Steve Dahl Jumps JACK

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 29, 2007 8:05PM

So the word is semi-official, according to Robert Feder ... Steve Dahl is moving from afternoons at WCKG to take over mornings on WJMK, better known as JACK-FM. On one hand this move makes perfect sense. No one has really dominated Chicago's morning-drive since Mancow's popularity plummeted, and Howard Stern took to satellite. Dahl is a pretty dependable commodity that we're reasonably certain will deliver the ratings.

At the same time, WJMK has been the only commercial radio station we've been able to tolerate for more than 10-minutes over the last year or so. We're certainly aware that we lie smack-dab in the middle of their target demographic, and most of our enjoyment has roots in sentimentality. At the same time they are -- outside of the low-watt indie or college stations -- the best bet at truly delivering a pleasantly jarring mix of styles and eras that can occasionally offer honest surprise and intriguing juxtaposition. We hope Dahl's arrival is not the harbinger of a larger format change.

And there is also the larger question of what is going to happen to WCKG's format. Phil Rosenthal opines that Dahl's departure might usher in the station's switch to either a Spanish format, or one targeting the adult female-listener demographic. Would that be an improvement? What do you think of these developments? Or could you really care less since you gave up listening to commercial / terrestrial radio years ago?

Photo of Big Steve Dahl from Dahl's website