The hard-hitting tone of tabloid journalism and the measured voice of public radio make for an unlikely combination, but the two are coming together in a novel media deal that is likely to shape how news is covered in Chicago for years to come.

On Tuesday night, the board of Chicago Public Media, the nonprofit organization behind the noncommercial radio station WBEZ, moved significantly closer to acquiring The Chicago Sun-Times, the tabloid that was once home to the film critic Roger Ebert and the columnist Mike Royko.