My Dream Radio Station

Those of you that know me are probably aware of how much talk radio I listen to. In fact, as I write this, I am listening to 540 ESPN. Talk radio has been something that I have always enjoyed. The older I get, the more I listen. Inevitably, I develop listening patterns and loyalties to certain personalities and shows.

Unfortunately, radio is an extremely mercurial business and things are always changing. Just when you start becoming fond of a show and it’s time slot, it either moves or the host is sent packing. Or both.

Being a relatively anal-retentive individual, I hate these changes! Change is not good! No, I greatly prefer reliability and stability. I want to know what I am going to hear when I point the remote at my Bose music system. Alas, this does not always happen.

So what am I to do? How can I hear whom I want to hear - when I want to hear them? How do I solve this perplexing conundrum?

During a restless moment last night I came up with the remedy to my dilemma. Eureka! It was simple, acquire and program my own radio station.

Okay, obviously I am not going to obtain a radio station anytime soon. But that being said, it doesn’t mean I can’t set a lineup for my dream radio station. So, that’s exactly what I did last night before finally falling asleep.

Here is the weekday schedule for my fantasy radio station:

6:00 am to 10:00 am - Steve Dahl and Garry Meier. It would be wonderful to be able to listen to these guys in the morning again. I followed this duo from their 1979 debut at WLUP until their 1993 split-up when they returned to WLUP.

10:00 am to 2:00 pm – The D-List from 540 ESPN, featuring Drew Olson, Dan Needles and Bill Johnson. It’s time for sports and these are the guys that I want to hear it from. Currently my favorite sports talk show.

2:00 pm to 6:00 pm – The Heavy Fuel Crew with Dan McNeil and Terry Boers. These guys were so entertaining when they teamed up on WSCR. Did not care for either of them when they went with new partners.

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm – Instant Replay with Pat Hegewald and Tom Roders. A local show that WLIP pulled the plug on way too soon. To add insult to injury they replaced it with an inferior product. Instant Replay was more than a sports talk show; it was almost a variety show.

10:00 pm to 2:00 am – Nick Digilio. This is easily the most interesting show on WGN. Even when Nick talks about mundane, everyday events, it cracks me up every time. It is nice to fall asleep chuckling.

2:00 am to 6:00 am – Tommy Williams. On those nights when you can’t sleep, it’s always good to be able to listen to someone like Tommy. I can still hear him saying, “What’s up partner?” when he was doing overnights on WSCR back in the day.

The weekend schedule for my mythical station would look like this:

6:00 am to 10:00 pm – Matt Spiegel will kick the weekends off on my make-believe station. Matt has loads of experience from his time with Sporting News Radio. He will resurrect his popular “Call Me Skip” segment during the baseball season.

10:00 am to 2:00 pm – Scott Wisniewski, Frank Cossentino and Matt Salmon would anchor my weekend fantasy show. This talented duo from 540 ESPN will cover all sports with a heavy emphasis on fantasy sports.

2:00 pm to 6:00 pm – Jonathan Hood and Jason Goff will team up on Saturdays and Sundays. The personality and sports acumen of this pair will definitely keep people tuned in on a regular basis.

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm – Cliff Saunders is versatile enough to wrap up all of the weekend action. His strong opinions will make for an interesting weekend show.

10:00 pm to 2:00 am – Brian Noonan. This funny man currently handles overnights at WGN. His strong comedy background makes him ideal for this spot. Maybe because he has appeared on numerous game shows, he always conducts interesting contests.

2:00 am to 6:00 am – Les Grobstein will wrap up the weekends. What better way to segue into a new day?!? This veteran sports talk personality will either keep you up late or get you up early.

There you have it, my own personal radio station lineup. It might not be everyone’s idea of perfect programming, but for me it would be ideal. This way whenever I hit the remote on my Bose music system I would know for sure who was on! Until next time…from the booth.

Note to those of you expecting my Survivor review usually found in this spot. It will return…WHEN THE SHOW STOPS SUCKING!