Posted by chicagomedia.org on December 05, 2008 at 09:29:18:
In Reply to: Steve Dahl will be fired posted by Yo on December 04, 2008 at 20:10:03:
Steve Dahl out at CBS' WJMK-FM
Steve Dahl, a Chicago radio personality for more than 30 years whose broadcast style inspired a generation of voices, told his WJMK-FM 104.3 listeners that he was leaving the CBS Radio outlet after today's broadcast.
Dahl's announcement confirms longstanding rumors that he would become the latest top-paid CBS Radio Chicago host cut loose in recent months despite a contract that extends to mid-2011 worth more than $1 million per year.
"This is our last show," Dahl said.
The radio industry, like all of the media business, is in upheaval as the economic crisis puts a financial squeeze on it and its advertisers and digital technology has increasngly splintered the audience.
Additionally, Arbitron's move from diaries to eavesdropping Portable People Meters to measure radio ratings has seemed to favor some stations, formats, time slots and personalities while hurting others.
It didn't help Dahl that, in anticipation of the PPM switch, CBS Radio in late 2006 abandoned the FM talk format on what was WCKG-FM it had more or less built around him in favor of female-oriented music format.
Rather than accept the easy money of a buyout at that time, Dahl moved from afternoons to mornings as the sole non-music show on WJMK-FM, but he was a perfect fit neither for his new slot or station.
Dahl's first station split in Chicago 30 years ago -- when the old WDAI-FM, which has recruited him from Detroit, switched to a dance-music format -- inspired a long-running comedy bit on WLUP-FM 97.9 that would lift him to national prominence although he already .
His "blowing up" of disco records on the air and Insane Coho Lips Anti-Disco Army rallies built to a crescendo with a 1979 "Disco Demolition" night at Chicago's Comiskey Park, which has become part of broadcasting and baseball lore.
Dahl was to actually explode disco records in the outfield between games of a Chicago White Sox doubleheader, but the stunt ignited the overflow crowd he helped attract. The fans stormed the field, tore up the grass and the Sox had to forfeit the night's unplayed second game.
CBS last month dropped WBBM-FM 96.3 morning men Eddie Volkman and Joe Bohannon, despite contracts that run into next summer worth around $1.5 million to each man annually. Mike North, another of its $1.5 million morning men, was unable to reach agreement on a new deal at CBS' WSCR-FM 670.
Dahl writes an occasional column for the Chicago Tribune.
(Phil Rosenthal, Chicago Tribune)