Chicago Radio: CBS Radio GSM Gambles On Poker

Ben Ponzio

Ben Ponzio quit his day job Tuesday as general sales manager of CBS Radio Top 40 WBBM 96.3 FM to pursue a full-time career as a professional poker player, reports Chicago Media writer Robert Feder.

“It’s been a lifelong dream that I never thought I’d be able to do,” said Ponzio, 40, who’s been playing as a hobby since he was 10. “Now I have the opportunity to make it happen, and I’m excited about it.”

Turning pro is no lark for Ponzio, who scored a major win at the World Series of Poker in 2007 and is a familiar figure at local and national tournaments. “If I can make enough money doing it and I like the lifestyle, then that will be my new career and I’ll be done with radio at least for the foreseeable future,” he said.

Ponzio described the decision to leave CBS Radio as mutual, coinciding with a companywide restructuring of sales management. His move followed the resignation last week of 32-year veteran Patty Reilly-Murphy as general sales manager of adult album alternative WXRT FM 93.1.

Rod Zimmerman, senior vice president and market manager of CBS Radio Chicago, confirmed the new sales hierarchy Tuesday, with Paul Agase serving as general sales manager of Top40 WBBM-FM B96, Classic Hits WJMK 104.3 FM and Country WUSN 99.5 FM, Chad Feldman serving as general sales manager of WXRT and sports/talk WSCR 670 AM, and Mark Day continuing as director of sales and general sales manager of Newsradio WBBM 780 AM and WCFS 105.9 FM.