Lite FM ready to welcome back ex-morning star
But instead of hosting mornings again, Forman is expected to take over afternoons at the Clear Channel Radio adult-contemporary station.
If all goes as planned, she will replace Coco Cortez, whose last day on the air at Lite FM was Saturday. No reason was cited for Cortez' ouster after only eight months.
Forman's hiring presumably would shut down the revolving door at Lite FM, where she would become the fourth personality to occupy afternoons in less than a year. Cortez was preceded by Kevin O'Neill (via recorded voice tracks from Detroit) and Dave Hilton, who shifted to full-time duties as production director.
Hilton has been filling in this week while Forman finalizes her deal.
Forman, who grew up in north suburban Northbrook and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, hosted mornings at northwest suburban WKIE-FM (92.7) under Big City Radio ownership before signing on at Lite FM for the first time in 2001.
She recently landed a television gig as host of "Homes Plus," a home-buying showcase on Tribune Co.-owned news channel CLTV. She also filled in as guest co-host for a week on Bruce Wolf's "Barely Today," the new 4:30 a.m. weekday newscast on NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5.
Fired were Mike Stern as vice president of programming (with responsibility over both stations), and Tim Dukes as program director of the Loop.
Marv Nyren, vice president and general manager of the Loop and Q101, said he plans to replace both programmers with one "brand product manager," who will oversee all areas other than sales, including programming, marketing, promotion and Web site activities.
The search will not be limited to individuals with radio experience. "We're looking for a different set of skills," Nyren said. "This is all about leadership as we move forward."
In restructuring the position, he said, emphasis would be on adapting the stations and their products to the new Portable People Meter electronic audience measurement technology to be introduced by Arbitron Co. early next year.
Expanded duties will be assumed by the two stations' assistant program directors/music directors -- Bill Klaproth at the Loop and Brett "Spike" Eskin at Q101.
Nyren unequivocally ruled out any changes in either station's format or in the struggling improv/comedy morning show on Q101 that replaced Mancow Muller last year.
Stern, 37, who became Q101's fifth program director in six years when he signed on in 2003, was forced out despite public and private assurances from his bosses that his unconventional morning show concept would be given time to succeed.
"I thank everyone at Emmis for the opportunities I was afforded," Stern said. "I hope the 'Morning Fix' gets a chance to spread its wings and be successful."
Dukes, 40, who joined the Loop in 2005 shortly after Emmis acquired the station from Bonneville International, was equally diplomatic. "I felt I had one of the best programming jobs in America, especially with the chance to work with [morning personality] Jonathon Brandmeier," he said. "Whatever happens for me next, I hope it will be in Chicago."
In the latest Arbitron quarterly survey, the Loop tied for 18th place with a 2.0 percent share, while Q101 tied for 28th with a 1.2 share.
Although Emmis bosses insist they've had no second thoughts, it's fair to wonder whether Q101 would be better off if "Mancow's Morning Madhouse" had been renewed.
"I'm far too classy to gloat," Muller said Tuesday. "Excuse me, I have to go pop some champagne now."
He'll move up from the afternoon slot he has held since October at Love FM.
Replacing Edwards in afternoons will be Brian Peck, who most recently has hosted middays at hot adult-contemporary sister station WTMX-FM (101.9).
It's the second time Peck has made the identical move. In 2003, he shifted from middays at the Mix to afternoons at WILV's predecessor, adult-contemporary WNND.
A 15-year veteran of the market, Peck first joined the Mix in 1996 after a variety of on-air roles at Q101.
Succeeding Peck in middays at the Mix is Renee Dubay, who's been working part-time and weekends since last May.
An inductee in the Nebraska Radio Hall of Fame, Dubay previously hosted middays as Allison Steel at KQKQ-FM in Omaha and doubled as program director and midday host at WAIT-FM in Omaha.
At his induction in the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame this week, Gibson waxed eloquently about growing up in north suburban Evanston.
Although his family was late in getting their first television, Gibson recalled begging his father to take him to see Marlin Perkins' "Zoo Parade," a popular NBC show that originated from Lincoln Park Zoo.
There, the 10-year-old Charlie Gibson was plucked from the audience and made his debut on TV.
"I loved it," he recalled Monday. "To me, it was the best thing ever."
• Publicist and ubiquitous talk show personality Kathy Posner will be honored by Israel's Shaare Zedek Medical Center at a Hilton Chicago luncheon today.
• Because of a Blackhawks game, Chicago viewers have to wait until Thursday to see Chuck Garfien's piece on Craig Lynch, the free-lance writer who covers prep sports for the Sun-Times despite his blindness.
It will air on Comcast SportsNet's "Net Impact" at 9:30 p.m. Thursday.