Joseph J. Gentile’s WJJG-AM Chicago has managed to steal the internet’s ultimate weapon, “The ForceCast.” The hosts of the show hope to “save AM Radio and restore freedom to the broadcasting galaxy.” WJJG GM Matt Dubiel announced the addition of the wildly popular Star Wars podcast known as “The ForceCast.” And, with the enduring Lucasfilm franchise returning to theaters with “Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace 3D”, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate.
WJJG tells us The Forcecast is the #1 authority on Star Wars news and culture (www.forcecast.net). It’s not on the station’s website yet and the start date of the show is TBD, but in February for sure.
The ForceCast is hosted and produced by Ohio marketing man Jason Swank and long time Chicago radio production wizard Jimmy “Mac” McInerney. Jimmy Mac spent many years as the man behind the sound of Jonathon Brandmeier’s show and is currently the production director at WERV The River in Suburban Chicago.
“The Radio business is so ridiculous that talented RADIO people are creating great content people LOVE- and RADIO stations aren’t airing it!” says Dubiel. “You wanna know where the talent is? It’s on the web…and it WILL be on 1530 WJJG, so long as I have anything to say about it.”
From the sound of things, expect more “podcasts” turned broadcasts on weekends on WJJG. Look for an announcement from the station next week about the addition of an MTV icon, a world famous tech blogger, a Mixmaster and more.
In July, 2011 the station began evolving from its longtime “brokered” lineup to a more mainstream talk format with daypart programming starring Mancow Muller and Michael Savage and hourly vignettes from Steve Dahl.
RBR-TVBR observation: In today’s multimedia world, good content is good content. While the trend has been to take hot programming from terrestrial radio and TV to the net, there is absolutely no reason why it can’t be the other way around. WJJG is one station blazing that trail!
