Feder: Story prompts WGN Radio to cut ties with Crain's Chicago Business

WGN 720-AM abruptly severed its longstanding partnership with Crain's Chicago Business Monday over a story that speculated on a possible sale of the Nexstar Media Group news/talk station, Robert Feder writes.

As a result of the move, Crain's editors, reporters and other contributors no longer will appear on any WGN Radio programs, and the station no longer will host the Monday-through-Thursday business news podcast "Crain's Daily Gist" on its website. A WGN microphone was removed from Crain's newsroom Monday, sources said.

Despite denials from Nexstar executives of any plans to sell the company's stand-alone radio property, the Crain's story by Dalton Barker quoted industry analysts suggesting that recent changes in personnel and programming were "potentially positioning the 95-year-old Chicago station for another sale."

Nexstar acquired WGN Radio in September as part of its $6.4 billion takeover of parent company Tribune Media. It inherited a nearly decade-old cross-promotional arrangement with Crain's that included regular appearances on the noontime "Wintrust Business Lunch" by real estate reporter Dennis Rodkin and director of digital strategy and custom media Frank Sennett, among other prominent staffers.

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