Now hear this? WGN’s ‘crazy collision’ of bloggers
Oh, great. Just what we needed: Four hours of radio consisting of bloggers no one knows about yapping about blogs no one cares about. OK, maybe that’s too harsh. But I know I’m not the only one who reacted that way when Tribune Co.-owned WGN-AM (720) announced a new weekly radio show based on the Tribune Co.-owned blog site ChicagoNow.com.
“They’re apparently hell-bent on shoving their fledgling ChicagoNow.com down everyone’s throats, even if it means driving listeners from the radio station Saturday mornings for the sake of promotion,” one insider texted me when he heard the news.
Starting this weekend, “ChicagoNow Radio” will air from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays on WGN. (Actually, the first show will air only from 9 to 10:30 a.m. because of Northwestern football.) The move bumps weekend host Jerry Agar, an exile from Citadel Broadcasting news/talk WLS-AM (890), whose abrasive style still seems out of place on WGN.
One bright spot in all this, as Tribune uber-blogger Eric Zorn noted, is that the new show will be hosted by funnyman Bill Leff, the Chicago radio veteran who’s been without a full-time gig since he amicably parted with WLS afternoon host Roe Conn last May. At least this gets Leff’s foot in the door for more than just fill-in work at WGN.
Lurking in the background of “ChicagoNow Radio” is Kevin “Pig Virus” Metheny, the tyrannical program director who’s been doing a bang-up job of ruining WGN in the past year. “WGN wanted to create a boundary-free radio celebration of Chicago life,” Metheny said in a statement. “ChicagoNow is a collection of fascinating people who can’t stop themselves from constantly telling Chicago’s story as they see it in a dynamic, refreshing, and sometimes disturbing way. This will be a crazy collision of experiences and perspectives.”
Yes, Mr. Virus, that’s just what people tune in to WGN to hear — a “crazy collision.”
That’s not to say there aren’t some decent contributors to ChicagoNow.com among the crazy quilt of 126 bloggers who hold forth there. (Full disclosure: Early on, I was approached about writing for it, but respectfully declined.) The current lineup includes everything from Dennis Byrne’s Barbershop and David Kaplan’s Kap’s Corner to Jen Weigel’s I’m Spiritual, Dammit and Steve Dale’s Pet World. The only one I read regularly is Bruce Wolf’s insane Blogshakalaka, mainly to see if he mentions me. (By the grace of somebody up there, atheist Rob Sherman’s blog, “Godless in Chicago,” has already come and gone.)
But turning over four hours of peak radio time on a 50,000-watt powerhouse to this menagerie of free-lancers and hobbyists strikes me as a colossal waste of time.
If you really want to listen to great local radio on Saturday mornings, check out Jake Hartford (nom de air of the savvy Jim Edwards), whose Awake with Jake show airs from 7 to 11 a.m. on Newsweb Corp. progressive talk WCPT-AM (820). He always knows what’s going on in Chicago. Now.
blogs.vocalo.org
Hey Rob….it’s pig vomit not pis virus. Unless you changed it
Hey Rob….it’s pig vomit not pig virus. Unless you changed it
Seriously? WGN launches a more ambitious, more mainstream, Vocalo, and you give them sh*t? This is the most adventurous thing the station has done in who knows when, anchored by a fabulous talent.
Maybe WGN should hire Jake. He does run the best Saturday morning show in radio.
It was Pig Vomit for the movie, but in real-life, Stern dubbed him Pig Virus.
Howard called Kevin “Pig Virus” in the book, Private Parts.
The name was changed to “Pig Vomit” for the movie.
Rob’s right!
The new WGN has been called a bad version of WLS-AM.
You’re wrong. Awake w Jake is OK, but the best Sat am fare on-air, at least on the Northside, is Chuck Merz’s funny/political show This is Hell on WNUR 89.3, and WNUR.org.
I’d listen to Dogs taking dumps on Metheny grass if it means less Agar. Mr. Feder I have to disagree with you on this one. WGN weekends are full of worthless talent that have proven that they suck. See Frenchy and Lasky. At least this gives a fresh voice a chance to be heard and God knows those chances in Radio are few and far between. Other than that, Loving the Metheny bashing pile it on brother!
And to think that Saturday mornings on WGN Radio once belonged to The Roy Leonard Show. What a come down over the years.
Save this experiment for the internet. Why would you destroy WGN? This is community radio on a major market station. Not to mention a Chicago Powerhouse.
Mr. Foder, are you kidding?
You work for a radiostation that puts out 50,000 watts and does this all day and night, not just 4 hours once a week. The only difference from wgn and Vocalo is wgn hires broadcasting pros and vocalo hires people who have never been behind a mic before.
Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house!
Please respond.
There is almost nothing on WGN (outside of the Cubs and Milt Rosenberg) worth listening to anymore. It’s really kind of sad…
Haha, keep nailing Pig Virus Rob! He will be gone eventually, as all radio people know, but maybe you can hasten it by calling out the nonsense when you see it. Keep it up.
Poor timing indeed for Rob Sherman to have misrepresented himself… He blew his shot at being heard on the 50,000 watt “crazy collision”. . .
Can’t wait to hear a sampling of Janet Dahls “ChicagoNow” heartfelt musings.
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Yes, he will. All radio managers are gone eventually, genius. Like babseball managers, they’re hired to be fired.
It’s understandable YOU don’t understand, Tanglewood. You’re paying attention to old Rob, as if he understands or matters. It’s probably sad when the radio managers don’t understand. Looking at the number of stops on the guy’s “crazy quilt” as cited by old Rob, he probably understands.
