The mother of a teenage girl slain more than a year ago in Palos Township has filed a libel suit in Cook County Circuit Court against WLS-AM (890) talk-show host Don Wade for comments made on a July 20, 1993, program. Also named in the suit are the station and its owner, Capital Cities/ABC Inc.
Wade “was wrong in all his facts,” said Ed Joyce, attorney for Marsha Norskog, whose daughter, Hillary, was found stabbed to death in a vacant lot. “As this lady is preparing to bury her daughter, she’s listening to this jerk on the radio call her a bad mother and wondering why she hasn’t been arrested. Most every assumption he had was wrong.”
According to the suit, Wade told his audience Norskog was the type of mother who “let her kid go off into the Forest Preserves with older kids and then doesn’t assume there’s anything wrong unless the kid doesn’t show up for a couple of days, and then says, `Oh, gee.”‘
Joyce, who is seeking unspecified dollar damages, said, “Anytime you sue the media, it’s a tough case. … (But) this lady was put through hell and there wasn’t any reason for it.”
Station GM Tom Tradup, when informed of the suit, said, “I’m not familiar with the case, so I can’t comment.”
Changes: Dean Richards, morning host on WNUA-FM (95.5) for the last three years, was let go after Friday morning’s show because “the station wants to stress more music,” said new GM Ralph Sherman. Richards said he was surprised even though his contract ran out Thursday. “Up until a couple of weeks ago,” said Richards, “we were talking about a new contract. It (the dismissal) really came out of left field.” … “The Fabulous Sports Babe,” a.k.a. Nancy Donnellen, joins the WMVP-AM daily talk-show lineup starting at 10 a.m. Monday. Donnellen airs live via the ESPN Radio Network. “The Babe” also forces these ‘MVP changes: Jay Mariotti to 1-3 p.m. daily and Les Grobstein to fill-in host and reporter. … Former Chicago ad executive Carole Black was named president/GM of NBC-owned KNBC-TV in Los Angeles on Friday.
No changes: Newsroom writers and producers at WFLD-Ch. 32 have voted 30-11 against joining other personnel in the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians union.
Listen up: Barrington car dealer Joe Gentile has begun putting his personal stamp on newly purchased WKDC-AM (1530) with a once-a-month tribute to singer Vic Damone. Why Damone? “Because he’s a great talent and a great friend,” says Gentile. “He can have a big resurgence.” . . . Robin George is filling in as host on WMAQ-Ch. 5’s “First Thing in the Morning” for Allison Rosati, who gave birth last week to Nicholas Lee Dennis.
Personnel moves: Chicago native Sally Ramirez, a producer at WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., has been hired as executive producer for WGN-Ch. 9’s “News at Nine,” effective Aug. 29. Also, Monica Teague, recently associate producer for “Oprah,” joins Channel 9’s news department as planning editor Aug. 1. And Yuki Spellman and Stephan Duncan have been added to the staff as newswriters. . . . Deloris MeBain, manager of the community affairs department at WMAQ-Ch. 5 for the last eight years, has been promoted to director of station relations.
Programming notes: WBBM-AM (780) suburban correspondent Craig Dellimore begins a 15-part series Monday on how local companies are preparing to comply with the Clean Air Act. … “The Secret of Dona Garcia’s Candle” is the next feature on “The Magic Door Television Theatre,” produced by Mindy Soble for the Jewish Television Commission of the Chicago Board of Rabbis, at 1 p.m. July 31 on WBBM-Ch. 2.
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