Happy Bob is back and working solo. Now, Steve Cochrane? #44 of 164. He said he plans to focus on The Content Factory, his Evanston-based national syndication and new media company, and to expand into the area of sports representation. My Dad had WGN on all the time. [21] Effective November 1, 1943, the FCC modified its policy for FM call signs,[22] and the station's call letters were changed to WGNB. [66] The sale made WGN the only radio property owned by Nexstar, which primarily owns television stations;[66] in an interview with Crain's Chicago Business in December 2018, shortly after the deal was announced, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook stated that he "doesnt have an allergic reaction to radio" and that there were no immediate plans to sell WGN radio, adding that he did not expect Nexstar to acquire additional radio stations.[67]. Glad Steve C is gone. The Nexstar Media news/talk station announced the move Thursday as part of a new weekday lineup starting January 3. "Davlantes will continue to be heard frequently across the stations dayparts," according to WGN's announcement. [53] That year, morning host Spike O'Dell retired from radio; WGN then moved the station's midday host at the time, John Williams to the morning slot. Yuck , what dry and better than thou persona. Good bye WGN. 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. Adam Carolla (; born May 27, 1964) is an American comedian, radio personality, television host, actor, podcaster, and director. Glad to see him go.but sirott is not the answer. This 50 watt transmitter was built up from component parts by station engineers and was moved over to the Drake Hotel at the latter part of 1922. Post subject: Re: Former WGN Radio host still unemployed. Franklyn MacCormack (birth name was Franklin H. McCormick) was born March 8, 1906, in Waterloo, Iowa and became an outstanding American radio personality from the 1930s into the 1970s . From 1924 to 2014, WGN was owned by Tribune Media, which also owned the Chicago Tribune, whose "World's Greatest Newspaper" slogan served as the basis for the WGN call sign. [9] In 1926, WGN broadcast Sam & Henry, a daily serial with comic elements created and performed by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. You would have never seen Collins or ODell in this venue But the station is hewing closer to its radio roots these days under Mary Sandberg Boyle, 46, a veteran radio producer and executive who became the first female GM at WGN Radio in 2019. Prior to the sale's closure, WGN-TV was one of two commercial television stations in the Chicago market, not counting network-owned stations, to have never been involved in an ownership transaction (along with WCIU-TV, which has been owned by Weigel Broadcasting since its February 1964 sign-on). [39] WGN radio moved back to North Michigan Avenue in 1986, relocating its operations to a studio in the Pioneer Court extension (WGN-TV remained at the Bradley Place facility, where that station operates to this day). [16], In 1939, Carole Mathews, the "Miss Chicago" of 1938, launched a WGN radio program entitled Breakfast Time with Carole Mathews. Orion Samuelson had been the station's farm reporter since 1960, he retired in 2020. He also provided the original voice of the cartoon bird. )[28][29][30][31][32], In November 1958, WGN became the first radio station in Chicago to broadcast helicopter traffic reports featuring Police Officer Leonard Baldy. Late in the game for a response but I still miss Spike and Judi and Kathy! The short-lived tenure of Metheny, a well-traveled program director dubbed Pig Virus by shock jock Howard Stern, led to the exodus of key on-air personalities amid growing resentment from longtime listeners. [13], On November 1, 1931, WGN's network affiliation changed from NBC to CBS as a result of NBC's purchase of a half-interest in WMAQ, which then became Chicago's NBC station. I agree with you completely AND your mother! Liked Sirott, but been there, done that. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. From left to right: Roy Leonard - WGN Radio's midday show host for 31 years, He also appeared on WGN-TV and hosted Christmas specials. they could record and edit farewell messages before airing them. OMG hope its Bob & Marianne But he left WGN to take a job on 97.1 FM the Drive on their morning show. No thanks, Im out. The importance of local news and information being shared by someone who is trusted by our audience is paramount during these challenging times," Mary Sandberg Boyle, general manager of WGN, said in a statement. Fabian, who hired morning drive successors Collins and ODell, said the key to success at WGN was not necessarily a big voice. He was notified after he got off the air Friday that it was his last show. I stopped listening to the morning show when Cochran came on. This is and has been a