We wouldn’t want to wait and hear the program first before judging it, would we?
anything that reduces the possibility of my being exposed to the bile Jerry Agar spews forth is worth a trial listen to me.
Re: “Shakes”
If the new trend in Chicago radio (not so new actually if you research Dan Rostenkowski) is to feature convicted felons such as Lasky and the soon to be tried ex-gov as political experts, certainly I will have heard more than enough about their daily routines behind bars to last a lifetime…For that WGN and WLS, I thank you ! The kind of politico that I’d be interested in listening to does his or her job with dignity and reverence for gov’t and stays OUT of prison…
Every radio generation has had screamers like Agar and Jarrett… Do they think their acts are original ? Let them listen to a few Jerry Williams
or Howard Miller tapes… I’ll occasionally listen to Limbaugh to laugh AT him, but the real anthropological story there is about the listeners who believe in him… Does anybody remember Ed Tyll? Just another radio clown that patronized and condescended to his audience… The stories of Ed Tyll and Ian Punnett are glimpses into the professional futures of these current broadcasters… Whatever happened to the Dave Baums of our radio world?
WGN and Metheny ? Just be patient–time heals all wounds (and wounds all heels)!!!
Kevin Metheny wants an “edgier, more in your face” style on his station, but quivers in the face of feedback. He won’t even list his e-mail address on ‘GN’s site for fear of overloading the server. Spineless is the word that springs to mind. I don’t even hold out much hope that Meth’s boss is bright enough to detect the distruction Metheny has wrought. I do hope that one of Sam Zell’s bean counters points out to Sam that his property that was bringing in 50 mil+ a year is now hemmoraging red ink and that the decline coincides with Kev Meth’s tenure.
The good thing to come of this is the move out of Jerry Agar. His hate speech and anger talk has no place on WGN.
Sloe Cahn, believe me I know radio all to well. Sounds like you have a vested interest in this horrible idea working out. Too bad no one is listening and radio is irrelevant. No creativity, no honesty and no fun. Only a few dinosaurs like you still care about it. And Feder is the best, without him radio news would be as boring as radio. You obviously like it too. I am roasting marshmellows on the fire that is burning radio down. Mmmmmmmmm
While Vocalo and ChicagoNow may appear to be similar (they both rely on what’s known in the biz as user-generated content), they’re actually worlds apart.
Vocalo was devised as a way to reach out to diverse communities whose voices aren’t often heard on public radio, and to explore how new kinds of content and talent might help public radio build a bigger and more diverse audience.
ChicagoNow was devised as a way for the Tribune Co. to monopolize Chicago Internet traffic and bank the related ad revenue without having to pay for the content needed to make that happen.
Well put, Geoff.
The best Saturday morning radio show is “Cop Talk” on WJJG (AM-1530).
“Unpaid intern” is likely to remain an unpaid intern when she/he eagerly agrees in writing with other peoples opinions about matters that aren’t quite accurate…
ChicagoNow does INDEED pay their bloggers…
Bob, just found your new “home.” Glad you’re back.
I was living in New York when Howard Stern was on WNBC and yes, he always called then-program director Metheny “pig VIRUS.” I have no idea why it was changed to “pig vomit” for the movie. Stern said the term evolved because he thought Metheny’s name sounded like a disease a pig would get. Imus called him “Kevin Metheny, the programming weenie.”
I know your host web site is associated with WBEZ. It seems to me public radio is falling into the same trap: Putting on bloggers, acting as though they are experts and calling it news. The portion of Morning Edition and All Things Considered devoted to reporters reporting seems to be shrinking constantly.
Robert – so WGN tries something new, something to involve the community and because it’s not some old-time idea rooted in a past age, you have to put it down. NEWS FLASH — times change. WGN is wisely trying to do the same. Why don’t you commend them for trying something new? And oh – Kevin M has more creativity in his little finger than you have in your whole being. Deal with it! Peace!
Agar is leaving ‘gn?!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eventually the blog show will lose steam and Bill Leff can get some airtime on his own. He should be put on mornings. He has the Chicago connection and the smart, funny wit WGN needs to find new listeners and new voice.
Kevin may have creativity, but he runs WGN like a bully. He threatens his employees with being fired on a regular basis. If bringing in a French guy who is hard to listen to on his best moments, and hiring a guy who calls himself a news junkie but sounds like he’s never read a paper is creative, God help us all.
–He threatens his employees with being fired on a regular basis.–
WHEN has he done that? CAPRICIOUSLY as in “I’m gonna fire yer butt!” or FAIRLY as in “if you can’t do this the way we want to hear it done, we’re going to have a really unfun conversation.”
Another attempt for WGN to lose its faithful listeners. This program director is totally out of touch on what WGN has been to so many Chicagoans for generations!!
And Vocalo/WBEZ is different how? Since Feeder has essentially been Malatia’s personal PR person for decades, at least now he is on the payroll.
Nice trick to fool foundations that traffic is growing on Vocalo by connecting WBEZ and Feeder blogs to it. The Chicago Community Trust could see right through you, so hopefully other deep pockets will to.
Very interesting points you have pointed out. Hopefully this comment will reach you as I’ve been getting a 500 error on your server lately ?? what’s going on ?
If Vocalo is so Anti-ChicgoNow, why did Dan your producer call me and ask me to be a regular guest? Oh, and just so you know — he promptly flaked when I asked for details and follow-up. Just sayin’ – not polite.