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.jpg) Cover of March 2019 edition | |
| Editor | Susanna Homan |
|---|---|
| Former editors | Beth Fenner |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Circulation | 98,306(2024)[1] |
| Founded | 1952 (asWMFT Guide) |
| First issue | 1970 (asChicago) |
| Company | Tribune Publishing |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 0362-4595 |
| OCLC | 2398937 |
Chicago is a monthly magazine published byTribune Publishing. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearbyChicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, larger thanPeople in its market.[2] Also in 2004, it received theNational Magazine Award for General Excellence. It is a member of theCity and Regional Magazine Association (CRMA).[3]
In the second half of the 20th century, several magazines bore the nameChicago magazine. The current one also has the longest history. It was established in 1952 as the monthlyWFMT Guide[4] and was founded as the programming guide for the classical radio stationWFMT.
Starting in October 1970, theWFMT Guide began accepting paid advertising.[5]
TheWFMT Guide changed its name toChicago Guide with the December 1970 issue and became a full-sized magazine.[6]
Two other magazines titledChicago magazine existed between the 1950s and the 1970s. One, published by founding editorMaurice English, published from 1954 until 1957 or 1958.[7] The other version was a quarterly magazine that was published by the New Chicago Foundation from 1964 until 1973 and had Richard P. Frisbie as its editor, from 1971 until 1973.[8][9][10] (Starting in late 1973, the formerly New Chicago Foundation-publishedChicago magazine changed its name to theChicagoan, and was published by the husband-and-wife duo of Jon Anderson andAbra Prentice Wilkin, hadRichard Christiansen as its editor for a time,[11] and hit the newsstands with its new name and format in September 1973.[12] TheChicagoan was sold to National Textbook Company and S. William Pattis in the spring of 1974[13] and Pattis turned around and sold theChicagoan to theChicago Guide in September 1974.[14] The circulation of the two magazines was combined with the November 1974 issue of theChicago Guide.[15])
Chicago Guide magazine was renamedChicago magazine at the start of 1975.[16][17])
In 1981,Chicago introduced theNelson Algren Award, a short story contest that the magazine later abandoned before it was picked up by theChicago Tribune newspaper.[18]
In December 1986, Chicago Educational Television Association, which had owned WFMT andWTTW, announced that it would sell the magazine for $17 million to a joint venture formed by Metropolitan Detroit Magazine andAdams Communications.[19] The deal closed in January 1987.Landmark Communications bought the magazine in 1990. Primedia (nowRent Group) bought the magazine in 1995.[20] Tribune bought the magazine from Primedia in 2002.[21]
Chicago magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020.[22]
Chicago magazine's first editor was Allen Kelson, who previously had been named editor-in-chief ofWFMT Guide in 1968.[23] Kelson later became editor-in-chief, and then publisher.[24]
In 1984, Don Gold, the former managing editor ofPlayboy magazine, became the magazine's editorial director, in a new position created between editor-in-chief Allen Kelson and editor John Fink.[25]
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.[26] Levin was succeeded by Richard Babcock, who up to that point had been assistant managing editor ofRupert Murdoch'sNew York magazine.[27]
In April 2009, the magazine laid off longtime literary editor Christine Newman.[28]
In December 2009, it was announced that longtimeChicago restaurant critic Dennis Ray Wheaton would be leaving his position and that Jeff Ruby would replace him.[29]
In April 2011, Richard Babcock stepped down asChicago's editor after exactly 20 years in the job.[30] In August 2011, the magazine named Beth Fenner to replace Babcock.[31]
In December 2011,Chicago magazine's managing editor, Shane Tritsch, resigned after 18 years with the magazine after he was passed over for the top editorial post there.[32]
In 2012, longtimeChicago magazine senior writer Marcia Froelke Coburn leftChicago magazine to joinTime Out Chicago as a contributing writer.[33]
Also in 2012, longtimeChicago magazine senior editor Nora O'Donnell left the magazine to joinPlayboy magazine in southern California as senior editor and research chief.[34]
In March 2014,Chicago magazine's No. 2 editor, Cassie Walker Burke, left the magazine to joinCrain's Chicago Business as an assistant managing editor.[35]
In November 2015,Chicago magazine's award-winning features editor, David Bernstein, took a buyout and left the company.[36]
In March 2016, the magazine's editor, Beth Fenner, was fired after more than four years, and the magazine's publisher, Tom Conradi, also was removed from his post.[37] In their places, Susanna Homan was named editor and publisher.[38]
In October 2017, the magazine's longtime dining editor, Penny Pollack, retired.[39]
