Posted by Bud on November 30, 2009 at 19:07:52:
WLUP replaces Brandmeier with Byrd
November 30, 2009
BY LEWIS LAZARE
Chicago Sun-Times Media and Marketing Columnist
Jonathon Brandmeier is out at Emmis Communications' classic rock WLUP-FM (97.9). On Monday, fill-in host Pete McMurray fronted the station's morning drive show normally helmed by Brandmeier.
In an interview Monday, WLUP General Manager Marv Nyren said neither he nor Brandmeier could discuss anything about the morning drive host's exit because of a confidentiality agreement the two had signed.
But according to Nyren, beginning Tuesday, WLUP's current mid-day host John Kempf, who goes by the on-air moniker 'Byrd,' will become the station's new morning drive host. 'He has the rock sound we want,' said Nyren. Kempf, who has been with WLUP for seven years, had been WLUP's morning drive host for 11 months before Brandmeier returned to WLUP in 2005. Nyren said he did not believe Brandmeier's departure signaled the beginning of the end of personality-driven music radio in Chicago. 'I just don't think we're going to have four hours of personality and 20 hours of music,' added Nyren, referring to the extremely heavy dollop of personality Brandmeier typically dished out on his morning drive show at WLUP. 'Byrd will be playing a lot of music,' said Nyren.