Randy Michaels out at Tribune Co.

Tagged as crass and out of control, the former disc jockey (left) risen to high places is now gone. A four member executive council of the board will run Tribune. Michaels was recruited by Chicago real estate millionaire Sam Zell (right) who controls the firm, in the hope that Michaels style would be good for the bankrupt Tribune. It appears that the board ultimately felt it could not ignore complaints and board members feared for their liability. A small example was that many members of Michaels' Clear Channel alumni insisted on posting goofy pictures, or no pictures at all, on the company's Web directory employees use to find each other. They also began issuing faux "press releases" to introduce the stream of new employees recruited from Clear Channel. Sometimes they offended; other times they just bewildered. One of the more infamous was the release announcing the hiring of Kim Johnson, who, it was said, was "a former waitress at 'Knockers -- The Place for Hot Racks and Cold Brews.'