Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Chicago Radio: Steve Cochran Returns To WGN

Steve Cochran
UPDATE 07/02/2013 9AM: Three years after he left WGN 720AM, Steve Cochran was back on the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station Tuesday.  Filling in for vacationing morning host Jonathon Brandmeier.

Earlier Posting...

Former WGN 720 AM personality Steve Cochran is looking to return to that station's airwaves for the first time in just over three years.

According to Chicagoland Radio&Media, he is now available to work there once again, after his contract with WIND-AM expired over the weekend.  It appears the decision to not renew that contract was a mutual one, although the parting of the ways was amicable.

In October 2011, Cochran was brought in to Salem Communication's WIND AM 560 The Answer to help increase ratings, revenues, and awareness of the struggling AM station. By all accounts, that did not happen in Cochran's almost two years there. This was despite the station placing billboards along highways in its reception areas promoting him and having the 52-year-old Cochran do live remotes regularly in the city and suburbs.

According to CR&M, word leaked out online over the weekend that Steve Cochran was going to return to WGN-AM to fill-in for Jonathon Brandmeier, who will be off for two weeks on a vacation. WGN Radio officials chose to not comment on that plan in advance, hoping to instead surprise faithful WGN-AM listeners on Monday morning.

However, a "snag" occurred on Sunday. Because of that "snag," the station made the business decision to not have Cochran on the air this morning. Instead, management quickly had regular Brandmeier fill-in Bill Leff do the morning show and asked Nick Digilio to take over Leff's overnight program.

4 comments:

  1. I am not sure who makes final decisions about the host of a show but I have been a faithful listener for over 33 years and I now turn the radio off between 6 and 10 A.M. ever since Johnny B has been host. It was so good to hear Steve Cochran for two weeks and now I will once again be turning WGN of from 6 to 10. JB will never be on my radio as he is the most vulgar person on the planet and his show gives no information wxcept that he is stuck himself and all the people he knows.

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  2. I agree. Brandmeier has to go before GN does.

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  3. Anonymous, if you don't listen to Johnny B how did you happen to be listening when Cochran filled in. Obviously you must be listening. Right on Buzz.

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  4. Ok, I listen to WGN in the mornings at the top and bottom of each hour to catch the news, traffic and weather. As soon as I hear Johnny B's voice, I'm outta there. Been doing this since Greg Jarrett's days. I guess I'm not in WGN's target demographic anymore. Thing is, I really don't know who is.

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