Feder: New deal for Lou Manfredini expands WGN Radio show

Lou Manfredini, the handyman extraordinaire known as "Mr. Fix It," will add a fourth hour to his Saturday morning home improvement show on WGN 720-AM under a four-year contract extension announced today with the Nexstar news/talk station, Robert Feder writes.

Starting Jan. 2, "HouseSmarts Radio with Lou Manfredini" will air from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturdays.

The additional hour coincides with the retirement of agribusiness icon Orion Samuelson, who now hosts a one-hour Saturday morning show with Max Armstrong. "Outside the Loop Radio with Mike Stephen" will move to 5 a.m. Saturdays.

"We are excited to continue the legacy that Lou has built at WGN Radio the past 25 years," Mary Sandberg Boyle, vice president and general manager of WGN, said in a statement. "While his media empire looks a lot different now than when he first started here, one thing remains the same: Lou is here to serve the audience. He is patient and kind with every listener, while keeping his genuine sense of humor. He truly is the definition of the 'helpful hardware man.'"

Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.