Rafer Weigel following father’s footsteps into ABC 7 sports job

Thirty-four years after his late father joined ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 as a sports anchor, Rafer Weigel (pictured above), is about to do the same thing.

Weigel, 41, is expected to be named weekend sports anchor and sports reporter, replacing Ryan Chiaverini, who’s shifting to co-host of the station’s new Windy City Live morning show. If all goes as planned, sources said an announcement could come next week.

The son of legendary Chicago sportscaster Tim Weigel (pictured left), he most recently has been sports anchor of HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade, based in Atlanta. His father, whose long and celebrated Chicago media career included 17 years at ABC 7, died of a brain tumor in 2001 at age 56.

The industry website NewsBlues.com reported Thursday that Weigel had left HLN’s flagship morning show after three years for the job here. Weigel declined to comment. Emily Barr, president and general manager of ABC 7, said: “Nothing is done at this point.”

Weigel’s name surfaced here in January when he was reported among those on the list of finalists for the morning show hosting job. But on the day of his scheduled audition, he bowed out, saying: “I’ve decided not to pursue the WLS job and instead stay at HLN.” Ironically, Chiaverini’s selection to co-host the daily talk show opened the door for Weigel to become weekend sports anchor and heir apparent to principal sports anchor Mark Giangreco.

Named after Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson, Weigel grew up in north suburban Evanston and graduated from Evanston Township High School and the University of Illinois.

He began as an actor with Chicago’s Steppenwolf, Remains, Bailiwick, Organic and Wisdom Bridge theatres, and eventually moved to Hollywood, where he landed several TV and movie parts, including a hosting job with VH1, a regular role on the NBC series Jenny with Jenny McCarthy, and parts in the films Free Enterprise with William Shatner and Eric McCormack, and Rated X with Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen.

When his father died in 2001, Weigel came home to Chicago and turned to a career in journalism, covering sports for the Sun-Times and hosting a weekly radio show on the former WCKG. He moved back to California in 2005 for on-air jobs at KUSI-TV in San Diego and KOVR-TV in Sacramento. He joined HLN in 2008.

Weigel’s younger sister, Jenniffer Weigel, an award-winning broadcaster, author, actress, singer, producer and blogger, recently joined the Tribune as a columnist for its TribU lifestyle section. Their mother, Kathy Worthington, was a news anchor at Tribune Co.-owned news/talk WGN-AM (720).

March 8 update: ABC 7 officially announced Weigel's hiring, effective March 21. Said Jennifer Graves, vice president and news director: "Rafer Weigel is a talented broadcaster who has worked hard to earn his stripes. He loves this city and has never lost his passion for following Chicago sports teams. His father is an important part of ABC 7's sports legacy and we are thrilled that another Weigel will again be working the sports beat at our station."