The Chicago radio legend (WCKG, WDAI, WLUP, WMVP and WLS) has decided to skip his induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame, reports Chicago media expert Robert Feder. The move, likely because he’s have to accept the award with his estranged radio partner Garry Meier (“Steve and Garry” on WLUP and WLS), was explained by Dahl in Feder’s story:
“Dahl said Thursday he’s decided not to attend the black-tie ceremony Nov. 9 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, citing his “general disinterest in the proceedings” and chiding Meier for not returning his phone call to discuss the event in advance.
Meier previously notified Radio Hall of Fame chairman Bruce DuMont that he would attend. Slated to induct the duo is Greg Solk, senior vice president of programming for Hubbard Radio. Solk began his career as a 16-year-old producer for Dahl and Meier’s morning show and later became their program director and station manager.
In his first comment since this year’s Radio Hall of Fame honorees were announced last June, here’s what Dahl told me:
“I wanted no part of it until Greg Solk told me he got roped into inducting us. He said he didn’t want to do it if I wasn’t there, so I called Garry and left him a voicemail. I said it might be fun, but only if we did something together. He never returned my call. I asked Jim deCastro [president and general manager of WGN AM 720] to check into it for me. It’s been two weeks and even Jim has been unable to prevail. [Meier joined WGN in 2009 and hosts afternoons on the Tribune Broadcasting news/talker].
They used a shit picture of me, I’d have to buy a $5,000 table for my family, and they want to approve my 90-second acceptance speech. All of that combined with my general disinterest in the proceedings has made me anxious to stay home and listen to Garry explain how he got there — and why — in his allotted minute and a half. Maybe I’ll buy an ad in the program to promote my podcast.”
Dahl releases the podcasts for download daily from his own website as well as the iTunes Store. Originally, Dahl broadcast with Detroit stations WABX and WWWW and later with the Chicago stations.
The alleged reason for the duo’s split was Dahl’s on-air comments about Meier’s new wife Cynthia Fircak, while the new couple were on their honeymoon. Dahl blamed Fircak for the split, once saying on air “When I met her, I knew the rules had just changed.”
Other Radio Hall of Fame inductees this year are broadcasters Blair Garner, John Lanigan, Paul W. Smith, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo and Charley Steiner, and (posthumously) radio manufacturer Powel Crosley Jr.
See the RobertFeder.com story here
