Weigel Chairman Shapiro Dies

Howard Shapiro, chairman of Weigel Broadcasting, has died. He was 86.

Shapiro remained active around headquarters prior to his death, said the company.

"A larger-than-life figure in Chicago business and broadcasting for decades, Howard guided Weigel Broadcasting from a struggling single UHF television station in Chicago, to a company with more than ten stations in three markets as well as involvement in two national broadcast networks," said Weigel in a statement.

A graduate of Purdue, Shapiro's connection with television began in 1964 when he was one of the first advertisers on WCIU, Chicago's first UHF television station. His advertisements were for C.E.T., a television retailer that he founded in 1949.

Shapiro was married to Jacqueline Cooper Shapiro, who preceded him in death in 2003. He is survived by his three sons Norman, Ken and David, daughter Caroline (Barry) Smith, and four grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.