Chicago radio pioneer dies


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Posted by Bud on January 11, 2010 at 16:26:51:

One of Chicago's radio pioneers, Wesley W. South, has passed away from natural causes at the age of 95. Wesley South was the Chairman Emeritus of Midway Broadcasting Corporation, the parent company of WVON-AM 1690.

South began his radio career in 1963. A local radio executive was worried about being penalized by the FCC for not having Blacks on his airwaves so he approached South, who was working as a columnist for the NAACP at that time. He became host of their "Hotline" public affairs show. The popularity of "Wesley South's Hotline" helped pave the way for WVON's current all-talk format, targeted for the Black audience. He is widely credited as a pioneer of Black talk radio. In 1975, South, along with Pervis Spann, purchased the station and formed the Midway Broadcasting Corporation. In 1986, it was South that flipped WVON's format from mostly music to all-talk.

Wesley South was among the first African-Americans to graduate from Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism. As a journalist, South worked for the Chicago Defender, the Chicago American, the Chicago Daily News, and as an editor for the magazines of the Johnson Publishing Company.

He is survived by his daughter, retired Appellate Court Justice Leslie South, her husband and son. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 16th at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 5100 South Prairie Avenue in Chicago from 10:00am-Noon. Mr. South's body will lie in state at Leak & Sons Funeral Home, 7838 S. Cottage Grove Ave. in Chicago, on Friday, January 15th from 5:00pm-8:00pm.


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