Changes coming again to WLS AM

Robert Feder is reporting coming next year changes will be coming to WLS AM https://www.robertfeder.com/2018/10.../2018/10/23/changes-horizon-newstalk-wls-890/ , which will be the third year in a row that WLS AM has made changes to its weekday schedule. The two that sound safe are syndicated show hosts Chris Plante and Rush Limbaugh, the rest of their current schedule are Big John Howell and Ramblin’ Ray Stevens mornings, Steve Dahl in afternoons, and evenings with syndicated hosts Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro and John Batchelor. Now they aren't saying what the changes will be like with the daytime schedule, but there are 2 new Saturday shows, one in the afternoons the other in the evening, which the evening show is a 2 hour show, the other will be a 1 hour show with travel experts that are also sisters. The other chances that have come to WLS in which the last couple of years included the hiring of Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano to mid mornings https://www.robertfeder.com/2016/12/19/wls-hires-sirott-murciano-middays/ , and then after under a year later they axed them and restored Rush Limbaugh to his live slot, as they moved his show to a 1 hour tape delay, https://www.robertfeder.com/2017/12/13/sirott-murciano-cut-new-wls-talk-lineup/ . Now with these changes being announced in December of 2016, and 2017, look for December of 2018 to see who is in and out for WLS for 2019. Is this there plan make changes to their lineup every year until they find a lineup that works.

WLS like many other AM stations have been struggling for years in their ratings. The Big 89 was indeed a powerhouse back in the days only falling behind to WGN which now is struggling as well. I am not sure what the solution would be to resisitate the station. Playing a mix of the 50's, 60's 70's and 80's seems to have worked for 87.7 so possibly that would've workable for 890.

Dr Wayne said:

WLS like many other AM stations have been struggling for years in their ratings. The Big 89 was indeed a powerhouse back in the days only falling behind to WGN which now is struggling as well. I am not sure what the solution would be to resisitate the station. Playing a mix of the 50's, 60's 70's and 80's seems to have worked for 87.7 so possibly that would've workable for 890.

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The problem with the last part, is that WLS AM has been a talk station since the late 1980's, and that won't change nor should it since they have a music station on the fm dial. WLS AM has made a lot of changes, and they aren't clearly been the same station since Don Wade died, as Robert Feder mentions in his article. The really big changes that WGN Radio made more recently to their weekday schedule was taking Justin Kauffmann off the night shift, and adding him to the Steve Cochran show, and moving Andrea Darlas to nights, and moved Patti Vasqez with Andrea Darlas show to Justin Kaufmann's former timeslot, on nights with no live sports, and nights with sports they start them later and go until 1 AM and they extended Nick Digilio's show by 1 hour. The rest of the schedule looks the same since John Williams moved back to Chicago, and asked to have WGN Radio to be his full time job. The way I see it WGN Radio earned the ratings they get. A lot of people have proven that they don't want to be screamed at by Roe Conn. And Steve Cochran's show is the only WGN Radio shows that is in the top ten for ratings, and he is beaten out by Steve Harvey and WBBM, along with the Mix's morning show. And in the middays ratings, all the top ten stations are music stations or dis.