Posted by RW Ray on August 14, 2009 at 13:22:33:
A tip of the proverbial hat goes out to the Program Director for WXRT and VP of Rock Programming for CBS Radio. It's time to wish a Happy Anniversary to WXRT's skipper, Norm Winer!
I do believe that it was on this day, 30 long years ago, that Norm Winer joined WXRT. He has been there ever since. 30 years is an amazing accomplishment in any industry. It is pretty much unheard of in radio. Despite some ownership changes, numerous corporate management changes, changing musical tastes and an ever-changing economy, Norm Winer has been able to survive & thrive at WXRT. As PD, he has been amazingly able to keep the musical output of the station as close to the original vision as possible. Under Norm, not only has the music heard on the station stayed consistent, he has been able to keep the airstaff fairly consistent as well, endearing the station to hearts of Chicagoans for decades.
In an age where the longer somebody works at a station, the more expendable & disposable they become, he has continued to help WXRT defy the odds, while defying the odds himself. Just look at yesterday's 25-54 numbers. WXRT is a Top 10 station. What he is doing, and has done, works... and works well.
He is quiet man who never toots his own horn. I will publicly toot it for him right here. Norm Winer deserves a round of applause for his three decades of service to Chicago's airwaves and to making WXRT the nation's benchmark AAA radio station for such a long period of time.
Congratulations on 30 years, Norm Winer -- and Thank You for those years.