Chicago Radio: WUSN Preps For New Morning Show

When WUSN 99.5 FM morning host Ramblin' Ray Stevens decided to try something new (he's headed to Talk WLS 890 AM to partner with Big John Howell) CBS Radio saw as opportunity to revamp its morning show.

That revamping saw the exit of Lisa Dent, newly inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame,

Dent co-hosted mornings with Stevens on US 99.5 since 2006. Her last day on the air turned out to be Friday — before she left for vacation.

Lisa and Ray

Chicago Medai write Robert Feder reports announcement of a new show is expected next week. Drew Walker, midday personality on US 99.5, is expected to continue to fill in during mornings until the new show debuts.

Sources said the plans are part of an effort to “refresh” the station, now in its 34th year on the air. No changes are expected in the station’s format, call letters or heritage branding.

The shakeup comes as US 99.5 faces stiff competition from iHeartMedia’s WEBG 95.5 FM, which launched a competing country format in January 2015.

In the latest Nielsen Audio survey released Monday, US 99.5 ranked 12th with a 3.0 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 1, 227,200, while Big 95.5 tied for 18th with 2.4 share and 966,400 weekly cume. Among listeners between 25 and 54, the measurement tied most closely to revenue, the two stations were separated by only one-tenth of one percent — with a 3.0 share for US 99.5 and a 2.9 share for Big 95.5.