Jennifer Keiper
The newest voice on Chicago’s all-news station is a familiar one: Jennifer Keiper has rejoined top-rated WBBM 780-AM/WCFS 105.9-FM as a news anchor and reporter.
The move comes just days after Keiper resigned from Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM as afternoon news anchor and host of the weekly auto show “Drive Chicago.” Her replacement has not yet been named.
“We’re happy to welcome a familiar face as the newest member of WBBM’s reportorial staff,” Ron Gleason, director of news and programming at the Entercom station, told staffers in an email Monday. “Now she’ll be a valued contributor as both a reporter and anchor here at WBBM.”
Keiper previously worked at WBBM Newsradio, first as a traffic reporter and later as a part-time anchor/reporter. Following that, she began the first of two stints at WLS, with a six-year run as Midwest correspondent for Fox News Radio in between.
A graduate of Oak Park River Forest High School, Northern Illinois University and Columbia College, Keiper began her career at WKRS 1220-AM and WXLC 102.3-FM in Waukegan before joining Entercom Top 40 WBBM 96.3-FM as a morning news producer. She later became morning news anchor, acting news director and community affairs director at B96.
Her most recent run at WLS, starting in 2014, raised Keiper’s profile as a featured contributor to Steve Dahl’s afternoon show. In December Dahl and co-hosts Dag Juhlin and Brendan Greeley were cut as Cumulus Media completed the station's shift to conservative talk with syndicated host Ben Shapiro.
“Working with Jennifer for the last four years at WLS AM was a pleasure,” Dahl said Monday. “She’s a hard worker, and not only did a great job delivering the news, but was also a big contributor to the show. I’m glad that she found a station commensurate with her talent. I’m also relieved that working with Dag, Brendan and me didn’t damage her reputation too badly.”
Monday’s comment of the day: Dan Miller: Very encouraging to read that the Museum of Broadcast Communications is out of debt after 20 years of struggle. The museum is an under-appreciated and under-marketed attraction for tourists and scholars — and locals with an appreciation for artifacts and data. I hope that with the anchor of debt jettisoned, the museum can direct its efforts at creating a national brand.