It was big news this past summer when longtime WBBM-AM anchor and veteran Chicago journalist Pat Cassidy walked away from the all-news to take a gig at cross-town talker WLS-AM. At the time, Cassidy was expeted to join the line-up at WLS as a talk show host. Speculation swirled that he might be added to either Jerry Agar’s mid-day show or that he might become a fixture on the morning show with Don Wade & Roma. Four months later, we’re still searching for Pat Cassidy.

It’s become clear in the past four months that when Cassidy was brought over to WLS, station management had no idea what they wanted to do with him. Perhaps they figured he’d be an easy addition to mornings, either with or without Don Wade & Roma, whose future was much murkier in July than it was in November. Or maybe they had grand plans to give Cassidy a prominent position elsewhere on the station by capitalizing on his likability and news experience.

You can’t fault WLS for acting pre-emptively when they lured Cassidy away from WBBM. However, by all accounts, the station still doesn’t know what to do with Cassidy, and in the meantime, Cassidy is languishing in obscurity, watching his career become less and less relevant with each passing day.

Cassidy has bounced around among all of the various WLS dayparts. On some, he reads news. On others, he’s a co-host. It’s made for some off pairings, including both the Cassidy & Bill Leff duo as well as the current Cassidy & Mancow debacle.

Recently, WLS general manager Mike Fowler told the Trib’s Phil Rosenthal:

“They’re two big franchises, and maybe Pat could be part of both shows,” station boss Mike Fowler said. “But I want to sit down and figure what the best strategy is, and a big part of that is where Pat wants to be.”

Fowler was talking about the franchises of Don Wade & Roma and Erich “Mancow” Muller. A couple things should be disturbing in that quote if you’re Cassidy. First, why is Fowler making this kind of decision in the first place? Doesn’t WLS still have a program director named Kipper McGee? He’s got great credentials and is well-known for his ability to develop talent. Apparently, Fowler thinks his sales background gives him the programming cred to start working with talent. Second, what has Fowler been waiting for? Why hasn’t he figured out Cassidy’s role yet? If you’re Fowler, you’ve been paying out on a six-figure contract since August, and the best you can do is to turn him into a glorified utility infielder.

Did WLS make a mistake by hiring Cassidy? Did they over-estimate his value? There’s a good chance that Fowler and the suits at 190 North State Street are having a serious case of buyer’s remorse. And Pat Cassidy must be spending a lot of time reflecting on what’s left of his career. When Cassidy talked with Rosenthal, he said:

“I want an opportunity to do some talk radio,” Cassidy said. “That’s why I signed up. And I want to be co-host.”

When will he get that chance?