Barr keeps WLS on top: GM maintains strong focus on Chicago community.(People)(WLS-TV's general managers Emily Barr)

Broadcasting & Cable, January, 2005 by Romano, Allison

When a fire raged recently at the LaSalle Bank building in Chicago, ABC-owned-and-operated station WLS extended its evening newscast to cover the breaking story. As 8 p.m. approached, the station faced a tough choice: Monday Night Football was about to start, but it wasn't known if the burning building had been fully evacuated.

For Emily Barr, president and GM, there was no debate. Breaking news trumped football. WLS stayed live until the fire was brought under control around 10 p.m. "Yes, it costs you money and a lot of angry viewers when you don't air programming, but people eat, live and breathe news here," says Barr, GM since 1997, who has survived and thrived in one of the most competitive markets in the country. A typical Monday Night game pulls in an...