{"id":1294,"date":"2013-11-20T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2013-11-20T15:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.robertfeder.com\/?p=1294"},"modified":"2013-11-20T09:19:53","modified_gmt":"2013-11-20T15:19:53","slug":"listen-up-kevheads-matthews-to-wgn-fm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robertfeder.dailyherald.com\/2013\/11\/20\/listen-up-kevheads-matthews-to-wgn-fm\/","title":{"rendered":"Listen up, Kevheads: Matthews gives voice to WGN.FM"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Kevin<\/a>

<\/a> Kevin Matthews<\/p><\/div>\n

The man of a thousand voices is bringing them all to WGN.FM.<\/a><\/p>\n

Chicago radio veteran Kevin Matthews is forming a creative alliance with Tribune Broadcasting to serve as the imaging voice and overall spirit of WGN.FM, the online content portal associated with WGN AM 720. Known informally as \u201cThe G,\u201d the site is being developed to incorporate audio, video and social media components.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really want to give Kevin a fun platform for all of his characters \u2014 hopefully to do things he\u2019s never been able to do before,\u201d said Todd Manley, vice president of creative content at WGN. \u201cAnd he\u2019d done some pretty cool, crazy stuff.\u201d Matthews will work from his home studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to convince Jim Shorts to be the PD of the station,\u201d Manley joked. \u201cI don\u2019t know how that\u2019s gonna go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthews, 57, said he decided to \u201cgo back to the starting line\u201d after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2008: \u201cI\u2019ve launched radio stations, custom formats and programs. I've learned audio and HD film editing, animation, podcasting and vod-casting. I have polished up old characters and given birth to new ones,\u201d he told me. \u201cI've embraced MS, I continue to work with Children's Charities and have devoted myself to my church and family.\"<\/p>\n

After rocketing to stardom on the Loop under Jimmy deCastro and Larry Wert [now both at Tribune Broadcasting], Matthews enjoyed an 18-year run on Chicago radio. It ended in 2005 when he returned to Grand Rapids to host mornings on WLAV FM. Since leaving terrestrial radio, Matthews has been creating content for Steve Dahl\u2019s subscription podcast network, where he produces two shows a week for dahl.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"I owe my success to Jimmy deCastro, Larry Wert and the city of Chicago,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen Jimmy asked if he and WGN.FM could use my voice in some creative projects, I just smiled, yelled \u2018Freebird\u2019 and fell down a flight of steps because of my MS. Life is good!\u201d<\/p>\n

Launched in September, <\/a>WGN.FM has been the home of Jonathon Brandmeier, who shifted his morning show from WGN AM to the new site. Sportscaster Harry Teinowitz follows Brandmeier\u2019s live stream from 9 to 11 a.m., with both programs replayed throughout the day.<\/p>\n

In addition to serving as a precursor to an eventually FM broadcast outlet, Manley said, the goal of \u201cThe G\u201d is to become \u201can interactive destination that will be a content portal \u2014 especially a video content portal \u2014 for everything we do at 'GN.\u201d<\/p>\n

The faces of Kevin Matthews:<\/p>\n\n\t