The writing has been on the wall for Mark Giangreco, the 68-year-old sports anchor who has worked in Chicago since 1982 and has been with WLS-TV (ABC 7) since 1994. As the sportscaster from Chicago’s top-rated newscast, he was a mainstay of the Chicago sports scene for decades. That stint officially ended on Friday as he and the station agreed on a settlement on the remaining 18 months of his contract, per Chicago media reporter Robert Feder.
Giangreco’s dismissal stems from a complaint by news anchor Cheryl Burton after Giangreco referred to her on-air as a person who could “play the ditzy, combative interior decorator” on a hypothetical DIY show. Giangreco made those comments on January 28 and he had not appeared on ABC 7 since.
While some might scoff at one remark ending his job, but the Chicago Sun-Times previously reported that this wasn’t the first time Giangreco’s brand of humor had crossed a line with Burton and other colleagues.
But there has been tension between Giangreco and Burton for years, according to sources, and this appears to have been her breaking point.
Others who have worked with Giangreco have brushed off similar remarks as playful. Considering Burton complained to management, it’s fair to question whether management would have done anything had she not, knowing Giangreco’s persona.
Giangreco had also made a few other missteps over the years, some of which led to suspensions from the station.
If some of Giangreco’s previous transgressions occurred today, he wouldn’t have survived them. His most notable one came in 1999, when he said former Bears running back Walter Payton looked like Gandhi, not knowing Payton had a liver disease that would kill him that year. Giangreco apologized profusely for the mistake, and Payton called to forgive him.
In 2004, after the Pistons won the NBA title, he aired a black-and-white video of fires and joked that it was “a typical night in Detroit.” The station suspended him for week. Most recently, in 2017, Giangreco reportedly was suspended for multiple weeks without pay for calling former President Donald Trump a “cartoon lunatic” and the United States a “country full of simpletons” in a tweet.
A statement released by John Idler, president and general manager of ABC 7, couched the move as Giangreco “moving on to a new chapter.” It also included a message from him to his former colleagues.
I have some news I would like to share about a longtime member of the ABC 7 family. Mark Giangreco, who has been as influential on the Chicago sports scene as the athletes he’s covered, is moving on to a new chapter. During his career, Mark has been there and done that’ covering daily highlights and championship play for every major sports franchise in this city. He has been widely recognized for reporting sports with both passion and insight. I want to thank Mark for his many contributions to ABC 7 and our viewers. I’m sure you will all join me in wishing him the very best.
Below is a note Mark wanted me to share.
Dear colleagues and friends,
It’s been a great run. Working at Chicago’s top station, in the country’s greatest sports town with some of the best people in the business, would be a perfect trifecta for any sports anchor. I’ve had all that and more. But I assure you I’m still going to be having fun doing other things. I want to especially thank my colleagues at ABC 7. You have made this such an incredible ride. I’m deeply grateful to all of you.
Giangreco probably isn’t going to remain unemployed too long. The Sun-Times says offers are already rolling in for him and that it’s unlikely he has a noncompete clause in the agreement. He is also free to continue in his role as a contributor to Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman’s afternoon show on WMVP 1000-AM. Giangreco is also expected to be paid for the remainder of his contract, which was said to have 18 months remaining on it.
[Robert Feder, Chicago Sun-Times]
