Feder: Newsman John Dempsey announces retirement from WLS Radio

You won't find a more solid and reliable newsman in all of Chicago radio than John Dempsey. Now he's voluntarily stepping down as news director and afternoon news anchor at WLS 890-AM, Robert Feder writes.

Dempsey, 60, announced Monday he's retiring after 38 years in broadcast journalism, including the last 13 at the Cumulus Media news/talk station.

His final day on the air with afternoon host Big John Howell will be December 23.

"My career in news has been one of the highlights of my life, one that has allowed me to cover thousands of stories and meet people from every walk of life," Dempsey wrote in an email to colleagues. "The entire experience has made me a better person and enriched my life beyond anything I could have imagined, but now I want to step aside to give myself more time to think about my next chapter."

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