Sounding Off · From the Press Desk
There's a particular weight to replacing someone the audience already loves. In the fall of 2019, Steve stepped into one of the more storied chairs in American radio: the imaging voice of WGN 720-AM in Chicago — a seat held for three years by the city's own Bill Kurtis, the legendary anchorman and host of NPR's Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me!
When new owner Nexstar took over the former Tribune flagship, it wanted to tie the radio station more tightly to WGN-Channel 9 — even folding the TV newscast's familiar theme music into the new radio jingles. As media columnist Robert Feder reported it, the brief was about warmth:
"We are embracing our Midwest roots … going to bring back the warmness of WGN — a station for everyone."
— Nexstar, via Robert Feder
Inheriting a legend's microphone is its own kind of test. You can't imitate the person who came before, and you can't ignore them either. You find the thing the brand is reaching for — here, that Midwest warmth — and you make it yours. It's the same instinct behind every signature read Steve has done, from the Olympics to the network IDs: serve the brand, not the ego.
Re-upping with the Tiffany Network
Around the same stretch, Steve renewed one of the anchors of his résumé — a new three-year deal with the CBS Audio Network to continue as the voice of CBS News On The Hour. For a legacy brand, the challenge is staying current without losing the heritage that made it legacy in the first place. CBS Audio's VP/GM put the assignment plainly:
"Steve Kamer has brought a new, modern sound to the legacy brand of CBS. He delivers, perfectly, to our target demo, while still honoring the heritage of the Tiffany Network."
— Craig Swagler, VP/GM, CBS Audio Network
Modern, but reverent. New, but recognizable. That line — between freshening a sound and respecting what people already trust about it — is where a career like this actually lives. It's the whole job, really: show up for the legacy brand and the local client with the same read, and make both of them sound like themselves.
Sources
Robert Feder — "Robservations on the media beat," Sept. 30, 2019.
AllAccess — "Bill Kurtis Out, Steve Kamer In As WGN/Chicago Imaging Voice"
AllAccess — "Steve Kamer Inks New 3-Year Deal As Voice Of 'CBS News On The Hour'"
