” CONTRIBUTORS FOR BASEBALL SEASON

AJ Pierzynski and Ryan Dempster to Make Bi-Weekly Appearances on WFLD

CHICAGO – FOX Chicago has added White Sox catcher AJ Pierzynski and Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster as baseball season contributors to the “Final Word,” announced Patrick Mullen, the station’s Vice President and General Manager.  The sports wrap-up program is presented weekly on Sundays from 10:00-10:35 p.m. (CT)

In making the announcement, Mullen stated, “Baseball has a rich tradition in our city and FOX Chicago is committed to giving viewers the most complete local team coverage as we look towards another exciting season.”

Starting on April 6th, Pierzynski and Dempster will join FOX Chicago Sportscasters Corey McPherrin and Tom Waddle on alternating weeks.  They’ll provide expert analysis and real-time insight in to what’s going on with their respective teams as well as around the National and American Leagues. 

For more information, please visit www.myfoxchicago.com. 

WFLD FOX Chicago is part of the Fox Television Stations, one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprises 35 stations in 26 markets, covering nearly 45% of U.S. television homes.  This includes six duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Washington D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Orlando.

Patrick Elwood has been working hard on his reports on St. Baldricks.  The response has been great.

We know that many schools around the Chicago area have been going to http://gobaldchicago.com/ for more information.  It is an easy way for people to learn about this effort and how they can participate.  Sports teams are often leading the way.

I hope you will take a moment to learn about this exciting effort.

 

Our station has been the home of an effort called FoxHiLites.com, a website devoted to covering high schools in the Chicago area.  It is part of a larger national effort but coming up, we are going to do something exciting.  We will be streaming some of the local games.

Contact: Dominic Mancuso, 312-565-5557

 

 

 

WPWR PRESENTS THE 2008 IHSA BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS

 

 

Live Coverage Tips Off This Weekend on My50 Chicago & FOXHILITESChicago.com

 

 

CHICAGO – WPWR will for the third year present the Girls and Boys IHSA Basketball Playoffs, announced Patrick Mullen, the station’s Vice President and General Manager.  Coverage begins on My 50 and via a live stream on FOXHILITESChicago.com on Friday, February 23rd with Girls 1A and 2A semi-finals and will continue through Saturday, March 15th with the Boys 3A and 4A championships. 

 

 

In making the announcement Mullen stated, “We are thrilled to offer Illinois high school athletics fans multiple platforms on which to watch the IHSA Basketball Playoffs as part of our continuing commitment to local sports coverage.”

 

 

IHSA Basketball Playoff Schedule LIVE on My50 and FOXHILITESChicago.com

 

           

 

Girls State Championships

 

Date

 

Division

 

Time

 

Friday, February 22nd

 

class 1A (semi-final)

 

12:00 p.m.

 

class 2A (semi-final)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

Saturday, February 23rd   

 

class 1A (consolation/championship)

 

11:00 a.m.

 

class 2A (consolation/championship)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

Friday, February 29th

 

class 3A (semi-final)

 

12:00 p.m.

 

class 4A (semi-final)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

Saturday, March 1st 

 

class 3A

 

(consolation/championship)

 

11:00 a.m.

 

class 4A

 

(consolation/championship)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

 

Boys State Championships

 

Date

 

Division

 

Time

 

Friday, March 7th  

 

class 1A

 

(semi-final)

 

12:00 p.m.

 

class 2A

 

(semi-final)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

Saturday, March 8th 

 

class 1A

 

(consolation/championship)

 

11:00 a.m.

 

class 2A

 

(consolation/championship)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

Friday, March 14th

 

class 3A

 

(semi-final)

 

12:00 p.m.

 

class 4A

 

(semi-final)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

Saturday, March 15th  

 

class 3A

 

(consolation/championship)

 

11:00 a.m.

 

class 4A

 

(consolation/championship)

 

6:30 p.m.

 

 

For more information, please visit www.FOXHILITESChicago.com or www.my50chicago.com.   

 

 

 

Since I grew up in the Chicago area, no one has to tell me about the heart ache of being a fan of our local teams.  One summer I went away on a two week vacation.  The Cubs and White Sox were riding high...both were at the top of their divisions. 

