Jim Laski

If there were a special wing in the Radio Hall of Fame for classless jerks, Jim Laski would be the first inductee.

The exhibit would include a recording of Laski's final show Saturday on WCPT AM 820 in which he went after the station's bosses for having the nerve to expect him to pay his bills.

Laski, who'd been buying two hours of air time a week on the Newsweb Radio station since April, blamed the cancellation of his show after six months on "financial issues," telling listeners: "You know, I’m not getting paid for this. I had to dish out the money. I had to broker this show. And I had to get sponsors."

Guess he didn't do a very good job of it.

Laski, you'll recall, is the former Chicago city clerk who pleaded guilty to taking bribes in office and served 11 months of his two-year sentence in federal prison. After his release, the convicted felon began a new career as a radio talk show host, courtesy of the geniuses who were running WGN AM 720 at the time. Among a litany of low points for the Tribune Broadcasting news/talk station, hiring Laski was the lowest.

Fired after eight months as evening host on WGN, Laski eventually made a deal to buy time on WCPT from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays, following Dick Kay's "Back on the Beat." By all accounts, it was an odd fit for the progressive talk station, which is owned by Fred Eychaner, the Chicago media mogul and prominent contributor to liberal candidates and causes.

"I doubt you or many of our listeners will agree with Laski — or even believe Laski — on all issues," Charley Gross, president of Newsweb Radio, said at the time. "But I do expect our listeners will find it entertaining."

The honeymoon didn't last long. After just four weeks on the air, Laski fell behind on payments and his show went on hiatus until July. Laski attributed the lapse to "family issues that needed my attention."

As a broadcaster, Laski proved no more adept or articulate on WCPT than he had on WGN. He acknowledged as much on his finale Saturday: "Here’s the thing. Radio is radio. It’s not easy and not everybody’s gonna agree with you. And I’m not the best talent by a long shot. But you know one thing I pride myself in? That I was genuine, was honest — I still am — and I really try to bring a common sense perspective as someone who knows Chicago politics and the Chicago scene. So hopefully, you know, that resonates."

In the show's closing moments, Laski couldn't resist taking a shot at one of the station's executives: "Mark Earnest, director of sales, I’d like to thank you a little bit, but I don’t think I should," he said. "You didn’t really kick ass trying to sell ads. I think you gave me a lot of, a little smokescreen here. But anyway, thank you for what you tried to do."

Then he dropped a bomb on Gross: "Our president, Charley Gross, I can’t say anything? Or can I? But anyway, here’s what I’m gonna say: Charley, thanks, kind of. All right? You know, it’s all about business. I understand that. And one last thing I’ll say about Charley, and then we’ll move on to our final topic here, is Charley, there’s the Goodman Theatre. I go there all the time. And at Christmas time they have the play 'The Christmas Carol.' OK? Charley, you can try out for Scrooge in that play."

Fair warning: Laski vows he won't be away from a microphone for long. He said he plans to launch a podcast from his home next month.

"My goal is to keep the LASKI FILES rolling on a regular basis with my posts and my podcasts, hopefully you will continue to support my show!" he wrote on Facebook. "We don't always have to agree but trust me will make the LASKI FILES UNCENSORED very entertaining!!!!"