With the 2020 season, WMVP 1000 AM became the White Sox flagship radio outlet. WGN's former owner. I get not stand Landdecker. WGN-TV Podcasts. A lot of companies, they have heritage stations, but they dont necessarily put a lot of value on that history, Harrison said. And thats all you hear all morning which is why I left. During the "Golden Age of Radio," Mutual was the home of The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Superman and The Shadow. It was time for Steve to go.Good luck to Bob. Cochrans demise started 3 years ago with Trumps election and his own self centered beliefs, really believed his own BS. Following the 2014 season, Cubs radio broadcasts moved to 780 AM WBBM.[69]. What is the new WGN thinking, are all the bosses afraid to read the numbers, or are there egos so large that they are smarter than the chicago listeners, I hope that the person who put Sinatra on Sunday mornings didnt do this, but it sounds like the same logic. Morning producer Mary Boyle was appointed General Manager of the station after former Station Manager Todd Manley was terminated on the first day of Nextar's takeover. In June 2013, Tribune Broadcasting CEO Larry Wert hired Jimmy DeCastro as WGN radio's president and general manager. To not even have a chance to say goodbye to long-time listeners was just cruel. Feder flashback: So you think you know Chicago television. On April 5, 1948, WGN-TV Channel 9 signed on the air. In the spring of 1986, as Phillips was ceding the morning show to Collins after nearly 20 years, he still had a 15.7 audience share, nearly double the nearest competitor. Robert Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, covered the media beat in his hometown from 1980 until his retirement in 2022. No personality is larger than what the brand is. So it's a betrayal of the listeners when management severs those connections without notice. I stopped listening months ago they could record and edit farewell messages before airing them. We are fortunate to have her expertise at WGN Radio.. Yuck , what dry and better than thou persona. Someone doesnt know their audience. He was notified after he got off the air Friday that it was his last show. Thats why I decided to retire. Nick D and The Final Broadcast From The Tribune Tower", "Play ball! If its not broke dont fix it. thrown. After McCormick died from pneumonia-related complications on April 1, 1955, ownership of WGN-AM-TV, the Chicago Tribune and the News Syndicate Company properties transferred to the McCormick-Patterson Trust, assigned to the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation in the names of the non-familial heirs of McCormick (whose two marriages never produced any children) and familial heirs of Patterson. The studios were moved to the Drake Hotel the following July. I am hoping that eyes are opened and things change for the better. Shortly after Nexstar took control of WGN, the station began to broadcast national NFL play-by-play on Sunday afternoons from Compass Media Networks. Bob Sirott was hired to replace Steve Cochran during morning drive hours, longtime mid-day duo Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder were ousted, and at a later date, evening host Justin Kaufmann was let go as well. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:08, Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, "Double Call Letters Are Being Eliminated", "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers", "Perspective | In Chicago, schools closed during a 1937 polio epidemic and kids learned from home over the radio", "Actions of the Federal Communications Commission: Decisions. I agree. But Sirott being hired again reminds me of something I wrote some time ago saying Chicago radio has become a nursing home for broken-down talent who refuse to leave the stage. Sadly, this is truer now Chicago radio simply sticks with the same tired wheel of safe personalities, even as we head into the next decade. Part of a successful radio talent is not only wit and intelligence, but also an appealing voice. The city's first disc jockey was Halloween Martin, whose show, Musical Clock, was a morning staple on various stations from 1929 to 1946. Fabian, who tried to hire Sirott at least six times over the years to work at WGN Radio, said the versatile Chicago air personality is the rightful heir to the morning chair. Chicago, IL . Reports surfaced Cochran had personality conflicts with WGN boss Sean Compton, who was appointed the station's GM shortly after Nexstar took over the legendary AM station as part of the company's $4.1 billion takeover of Tribune Media, WGN's former owner. This is and has been a good /great organization other than the takeover by Sam Zell (What a horror). [44], On April 1, 2007, Chicago-based real estate investor Sam Zell announced plans to purchase the Tribune Company in an $8.2-billion leveraged buyout that gave Tribune employees stock and effective ownership of the company. Looking to see where they will end up. Lisa Dent, who's been a popular Chicago radio personality for two decades, will sign on as Monday-through-Friday afternoon host at WGN 720-AM in the new