On a morning when WNUA-FM flipped to a Spanish format, came another bombshell: WGN-AM canceled the long-running Kathy & Judy show after 20 years.
While Kathy O’Malley’s and Judy Markey’s mid-to-late morning program drew a loyal audience, the show – like WNUA-FM’s format – may have become a casualty due to Arbitron’s new Portable People Meter system.
The last hour of the show provided some emotional moments. O’Malley broke down while reading a live commercial on the air. Fans of the program gathered outside the station’s Tribune Tower storefront studios for a chance to say goodbye.
Ratings for the program had slid constently over the years and even more so since the PPM system was implemented. In April’s survey, Kathy & Judy ranked 33rd among adults 25-54.