Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 23, 2008 at 07:42:18:
Wert's touching Ahern invite
It was very last minute. And very ballsy. But last Saturday, Larry Wert picked up the phone and did what might be unthinkable to many in the image-conscious broadcasting industry. He rang up his former boss and -- more recent -- archrival in the local TV news business, Joe Ahern, who was fired as WBBM-TV general manager last week, to invite him to the 50th anniversary Chicago Emmy Awards presentation that night. Wert remembers that Ahern got a little emotional at the thought of attending the gala black-tie event. But Ahern ultimately embraced the idea.
Just hours later, the two were together at the Hyatt McCormick Place, where the awards show was held, and where many expressed shock at Wert's bravado. Sporting his trademark black velvet tuxedo slippers, Ahern, however, seemed happy to be there, and Wert looked pleased to have the ousted GM as his guest.
Often when station general managers are sacked, they quickly disappear and stay out of sight until they find a new gig, but Wert, who in the 1980s worked for Ahern in the sales department at WLS, apparently didn't think Ahern should suffer such a fate for his recent failures.
"I knew Joe was close to the late WBBM anchor Randy Salerno and his wife, and since Randy was up for a posthumous Emmy, I thought Joe should be at the show," Wert explained. Salerno didn't win, but the WBBM news department Ahern helped assemble won the evening's top Emmy for its spot news coverage of the Northern Illinois University shooting rampage last winter.
Will Ahern stick around Chicago? Wert thinks the right opportunity for Ahern could present itself in the local market sooner rather than later.
(Lewis Lazare, Chicago Sun-Times)