Garry Meier

Garry Meier (born December 2, 1949) is a Chicago-based radio personality who has been active in Chicago radio since 1973. Meier is well known for being part of the highly successful radio duos "Steve & Garry" and "Roe and Garry", but he also hosted shows on WFYR, WYEN, WLUP, WCKG, WGN and WGN.FM at various times in his career. Meier is also a former feature reporter for WGN-TV's morning show and is a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. As of March 12, 2016, he has a new show broadcast in Podcast format via his website.

Garry Meier
Born (1949-12-02) December 2, 1949
Career
CountryUnited States
Previous show(s)Steve & Garry
The Roe & Garry Show
The Garry Meier Show
Websitehttp://garrymeier.com/

Beginnings

Garry Meier spent his childhood in Oak Forest and graduated from Tinley Park High School in 1968.[1] He went to pharmacy school but did not receive a degree.[2] Meier started out as a DJ at WFYR in 1973, then moved to WYEN in 1974. He left WYEN in 1977 and joined WLUP in 1977, broadcasting under the pseudonym "Matthew Meier", as their overnight DJ. Here, he met morning DJ Steve Dahl and the two were teamed up in the morning slot in 1979.

Steve & Garry

The team was soon billed as Steve & Garry During their tenure at WLUP (1979–81), the team was number one in the ratings, and they continued that success at WLS (AM) and WLS-FM from 1981 through 1986 in the afternoon drive slot.[3] In 1986, they went to WLUP (AM) 1000, and then back to WLUP.[4] They later shifted back to mornings on WLUP (FM) until Garry left in 1993.

Disco Demolition Night
Main article: Disco Demolition Night

One of Steve & Garry's most famous events was Disco Demolition Night. Dahl, along with Meier, and both Mike Veeck (son of then Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck), and Jeff Schwartz of WLUP promotions, came up with a radio promotion and tie-in to the White Sox called Disco Demolition Night which took place on Thursday, July 12, 1979. The concept was to create an event to "end disco once and for all" in the center field of Comiskey Park that night by allowing people to get tickets at the box office if they brought 98 cents and at least one disco record. The records were collected, piled up on the field and blown up. Ultimately, this resulted in the second game of the doubleheader being postponed due to hundreds of rowdy fans storming the field and refusing to leave. American League President Lee MacPhail later declared the second game of the doubleheader a forfeit victory for the visiting Detroit Tigers. Six people reported minor injuries, and thirty-nine were arrested for disorderly conduct.[5][6][7][8]

After Steve & Garry

After leaving the Steve & Garry show, Meier hosted his own show on WLUP for one year. In 1994, Meier left WLUP to join WGN-TV in Chicago as a feature reporter on their morning show. He left the show in 1995 to join WLS (AM) with Roe Conn. The Roe & Garry Show enjoyed high ratings during their successful 8-year run. In 2004 Meier did not renew his contract.

Reunion

On Friday, August 18, 2006, during a remote broadcast by Dahl, Meier stopped by for an on-air visit on WCKG.[9] Meier was eating lunch at the Oak Street Beachstro, the site of the remote broadcast, when Dahl learned of Meier's presence there. Dahl invited Meier to appear on the air with him, and Meier accepted. Meier wound up staying for the remainder of the show. The reunion was covered widely throughout the Chicago media that evening and throughout the next week, landing front-page news on both the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.[9][10]

WCKG

On April 2, 2007, Meier joined WCKG to host a late morning show from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The announcement, on March 27, 2007, was made during The Steve Dahl Show. The show lasted nearly 7 months until his final broadcast on October 29, 2007, when WCKG eliminated its talk format.[11]

On November 5, 2007, WCKG revamped its all-talk format to an adult contemporary music format.

