Chicago (magazine)

Chicago is a monthly magazine published by the Tribune Company. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, larger than People in its market.[1] Also in 2004, it received the National Magazine Award for General Excellence.

Contents

History

Chicago was founded as the programming guide for the classical radio station WFMT and was called Chicago Guide. The name was changed around 1974.

In 1981, Chicago introduced the Nelson Algren Award, a short story contest that the magazine later abandoned before it was picked up by the Chicago Tribune newspaper.[2]

In December 1986, Chicago Educational Television Association, which had owned WFMT and WTTW, announced that it would sell the magazine for $17 million to a joint venture formed by Metropolitan Detroit Magazine and Adams Communications.[3] The deal closed in January 1987. Landmark Communications bought the magazine in 1990. Primedia bought the magazine in 1995. Tribune bought the magazine from Primedia in 2002.

Staff

Chicago magazine's first editor was Allen Kelson. He later became editor-in-chief, and then publisher.[4]

In 1984, Don Gold, the former managing editor of Playboy magazine, became the magazine's editorial director, in a new position created between editor-in-chief Allen Kelson and editor John Fink.[5]

From 1986 until 1991, Hillel Levin served as the magazine's editor. He left in early 1991 to join other investors in buying a Miami-based and Caribbean media group.[6] Levin was succeeded by Richard Babcock, who up to that point had been assistant managing editor of Rupert Murdoch's New York magazine.[7]

In April 2009, the magazine laid off longtime literary editor Christine Newman.[8]

In December 2009, it was announced that longtime Chicago restaurant critic Dennis Ray Wheaton would be leaving his position and that Jeff Ruby would replace him.[9]

In April 2011, Richard Babcock stepped down as Chicago's editor after exactly 20 years in the job.[10] In August 2011, the magazine named Beth Fenner to replace Babcock.[11]

References

  1. ^ "The Market". Chicago Magazine. http://www.chicagomag.com/Media/MediaManager/MarketLg.jpg. Retrieved 2007-05-16. 
  2. ^ http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-09-19/features/8503030764_1_pen-american-center-chicago-writer-stories
  3. ^ Storch, Charles (January 18, 1987). "THE CHICAGO MAGAZINE STORY HOW DEAL PUT DETROIT OUTFIT IN, LEFT OTHERS PUT OUT". Chicago Tribune: p. 1. 
  4. ^ Storch, Charles (September 11, 1986). "Publisher out of bidding". Chicago Tribune: p. C4. 
  5. ^ Sneed, Michael; Cheryl Lavin (June 24, 1984). "Our way or we won't play...". Chicago Tribune: p. 2. 
  6. ^ Lazarus, George (January 18, 1991). "Alcohol-education campaign derailed". Chicago Tribune: p. 2. 
  7. ^ Lazarus, George (March 20, 1991). "Busch to roll out Natural Pilsner". Chicago Tribune: p. 4. 
  8. ^ http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2009/04/07/chris-newman/
  9. ^ Rosner, Helen (December 23, 2009). "Jeff Ruby Replaces Dennis Ray Wheaton as Chicago Mag's Restaurant Critic". GrubStreet.com. http://chicago.grubstreet.com/2009/12/jeff_ruby_replaces_dennis_ray.html. 
  10. ^ http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2011/03/babcock-to-step-down-as-editor-of-chicago-magazine-after-20-years.html
  11. ^ http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/chicago-media-blog/14918325/chicago-magazines-new-editor-ive-been-reading-it-for-years

External links