Last July, Merlin Media decided to take the heritage alt rock format off of 101.1, sell the intellectual property, and flip the station to an all-news format. All of this happened despite the fact that Q101 had actual ratings, had actual fans, and made actual money. About a week ago, Merlin Media took smooth jazz off of 87.7, a station that’s got actual ratings and actual fans (even if it’s note making much actual money) and, as of 7pm Sunday …

She spent nearly eight years working with Chicago radio veteran Steve Dahl, and now Mary Sandberg has been named the new executive producer for WBBM-FM B96′s “J & Julian” morning show. Sandberg began working with Dahl in 2003, when Dahl was with WCKG-FM 105.9, where she assisted in show production and continued to manage Dahl’s business affairs through his time at WJMK-FM 104.3 and helped him to launch the Steve Dahl Podcast Network.…

Ten months after going on the air and struggling to attract listeners, WIQI-FM / FM News 101.1 can say with certainty that at least one person knows about the station. That one person is Sheldon Sorosky, attorney for imprisoned former Governor Rod Blagjoevich.…

With the demise of smooth jazz for a second time in Chicago, longtime air personality Rick O’Dell guested on WCIU-TV’s “You and Me This Morning” and spoke to Melissa Forman about why the format has once again disappeared from Chicago’s airwaves.…

Last week Lewis Lazare — or “Clueless” Lazare, as Bruce Wolf has come to refer to him — speculated in his Sun-Times column that CBS Radio’s WSCR-AM The Score might soon be heard on 105.9-FM, the current home of CBS’ Fresh FM format. Then, today, Ed Sherman, writing on his blog at Crain’s website, suggests that the market might be ready for a third sports talk station and that the FM band might be the likeliest place for such …

Both Feder and Rosenthal reported today that Bob Sirott will no longer be hosting the “Noon Show” on WGN-AM 720. Sirott had been heard in that timelsot since 2007 and had often served as the senior fill-in talent during his time at WGN. Starting on Monday, John Williams will expand his shift and will be heard from 9am to 1pm each weekday. Sirott will still be heard with his wife Marianne Murciano on their Sunday night show.…

It was Friday, January 9, 2004, when Garry Meier last appeared on WLS as part of the “Roe and Garry Show”. Together with Roe Conn, Meier had spent eight years building one of the most popular radio partnerships in Chicago history.  In the midst of contract renegotiations, Meier was forced off the air by ABC Radio suits. Conn stated publicly on the air that he and Meier would continue to partner together regardless of what happened at WLS. As the …

WLS-AM afternoon talker Roe Conn hosted the second annual Newsapalooza event at the Park West over the weekend. The premise of the event has been to bring in local and national TV news anchors and reporters to flex their musical chops. Richard Marx headlined and acted as musical director. The sold-out event benefited the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Here are the … uh … highlights of the event.…