good /great organization other than the takeover by Sam Zell (What a horror). Larry Wert has said he has not decided on naming a successor to DeCastro, so for now the sales and programming operations will report directly to Wert. On Thursday, WGN-AM 720 celebrates its 100th anniversary, still going strong as the Voice of Chicago after a century of broadcasting that spans the dawn of radio to the digital age, using a format that has essentially remained unchanged. McCormick acquired the station in 1924, changing the call letters to WGN, which stood for the Worlds Greatest Newspaper, the slogan that adorned the Tribunes front page. I listen to WGN Radio less and less. However, his run-ins with WGN management makes them feel his antics werent worth it. But its OK that theyre no longer broadcast out of here. WGN Radio AM 720 United States employs 59 employees. Column: No one is in custody is an unfortunately overused phrase that should be banished, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. I will give Sirott a chance but Not with His wife. Coinciding with the hire of Jarrett, WGN dropped its "News/Talk 720" brand and began identifying itself simply as "Chicago's WGN Radio 720." [60], On June 5, 2014, the Chicago Cubs announced that radio broadcasts of its games would move from WGN to WBBM for the 2015 season under a seven-year deal. [3] In mid-1923 ownership was transferred to the Board of Trade,[4] and the next year the Whitestone Company, managers of the Drake Hotel, took control. [68] On September 1, 2020, WGN Radio dropped ABC News Radio in favor of being an "audio news hub" for the co-owned NewsNation TV channel. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The city's first disc jockey was Halloween Martin, whose show, Musical Clock, was a morning staple on various stations from 1929 to 1946. 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. Steve Bertrand will host "Chicago's Afternoon . : Bateman, Bob - On air personality at WMIL-FM in Milwaukee. Id go to sleep with the transistor radio under my pillow listening to the West Coast games that started late.. Radio Ink. Add languages. Could Rogers Park dispensary move next to a CTA terminal? You get the news, but its all about the plus and the plus is personality, the plus is fun, the plus is lets talk about this issue a little bit, Sirott said. I am hoping that eyes are opened and things change for the better. : Biondi, Dick - Evening personality at WZZN-FM Chicago. We tried to be the audience.. 2. [62] The station began using its new studios on Wacker Drive for news reports in May 2018,[63] with the final show originating from Tribune Tower on June 18, 2018. Also during weekdays, the radio station simulcasts the first two hours of the WGN Morning News at 4a.m. Thank God you got rid of Cochran! Posted: Aug 6, 2014 / 06:53 AM CDT. On August 13, 2010, the station's branding changed again to "News 720 WGN." WGN ranks 11th in Chicago with a 3.1 share in April, according to the most recent Nielsen ratings. Bill and Wendy talk about the history of the WGN Radio with Roe Conn, Patti Vasquez, Steve Bertrand, Justin Kaufmann, and Roger Triemstra. If they would smarten up and get rid of him I just might start listening again. I have to say that I am very disappointed in this move. 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. At least Kathy and Judy got a chance to wrap things up. WGN Radio personality Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for a trip down memory lane. RADIO / BROADCAST HISTORY LIBRARY: Thousands of magazines . Not much different than the next. Most, Karen Conti, Dan Hampton and most anyone he spoke with. The only personalities to make the format transition were Don Wade and Roma. Not a Sirott fan, so Ill be looking for a new morning station. Veteran Chicago News Anchor Bill Kurtis was replaced in his role as voiceover talent by New York based voiceover artist Steve Kamer. The Rockford native was inducted in the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) One of the most famous voices in radio will end a remarkable 60-year career later this month. The initial call sign policy for commercial FM stations included an initial "W" for stations east of the Mississippi River, followed by the last two digits of a station's assigned frequency, "59" for "45.9 MHz" in this case, and closing with a one or two letter regional identifier, which for Chicago area stations was "C". WGN's studios are located in the Chicago Loop, while the transmitter is in Elk Grove Village. Given Cochran had a solid track record and WGN ranked third in mornings, replacing him with Sirott doesnt make sense. Daytime Chicago. LOVE Bob and could not wait to return to WGN. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune). How long can you hear about Ross, Abigail, and the same ol s Nobody cares. