WGN Radio shocker: Cochran out, Sirott in

Sirott returns to morning shift; Cochran canned for second time from WGN In a week filled with numerous Chicago media changes, here’s another one and this turns out to be the biggest one of them all. As first reported by Robert Feder Friday morning, WGN-AM morning personality Steve Cochran was dropped from the station and replaced by a returning Bob […]

WXRT moves: Brehmer shifts to middays; news anchor Dixon out

Longtime Chicago rocker makes changes Adult Album Alternative rocker WXRT-FM announced some major changes Wednesday that may not sit well with its fanbase. For one, there is a huge overhaul in the morning – longtime WXRT radio personality Lin Brehmer is shifting out of the daypart and moving to middays beginning sometime in “early 2020”. “Like a veteran centerfielder who […]

WLIT shifts to Christmas Music Tuesday

Early arrival of winter leads holiday charge Get ready Chicago radio listeners because the Christmas season is here. As first reported by Robert Feder, Chicago’s go-to Holly Jolly station The Lite (WLIT-FM) is launching its annual Christmas Music format Tuesday afternoon around 4:00 p.m., which usually brings big ratings to the iHeartMedia-owned station and dominates the market for three of […]

Tom Joyner announces his successor

Rickey Smiley is announced as the heir to his throne In a move that will ramifications for local stations Power 92 and Clubsteppin’ 95.1, Tom Joyner announced on his show Friday morning he will hand the reigns over to Rickey Smiley beginning on January 2, 2020. Joyner announced his retirement in 2017. Currently, Smiley has his own syndicated program The […]

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 […]

Patti Vasquez out at WGN-AM; expected to run for state senate

Former comedian dropped from station due to misconduct; now she’s running for office Over the years, we’ve seen former politicians segue into radio talk-show hosts, notably Clifford Kelley, Jim Laski, Joe Walsh, and Ed Vrdolyak, among others. But now we are actually seeing a radio talk-host running for office. After she was canned Monday as late-night host at WGN-AM, former […]

Media Notepad: The Score’s Laurence Holmes heads to middays

Also: WLS-AM announces new PD; WBBM reigns supreme; New York’s WPIX sold One of Chicago’s prominent sports radio hosts has a new contract – and a new weekday slot. Longtime WSCR-AM (The Score) veteran Laurence Holmes is getting his own midday slot weekdays from noon to 2 p.m., beginning March 28 – coinciding with the start of the baseball season. […]

Clubsteppin’ becomes first local station to drop R. Kelly’s music

Move comes as controversies surrounding singer heats up The first local shoe to drop in the ongoing R. Kelly saga is a “rimshot” radio station. Clubsteppin’ 95.1 – a new Urban Adult Contemporary station launched last August, announced Thursday it is removing R. Kelly’s music from their playlist in light of allegations surrounding the singer’s alleged abuse against women, raised […]

Kanye West puts black radio stations in a bind

Backlash over comments made by the Hip-Hop star about slavery and over Trump have some wondering what to do Urban radio programmers are waiting to see what effect Kanye West’s recent comments would have on their stations with one outlet – Detroit’s WMGC-FM (known as 105.1 The Bounce) taking action and pulling his music. The Classic Hip-Hop station became the […]

The Media Notepad: Chicago TV production on the rise

Plus: WGN Radio’s Todd Manley promoted; Anthony Adams’ prime-time show get cut; WTTW strikes deal with WYCC; Classic sitcoms shift; While “President” Trump continues to bash Chicago on a regular basis for (and outright lying) about the city’s homicide and crime rate, his blabber hasn’t discouraged businesses from investing here – particularly the film and television production industries. A feature […]

Mancow sues Cumulus’ new boss – who was his old one

What’s revealed tells us about the sometime nuttiness of Chicago radio In a testament to how weird things can get in Chicago radio, a lawsuit was filed this week by a radio personality claiming “emotional distress” after his employer hired his old boss – who allegedly had staffers send raw meat to advertisers. Really. On Monday, Mancow Muller (who else?) […]

Entercom, CBS Radio close to uniting

What to expect when Entercom takes over CBS Radio Friday A new era in radio begins Friday when Entercom closes on its deal with CBS Radio and officially takes over the company’s 244 radio stations. In Chicago, Entercom takes over seven CBS radio stations: all-news WBBM-AM and its simulcast on WCFS-FM; sports talk WSCR-AM (The Score); Adult Album Alternative WXRT-FM; […]

Fueled by Ferguson: WTMX tops the PPM charts

Thanks to Eric Ferguson and Co., The Mix reaches number one in the last non-Christmas book of 2017 For the first time in recent memory, Hubbard Broadcasting’s WTMX-FM – known as The Mix 101.9 FM – topped the ratings charts, dethroning Urban Adult Contemporary outlet WVAZ-FM (V103). According to the Nielsen PPM “October” survey – running from September 14th to October […]

T Dog Media’s Notepad: Chicago TV stations make changes

An all-local edition, with news on local TV changes; Kap & Co. moving to another timeslot; Chicago loses population again; and another person featured in CNN’s Chicagoland is another victim of the city’s streets.  With Tribune’s WGN-TV set to launch a new hour-long newscast at 6 p.m. April 4th, it has triggered other scheduling moves in the nation’s third-largest TV […]