Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 14, 2009 at 16:02:25:
Long-running Chicago radio show to go silent
October 13, 2009 5:31 PM
One of Chicago's longest running radio shows, the Jewish Community Hour, will go silent Oct. 25.
A fixture on Chicago's local airwaves, the show's assortment of news, religious commentary, comedy and music has aired at 11 a.m. Sundays on WCGO-AM 1590 (formerly WNOX) for more than 46 years.
Bernie Finkel, an observant Orthodox Jew who has hosted and produced the show for more than three decades, said the show has struggled to stay afloat for decades.
He blames the poor economy for leading even the most loyal sponsors--kosher markets and an electronics store--to scale back.
"It's a question of continuity of advertising," he said. "If I have to keep dishing out money, it doesn't make sense."
But Finkel also cites the shift of priorities in the Jewish community. He got no monetary response when he appealed to organizations and former sponsors to save the show earlier this year.
"The roots of the current generation are not the same," he said. "The show has run its course, apparently."
--Manya Brachear, Chicago Tribune