WXRT’s Terri Hammert to cut back on schedule; leaves midday shift

After 46 years of the job, WXRT-FM (93.1) host Terri Hammert is cutting back on her workload.

As first reported by Robert Feder, the 71 year-old Hall Of Fame radio personality is stepping down from her midday shift in the next few weeks but remain with the station in another capacity, as she continues to host Breakfast With The Beatles on Sunday mornings and to do fill-in work. She explained her future plans with the station in a memo she emailed to her colleagues Monday.

Hammert joined the Adult Album Alternative station in 1973, when the station was still on Belmont Avenue. She became the first woman to host morning drive in Chicago when she was promoted to the position in 1981, and has held the midday shift since 1992. She was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame in 2010.

Hammert is also known as a fixture at the Chicago Pride Parade, which she will be at this Sunday on ABC 7 sitting alongside Janet Davies, as she has done for years. The parade is airing from 1 to 3 p.m, and is also being streamed live and archived on-demand at ABC 7’s website.

She still has a following: in May, WXRT tied for fifth among all Chicago radio stations with Hammert’s 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. shift making up a good portion of the daypart.

As for her replacement, WXRT program director and operations manger Greg Solk said finding a replacement for Hammert would be a “challenge”.

No date has been set for Hammert’s departure.