The Media Access Project filed petitions with the FCC to deny pending license renewals for commercial television stations in Chicago and Milwaukee. Broadcasters in both cities failed to meet their public interest obligations because their 2004 news coverage largely overlooked local and statewide elections, according to petitions filed on behalf of Chicago Media Action and Milwaukee Public Interest Media Coalition. In a separate petition, Third Coast Press included the city’s public TV stations in its motion (pdf) to deny renewals to Chicago’s TV outlets.

The Public Radio Exchange has handed out $45,000 to six public radio stations to support “showcase shows” that highlight documentaries and work from independent producers.

More pix on Flickr from the Third Coast Festival.

A weakening focus on core broadcast programming is to blame for public radio’s recent audience losses, writes consultant John Sutton. “Much of the industry’s attention is on reaching new and different audiences through new and different technologies,” he says. “It’s as if a lot of people in public radio don’t want to be in radio anymore.”

Romenesko asks: “Has NPR’s Libby Lewis done any reports yet on Lewis Libby?”

Steve Fentriss, a 19-year-old drummer and composer from Ann Arbor, Mich., has recorded a little ditty called “I Love Public Radio.” You can download it from his website (MP3). (Related article in the Ann Arbor News.)

Ray Suarez will host public radio’s America Abroad and continue as a correspondent for public TV’s NewsHour. Public Radio International distributes America Abroad to more than 100 stations.

See pictures from the Third Coast International Audio Festival on the Public Radio Exchange’s Flickr page.

“Public radio forces too much money out of its on-air fund drives,” writes consultant John Sutton on his blog. “And the problem is likely to get worse.”

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer profiles Seattle’s KEXP-FM. “They’re keeping this hopeful notion of what music is supposed to be about alive,” says a record label president.

WTTW plans to make big changes to its signature news magazine in January when former news anchor and CBS News correspondent Carol Marin signs on at Chicago Tonight. Marin’s hiring, announced Oct. 20, foreshadows the exit of current anchor Bob Sirott, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. “The whole show will be changing,” a WTTW spokeswoman tells Crain’s Chicago Business.

Transom has a team of four blogging this year’s Third Coast International Audio Festival.

Mark Handley, the retiring g.m. of New Hampshire Public Radio, reminisces in the New Hampshire Union Leader about his time at the network. Handley and his wife began a sailboat trip around the world yesterday; they’re tracking their travels online.

In a world of new media options for kids and their parents, PBS’s preeminence as the service with high-quality educational preschool fare is no longer assured, reports the Boston Globe. The landscape for kids TV has changed so much that even PBS looks to earn new revenues from commercials.

Cuts to CPB funding proposed by House Republicans would force tough decisions at Nebraska ETV. “We would probably have to eliminate our local programming if we wanted PBS programming,” General Manager Rod Bates tells the Lincoln Journal-Star. “That’s the kind of choice we would have to make.” In June, all three of Nebraska’s Republican representatives voted against a House measure restoring $100 million in CPB funds.