Mary Dixon heads to WBEZ as new news anchor

Longtime WXRT news person returns at a new station

After being let go from Entercom’s Adult Album Alternative rock outlet WXRT, Mary Dixon has quickly landed on her feet at Chicago Public Media’s news/talk WBEZ-FM.

Beginning next month, the 54 year-old news veteran becomes the station’s new morning news anchor and local host of NPR Morning Edition. She will be on the air from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., replacing longtime host Lisa Lubuz who is transiting to middays in an announcement made two months ago.

“I am thrilled to join the WBEZ team. As a longtime listener and supporter, I’m excited to work with such talented people who value journalism, diverse voices, and our community,” said Dixon in a statement. “I’m honored to succeed Lisa in the Morning Edition chair and hope to build on her work, being that warm, friendly, authoritative voice to wake up with. We’ll be working to keep WBEZ listeners informed and even entertained as they begin their days.”

As you recall, Entercom eliminated Dixon’s position at WXRT last month in a cost-cutting move, but was offered a position to handle late-nights at sister station WBBM-AM but declined the offer saying the position would not work out for her and her family. The shuffling was a part of an overall overhaul seeing longtime morning personality Lin Brehmer shifted to middays. Dixon was the news anchor during Brehmer’s for most of the last two-and-a-half decades. Dixon has also had stints at WGN-TV and CNN’s Chicago Bureau.

WBEZ has become one of the nation’s most successful public radio stations in recent years, finishing seventh overall in the latest PPM rankings. The station is still searching for a replacement for CEO Goli Sheikholeslami who took a similar position at New York City’s WNYC last August.