Afternoon host John Williams will exit afternoons at CBS News/Talk 830 WCCO Minneapolis and return to the weekday schedule at Tribune’s 720 WGN Chicago.
Williams has hosted afternoons at WCCO since 2010. He worked fulltime at WGN from 1997 through 2012, doing shows for both stations from 2010-2012 from WGN’s studios until relocating to Minneapolis at the start of 2013. He has continued to host a Saturday show for WGN from Minneapolis.
Williams will host 1-3pm weekdays on WGN and 10am-12pm on Saturdays starting Monday, March 13. His daily show will replace the second half of Wendy Snyder and Bill Leff’s split show. They will continue to host 10am-12pm, while adding a third hour on WGNPlus.com according to Robert Feder.
WGN will also add two new Saturday shows. The Innovation Hour from 1-2pm and On the Road with Dane Neal from 2-4pm, while Kathy O’Malley and Judy Markey exit.
WGN Radio announced John Williams will return to Chicago as a weekday host from 1pm to 3pm and will remain in the Saturday lineup from 10am to 12pm. The other Saturday moves are the addition of a second business show focusing on Chicago innovators, an automotive show hosted by Dane Neal and the departure of The Kathy & Judy Show.
Effective March 13, 2017, WGN Radio’s weekday programming schedule:
The Opening Bell, 5am – 6am
Steve Cochran Show, 6am – 10am
Bill and Wendy Show, 10am – Noon
Wintrust Business Lunch with Steve Bertrand, Noon – 1pm
John Williams Show, 1pm – 3pm
Roe Conn Show with Anna Davlantes, 3pm – 7pm
The Download with Justin Kaufmann, 7pm – 11pm
Patti Vasquez Show, 11pm – 2am
Nick Digilio Show, 2am – 5amEffective March 18, 2017, Saturday programming schedule:
Lou Manfredini, 7am – 10am
John Williams, 10am – Noon
Wintrust Business Lunch, Noon – 1pm
The Innovation Hour, 1pm – 2pm
On the Road with Dane Neal, 2pm – 4pm
The Beat, 4pm – 7pm“When we learned there was an opportunity to bring John back to Chicago full time we had to jump on it. There has never been a better time to have more of his inventive and intelligent talk on the station,” said Vice President of Programming Todd Manley. “We’re excited about the Saturday changes and want to express how incredibly grateful we are to Kathy and Judy for their contributions to the WGN family. We will look for every opportunity to continue their legacy.”
John Williams, a Chicago native, began his career at WGN Radio in 1997 as the midday host and moved to afternoons in 2000. Most recently, Williams hosted an afternoon drive show at WCCO Radio in Minneapolis, while hosting a Saturday show from 1pm to 3pm on WGN Radio. His WGN Radio career spans nearly all of the past 20 years.
“I’m thrilled about my new adventure on WGN Radio,” said John Williams. “Plus, if you do what I do, you want to do it on WGN. The team is now more creative, aggressive and forward-thinking than any station in America.”
