WGN Radio 720 is receiving some backlash from listeners after it was revealed that its Walk of Fame was relocated to a grassy patch adjacent to the station’s transmitter site.
Chicago media writer Robert Feder spoke to the station’s vice president and general manager, Mary Sandberg Boyle who said the plaques will eventually find a new home.
The WGN Radio Walk of Fame started seven years ago as a promotional gimmick by former general manager Jimmy deCastro who left the station in 2016.
The original Walk of Fame was located at Tribune Tower 435 North Michigan Avenue.
Pictures of the current home honoring some of the station’s biggest stars elicited mixed reactions from Feder’s readers.
“Offer individual markers to the honorees or their heirs as an additional (and unexpected) career memento,” suggested one reader. “Rheingold Brewing ended the annual Miss Rheingold program after 26 years. All good things, etc., etc.”
“Pioneer Court [outside Tribune Tower] is torn up and we had to get them out of the ground,” Boyle said. “We don’t have a showcase studio at 303 so the sidewalk here doesn’t make much sense. We’ve talked about a lot of options but haven’t settled on anything yet.”
WGN is owned and operated by Nexstar Media Group took over in 2019 – the same year the last group of honorees was inducted.
