Media Critic Robert Feder Leaving Time Out Chicago

By Chuck Sudo in News on Apr 8, 2013 10:10PM

On Sunday night, Time Out Chicago media critic Robert Feder posted an account of a private visitation for the late Roger Ebert at the chapel of Graceland Cemetery attended by friends and family. It may turn out to be Feder’s final article for Time Out.

Feder announced this afternoon he accepted a buyout of his contract. “I am eager to continue my work and I expect to make an announcement soon,” he wrote. Feder’s announcement was neither surprising nor unexpected since Time Out Chicago announced last month it was moving to an all-digital format later this spring. The publication was sold back to the company that owns the Time Out brand elsewhere, and the company said Time Out Chicago's top managers and editors would be replaced.

Feder kept his future plans a secret when asked by Crain’s Chicago Business’ Shia Kapos, but he’s too damn good to stay away for long. Feder has a solid grasp of the local media landscape and reinvented himself for the online age after nearly 30 years at the Sun-Times and a spell blogging at WBEZ. He launched his column at TOC in Jan. 2011 amid much promotion and it was quickly established as must-read material for local media types looking for the latest dirt and scoops no one else was getting.

As for Time Out Chicago, it officially became a part of Time Out Group today. Outgoing President and Editor-in-Chief Frank Sennett posted a photo of the editorial staff at the time of its last print issue, which is now on newsstands.