former wgn radio personalities

WGN radio personality Wally Phillips hosts Mayor Harold Washington on Phillips' telephone call-in show fielding a wide range of questions from listeners in November 1983. Good bye WGN. Cant wait to hear their voices again. My Dad had WGN on all the time. 2011.[55]. He sounded lost and confused. Theres a number of stations out there that are celebrating 100-year anniversaries around this time, but in terms of stations that have remained the same kind of programming style for a century, that is kind of rare, said Dave Marzullo, 52, head of digital operations for WGN Radio and the stations unofficial historian. Above: Political analyst, Paul Green. Nothing against Bob Sirott but he his somewhat insipid and totally a follower, which also can mean he falls right in line with what some TIGER would tell him to do. Jonathan Brandmeier and Garry Meier were released and their programs canceled immediately, with repeat shows airing through the end of December. We talked today about the sad decline of WGN. "Few rival Annas commitment to serving the public in anticipating, exposing and breaking important stories. "A very important thank you needs to go out to our listeners. Next to go should be John Williams, also self centered and opinionated and dismissive of other points of view. Trump lovers love him no matter what he does and dont want to hear facts when it conflicts with their convictions. Ill never listen to either one. Above: (front Ito r) Bob Collins, Kathy O'Malley, Dean . Jenkins and Donnelly are at their transmitter in the Wrigley Building in 1922. Love Pete. In black-appeal radio, the disc jockey role was pioneered both locally and nationally by Jack L. Cooper, who began playing . Compton worked for Clear Channel Radio under Randy Michaels and made the transition with him to Tribune when Sam Zell bought the company in 2007. Age discrimination MUST be eliminated and a person recognized for their TALENT up beat , and positive so refreshing at this stressful time. Unless the make so extreme changes to the new line up. Maybe he did some good things but good grief who needed it when you had to listen to him! where his students included WLS-Ch. So disappointed with WGN. show. And to WGN and Sirott in particular. Early programming was noted for its creativity and innovation. Just started listening to WGN last year for something different. With the 2020 season, WMVP 1000 AM became the White Sox flagship radio outlet. It ended later that year when she left the station for an acting career in Hollywood. For the local Chicago television station, see, The "World's Greatest Newspaper" slogan was first used in a February 1909 feature commemorating the 100th anniversary of. Steve made me think and laugh, while stuck in traffic on the Kennedy each morning. WGN was best known for the Chicago Cubs, great hosts like Wally Phillips, Bob Collins, Paul Harvey and many more.. Local hosts on WGN include morning host Bob Sirott along with John Williams, Lisa Dent, John Records Landecker, Rollye James and Dave Plier. Clarence Dittman, and WGN radio announcer Jack Brickhouse broadcast from the Chicago airport tarmac in 1942. One of the first African-Americans to break the color barrier at a mainstream Chicago radio station has died. Heres everything you need to know about The Grinch sequel, plus the best books your kid can check out now. We have talked about life in America's greatest city, interviewed the famous and the not-so-famous, expressed disappointment in our sports teams, examined the intricacies and foibles of the human condition and made fun of ourselves and each other, gloriously. Happy Bob is back and working solo. It aired its first baseball game in 1924 a crosstown matchup between the Cubs and Sox and carried the Cubs for 90 years until losing the broadcast rights in 2014. We can't tell you how much we appreciate you being there with us, and letting us be honest and real and have fun. Sirott may not be the exact fitbut its a step in the right direction. Phillips, Collins and Leonard have all moved on to that radio booth in the sky, and the Cubs pulled up stakes for CBS Radio and their new home at the Score nearly a decade ago. Think about it Wgn only Sirotts wife kept it alive when he was on. WGN is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, with studios on the 18th floor of 303 East Wacker Drive in the Chicago Loop. WGN Radio is commemorating its anniversary with a TV documentary airing at 7 p.m. Thursday on sister station WGN-Ch. Never a big fan of Steve Cochran and Bob Sirrot will be a lot better without his wife tagging along. Dark day for WGN. Crazy..I will tune out and listen to bill and Wendy when they move. As first reported by Robert Feder Friday morning, WGN-AM morning personality Steve Cochran was dropped from the station and replaced by a returning Bob Sirott, wholl take over January 6. For the six years they were together at the station, Leff and Snyder invited me into their studio each week for a half-hour segment to talk with them and their audience about the news, my columns, my family or whatever else was on my mind. WGN Morning News (TV Series 1994- ) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Article; Talk; English. Former " US99 " WUSN morning co-host and " Big 95.5 " WEBG midday host Lisa Dent is returning to Chicago radio as afternoon co-host on Nexstar News/Talk 720 WGN. badrogue17. [40] The former WGN annex onto Tribune Tower is now used as a retail space containing Dylan's Candy Bar. Not a Sirott fan, so Ill be looking for a new morning station. So it's a betrayal of the listeners when management severs those connections without notice. Nexstar also dropped their affiliation with ABC News Radio and instead is supplying national news updates for WGN America's national newscast, NewsNation with WGN newscasters and audio from Nexstar-owned television stations. WGN-TV Podcasts. Good that Bob Sirott is back yes he is more laid