The Buzz at ABC7 Chicago

ABC 7 Only Station to Broadcast Pride Parade this Weekend

     “I am always proud that ABC 7 is the first and only television station to broadcast the Pride Parade,” said Janet Davies, host of the event. “I have many friends and acquaintances in the LGBT community and love that this event celebrates their contributions to help making Chicago the best city ever!” “The 43rd Annual Pride Parade," Chicago’s second largest parade with 200 units and over 400,000 people on the street takes place this weekend on Sunday, June 24th at noon. ABC 7 Chicago is excited to once again broadcast the event on Sunday, June 24 from midnight to 1am.

    The parade kicks off from a new corner this year at Broadway and Montrose on Chicago's North Side. The parade ends a weekend of festivities and entertainment supporting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities. Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, will be this year’s Grand Marshal.

    This year, ABC 7’s Ryan Chiaverini, Ron Magers, Hank Mendheim, Karen Meyer, and Linda Yu are scheduled to appear in the parade via ABC 7 Chicago’s float. The broadcast will be hosted by ABC 7’s Entertainment Reporter and Host of “190 NORTH,” Janet Davies. Along with Terri Hemmert, WXRT Radio Chicago, who will once again join Davies in the broadcast booth to help co-host the parade, “190 NORTH’s” Mark Nilsson will capture the festivities on the street.

 

 

An all new Ñ Beat this weekend!

    This week's Ñ Beat will profile men and women who exemplify their Latino heritage through the art of comedy and dance. THE Ñ Beat will air Saturday, June 23 at 6pm with an encore presentation on Saturday, June 30 at 2:30pm. THE Ñ Beat is an Emmy Award winning program celebrating the accomplishments of Chicago’s Latino community.

    The Ñ Beat is hosted by Theresa Gutierrez, with special contributions by ABC 7’s John Garcia and Stacey Baca. “I love doing the Ñ Beat because it allows us to cover interesting people and subjects in a half hour format,” said Theresa Gutierrez. “This new Ñ Beat will inspire you to both laugh and dance because it's all about music, dance, art, and comedy.”

THE Ñ BEAT shines the spotlight on some local talent that has the gift of making people laugh. The Mikey O Comedy Show has been promoting a line-up of Latino stand up comedians for the past ten years, all of whom make their home in Chicago. Patti Vasquez, Gwen La Roka, Joey Villagomez, Eli Castro and Mike Oquendo will talk about the courage to be funny and what it takes to make it in Chicago. 

Also featured are Chicago area dance companies.  Pictured below is "Graffiti Rhythms," founded by Cari Garcia.

 

ABC 7 Janet Davies and Frank Mathie Kick Off Jim Gibbons 5K Walk/Run

He succumbed to leukemia in 1994.  But each year, Janet Davies and Frank Mathie remember their colleague and friend Jim Gibbons, who worked as an investigative reporter for ABC 7 News. Davies and Mathie will kick off the 18th Annual ABC 7 Jim Gibbons 5K on the 6 pm News, Thursday, June 14th.  The event talkes place in Lincoln Park at 2551 N. Cannon Drive and includes a bags tournament, awards ceremony and a performance by Black Cadillac.  Through the years, the team of runners and walkers helped raise 1.5 million for lifesaving research for leukemia and other blood cancers.

ABC 7 Chicago Welcomes New GM, John Idler

ABC 7 Chicago welcomes back John Idler, who will now lead the station as President and General Manager. Rebecca Campbell, president of the ABC Owned Television Stations Group, made the announcement, "John Idler's outstanding track record in Raleigh-Durham and his earlier local TV management experience in Chicago demonstrate a consistent commitment to excellence in community service and station operations." ABC 7 staffers know John from his days heading the station's local sales department. (Picured below:  John Idler and Rebecca Campbell)