Posted by Bud on June 13, 2010 at 22:08:10:
WGN Radio Also Waiting For Cunningham Decision
Posted by jkiesewetter June 11th, 2010, 4:48 pm
As The Willie Turns�.
Chicago Tribune�s Tower Ticker blog by Phil Rosenthal picked up instantly on Mike McConnell�s comments during our online chat today about his possible WGN-AM time slot. He says the uncertainty about McConnell�s August shift depends on if Bill Cunningham goes to WGN-AM too. Rosenthal writes: �The uncertainty regarding McConnell�s hours and how much change is coming to WGN-AM, it�s likely because the station doesn�t yet know if McConnell, 55, will be joined here by another WLW host, Bill Cunningham, 62.� If Cunningham eventually renews at WLW-AM, WGN likely will keep talk host John Williams, whose contract runs �well into next year,� he says.
Some of you might think this is another WLW stunt, but I think the Cunningham/WGN-AM dealings are very serious. Look how they yanked McConnell off the air this week for running off to work for Randy Michaels, a former Clear Channel exec. And now Cunningham wasn�t on WLW-AM today for the third straight day. He was in Chicago last night prepping for taking his �Big Willie� TV talk shows for Tribune, owners of WGN-AM. (Jeff Katz from Clear Channel�s Boston station filled in Wednesday and again today. The Reds were on yesterday.) Cunningham has told people he was told Wednesday by WLW bosses that he couldn�t do his show because he hasn�t agreed to an extension to stay at the station when his deal expires this month. So Willie flaunted the opportunity � by going to lunch Wednesday at Trio�s in Kenwood, 2 blocks from the station, with banished Mike McConnell and Sean Compton, the former WLW/Clear Channel exec who�s the Tribune programming president over WGN-AM and Willie�s talk show.
Cunningham will tape �Big Willie� pilots Saturday and Sunday at WGN-TV. They�ll air either the week of June 28 or July 5. (Tricia Macke from Fox 19, which will air the �Big Willie� test shows, is going to Chicago to tape some features with Willie to run at a later date; Tribune wouldn�t let me in.) After they air, Tribune and Cunningham will know if the TV show is a go. Then Willie will know if he�s commuting to Chicago� And then apparently he�ll decide about doing radio for WLW-AM or WGN-AM from both cities. He could do WGN radio without moving to Chicago permanently, still be home several days a week, where he owns restaurants and his wife is a judge. He could cash in big-time for WGN TV and WGN radio� or could get a big raise from Clear Channel to continue being the big one on The Big One.
But what happens Monday? Will Willie return to WLW-AM? Or will someone else do his show (and we�ll just hear him only doing commercials, making money for 700)? What�s best for the listener � or doesn�t the station care about the people who made the station No 1? Should be an interesting next few weeks.