Schwalb To Lead WBBM/Chicago

• Audacy has named News-Talk pro Craig Schwalb as Brand Manager and News Director of WBBM Newsradio (WBBM-AM/WCFS-FM)/Chicago, effective January 23. He will succeed longtime station veteran Ron Gleason, who recently announced his retirement.

“When Ron Gleason announced his retirement last summer, we knew we had a major challenge in replacing him, since Ron has been the driving force behind WBBM for nearly two decades,” said Greg Solk, VP of Programming & Operations, Audacy Chicago. “We believe we have struck gold in tapping Craig Schwalb as WBBM’s new Brand Manager. Craig’s vast experience in news and spoken word formats, most recently running content and operations at WTOP in Washington, gives him the ideal skill set to lead this brand and drive innovation and growth for Chicago’s most trusted news voice.”

As Solk noted, Schwalb most recently served as Director of Content Integration and Operations for Hubbard’s WTOP/Washington, preceded by a five-year run as PD of Cumulus (now Red Apple-owned) News-Talk 77 WABC/New York. Schwalb earlier programmed WPRO-AM/Providence, WKRK/Detroit and WRBZ-AM/Raleigh, and also served as Sr. Director of Talk Programming for SiriusXM and APD of WNEW/New York.

“The chance to lead WBBM is an incredible opportunity that doesn’t come around often,” said Schwalb. “It brings me back to my home state and to a city that I adore, while working with the team behind one of the nation’s elite news radio brands. Thank you to Jeff Sottolano, Rachel Williamson, Greg Solk and Bill Smee for their support in allowing me the honor of leading this great station.”