Entercom AAA 93.1 WXRT Chicago will start 2020 with a new morning host for the first time since 1991.
Lin Brehmer, who first joined WXRT as Music Director in October 1984 and has hosted mornings since December 1991, will move to middays starting in January. Richard Milne, who himself has been at the station since 1986 and took over middays this past summer after Terri Hemmert stepped down, will move into the morning slot.
With the changes morning co-host/newscaster Mary Dixon has exited. Dixon told the Chicago Tribune that she was offered the late night anchor slot on News 780 WBBM/105.9 WCFS but she passed as it was not a good fit for her family. Dixon joined WXRT in 1991 and first joined Brehmer in mornings in 1993 before leaving and returning for good in 1997.
Entercom, a leading media and entertainment company and one of the two largest radio broadcasters in the U.S., and Lin Brehmer announced that after one of the longest morning drive tenures in Chicago radio history, he will be moving to middays on 93XRT (WXRT-FM) in early 2020.
“Like a veteran centerfielder who moves to first base, I look forward to batting second,” said Brehmer. “The exhilaration of being a morning companion to the families that support 93XRT offset the brutal schedule of someone who likes to go to concerts at night. I’m not 29 anymore. May the phrase, ‘Isn’t it past your bedtime?’ be applied to someone else for a while.”
Brehmer began at 93XRT on October 1984 as music director and did his first morning show on December 30, 1991.
To accommodate Brehmer’s shift to middays, current midday personality, Richard Milne will segue to mornings. Milne has been with 93XRT since 1986. The one-time host of the long running series “Local Anesthetic” on 93XRT has been hosting the midday show since this past summer.
“Even after, 33 1/3 years on the air at 93XRT, it still makes me one of the ‘new guys’ here and it’s still a thrill to come into 93XRT every day and spin Chicago’s Finest Rock,” said Milne. “It has also given me plenty of time to learn from the best airstaff around, especially the incomparable Lin Brehmer. It is an absolute honor to take over mornings from my favorite disc jockey of all time.”
“93XRT has long held the reputation for playing Chicago’s finest rock, but also has enjoyed hosting Chicago’s finest jocks,” said Greg Solk, Operations Manager and Program Director, Entercom Chicago. “Lin Brehmer is a Chicago treasure. All of us at the station are indebted to Lin for his 28 years of wrestling with his alarm clock. His morning fans will now get to enjoy their best friend in the whole world sharing their workday as Lin accompanies their middle of the day rituals. We are also blessed to have someone of Richard’s character, charm, music knowledge and wit to take over for Lin. It’s Richard’s turn to get in early and Rock Chicago.”
With these shifts, current morning news anchor Mary Dixon will depart the station.
