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Feder: Orion Samuelson to retire after 60 years at WGN Radio

On the eve of his 60th anniversary as the booming voice of agriculture and business at WGN 720-AM, Orion Samuelson says it's time to retire from the Nexstar Media Group news/talk station, Robert Feder writes.

A beloved hall of fame broadcaster and Chicago media icon if there ever was one, Samuelson, 86, informed his bosses he'll bow out at the end of the year.

“December 31st will be my last time on the air at WGN,” Samuelson told me Tuesday. “I don't know how many broadcasters have been around for 60 or more years, so I don't know if it's that much of a milestone.”

“The Big O,” as he's known around the station, will continue to deliver five or six daily business reports for WGN until he hangs up the mic and rides off into the sunset with his wife, Gloria. They plan to divide their time between homes in west suburban Huntley and Scottsdale, Arizona.

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

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