 

My family went to stay in the upper half of Minnesota, in a cabin on a lake with no television and only one local radio station.  The complete isolation was relaxing but without a way to watch the game and before the internet, I lost track of the teams for that brief time.

 

When I came back, both teams had sunk to the bottom.  Now I can't recall the standings exactly but it was the deflation of mid summer hopes that is familiar to the loyal fans.  Only a couple of teams make it to post season but as I learned as a young boy, there is always next year.

 

Baseball has that rhythm of the seasons built into it.  The spring training, the summer day games, and the fall focus on the final few.  The days of October introduce for many of us the end of a year, the baseball year, but there is always next spring training camp to look forward to. 

What is your favorite baseball memory?   

 

 

Every morning we meet to discuss what we should cover with our news team.  It is often a spirited and sometimes surprising discussion.  Our theory is that as many different voices as possible need to be heard. 

One of our goals is to reflect what is on the mind of many people around Chicago.  Beside the more serious issues of the day, the Bears game last night clearly is on the mind of some, the Cubs on the minds of others.  We even heard in our morning meeting from White Sox fans who are not excited about the Cubs making it this far.  Some Cubs fans were reminding the White Sox fans in the room how they had to sit through weeks of coverage of Sox not so long ago.  This was clearly a point of conflict, even if in good humor.

Do you have a house or workplace that is divided by a Cubs/White Sox fan dispute? 

We'd like to hear from you.  Don't forget Dane's Brain.  It is on our sports page right here on MyFoxChicago.com.

 

I've had the chance to work with some extra-ordinary reporters and anchors over the years.  Each of them had a strength or a passion that elevated them above their peers.

Dane Placko is one of those extra-ordinary people and beyond his journalism, one of his unique qualities is his deep passion for the Cubs. 

He knows this team better vs. almost anyone else in town.  He knows the players, the stats, and the team's rich history...right down to intimate knowledge of how the scoreboard works.  He has tracked down some of the rarest film of the team playing at home and has autographs from many of the legends.

We decided that now was the time to tap into all the information.  We have a feature on the website called Dane's Brain.  If you have a moment, just click on the sports tab and you'll find the entrance to Dane's Brain.  As a White Sox fan, I have to say that it is a little frightening, but I'm sure Cubs fans feel the same way about the opposition (and I'm not talking about the Marlins).

 

Summer is almost over.  It is the Friday starting the Labor Day weekend and you can feel the city start to change as we head into the fall and our regular schedules. 

Chicago schools start on Tuesday and Fox News Chicago will be there.  We are the only station in Chicago to commit to doing regular weekly stories on the state of education in our area.  Byron Harlan and Nancy Pender, our weekend anchors, are both working the education beat and I know they would welcome your ideas and suggestions.

We have something new to add to our coverage of high schools in the Chicago area.  We have launched FoxHiLites.com.  It is a great site already filled with video from hundreds of students, teachers and parents from around the region.  It showcases the best of high school athletics, arts, and academics. 

If you know of anyone in high school or the parent of a teen, you might want to let them know about this website that is dedicated to covering high schools.  As always, we welcome your feedback.  I read our blogs and comments every day and know how passionately many of you care about the concerns of our community.

This post has been edited by an administrator

As the state representative for the Radio and Television News Directors Association, I get to hear about many important issues involving the media.

I'd like your opinion on the following concern which relates to how well all news organizations will be able to cover NFL games.  

Text of RTNDA letter to NFL

July 25, 2007

Roger Goodell

Commissioner

National Football League

280 Park Avenue, 15th Floor

New York, NY  10017

 

Dear Commissioner Goodell:

 

On behalf of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, I am writing to express strong concerns about two new practices being instituted this season by the National Football League and to request a meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss these concerns.

With less than two weeks before NFL press credentials are issued, local television and radio station journalists are facing a very difficult choice. To obtain credentials to cover games and related team activities, they must agree to abide by new policies that are at odds with the best principles of sound journalism. Otherwise, they won’t be able to do their jobs and serve their communities.

 When a similar issue arose in 2006 over the number of local television crews permitted on the sidelines during games, RTNDA engaged in a dialogue with the NFL. Our members were very pleased when the league took steps this spring to expand the number of slots available for local crews. We appreciate the fact that the NFL listened to our members and took appropriate steps to correct an onerous policy. (But even this step forward left out some crucial players. It is our understanding that crews from regional cable news channels are not being included in the distribution of sideline slots. We urge you to reconsider this position.)

