Interloper, be gone

Indirectly referenced in the Ron Parker to WLS-FM thread is the long standing opinion that the Chicago radio listener doesn't easily accept out of market radio personalities moving into the Chicago radio market.

Perhaps I'm mis-understanding the concept but I've always taken it to mean that a person like Parker traditionally is seen as an interloper and tends to be rejected as such. Or does this only apply to syndicated personalities -- Howard Stern or Bob and Tom quickly come to mind -- imported to Chicago but struggled to ever find acceptance.

Frankly, I've always rejected the idea considering the fact that most every person considered a Chicago radio legend -- Lujack or Biondi, Wally Phillips or Bob Collins -- moved to town from elsewhere. So, how has that viewpoint -- if it truly does exist -- developed through the years?

Considering that people like John Landecker and Kris Erik Stevens grew up listening to WLS and WCFL in Michigan at Night because the local Top 40 stations for the most part went off the air at Night, reduced power, changed patterns, or were Class IVs with a Night range of a few miles, I would consider anyone within the Night service area of the Class Is in Chicago to essentially be a Local. Anyone who listened to Chickenman and knows the phrase "Cooler Near The Lake" is not really an outsider. Seems like Wally Phillips was another who began in Michigan.

I thought Wally Phillips began in Ohio. Where in Michigan did he work?

Will Chicagoans still accept Steve Harvey when he moves his V103 morning radio show to LA?

Wally Phillips was was born in Ohio as I recall without looking it up. He worked at WJEF 1230 in Grand Rapids. He might have been simulcast on WJFM 93.7 but I'm not sure. WMAQ, WGN, WLS, WBBM, and WCFL were big in the ratings in Grand Rapids until FM took over, even in the Daytime (and WOKY Days). WGRD was a Daytimer. WLAV and WJEF were 250 watts (even Daytime in until the early 1960s). I guess then he went to WLW before going to WGN.

John Records Landecker is from Ann Arbor. He first worked at carrier currents and and at WOIA (FM) Ann Arbor (not WOAI as has been reported) as a newscaster. His first open air Top 40 DJ job was as "Dow Jones" at WTRX Flint. John picked a unique "Jones Boy" name. This was in the Summer of 1966. All the stations (CKLW, WXYZ, WJBK, WKNR) from around Detroit that came in in Ann Arbor Days changed patterns and or reduced power. WPAG signed off at Night. So there was just WAAM, which wavered between Top 40, MOR/AC and Chicken Rock, at Night. John Landecker, Art Vuolo, and even Bob Seger listened to WLS and WCFL, and also WLAC, at Night. Kris Erik Stevens is from the Marquette Ishpeming area of the Upper Peninsula. WCKD 970, a Daytimer, and WCKD 1230 in Ishpeming were the only real Top 40 back in the day, and they may have Dayparted. Stevens had a big following when he was at WLS and WCFL.

Bob DelGiorno is from Upstate New York, but worked at WTAC Flint and WOWO Ft. Wayne as Bob Dell before WIND, WAIT, WKQX, and WWL. Bob broke the Quintessential Chicago hit "It Could Be We're In Love" by the Cryan' Shames when he was the PD at WTAC shortly before WLS and WCFL played it. He also promoted concerts with such groups as the New Colony Six and the Cryan' Shames at East Central Michigan and Southeastern Michigan area venues, along with the more local Michigan groups like Bob Seger, Terry Knight/Grand Funk Railroad, The Tidal Waves, and The Unrelated Segments, etc.

So I guess, like California, just about everyone in Chicago is from somewhere else.

Yeah the BigA that is a good question, the only time he has does his radio show from Chicago is when he is in town to tape his talk show that will be existing. But it will be interesting on how he will pull it off, since the hours that he will be on will still be overnight in Los Angeles when it starts. I am not sure if a lot of Chicagoans have listened to his show. I have listened to it for a while last summer when it was up for the radio hall of fame, but I thought his show is pretty childish at parts of the show.

staggmovie said:

I am not sure if a lot of Chicagoans have listened to his show.

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V103 is one of the top rated stations in Chicago, and Harvey is one of the reasons.

I didn't Know Phillips worked in Michigan, but I did know about Landecker & Stevens. I remember Bob "Dell" on WOWO before he came to WIND.

Thanks SC

So the only good question will the listeners still love his radio show when he ends his tv talk show here and moves it to Los Angeles, so but with FM radio this station and the Mix are what the two top draw FM stations, so mainly a lot of Chicagoans are either listening to Steve Harvey or Eric and Kathy.