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Greg Jarrett Heading To Chicago's WGN

BossRadioDJ

BossRadioDJ

Crain's Chicago Business is reporting that former KGO/810 afternoon co-anchor Greg Jarrett has landed a first-rate gig -- morning anchor at Chicago's legendary WGN (720 AM), starting next Monday:

WGN-AM has hired a San Francisco radio news veteran to host its morning rush-hour show and will move the program’s current host, John Williams, to the mid-morning slot that until last month was the home of the "Kathy and Judy" talk show. ... Mr. Jarrett, who was at KGO for a total of 16 years, has also covered world events as a correspondent for ABC News, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=34416
 
More, better and juicier, details about this on the Chicago Tribune's website, which portrays the choice of Greg Jarrett -- by WGN PD Kevin Metheny (a familiar name, to say the least) -- as a "stunner":

Even more of a surprise is the selection of a complete outsider in Jarrett (photo, left), who brings a newsman's sensibility to his work as host. ... Jarrett was not among those auditioning and his name had not been among those rumored to be in line to join WGN, which is owned by Chicago Tribune parent Tribune Co.

http://tinyurl.com/jarrett-wgn
 
radioman148 said:
1069_KIFR said:
That is good news. Finally something on this board with a positive thread! Congrats Greg-ers!
Click to expand...

Clearly the reaction on the Chicago board is anything but enthusiastic.
Click to expand...

The problem really isn't Greg Jarrett, although it is hard for an outsider to break in there. It's WGN. Unless he's the new play-by-play man for the Cubs, he won't get much of a "money-demo" audience on that station, which is the oldest-skewing radio station in the country.

They may be #2 overall in the Chicago ratings, but they are #15 overall in 25-54 and don't even show in AM drive and middays. Their 12+ rating is bolstered by those over 65 and (especially) Cub games. 65+ is probably 90% of their non-sports audience.

Jarrett is in a no-win situation in Chicago. He doesn't yet know the city and its infamous politicians, so what does he talk about? Gardening? Traffic? The Cubs? How can he compete with WLS's Don Wade & Roma with that? If he caters to the oldsters he's toast in 5 years max since they will be dead or dying. If he tries to go younger, he's also toast since they don't listen to AM other than for sports.
 
KeithE4 said:
The problem really isn't Greg Jarrett, although it is hard for an outsider to break in there.
Click to expand...

He's already being set up for a "you ain't from around here, are you?" fall -- he's being painted as an outsider, or (worse) the old "you weren't who we wanted." He's not a Chicagoan, but then again he wasn't a San Franciscan, either.

If WGN surrounds him with good talent, he can succeed. He's a terrific radio guy. Personally, I don't know if he's an "A" guy. Could he have been a successful "A" guy on a morning show in the Bay Area -- a notoriously tough market?

But he does have one Chicago connection, albeit a tenuous one, according to his brand-spankin'-new bio on the WGN website:

Greg is an Expert License U.S. Parachute Association Jumpmaster and escorted broadcast legend Paul Harvey on his first jump.

http://www.wgnradio.com/wgnam-greg-jarrett-information,0,4278542.story

...But perhaps the niftiest tidbit of Jarrett deep background is this (same source):

Greg is married and has three sons, two grandkids, two dogs, a cat, and millions of fleas.
 
The coolest thing for Greg is he is near and endless supply of Ribs...The man could work a mean BBQ...
I still have sauce stains from a 4th of July cookout on the News Deck. BBQ sauce in 55 gallon drums.
now that's a cookout.

Congrats to Greg, he is a great News Guy, and a savvy broadcaster. And a hell of a grillmaster.
 
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