 Once again, we want to share our views on an urgent basis to avoid creating situations that are harmful to our members, to the NFL and to the communities that support NFL teams.  

 First, we object to the new policy that limits the use of online audio and video from team news conferences and interviews to no more than 45 seconds for a 24-hour period. We appreciate the commercial reasons for desiring to exert control over material about the teams, but never has any American entity tried to routinely restrict the use of material gathered by journalists at news events.  

 The Internet has become an increasingly important platform to distribute the news gathered and edited by local television and radio stations. The most recent RTNDA/Ball State University survey of local stations found 97.5 percent of television stations and 67.8 percent of radio stations use local news on their websites. A station’s Internet site is an extension of its local brand and yet another way to reach viewers and listeners with its own news content. Web site users expect the same quality, depth of coverage and editorial integrity that they get from over-the-air newscasts. They expect that content is chosen through independent editorial decision-making and is not managed by those who make the news.  

 For stations, news about local NFL franchises is just as important a part of online content as such news is in over-the-air content. The NFL’s new limits on audio and video make it difficult to report stories about teams as clearly and fully as possible. The inability to archive footage makes it impossible to offer features and other packages of interest that viewers and listeners want.  

 Local radio and television stations have a constitutionally protected right to exclusive control over their intellectual property, including video obtained from independent coverage of press conferences or interviews they conduct.  Stations have exercised this right to produce news coverage that serves their viewers and listeners in diverse and innovative ways.  With these new limits, however, the NFL inhibits the ability of local stations to use their NFL coverage as they determine will best serve their audiences.  To suggest that stations must limit the use of their own intellectual property in order to be credentialed by the NFL is fundamentally unreasonable.  

 The second deeply troubling issue is the recent news that the NFL will require photojournalists to wear vests that prominently display the corporate logos of NFL sponsors. Members of RTNDA, many of whom are photojournalists or supervisors of photojournalists, subscribe to the RTNDA Code of Ethics. That code says: “Professional electronic journalists should gather and report news without fear or favor, and vigorously resist undue influence from any outside forces, including advertisers, sources, story subject, powerful individuals and special interest groups.” A station would not ask its photojournalists to wear a sponsor logo, and the NFL shouldn’t, either. Doing so undermines the independence and credibility that these journalists work so hard to protect in every other aspect of performing their duties.  

 There is a parallel between last year’s issues and this year’s. Once again the NFL has adopted a policy without consultation or consideration of the important role that local broadcasters play in linking NFL teams to their communities. On behalf of the 3,000 news executives and journalists represented by RTNDA, I strongly urge the NFL to reconsider its policies governing online audio and video and requiring photojournalists to wear vests with corporate logos.  

 Numerous representatives of stations and station groups have contacted RTNDA to express concern about these two issues. I would welcome the opportunity to bring a small group of station executives to meet with NFL representatives to discuss these issues further.  

 Sincerely yours,

 Barbara Cochran

 

 

 

 

What a day yesterday!!!!! Our 6-0 Bears stomped on the 49ers with a 41-10 win on Fox-Chicago and almost the entire Chicago area was watching.

Our head of research here at Fox Chicago told me that not only were Fox Chicago's ratings the highest all season on Fox-Chicago, but they were higher THAN ANY SINGLE GAME ALL LAST YEAR on Fox-Chicago. It was even higher vs. the opening day (9/10/06) against Green Bay.

I could give you all sorts of numbers from the ratings but let us just say that most of our friends and neighbors were in front of the TV set on a beautiful Sunday. That shows commitment.

We wanted to say thank you for your support of the game coverage and the broadcasts that followed. Our news at 4pm was one of the highest rated 4pm newscasts of any station in Chicago in the month of October.

With the Bears winning, we should have had great numbers but we know that you always have a choice and on behalf of the Fox News Chicago team, we appreciate your support for our newscasts.

By the way, the mid season special on Fox Chicago Saturday at six was a very good program. We made the commitment at the beginning of the season to have the best coverage of the Bears and this special proved our sports team delivers!

Let us know what coverage of the Bears you want to see on Fox Chicago!