year. Jerald McNair: We dont want to incarcerate youth. He was annoying and loud. In 1961, the WGN radio and television stations moved to a studio facility on West Bradley Place in the North Center neighborhood, a move undertaken for civil defense concerns in order to provide the station a safe base to broadcast in case of a hostile attack targeting downtown Chicago. The reason I bring this up is that on Wednesday news talk station WGN-AM 720 fired its midmorning team of Bill Leff and Wendy Snyder, and I want to give them a chance to address their audience one last time. Yes there is no replacement for Bob Colins (whom I now believe you would wish to fire). Jerald McNair: We dont want to incarcerate youth. Anna Davlantes impeccable resume includes decades of award-winning investigative reporting," Sandberg Boyle said. Allen, Bernie - Retired from radio, living in Chicago. [5], The Chicago Tribune purchased WDAP, and on June 1, 1924, renamed it WGN. You thought the commercials on WGN were repetitive? He shifted to television news in 1980, with stints at nearly every station in Chicago over the course of three decades. . Democracy dies in darkness and GN has gone over to the dark side. Cant wait to hear their voices again. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. What the hell is wrong with WGN? This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. WGN's studios are located in the Chicago Loop, while the transmitter is in Elk Grove Village. I would listen with my dad. -. The loss of the Cubs, however, still stings for listeners and WGN staffers alike, hanging on like a phantom limb to the station where Chicago play-by-play broadcasts were born. During daytime hours, near-perfect ground conductivity gives WGN at least secondary coverage to almost two-thirds of Illinois (as far south as Springfield) as well as large slices of Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa. WGN Radio Nov 1997 - Nov 2022 25 years 1 month. WGN is the only radio station owned by Nexstar Media Group, which primarily owns television stations. Dent will join Steve Bertrand in the 2-6pm slot starting Monday, January 3, 2022. Sirott said he is happy to fill the coveted morning drive seat at WGN Radio, despite not being an early riser at heart. Trailblazer at WMAQ and WGN radio dies at 92. For Sirott, this marks the third time he has been employed at WGN, returning to the station after he and wife Marianne Murciano left in 2015 after a two-year run. On April 2, 2009, WGN announced that Meier would join the station full-time as host of a program in the 1-4 p.m. slot (airing most weekdays when the program is not pre-empted by Chicago Cubs broadcasts); his first official show occurred that same day. He sounded lost and confused. WGN Radio's Orion Samuelson has graced airwaves throughout the heartland in places across the Midwest and beyond. Not a Sirott fan, so Ill be looking for a new morning station. No thanks, Im out. The early afternoon show hosted by Anna Davlantes will expand to three hours from 1 to 4 p.m. Management did not comment on the other personnel moves. : July 9", "Standard Broadcast Station Call Letters for All Outlets Starting Nov. 1, FCC Rule", "For the Record: Existing FM Stations. That did it never listened again until today. said about the state of radio recently in Billboard: WXRT moves: Brehmer shifts to middays; news anchor Dixon out, Bears bomb on field again, draws mixed ratings results for Sunday Night Football. Now I can listen to the station again Goodbye to the left leaning, Hillary loving, agenda pushing fool. There is a need for a radio station that caters to the seniors; though Ive been listening to GN since I was in high school. General manager Mary Sandberg Boyle at the WGN-AM 720 Radio studio in downtown Chicago on May 17, 2022. 2011.[55]. Robert Feder, a lifelong Chicagoan, covered the media beat in his hometown from 1980 until his retirement in 2022. [17], In May 1940, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the establishment, effective January 1, 1941, of an FM radio band operating on 40 channels spanning 4250MHz. No Cochran = Happy 2020. WGN Radio host and contributor Dane Neal will broadcast live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29 from 7am to 10am CT. Neal's show will be followed by the airing of the 106th Indianapolis 500, including extended pre-race coverage starting at 10am CT. WGN Radio made history being the first station of note to broadcast what . where his students included WLS-Ch. Dec 2015 - Present7 years 3 months. Updated: Aug 6, 2014 / 09:07 AM CDT. WGN is a radio station that I used to listen to for entertainment, news and current events. Her vibrant personality and warmth, understanding of the city and an ability to authentically connect on a personal level with listeners makes her a natural fit for afternoon drive on WGN as we embark on our 100th year of being the voice of Chicagoland.. Chicago media message boards exploded with traffic and posts, many excited over a possible permanent Meier presence on the station. And its a very difficult thing to do in 2022.. 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