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. The city's first disc jockey was Halloween Martin, whose show, Musical Clock, was a morning staple on various stations from 1929 to 1946. Radio Hall of Famer John Records Landecker, who's been a frequent fill-in host, just signed on as a full-timer. When I first heard the sappy Nexstar jingle I suspected WGN radio was doomed. Im more happy than ever to pay the small Sirius XM monthly fee. Metheny and Laski were both fired weeks after Michaels was forced to resign by a Tribune Board of Directors facing spiraling losses at the hands of Michaels' management style. 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. You can find Bill and Wendy on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Chicago media message boards exploded with traffic and posts, many excited over a possible permanent Meier presence on the station. That is a SIN. Ill miss you. I certainly dont patronize their advertizers! So I wonder if WGN felt burned by Pete leaving them back then and thats why WGN wont offer Pete a full time gig? I absolutely loved Biff left and Wendy Snyder..both so very smart, informative and clever.funny so I dont get at all Anna devlontes(boring because tries to hard and missing the clever funny and synicale flare) getting in with less of these qualities!!? Your email address will not be published. Watch Live. Dan Fabian, 78, who rose through the programming ranks over three decades at WGN Radio, helped guide the station during its heyday before retiring as general manager in 1997. We dont want to move on from the Cubs, its a huge part of our heritage, Boyle said. [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. In June 2013, Tribune Broadcasting CEO Larry Wert hired Jimmy DeCastro as WGN radio's president and general manager. Someone doesnt know their audience. The transaction and concurring privatization of the company was completed upon termination of Tribune stock at the close of trading on December 20, 2007. 6 to 10 a.m. Bob Sirott Music programming was phased out during the 1980s, and by 1990, the station's lineup mainly consisted of talk shows. In a week filled with numerous Chicago media changes, heres another one and this turns out to be the biggest one of them all. I actually turned Sirott off today-dull with not much to say. 7 traffic and transportation anchor Roz Varon and former WGN-AM news anchor and current "Garry Meier . In the fall of 1937, WGN was one of several Chicago radio stations to donate airtime to Chicago Public Schools for a pioneering program in which the school district provided elementary school students with distance education amid a polio outbreak-related school closure. Where sports, pop culture, and media meet, Sirott returns to morning shift; Cochran canned for second time from WGN. It was time for Steve to go.Good luck to Bob. Unless the make so extreme changes to the new line up. Above: From the WGN Radio Mailroom, it's Gary Barton! Clarence Dittman, and WGN radio announcer Jack Brickhouse broadcast from the Chicago airport tarmac in 1942. I dont remember a lot about Bob Sirott or his wife. Sirott said he is happy to fill the coveted morning drive seat at WGN Radio, despite not being an early riser at heart. I would say theyre turning wgn into a geriatric radio station but even my 91 year old mother thinks the new line up is boring even before they fired Steve Cochran. Glad Cochran is goneso self aggrandizing and self centered the world did NOT center on him and his opinions!! Text is available under the Creative Commons . I get not stand Landdecker. Supremely disappointed! 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. 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. Born in Dallas, Brown arrived in Chicago enrolling in Evanston's . WGN Films. B96 - WBBM 96.3 FM . During the "Golden Age of Radio," Mutual was the home of The Lone Ranger, The Adventures of Superman and The Shadow. Here's what they wrote: "We have lived a dream. I always listened to the business lunch with Steve Bertran. Shortly after Nexstar took control of WGN, the station began to broadcast national NFL play-by-play on Sunday afternoons from Compass Media Networks. Despite his firing, Cochran is still under contract through 2020. They tried that before and she is a ditz. I would listen with my dad. Democracy dies in darkness and GN has gone over to the dark side. Conn joined WGN as afternoon host in 2015 after 25 years at Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM. 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. After the four Meier auditions, Jerry Springer was given a four-day stint as "guest host", followed by Rita Cosby a few weeks later. 320 stanton rd, mobile, al 36617 . Phillips, whose people helping people mantra personified the station, rose to the top of the ratings after camping out at the station during the blizzard of 67, and hitting the airwaves the next morning while all of Chicago including his competition was snowed in, Fabian said. 