Tribune producer Jim Wiser ready for ‘whatever comes next’

Jim Wiser

Jim Wiser

After more than two years as executive producer of video programming at ChicagoTribune.com, Jim Wiser is back in play.

His position was eliminated this week in a restructuring of the department, effective November 28. A Tribune spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Wiser, 50, headed a staff of about a dozen young video journalists and editors who produced live webcasts and other digital content from the newsroom of the Chicago Tribune.

One of Chicago’s best known and most versatile producers, Wiser went digital in May 2012 after more than nine years at Tribune Media news/talk WGN-AM (720), where he rose to executive producer of programming and oversaw morning shows hosted by  Spike O’Dell, John Williams and Greg Jarrett. For a decade before that, he was a producer at Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32, where he worked closely with Bob Sirott on “Fox Thing in the Morning.”

He first became prominent as intrepid producer Jimmy “Bud” Wiser on Jonathon Brandmeier’s former WLUP-FM (97.9) morning show from 1983 to 1992.

“My resume is pretty diverse,” Wiser said. “Whatever comes next I’ll be ready for — whether it’s digital, television or radio.”