Posted on 09/28/2004 4:01:09 AM PDT by Musket
Don & Roma aren't all that's missing from WLS (or The powers that be are trying to kill Conservative Talk Radio in Chicago(my title))
BY ROBERT FEDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
With the nation at war and a presidential election around the corner, you'd think that Chicago radio's flashiest news/talk station would be operating at peak form right now.
But WLS-AM (890) begins the fall ratings period today with no morning show, half an afternoon show, and cobwebs collecting in the vacant office of the general manager.
These are tough times at the Disney/ABC-owned station -- made worse by absentee management that chooses to ignore how badly confidence and morale have eroded at one of the once-great 50,000-watt powerhouses in all of broadcasting.
The most glaring sign of distress is the disappearance of Don Wade and Roma, the morning-drive franchise at WLS and highly rated mainstays of the station for the past two decades.
With their contract up and no new agreement in sight, the husband-and-wife team have been conspicuously absent since Sept. 14, when they signed off by reaffirming their love for their loyal listeners.
While management placates the audience by saying that they're "hoping to renegotiate a new contract with Don & Roma," insiders acknowledge that it could be weeks -- or even months -- before matters are resolved one way or another.
In the meantime, listeners are being subjected to a morning show hosted by two part-timers, the astonishingly mean-spirited and intolerant Teri O'Brien and the utterly bland Art Wallis.
The station's inability to come to terms with the Wades is all the more baffling in light of the collapse earlier this year of contract renewal talks with afternoon co-host Garry Meier.
Though undeniably talented, solo host Roe Conn desperately needs to have a partner of Meier's caliber to play off of. (Paging Bruce Wolf?)
Behind the scenes, WLS is plagued with problems ranging from an angry unionizing effort among producers to the extreme right-wing political tilt of its programs with hardly even the pretense of balance anymore.
To top it off, the station has been adrift without a president and general manager for more than three months. The abrupt departure of Zemira Jones, who quit last June when he learned he would be losing oversight of WZZN-FM (94.7), left WLS in worse shape than it already was.
Mitch Dolan, the ABC Radio Group president who has been nominally in charge of WLS in the interim, refuses to comment on negotiations with Don & Roma -- or talk to the press about anything else for that matter.
Through an intermediary, Dolan passed along the word that there was "no shortage" of candidates for general manager of WLS and that an announcement should be forthcoming within "a few weeks." He denied rumors that several candidates already had turned down the job.
"Mitch Dolan is interested in doing the right thing for the station long term and making the right decisions for the station long term," said ABC Radio spokeswoman Julie Hoover.
Asked why Dolan refuses to return calls, Hoover said: "He prefers not to speak directly to the press."
Way to go! Thanks!
Re David Newman. I haven't heard about him in years. He started out as an on air lib and it was heartening to see him change into a conservative. I think he contracted some kind of illness. I don't look for him to come back. It would be nice, though.
YES! Now I can turn of Fox and Friends at least part of the morning!
Row and Garry are my all time favorite local radio show. I live in FL now, and still tune in from time to time over the internet. They have a way to make things funny, relevant, and not overtly political. Great commentary. I listened a few days ago, didn't realize Garry was gone permanently.
Newman had a stroke about 4 or 5 years ago. He recovered, somewhat, I guess. WJR keeps claiming he'll eventually come back, but they've been saying that for 2 years at least.
COOL!!!!
Anyway, if I were back in my home-town I guess I'd be really hurting for any conservative talk.
BTW, the earlier comment about Daley carving "X's" on the Meigs Field runway brings back the memory of that wonderfully unique Chicago song, "Lincoln Park Pirates."
OK, just my 2 cents ... even though it's bad news, it's good to hear something from home.
Wow!
Great news about Don and Roma!
This week keeps getting better!
Maybe they'll bring back Garry!
LOL! Not likely.
WA-HOOOO!!! They'll be back with WLS, on Monday. First W...and now this. Things are lookin' up! Now...if WLS would somehow get Garry back w/ Roe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.