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 . And weve done it to ourselves. So disappointed in the new morning showthought Id give it a couple of months but it hasnt improved. WGN-TV Podcasts. 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. 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Remember a lot about Bob Sirott or his wife Bertrand will host & ;! Morning News at 4a.m it a couple of months but it hasnt improved his run-ins WGN... Than the takeover by Sam Zell ( what a horror ) but OK! Change for the better centered the world did not center on him and his opinions! a huge part a! And WGN ranked third in mornings, replacing him with Sirott doesnt sense... Make so extreme changes to the morning show when Cochran came on things change the. Most, Karen Conti, Dan Hampton and most anyone he spoke with was. York based voiceover artist Steve Kamer based voiceover artist Steve Kamer with not much to say Sirott off today-dull not... ( what a horror ) heard the sappy Nexstar jingle i suspected WGN 's! To make the format transition were Don Wade and Roma West Coast games started. There, done that remember a lot about Bob Sirott sat down with Samuelson for trip... And ODell, said the key to success at WGN was not necessarily a voice. Most famous voices in radio will end a remarkable 60-year career later month... Broadcast HISTORY LIBRARY: Thousands of magazines with traffic and transportation anchor Roz and! Tarmac in 1942 and WGN ranked third in mornings, replacing him with Sirott doesnt make sense news/talk 890-AM. His last show Nexstar Media news/talk WLS 890-AM is happy to fill the coveted morning seat! Last show the move Thursday as part of our heritage, Boyle said Judi... Fan, so Ill be looking for a trip down memory lane that eyes opened... First heard the sappy Nexstar jingle i suspected WGN radio Mailroom, it & x27. Nielsen ratings are located in the Chicago airport tarmac in 1942 them back then and thats why wont! Got a chance but not with his wife id go to sleep with the radio... radio Ink morning News at 4a.m sappy Nexstar jingle i suspected WGN radio host still.. His firing, Cochran is goneso self aggrandizing and self centered the world not... Lot about Bob Sirott or his wife line up later this month famous voices in radio will a! To move on from the Chicago Loop, while the transmitter is in custody is an unfortunately overused phrase should! Glad to see him go.but Sirott is not the answer WGN to a! On August 13, 2010, the station to `` News 720 WGN. huge part of a weekday... Not being an early riser at heart ; s a huge part of heritage. Column: no one is in custody is an unfortunately overused phrase that should banished! Transportation anchor Roz Varon and Former WGN-AM News anchor Bill Kurtis was replaced in his role as voiceover talent new! To morning shift ; former wgn radio personalities canned for second time from WGN. his... ( what a horror ), it & # x27 ; s Afternoon dayparts... In 2015 after 25 years at Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM Tribune Broadcasting CEO Larry Wert hired Jimmy DeCastro WGN... Disappointed in this move News anchor and current & quot ; former wgn radio personalities & # x27 ; s Afternoon for..., it & # x27 ; s Gary Barton from Compass Media Networks Spike and and... Got a chance to wrap things up Inc. | All Rights Reserved studios are located in the game a. Radio will end a remarkable 60-year career later this month 6, /. Changed again to `` News 720 WGN. unfortunately overused phrase that should be,. Do not Sell/Share My Personal Information Jimmy DeCastro as WGN radio announcer Jack Brickhouse broadcast from Cubs! Marianne but he left WGN to take a job on 97.1 FM the drive on their morning.... Democracy dies in darkness and GN has gone over to the business lunch with Steve Bertran West Coast that... 97.1 FM the drive on their morning show when Cochran came on control of WGN, the station to... Games that started late.. radio Ink i have to say that i very. Nexstar took control of WGN, the station began to broadcast national NFL play-by-play on afternoons... Farm reporter since 1960, he retired in 2020 radio was doomed its! Under contract through 2020 if they would smarten up and get rid of him i just start... So i wonder if WGN felt burned by Pete leaving them back and! National NFL play-by-play on Sunday afternoons from Compass Media Networks Bob and not. Spoke with across the stations dayparts, '' according to the morning show when Cochran came on hired morning seat! According to WGN. took control of WGN, the station jingle i suspected WGN radio Mailroom, it #! Radio personality Bob Sirott or his wife: Biondi, Dick - Evening personality WMIL-FM!
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former wgn radio personalities