Former WGN Radio anchor Judy Pielach joins new WLS Radio morning show

Judy Pielach (Photo: Kristy Vicari)

Longtime Chicago radio news personality Judy Pielach has signed on as a contributor to the new Bruce St. James morning show at Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM.

Starting Monday, Pielach will join St. James from 5:30 to 9 a.m. weekdays, rounding out a cast that includes news anchor Nick Gale and executive producer Midge Ripoli.

It’s been two years since Pielach accepted a buyout from news/talk WGN 720-AM and stepped down as afternoon news anchor at the former Tribune Broadcasting station. In 2017 she was inducted in the WGN Radio Walk of Fame.

A graduate of Maine North High School and Southern Illinois University, Pielach joined WGN in 1986 and held a variety of roles including news anchor, reporter, managing editor and program host.

The move reunites Pielach with WLS program director Stephanie Tichenor, who worked with her when Tichenor was director of news and operations at WGN.

Bruce St. James

Calling Pielach a “radio force majeure that has delivered the news to Chicago audiences for decades,” Tichenor told staffers in an email: “Now her strong voice, wit and wisdom will be heard every weekday morning on 890 WLS-AM. . . . Judy is a perfect match for Bruce. She’s local, she’s funny and she knows the news that Chicago is talking about.”

St. James, just in from Phoenix, launched his new morning show one week ago. The Washington, D.C., native succeeded Erich Mancow Muller, who parted company with WLS in November after two years.

In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, WLS ranked 14th in mornings with a 2.4 percent share and a cumulative weekly audience of 133,200.

Friday’s comment of the day: Burt Levy: Since CBS 2 Chicago elected to part ways with Rob Johnson, Megan Glaros, Marissa Bailey and Pam Zekman, I have elected to part ways with CBS 2 Chicago. The disrespect they showed all — but especially Pam Zekman — was disgusting and disappointing.