Its the question I get everyday. How much time do you have?
The coverage has been mostly right on.
Rob Feder at Vocalo.org has nailed it the whole way and broken story after story of the lunacy including many items I didn’t know until I read them on his blog.
Jim Kirk wrote a great piece for the Sunday (7/11) New York Times about the destruction of the station.
Phil Rosenthal of the Trib has done a decent job in a difficult position because he still works for the company.
Here is the link to the interview Mr. Feder did with me after I left WGN. As you read it just know in my answers I was being nice.
Its the best way to answer the question of what happened to WGN.
I had been a thirty-five year WGN listener, and now searching for someone new to keep me company. Since I have an hour car drive each way from Sandwich to Elgin College, talk radio has been my savior. If you recall, Spike had his cup collection. At the time, my wife had an antique store in Sandwich, and I emailed Spike with an idea for a cup museum for all to see. The rest was history. We started his cup museum in Sandwich, and I still have the WGN advertisements from our store in my office. I really wish we still had the old DJ’s, not that you are old. I look forward to hearing your new site, and best of luck. Try to keep politics and humor in your show, since that has always been the best connection I believe with the listeners.
Jeff Metzger
DeKalb County Board
Sandwich, IL 60548
I hope you have your cellphone on… If WGN’s remaining management is smart, it should be ringing anytime soon.
A-MEN A-MEN A-MEN HMMMMMM
Steve, i was a long time listener and supporter of your show . Please keep me posted if you go to another station.
Tom
Steve,
did Spike see the handwriting on the wall? keep your listners posted!
Probably shouldn’t have brought up Laski, but who would have known that was gonna happen? I’m all about WGN if they include you! The new morning people just don’t have it!
Happy Holidays no matter what!
I’m a 60 year listener of WGN–24/7. Now I don’t know which way to turn–can it get any worse–oh! I forgot about John and Steve and Johnnie. I guess it can. Keep us posted.
Hi Steve,
I’m glad I saw this link in a post by a member of Steve & Johnni’s Yahoo group. Loved your tribute to Ronnie! And I just read the Feder interview. As a long-time listener (I think back to the early 1970′s!), I have been confused & dismayed by the changes at WGN, but now I have more insight. As you say, you can’t make this stuff up! When people like you & Spike take to the internet to slam the decisions being made at the station, that really tells me something. There are so many listeners speaking out in so many ways about how we don’t like the changes and it is apparent that, as you say, management just doesn’t care. I DO NOT GET IT!
Well, at least now I now where to find you. I can only hope you might be back on the air in Chicago some time soon. We miss you!
Sue Hunter, Aurora
Miss the crew more and more each day!!!! Things have changed so drastically that most of the time the radio is not on. This is from someone who is over 65 and have listened to WGN in high school too. The tribute you wrote about Ron was wonderful and as a diabetic of over 50 years myself I followed his progress with great interest. Will keep checking to see when you are on the air again !!!!!
I have been listening to WGN my entire life (I’m 64). With the changes that have been made, I now keep cds in my car and I stream a music station when I have the time at work. The only one that I actually listen to is John and I usually miss him because of the time-slot. Guess I’m an EX-WGN loyal listener now. Too bad.
My 23 year old son told me two summers ago ” that Cochran is really cool Dad”.Kind of sums it up Steve,me being 55 and him 23 if we both find you great to listen too you must be doing somethin right. Anyway thank God for the new changes in the past month at WGN .But ist not the same,can’t handle that guy in your old slot.Heres the best to ya for the new year and hoping you get a show in the Chicago market.
What the hell happened?
It really seems that new management came in and wants to force feed us these new personalities. I tried, but the arrogance meter on the two morning guys is off the chart.
Gary Meier, even when he was with Steve D. didn’t do it for me. He is kind of the Ed McMahon of radio, will always be better in the second fiddle spot.
John Williams is the only personality that I enjoy listening to on their daytime line up. Sorry John, that’s probably the kiss of death.
WGN use to be the bench mark, not any more. They could use you back!
I know I’m writing this several months after you were fired from WGN, but I thought I’d try to give them a chance to prove that the move was actually going to be positive…thought how, I didn’t have a clue. You were the voice of reason…we knew you weren’t trying to pull one over on your audience. You didn’t treat us like imbeciles, and you gave us the truth, tongue-in-cheek, which was SO much fun. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind truth that Metheny was interested in selling to the audience.
So, I haven’t been listening to WGN for several months…lo and behold I see that as of six months ago or so, both Metheny and Laski are gone. Looks like the station is making changes and trying to get their audience back…
Best wishes & I’ll be listening once in a while via internet to see if you can still make me laugh.
Just read the Trib article that Randy Michaels is back with his newly formed Merlin Media Co. and will be buying 3 Chicago FM radio stations. This made us think of you once again, Steve, and how much we miss you. Greg Jarrett is a really poor substitute for you or John Williams or Spike O’Dell. He is really boring, with no identifiable personality. We loved listening to you and still enjoy John, though we can rarely listen to him because of his time slot, so the station we loved and listened to for so many years is rarely on in our house any more. Keep hoping you’ll be back.
Hi Steve–just got to thinking about WGN Radio and its demise and thought I’d check to see what happened to you…..glad you have landed on your feet. I’m 53 and grew up listening to WGN with my dad while we made swiss cheese in our factory just outside of Monroe, Wisconsin……and on my own, I still turned in. But NOW!! John Williams is it for me….the others on the air are not of WGN caliber. You, John, Spike, Bob Collins–smart, smart-spoken, intelligent, well-read, open-minded, witty—these guys on now are just not smart enough for me to listen to. Miss you much and wish you well.