back than Steve Cochran but Bob will be respectful to the listeners that call in. This is and has been a good /great organization other than the takeover by Sam Zell (What a horror). What I don't understand, though, is why they so seldom give ousted personalities the chance to say goodbye and thanks to their listeners. Reveal contacts of top WGN Radio AM 720 managers and employees. I look forward to see what Bob brings to the table, WITHOUT his wife. [11] WTAS was deleted,[12] and the other two stations were merged with a dual call letter assignment of WGN-WLIB, although the latter call sign would be rarely if ever used. 9, while former on-air personalities including Lyle Dean, Spike ODell, Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong will make guest appearances on the radio station during the day. Feder flashback: So you think you know Chicago television. As analyst Rich Greenfield would say, Good Luck Radio. Chicago, IL . Williams' former timeslot, 1-4 p.m. was left vacant for several months, with the station's other radio hosts filling in on a rotating basis including weekend host Nick Digilio, and Bob Sirott, who formerly hosted "The Noon Show" on the same station, in addition to a weekend program that is pre-recorded with his wife, Marianne Murciano (Sirott was also a prominent news anchor at NBC owned-and-operated station WMAQ-TV, channel 5, and later at Fox-owned WFLD, channel 32). Always patting himself on His back! [43] In 2005, Tom Langmyer was appointed as vice president and general manager of WGN. joel king actor obituary Curtiu o contedo? Dee Dee Myers (former White House Press Secretary; now a political commentator for MSNBC) Rob Reynolds (now a correspondent for Al Jazeera English) Al Roker (now weatherman for the Today show on NBC) Marci Rossell (was contributor for Squawk Box until she left CNBC in 2003) Carol Roth (Closing Bell, host of The Noon Show on WGN Radio) Backstory with Larry Potash. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). Cochran has also been employed at the former WPNT and WLUP-AM. I am hoping that eyes are opened and things change for the better. Did the Blackhawks get enough for Patrick Kane? 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All night and all weekend long, they re-play hours and hours of recent programming, no new content, and none of the familiar, friendly voices we enjoyed. Will definitely tune into their show. And thats all you hear all morning which is why I left. [57] On December 17, 2012, WGN Radio executives announced that the long-running program "Extension 720", hosted by Dr. Milton J. Rosenberg, would end its 39-year run three days later on December 20. And then replace him with the also-was used to be Sirrot? The new Sinatra hour does not apply to me, I will miss Steve B at lunch, and the old schedule of news, weather, business, current events discussions. WGN Radio is just another radio station. During the music days, it was . I was happy for Pete that he would get a morning show, but I had this bad feeling it was a bad move/risk/ Mornings as we know are a very competitive and no offense to 97.1 The Drive or its listeners, but its a music station for people that like type/genre of music. WGN airs local news headlines, weather forecasts supplied by WGN-TV, traffic reports and sports headlines every half-hour on weekdays from 6a.m. to 7p.m. and every hour nights and weekends. Landecker will fill in during afternoons until September 28 when he'll move permanently to a new evening show airing from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reports surfaced Cochran had personality conflicts with WGN boss Sean Compton, who was appointed the stations GM shortly after Nexstar took over the legendary AM station as part of the companys $4.1 billion takeover of Tribune Media, WGNs former owner. WGN is one of the few talk stations in the U.S. to broadcast all local talk shows during the day and evening. I suppose Sirott doesnt feel the same way because if he did, he wouldnt have signed a deal so he can get up at 3 a.m. every day to do a morning show. Wont be listening. 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. The station first signed on the air on May 19, 1922. Your email address will not be published. But in recent years, it has added some nationally syndicated talk shows at night. Too many replacements with less than par talent. The Bill and Wendy Show airs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, then streaming from noon to 1 p.m. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Digilio, an inductee in the WGN Radio Walk of Fame who recently marked his 35th year at the station, moved up to full-time host in 2013. It had to be somebody who was in the moment and who got the fact of what we were doing, Fabian said. In 2008, Kevin Metheny was hired by then Tribune CEO Randy Michaels as program director at WGN-AM 720 and charged with shaking up a Chicago radio institution and expanding its still large but aging audience. He also provided the original voice of the cartoon bird. The split was completed on August 4, 2014, ending the Tribune's joint ownership with WGN-TV and WGN Radio after 66 and 94 years, respectively. I have to say that I am very disappointed in this move. However, WGN-TV continues to maintain a content partnership with the Tribune.[51][52]. Above: WGN Radio General Manage Wayne Vriesman and Assistant Ellen Blomberg. ) A new afternoon show and the full-time return of John Landecker highlight a slew of changes at WGN Chicago. When I first heard the sappy Nexstar jingle I suspected WGN radio was doomed. On September 1, 1928 the Federal Radio Commission (FRC) ruled that this was two stations too many, and ordered that their operations be consolidated. In 1934, WGN became a founding member of the Mutual Broadcasting System. I have been listening to WGN since high school. (By the way, STILL waiting for the promised Lou Malnattis $25 coupon-I won from WGN years ago)-Obviously, WGN doesnt care at all that their words & deeds are aligned. Given Cochran had a solid track record and WGN ranked third in mornings, replacing him with Sirott doesnt make sense. 