HuskyCaucasian Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 WGN-AM drops 'Kathy & Judy' The Girlfriends are going away. WGN-AM 720 this morning announced it is dropping the "Kathy & Judy" show, the ground-breaking mid-morning coffee klatch that former Chicago newspaper columnists Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey hosted for 20 years. The final 9 a.m.-to-noon show for the Girlfriends, as they are known to their fans, was to feature highlights of some of their most memorable on-air moments as well as the remembrances of O'Malley and Markey, who said on the air that they have known for three weeks that their show would be going away. "We know that for some of you it's going to take a little time to digest," O'Malley said. "We're all going to be OK, and we're all going to put on our big-girl panties and deal with it." No replacement was named, and WGN-AM executives were not immediately available for comment. One can hear the last "Kathy & Judy" show live here. A recording of the first hour is availablehere. “Kathy and Judy have been a phenomenal chapter in WGN Radio’s rich history,” Tom Langmyer, WGN-AM's vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “They have a level of personal connection with their listeners that is extremely rare. They’ve shared fun, laughter, joy and a wonderful relationship with their many ‘Girlfriends.’ They will be missed and we wish them much happiness.” ...... “This was a business decision,” Langmyer said in his statement. “The media business and the Chicago radio market have changed dramatically in the last few years, including a new method of ratings measurement. WGN needs to respond to these changes, and this is the time to move in a new direction.” Until recently a ratings juggernaut, Markey and O’Malley’s audience share of advertiser-coveted listeners between the ages of 25 to 54 dropped steadily each month from a 1.6 in January to 1.0 in April, ranking 33rd in the market. Among listeners age 35 to 64, they slipped from 3.1 to 2.5 and 17th place in the same span. Given WGN’s aggressive efforts of late to begin to re-position itself for the first time in years, the shift from "Kathy & Judy" was inevitable -- sooner or later. It had been widely expected that Markey, 65, a novelist and former columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, and O’Malley, 63, a former Chicago Tribune columnist, would retire at the end of their current deal with WGN, which runs into next year, in any case. Although their show is over, they will continue to be employed by WGN, heard in commercials on the station. The weekend lineup got an ax, now them. More will come. Zell ran the trib and now WGN radio into the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan562004 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ May 22, 2009 -> 01:22 PM) The weekend lineup got an ax, now them. More will come. Zell ran the trib and now WGN radio into the ground. Is that Digillio (sp?) guy still on? He was uncomfortable to listen to he was so bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigEdWalsh Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ May 22, 2009 -> 10:16 PM) Is that Digillio (sp?) guy still on? He was uncomfortable to listen to he was so bad. Oh, I have to disagree. He was like the only good thing on WGN, even though he's a Cub fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHizzle85 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 QUOTE (Tony82087 @ May 22, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) WNUA 95.5 is also done, switching to Spanish radio... Damn. My dad's gonna be crushed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ May 22, 2009 -> 11:16 PM) Is that Digillio (sp?) guy still on? He was uncomfortable to listen to he was so bad. He's still there, but I really like him. But I fear he may be the next in line. He isnt "edgy" enough for the new GM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 QUOTE (Tony82087 @ May 22, 2009 -> 01:54 PM) WNUA 95.5 is also done, switching to Spanish radio... WNUA was always the station I planned on listening to, but never did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxFan562004 Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ May 23, 2009 -> 08:58 AM) He's still there, but I really like him. But I fear he may be the next in line. He isnt "edgy" enough for the new GM. OK, I was probably overreaching a little, I will listen to him since he's on at night and he does talk about movies and music, but certain segments are really bad. I think we might be reaching the point where Dahl's career reaches a complete 180 and he is added to the station Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyx81 Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 QUOTE (MHizzle85 @ May 23, 2009 -> 12:54 AM) Damn. My dad's gonna be crushed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 Williams out as morning drive host, moved to 9-noon slot. Seeking better engagement with listeners, WGN-AM 720 has called off its morning-drive marriage to John Williams after just six months. He might have been the best man, but it turns out he wasn't the answer. Replacing Williams as the station's new 5-to-9 a.m. host beginning Monday will be Greg Jarrett. Until caught in a cost-cutting purge in January, Jarrett had been an afternoon co-host at San Francisco's KGO-AM, which, like WGN, is a news/talk station with a long history and decidedly local bent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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