As WGN turns

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: As WGN turns : General manager helps program director leave station for WLS : December 18, 2008 : BY LEWIS LAZARE Sun-Times Columnist : Just about every development in the strange and crazy world of Chicago radio has a backstory. And the backstory pieced together about the sudden move of program director Bob Shomper from WGN-AM (720) to WLS-AM (890) may be one of the strangest and craziest ever. : We've never known of a radio general manager who willingly -- even eagerly -- desired to hand over a station's programming director to a competitor, but that apparently was the case with WGN Vice President and General Manager Tom Langmyer. : Casting himself in the unusual role of a saintlike benevolent figure in a bizarre behind-the-scenes radio saga, Langmyer evidently became aware a while ago that the politically conservative Shomper, his much-lauded programming director for the past 2 1/2 years, had grown increasingly unhappy in that job at Tribune Co.-owned WGN, which, unbeknownst to us, has evolved into a station with a relatively liberal bent. At least in comparison to Citadel Broadcasting's news/talk radio station WLS, where, since his arrival there earlier this year, Market Manager Mike Fowler has been feverishly reworking things to transform his station into a worthy rival to WGN. In fact, as Fowler was only too happy to tell us, WLS has been beating WGN in the ratings in recent weeks, since the Chicago Cubs left the WGN program line-up in October. : But any concerns Langmyer may have had about a resurgent WLS supposedly took a back seat to his desire to see Shomper made a happier programming director by helping smooth Shomper's move to WLS -- a move Shomper and Langmyer first discussed weeks ago. Fowler also had told Shomper he was interested in having the WGN programming director join WLS-AM. : So with Langmyer's blessing, Shomper began negotiating his jump to WLS while the WGN boss searched for Shomper's replacement. When Langmyer's choice, Kevin Metheny, was announced this week at almost the same moment WLS was announcing Shomper's arrival, a lot of savvy types in the Chicago broadcasting world started scratching their heads and wondering why Metheny? In explaining his decision in an e-mail, Langmyer made reference to Metheny's "real ear for talent" and his status as a "proven coach with a winning track record," noting Metheny had managed to make a news/talk station No. 1 in the Cleveland market. : More skeptical radio executives here in Chicago believe Langmyer's choice of Metheny, who left his last job three months ago, had little or nothing to do with the programming director's putative victories in Cleveland. Rather they suspect the choice was more about Metheny's being an "old buddy," as one source put it, of Tribune Co. Chief Operating Officer Randy Michaels, himself an old radio guy. Langmyer doesn't subscribe to such cynical reasoning. : For his part, Shomper wasn't talking much about his change in jobs. He would only say he is looking forward to coaching the on-air talent at WLS and helping make the station stronger. We don't have to tell you, however, that WLS' Fowler is hugely pleased about the pending arrival on Dec. 29 of Shomper, who, of course, brings with him an intimate knowledge of how WGN operates. "Bob's a solid programmer with great people skills," Fowler said.

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