WGN

On March 2, 2009, Meier began a week-long stint on WGN (AM) during the vacant 1-4 p.m. slot.[12] WGN announced that Meier would take over the 1-4 slot on a permanent basis beginning April 3, 2009.[13]

On April 8, 2010 WGN Radio announced that Garry Meier would become WGN's afternoon drive host effective April 9, 2010. Meier's shift ran 3-7 p.m. on WGN.[14]

On May 21, 2014, Meier was reassigned to WGN's freeform Internet radio station, WGN.FM, effective May 27.[15] His current lineup consists of sidekick Jim Turano and news/traffic reporter Leslie Keiling. On November 20, 2014, Tribune Media announced that it was immediately dropping Meier's afternoon show from their internet stream WGN.fm as well as other changes, moves that were made, according to insiders, because the company had been unable to generate enough revenue to offset its costs.[16]

Podcast

In December 2015, Meier announced plans for an online radio show and podcast to begin sometime in early 2016. Meier also announced that Keiling, the traffic reporter for his previous WGN show, would be his news anchor. Meier stated that he had to wait until his prior contract with WGN was completed before beginning this new venture.[17] In March 2016, Meier launched a premium subscription podcast service for a monthly fee, but stated that he would initially produce three free one-hour shows per week to try and attract subscribers.[18]

Honors

On November 9, 2013, Meier and former partner Dahl were inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in recognition of their work together on the "Steve & Garry Show".[19][20]

References
  1. Kening, Dan (3 January 1993). "The Meier That's Not Broadcast". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  2. Metsch, Steve (22 July 2007). "Garry Meier: 'This is what I do'". Daily Southtown. Tinley Park, Illinois.
  3. Strazewski, Len (29 August 1985). "Radio: Baby Boomers Looking for a Great Personality". Advertising Age (Midwest region edition). Vol. 56 no. 67. Chicago, Illinois. p. 22.
  4. Ingram, Bruce; Segers, Frank (14 December 1988). "Meier, Dahl Spill the Beans about Loves (?) & Hates That Drive Them". Variety. Vol. 333 no. 8. New York, New York. p. 43.
  5. "Anti Disco Rally Halts White Sox". New York Times. Associated Press. 13 July 1979. p. A.18.
  6. Campbell, Macaulay (16 September 2002). "Shock Waves". New York Times. p. C.7.
  7. Beaton, Rod (12 July 2004). "No anniversary party for disco debacle". USA TODAY. McLean, Virginia. p. C.03.
  8. "WLUP Chicago Reminisces". Billboard. Vol. 101 no. 16. New York, New York. 22 April 1989. p. 10.
  9. Rosenthal, Phil (19 August 2006). "Beach awash in strange radio waves: A funny thing happened on the way to the air and water show: Steve and Garry reunited". Chicago Tribune.
  10. Feder, Robert (22 August 2006). "Don't hold your breath for more Steve & Garry". Chicago Sun-Times.
  11. Metsch, Steve (22 July 2007). "Southland native Garry Meier glad to be back on the airwaves". Daily Southtown. Tinley Park, Illinois. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007.
  12. Rosenthal, Phil (25 February 2009). "Garry Meier to test-drive WGN-AM afternoon shift". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  13. Lazare, Lewis (2 April 2009). "WGN-AM names Meier host of mid-afternoon show". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010.
  14. "WGN-AM names Meier afternoon drive host". Chicagoland Radio and Media. ChicagolandRadioandMedia.com. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  15. Channick, Robert (21 May 2014). "WGN Radio brings back veteran host John Williams". Chicago Tribune. Tony W. Hunter. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  16. Feder, Robert (20 November 2014). "Tribune Media turning off The Game 87.7 FM; dropping Johnny B., Garry Meier". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  17. Feder, Robert (15 December 2015). "It's showtime again for Garry Meier". Robert Feder. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  18. Feder, Robert (11 March 2016). "Garry Meier to launch subscription podcast Saturday". Robert Feder. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  19. "Steve Dahl and Garry Meier head 2013 Radio Hall of Fame inductees". Chicago Tribune. Tony W. Hunter. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  20. "2013 RHOF Induction Ceremony". National Radio Hall of Fame. 9 November 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
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