Feder Slams WBBM's Ahern

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Feder didn’t pull punches in his assessment of Joe Ahern’s work at WBBM Chicago today. "If the swaggering Joe Ahern were an emperor instead of a local TV station executive, he’d be naked right now," writes Feder.

I think if the swaggering Joe Ahern were an emperor, he’d probably make sure Robert Feder stayed locked in a dungeon somewhere. Emperors can decree that, can’t they? Even naked ones?

Feder takes pains to point out the numerous ways Ahern has failed to lift WBBM, including his expensive hiring of anchor Diann Burns. Sources I spoke to seemed to think Feder was a little too harsh. "Ahern may not be my favorite person," said one, "but that just isn’t fair."

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.