Walter David Jacobson was born on July 28,1937 and is a former Chicago television news personality and a current Chicago radio news personality.
44 Facts About Walter Jacobson
1.
2.
Walter Jacobson currently provides opinion segments for WGN Radio AM 720.
3.
Walter David Jacobson was born at Michael Reese Hospital on Chicago's South Side, the son of insurance agent Sam Jacobson and Anne Jacobson.
4.
Walter Jacobson's family lived on Kenmore Avenue in Chicago's far north side.
5.
Walter Jacobson attended New Trier High School, received his bachelor's degree in political science from Grinnell College in 1959 and his master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in New York.
6.
Walter Jacobson began his career at Chicago's City News Bureau, later joining the Chicago bureau of United Press International.
7.
Walter Jacobson then joined the reporting staff of the Chicago American newspaper, where he was the legman for legendary columnist Jack Mabley.
8.
In 1963, Walter Jacobson left the Chicago American to join WBBM-TV as a news writer, and was promoted to be a full-time reporter in 1968.
9.
In 1971, Walter Jacobson was fired by WBBM-TV, and he moved over to WMAQ for two years.
10.
Kurtis and Walter Jacobson formed a legendary anchor team in Chicago and from the mid-1970s to early 1980s the team enjoyed unprecedented ratings dominance.
11.
Walter Jacobson left for WFLD in 1993 after a dispute with WBBM's management.
12.
In May 1983, Walter Jacobson famously criticized Chicago's mayor at the time, Harold Washington, alleging that Washington used city workers to paint and redecorate his apartment.
13.
In February 1992, Walter Jacobson was reported to have thrown a book at a newsroom staffer's head, causing both him and the staffer to be summoned to the office of the station's general manager.
14.
In September 1973, Jacobson was approached by Chicago liberals about running for mayor against Richard J Daley, but he turned them down.
15.
Walter Jacobson was solo anchor of the 5pm news for 10 years, co-anchor of afternoon newscasts from 1986 until September 1991, and co-anchor of the 10pm newscast for 16 years, until he was replaced by Linda MacLennan in 1989.
16.
On November 13,2009, Walter Jacobson reunited for one evening with his co-anchor of 20 years earlier, Bill Kurtis, to anchor the WBBM 10 PM news in Chicago while the usual anchor, Rob Johnson, was attending a friend's wedding.
17.
Walter Jacobson joined WFLD in 1993 as the station's principal male news anchor, co-anchoring the station's signature 9 pm newscast with Robin Robinson.
18.
At WFLD, Walter Jacobson was the most popular of the station's news personalities, such as Robin Robinson, Tamron Hall, Byron Harlan, Nancy Pender and Corey McPherrin.
19.
Walter Jacobson dedicated one of his segments to share hate mail he received over his career.
20.
Walter Jacobson often used his air time to tell Chicagoans humorous, though not necessarily newsworthy, anecdotes.
21.
Walter Jacobson once used at least ten minutes of air time to explain how as a child he lost his baseball glove at Wrigley Field, and how it was recently found and returned to him.
22.
In November 1993, during the key ratings sweeps period, Walter Jacobson showed up on the news wearing a T-shirt, according to a December 19,1993, article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
23.
In September 2004, Walter Jacobson was demoted from his role as WFLD-TV's principal male news anchor when the station chose to install Mark Suppelsa in Walter Jacobson's place as WFLD's 9 pm news anchor.
24.
Walter Jacobson remained at the station hosting a Sunday morning public-affairs talk show and providing his "Perspective" commentaries during the station's 9 pm newscasts.
25.
The job is the first time Walter Jacobson ever has worked in radio.
26.
Walter Jacobson wed his college sweetheart, Lynn Straus, in 1960.
27.
In March 1995, Jacobson married advertising executive Susan G "Susie" Jacobson.
28.
Peter Walter Jacobson has done stage work in New York City.
29.
In February 1977, Walter Jacobson failed to make WBBM's 10 pm newscast because he was being booked at a police station, charged with making an illegal left turn and driving on a suspended license.
30.
In September 1997, Walter Jacobson was arrested and charged with grabbing a restaurant owner in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood who wouldn't answer his questions about homeless people interfering with businesses in the neighborhood.
31.
Walter Jacobson ultimately was acquitted of misdemeanor battery, trespass and disorderly conduct charges a few months later.
32.
In May 2004, Walter Jacobson was arrested in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood and charged with driving under the influence, running a stop sign, invalid registration and obstructing traffic after he allegedly double-parked his 2004 Saab outside a Lincoln Park pizzeria and was seen by police "stumbling" out of the shop.
33.
Walter Jacobson reportedly was advised by an officer not to drive his car pending a sobriety test, but he went ahead and did so anyway, and after several blocks was pulled over by officers.
34.
Walter Jacobson ultimately passed the Breathalyzer test, and the DUI charge was dropped, just four days before his induction into the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame.
35.
Walter Jacobson ultimately pleaded guilty to negligent driving, obstruction of traffic and running a stop sign, and he was sentenced to four months' supervision and was fined $450.
36.
Walter Jacobson agreed to undergo evaluation of his use of alcohol.
37.
Walter Jacobson later went on to say that he was "mishandled" by the police.
38.
On June 18,2008, Walter Jacobson was arrested near his home in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood for DUI charges after failing a field sobriety and Breathalyzer test.
39.
In late January 1993, Walter Jacobson needed stitches from the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after a fall during a late-night visit to the China Club nightclub in Chicago, where he was watching the Village People perform, according to a February 8,1993 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
40.
In January 1995, while disguised as a homeless man for a February sweeps piece, Walter Jacobson tripped on a concrete pillar and fell flat on his face, suffering cuts and bruises on his chin and under one eye, according to a January 31,1995 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
41.
In November 2002, Walter Jacobson slipped on a pumpkin on his front steps and fractured several ribs, according to a November 7,2002 article in the Chicago Sun-Times.
42.
Walter Jacobson made a cameo appearance as himself in 1990 in CBS' short-lived sitcom, Uncle Buck, which was based on the movie of the same name.
43.
Walter Jacobson has received several prestigious awards for his commentary, anchoring, and reporting skills.
44.
In January 1995 at WFLD, Walter Jacobson reprised his role as a homeless man for the hidden cameras.