Posted by Bud on March 02, 2010 at 15:13:48:
Coping with change all part of the deal for Conn at WLS-AM
The past year has been challenging for Roe Conn, one of the city's most familiar radio hosts. But in recent weeks, a lot of change has come to news/talk WLS-AM (890), the radio station where Conn works, and to his afternoon drive show there.
Q. You have just signed a new contract at WLS-AM that will keep you at the station through 2011. Did you ever doubt a deal would get done?
A. I never doubted Citadel Broadcasting's desire to do a deal. I had met with Citadel CEO Farid Suleman last summer in New York, and he had assured me of their interest. I did, however, question my desire to return. The last year at WLS had been challenging, to say the least. The previous local management seemed split on which direction to take my show. I had lost pretty much all of the editorial control, and decisions were being made that didn't make much sense.
Q. Are we correct in assuming you are no longer a million-dollar mouth in Chicago radio, and do you think you still deserve such a moniker and the generous remuneration it suggests?
A. Never assume. Despite what your sources were saying, money was never an issue. Ultimately, compensation is based on how much revenue a show can generate. I've been very lucky to have attracted a large and loyal following of listeners who like to buy stuff.
Q. WLS-AM has positioned itself as a politically conservative radio station. How would you describe your politics?
A. I don't really consider myself a purely political talk show host. I work in an environment surrounded by it, and we design the show to be a bit of a break from it. I prefer using humor and irony instead of anger and outrage to make a point. In terms of personal politics, I am the new villain: a moderate.
Q. WLS-AM's new general manager, Michael Damsky, your boss, has said you add a ''dimension of leadership and continuity'' to the station. In what ways do you feel you are a leader within the WLS ranks?
A. That was an unexpected compliment. I've been there a long time and have real affection for the heritage of those call letters. I grew up on WLS, literally. When I was a kid, I pretended to be Bob Sirott with my turntable and a balled-up sock as a microphone. For the past 20 years, I've been living that fantasy. When you get a gift like that, you have to be eternally grateful and try to do your best to help the enterprise grow.
Q. Your show's Arbitron rating among adults 25 to 54 has slid over the past number of months. What do you think caused that, and what are you doing now to try to improve the numbers?
A. That's tough. There is no question that our audience share decreased in the second half of last year. There was a major cast change and formatic shift made last summer. I was never happy about it, and I think listeners could hear the discomfort. It would be pretty hard to ignore that as the primary cause. Audiences don't like change, and they especially don't like change when they can't understand the reason behind it. That became the issue in my return. I needed to know that WLS was going to give me back some of those weapons and share my vision for how to use them. Ron Magers' return was the first of what I hope will be more to come.