Chicago Station Collects Thousands of Valentines for Kids in Hospital
Date Posted: 2/13/2024
Hubbard Radio’s The New 100.3 in Chicago collected and delivered thousands of handmade Valentine’s Day Cards for La Rabida Children’s Hospital during the 8th annual Valentine’s Day Cards for Kids campaign. Over the past eight years, The New 100.3 and its listeners have hand-crafted and donated over 85,000 cards. “Our patients love receiving these cards. Knowing that so many people from so many places are thinking about them and sending them love has a real impact on every patient’s healing journey. It’s so touching to know that many people in and around Chicago support La Rabida’s mission,” said Kelly Guglielmi, interim CEO, La Rabida Children’s Hospital.
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Block Communication’s NBC affiliate WAND-TV Decatur, Ill., raised $350,000 in its 15th annual telethon on Jan. 31 for United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). UCP serves people with cerebral palsy, autism, Down Syndrome and epilepsy. Due to state budget cuts, this year’s telethon was particularly important. "This telethon helps us keep our doors open and meet payroll," said UCP President Brenda Yarnell.
Date Posted: 2/15/2016
Nexstar Broadcasting’s CBS affiliate WMBD-TV and Cunningham’s Fox affiliate WYZZ Peoria, Ill. hosted a Smoke Alarm Phone-a-Thon on Jan. 9, through which viewers requested free smoke alarms to be installed in their homes. The effort is part of the national Home Fire Campaign, which aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from fires by 25 percent by 2019.
Alpha Media’s WPBG-FM Peoria, Ill., raised $539,480 during the 15th annual "
Saga Communications’ WDBR-FM Springfield, Ill. raised $157,000 in the "2015 Cares for Kids" radiothon, November 19-20. In 10 years, WDBR has collected more than $1,000,000 for St. John’s Children’s Hospital. (View 
Quincy’s NBC affiliate WREX-TV Rockford, Ill. invited a dozen students from different schools, ages and backgrounds to discuss their experiences with bullying. Many had received death threats from bullies and transferred schools. WREX also brought in child actors to stage a bullying scenario to spark further conversations among the students. One student stood up to the bully, while others expressed fear of becoming victims if they had done the same. WREX’s news segment raised awareness and included resources on bullying. (
Neuhoff Communication’s WSOY-AM Decatur, Ill. collected 1.3 million pounds of food in the 14th annual WSOY Community Food Drive, held Oct. 9. The drive benefits Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, Good Samaritan Inn, Northeast Community Fund, the Judy Mason Thanksgiving Basket Project and Reasonable Services. WSOY recognized five local schools for outstanding participation. (
Hubbard Radio Group’s WTMX-FM Chicago raised $1.3 million on September 19 during the "Eric & Kathy Radiothon" to support the Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. During the event, on-air personalities Eric and Kathy shared touching stories about the children, parents, doctors, nurses and hospital staff. The event has raised a total of $26 million in 14 years. Click 
ABC owned-and-operated WLS-TV Chicago hosted a debate between candidates for Chicago Mayor on Feb. 5. CBS owned-and-operated WBBM-TV Chicago hosted a debate between the candidates on Feb. 10. The candidates for this race include William "Dock" Walls, Rahm Emanuel, Ald. Bob Fioretti, Jesus "Chuy" Garcia and Willie Wilson. Click 
WGBO-DT Chicago Univision collected 430 units of blood from more than 600 people on January 21. The pints of blood will help save 61 lives.
CBS Chicago‘s local television, radio and digital media platforms, including WBBM-AM and WMVP-AM, raised nearly $800,000 during their third annual Day of Giving on Nov. 25. For 13 hours, CBS hosted a live telethon/radiothon to raise money for the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago’s home fire relief efforts. Each year, the Red Cross provides food, shelter and comfort to 1,400 local families whose homes are damaged or destroyed by fires. CBS and the Red Cross also distributed free smoke alarms.
Tribune Broadcasting’s ABC affiliate WQAD-TV Moline, Ill., hosted a debate on Oct. 9 between incumbent U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and challenger Bobby Schilling. ABC owned-and-operated WLS-TV Chicago sponsored and aired a debate between candidates for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Bruce Rauner on Oct. 20.
Salem Communications hosted listener rallies in Dallas, Los Angeles and Chicago to encourage voters to cast their ballots. The rallies were hosted by KSKY-AM Dallas on Oct. 18; KRLA-AM Glendale, Calif. on Oct. 19 (Townhall 2014); and WIND-AM Elk Grove Village, Ill., on Oct. 24-25.
Hubbard Radio Group’s WTMX-FM Chicago raised more than $1.4 million through the 15th Annual Eric & Kathy Radiothon for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital. Morning show hosts Eric & Kathy broadcast live from Lurie Children’s with stories of children battling critical or fatal conditions. Since 2000, The Eric and Kathy Radiothon has raised $26 million for Lurie Children’s.
Fifteen Chicago radio stations from four different owners – Clear Channel, Univision, Crawford Broadcasting and Midway Broadcasting – have partnered with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city of Chicago to launch the "Put The Guns Down" radio initiative. The anti-violence campaign promotes safety in local communities and aims to reduce gun violence that has plagued Chicago. Stations have agreed to air PSAs featuring their on-air talent, host weekly news segments and monthly radio simulcasts to discuss the importance of community responsibility and accountability.
CBS-owned WBBM-AM Chicago raised more than $2.1 million during its Day of Giving campaign on December 3. Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Red Cross efforts to aid those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines and by disasters at home. "We were honored to assist in helping get aid to where it’s needed, both locally and around the world," said Marty Wilke, WBBM president and general manager.
