Rock 95.5 launches “The Morning Mosh Pit”

Existing station personalities come to mornings iHeartMedia Chicago rock station Rock 95.5 launched new morning show The Morning Mosh Pit Monday with Matt Harris, Michael Mason, and Maria Palmer at the helm.  “We have assembled an insanely talented group to entertain Chicago’s incredible rock lifestyle fanbase,” iHeart Media Chicago Regional Senior VP of Programming and WCHI PD James Howard said […]

iHeartMedia layoffs include Angi Taylor, Matt Scarano

Company lets go of five percent of workforce out of 10,000 workers  A time-honored tradition like no other, iHeartMedia announced their latest layoffs Monday, and two Chicago names popped up on the list.  As first reported by Radio Insight, Angi Taylor was relieved of her duties as morning personality on Rock 95.5 FM. Taylor was shifted from sister station Kiss […]

The Media Notepad: WLIT takes early Chirstmas ratings lead

WGN-TV hires new traffic reporter; NBC Sports Chicago adding alternative Blackhawks telecasts; New Orleans Pelicans latest Bally team to seek an over-the-air TV deal  The PPM ratings survey for November was released this week and to no one’s surprise, iHeartMedia’s 93.9 The Lite is ahead of the competition. WLIT took first place from Hubbard’s The Drive as the Gold AC […]

Abe Kanan out at Rock 95.5

Not able to come to terms on a new contract IHeartMedia’s Rock 95.5 producer/on-air personality Abe Kanan have parted ways after failing to come to terms on a new conract, as first reported by Radio Insight. Kanan was executive producer of Angi Taylor’s morning show and also was her on-air sidekick. Kanan joined Rock 95.5 a month after the station […]

Chicago PPMs: WXRT’s ratings soar after Lin Brehmer’s death

While others collapse with WGCI posting all-time low Chicago’s radio PPM ratings returned to normal after the holidays with a familiar name on top: iHeartMedia’s adult contemporary WLIT finishing on top for the third straight ratings period – even without Christmas music, which propelled them to the top for the last two months. WLIT also maintained their top rating in […]

Report: Bears games leaving WBBM-AM after this season

  Chicago Bears fans will have to tune in to a new radio station in 2023 to hear games The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting the radio rights for the Chicago Bears are up for grabs after this season after the team and WBBM-AM did not come to terms on a renewal. Courting the Bears are Good Karma Brands-owned ESPN 1000 […]

Chicago Radio Ratings: WLIT finishes second overall

The Drive is tops for the third straight month; WOJO dominates demos Who needs Rudolph anyway?  That’s the attitude iHeartMedia’s classic hits heavy-AC outlet WLIT has after scoring its highest non-Christmas ratings in years.  According the July Nielsen Audio numbers released Monday, WLIT place second, up 13 percent from June, finishing behind Hubbard’s The Drive (WDRV-FM). Generally, WLIT dominates in […]

Chicago radio ratings: The Drive motors up to record high ratings

WDRV-FM opens up a nearly two-point share lead on WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM In the May survey, Hubbard’s Classic Rock station The Drive (WDRV-FM) scored their first-ever ratings victory in their 21-year history, dislodging Adult R&B V103 (WVAZ-FM) as Chicago’s top-rated music station. Not only they repeated the feat again in June, they expanded their lead over their competitors.  The Drive topped the […]

The Media Notepad: Dish, Nexstar settle differences

Also: Trump Country concedes; Rock 95.5 drops to a ratings low; DMA update On Christmas morning, Dish subscribers received an unexpected present: the return of WGN-TV and WGN America to their systems. A deal was reached late Thursday night between the satellite provider and Nexstar, owners of both the local Chicago television station, the cable network, and other local stations […]

The Media Notepad: Judy Sheindlin strikes deal with Amazon

Also: This TV/Light TV has new owner; Rock 95.5 does modestly well in first survey As anticipated following her announcement on Ellen earlier this year, Judy Sheindlin released more information about her new project Thursday in a press release. For one, the her new courtroom show is still untitled – but perhaps the biggest takeaway is beginning next year, her […]

The Media Notepad: Rock 95 Five sets new lineup

Former Kiss FM Angi Taylor heads up mornings. Also Tamron Hall renewed for season three; sports ratings [Editor’s Note: This post was edited on 2020-10-26 to remove some information from a website I felt did not meet the quality standards of T Dog Media. – T.H.]  iHeartMedia’s new Rock 95 Five – now known with the call letters WCHI-FM, announced […]

Florida radio station becomes “Trump Country 93.7”

Sitting President gets his own country station in southwest Florida Over two weeks ago, Chicago lost a country radio station with the end of Big 95.5 (the former WEBG-FM, now rock outlet WCHI-FM) but a market in Florida gained one with a controversial concept whose future may depend on the election November 3. Last Wednesday, Sanibel, Fla.’s WXNX-FM – which […]

WEBG dumps Country music for Rock

[Editor’s Note: This story has been updated Sept. 6 with more information.] In a surprise move Thursday morning, iHeartMedia-owned WEBG-FM – known as Big 95.5 pulled the plug on its country format after five underperforming years. The change came at 11 a.m., followed by hours of stunting, including numerous rock songs – which basically pointed to the next direction the […]