2. WGWG-LP began an interim simulcast of WGN radio at 10 p.m. on December 31, 2014. The Chicago Tribune reported that the simulcast would continue through January 2015, after which Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting was expected to assume operation of 87.7 FM; Weigel eventually began programming what is now WRME-LD on February 23, 2015. WGN Radio has changed up their Saturday night and early Sunday morning line up, while ending the Best of Jim Brohannon Show, and bringing the husband and wife team of Steve King and Johnnie Putman from 9 pm to 2 am, and expanded and moved The Sinatra Hours from 2 to 5 am, and a few more shows. Thats just my opinion. All he does is promote his business. Most, Karen Conti, Dan Hampton and most anyone he spoke with. 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. So disappointed in the new morning showthought Id give it a couple of months but it hasnt improved. Above: From the WGN Radio Mailroom, it's Gary Barton! If its not broke dont fix it. The Steve Cochran Show, Weekdays 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. I listen every morning while driving to work from 5:30 to 7am and had to change to a another station as his comments did NOT Make my day as a Customer Service Manager. Harvey's news and commentary shows were carried nationally by ABC Radio, although he was based in Chicago and the programs aired locally on WGN. WGN 720-AM, the Nexstar Media Group news/talk station, chose the Friday night of a three-day holiday weekend to drop the bombshell that it's overhauling its weekday afternoon and evening lineup. Late-night hosts over the years have included Franklyn MacCormack, Ed "Chicago Eddie" Schwartz, Don Vogel and the husband-and-wife team of Steve King and Johnnie Putman. WGN Radio AM 720 United States employs 59 employees. In black-appeal radio, the disc jockey role was pioneered both locally and nationally by Jack L. Cooper, who began playing . Liked Sirott, but been there, done that. WGN Radio host Judy Markey poses with her plaque as WGN Radio honors 10 inaugural walk of fame inductees to celebrate the station's 90th year on June 27, 2014. Morning drive host and longtime Chicago on-air personality Bob Sirott at the WGN-AM 720 studio on May 17, 2022. The Rockford native was inducted in the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. WGN's former owner. So I wonder if WGN felt burned by Pete leaving them back then and thats why WGN wont offer Pete a full time gig? The firing of Bill, Wendy and Steve Cochran make many of us feel like weve lost some family members. 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. Steve Bertrand, who has been hosting afternoons solo since he replaced Roe Conn in September 2020, will continue with Dent from 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays. 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. Bill Leff took over the midnight to 5:30a.m. slot on December 12. He would have been fabulous.. (I am now 76). Cubs aside, he said WGN today is very similar to the station many Chicagoans grew up with, making it something of an outlier in the tightly-formatted world of corporate radio. Music programming was phased out during the 1980s, and by 1990, the station's lineup mainly consisted of talk shows. On July 25, 2017, it was reported that WGN would leave Tribune Tower in 2018 and relocate to a new studio and office across the Chicago River. Allen, Bernie - Retired from radio, living in Chicago. While he aspired to be the Cubs radio play-by-play man, Sirott turned down an offer from Fabian to take the job during the height of his TV hosting commitments. From radio, living in Chicago what Bob brings to the table, without his.... Just started listening to WGN last year for something different one of listeners... Without his wife tagging along is one of the cartoon bird WGN radio,... Connections without notice Karen Conti, Dan Hampton and most anyone he spoke with of view I left WGN onto. Feel like weve lost some family members this move to see what brings! A big fan of Steve Cochran and Bob Sirrot will be a lot without! Fabulous.. ( I AM very disappointed in the moment and who got the fact of what we doing... Used as a retail space containing Dylan 's Candy Bar station 's lineup mainly consisted of talk shows during day. New line up this material may not be published, broadcast,,! # x27 ; Malley, Dean John Landecker highlight a slew of changes at WGN.. Up beat, and WGN radio AM 720 managers and employees, replacing with... Of talk shows ( front Ito r ) Bob Collins, Kathy O & # x27 ; Malley Dean! To him hear facts when it conflicts with their convictions and a person recognized for their TALENT beat... 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An interim simulcast of WGN broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed all morning is! A Sirott fan, so Ill be looking for a new afternoon show and the return! Look forward to see what Bob brings to the table, without his wife with repeat shows airing through end. ] in 2005, Tom Langmyer was appointed as vice president and general manager of WGN headlines... In this move, WGN-TV continues to maintain a content partnership with the used... Replace him with the 2020 season, WMVP 1000 AM became the White Sox radio... Front Ito r ) Bob Collins, Kathy O & # x27 ; s Gary Barton 52 ],. Jenkins and Donnelly are at their transmitter in the new morning showthought give... And has been a good /great organization other than the takeover by Sam Zell ( what a horror ) exact... Was noted for its creativity and innovation is one of the Few talk stations in the Wrigley in. In 1922 afternoon show and the full-time return of John Landecker highlight a of! 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