CBS Radio’s WSCR-AM Chicago is hosting the fifth annual "Sporting the Spirit" holiday charity drive, this year shifting the focus to providing relief to those in the Midwest who were impacted by recent tornadoes. WSCR-AM set up drop-off sites across Chicago in late November for listeners to donate items that would help with the relief efforts. Beginning the first week of December, listeners will be encouraged to donate holiday gifts and children’s toys. The Sporting the Spirit drive will conclude at the end of December, when station staff will personally deliver the gifts to those in the impacted areas.
Tribune Broadcasting’s WGN-AM and WGN-TV Chicago partnered with the McCormick Foundation to host the Illinois Tornado Relief Day of Giving, a campaign to support nonprofit agencies that are providing disaster relief and recovery efforts to the Midwestern communities hit by the November tornado. While the initiative will continue through the end of the year, thus far the stations have collected more than $503,000. Click 
Withers Broadcasting-owned WEBQ-FM, Harrisburg, Ill. saved the 4Cs Homeless Shelter, from shutting down on October 31. The $40,000 in donations and pledges that were raised during WEBQ-FM’s eight-hour radiothon was enough to keep the shelter open for almost a year. "The airwaves have power, and [we have] the proof [through events like this],” said Sonny Dotson, WEBQ-FM sales manager in a 
Hubbard Broadcasting’s WTMX-FM Chicago hosted the 14th Annual "Eric and Kathy" Radiothon to support the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. With help from several local sports celebrities and area businesses, the 14-hour event raised more than $1.4 million dollars for the hospital. All the proceeds will be used for pediatric research, patient care, education and advocacy efforts. Since 2000, the radiothon has raised more than $23 million for Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Premier Broadcasting in Effengham, Ill., partnered with several local businesses to host the "More 4 Moore" campaign to collect emergency supplies for those affected by the tornadoes. Premier created a webpage for the campaign and included solicitations on their Facebook page. Listeners filled a 53-foot truck with donations for tornado victims.
Citadel Communication’s WOI-TV Des Moines, KCAU-TV Sioux City and WHBF-TV Rock Island, Ill. recently held the 38th annual Variety Telethon. Variety, the Children’s Charity, reported $3,020,817 in pledges were raised this year. Variety’s first telethon in 1975 raised $150,000 for one grantee organization, the Blank Children’s Hospital. Now, 38 years later, Variety has raised more than $90 million in donations, which have been granted to agencies serving children across the State of Iowa. Thanks to the cast members, volunteers and donors who support Variety during the telethon and throughout the year, Variety is able to raise much needed funds for Iowa’s children.
Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards, the legendary duo behind the Animal Stories radio series, recently reunited to develop a series of public service announcements that highlight the importance of pet preparedness. Two hundred radio stations across Illinois will run the PSAs sponsored by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with the Illinois Broadcasting Association. "These radio spots are really fun and will help us catch the listener’s ear with our message about pet preparedness," said IEMA director Jonathon Monken.
The Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA) launched "Giving Tuesday," an effort supported by more than 200 radio and television stations across Illinois to benefit the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Sandy relief efforts and "future needs." The IBA Board of Directors passed a resolution to make November 27, "Giving Tuesday," a day of donations to support continued Red Cross relief efforts across Illinois.
CBS Chicago hosted a 13-hour radio-telethon to raise funds for the American Red Cross relief efforts. Red Cross volunteers joined CBS’s Chicago personalities at a phone bank at the downtown Chicago broadcast center. Participating stations included WBBM-AM, WCFS-FM, WSCR-AM, WXRT-FM, WBBM-FM, WUSN-FM, WJMK-FM and CBS affiliate WBBM-TV. Market Manager Rod Zimmerman noted, "It is our civic responsibility as broadcasters to do everything we can to help make a difference."
The Illinois Broadcasters Foundation (IBF) recently announced it will match scholarship funds created by members of the Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA). Specifically, the IBF will match up to $500 of an IBA-member station scholarship designed specifically for graduating high school seniors pursuing a major in a broadcast-related field. Students applying for the scholarship must be academically eligible and accepted by an Illinois university or community college. The IBF committed up to $100,000 for the scholarship program for the 2012-2013 academic year. 
Citadel Communications-owned WOI-TV, Des Moines/Ames, Iowa, KCAU-TV, Sioux City, Iowa and WHBF-TV, Rock Island, Ill., combined to host the 37th Annual Variety Telethon in March, raising $3,016,441 to support the local children’s charity. Since its inception on WOI-TV in 1975, the Variety Telethon has raised more than $84 million. Through the generous support of individuals and the corporate community, the Variety telethon has provided funding for capital projects, essential medical equipment and special programs to more than 300 charities throughout Iowa and neighboring states and has put more than 400 "Sunshine Coaches" on the road transporting children to new adventures.
Weigel Broadcasting Co. is a supporter of the Greater Chicago
Food Depository’s 86 Hunger Series. The Depository recently hosted
more than 200 donors and guests at a local restaurant, NAHA, including
Art Sims, entertainment contributor on Weigel’s WCIU-TV Chicago
morning show, "You & Me This Morning." NAHA is the
second of six restaurants to donate its culinary talent to help
end hunger in the community. Weigel Broadcasting Co. is a long-standing
partner of the Depository, which distributes food to 678,000 Cook
County residents each year.
Chicago,
like many cities across the United States, was hit by a massive
snowstorm earlier this year that brought sleet, ice and record
inches of snow from western Texas to Maine. While most Chicagoans
hunkered down in their homes to weather the storm, local broadcasters
were hard at work providing round-the-clock coverage of the blizzard.
Television stations across the market offered expanded reporting
during the storm, including one station, Tribune’s WGN-TV, providing
a "Blizzard of 2011 Special Report" starting as early
as 3 a.m. CBS-owned WBBM-TV canvassed the city in its Mobile 2
video truck, providing live 
