Matt McCann
Encyclopedia
Matt McCann was born on September 16, 1960 in Chicago
. He has been a well known radio station air-personality, program director and now a nationally known expert on long-term care insurance and long-term care
planning and a well known speaker on long-term care issues.
He attended Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois
. His love of radio
started having grown up listening to legendary top 40 station WLS
, Chicago. When he started high school at Hinsdale South High School he quickly joined the school's radio station, WHSD (88.5 FM). It was in high school that his radio career started.
McCann decided to go to Southern Illinois University
at Carbondale. So in the fall of 1978 he moved to Carbondale where in 1982 he received his BS degree from SIUC. But while in school he worked, grabbing a job at WCIL
& WCIL-FM, Carbondale.
When he did graduate in 1982, the owner of WCIL offered him the job of program director
for WCIL
.
In January 1986 it was time for him to leave southern Illinois and he accepted the program director's position at WLRW, Champaign
, IL. McCann is crediting for putting this station on the map. This top 40 station dominated in ratings and revenue for years under his leadership.
Just a few months after the birth of his son, Joe McCann, he left for Des Moines, IA to take the program director's job at KRNQ, Des Moines in the fall of 1991.
In 1993 McCann went south and arrived in San Antonio, Texas where he was named program director of country formatted KDIL. Soon he was also given control of co-owned KKYX (AM). The owners changed formats at KDIL and was told to move KDIL from country to smooth jazz and KDIL became KCJZ.
In January 1996 McCann was able to go home. ABC hired him at WLS-FM where they were about to change format of the station to country. WLS-FM became KICKS Country and McCann was the mid-day air-personality and music director for the station.
The station did not last very long and when ABC changed formats again, McCann moved to WUSN
, Chicago and later to WUBT
, Chicago. It was at WUBT where McCann was teamed up with legendary Chicago radio personality Larry Lujack
. That show had huge ratings as Lujack had been in retirement for years before coming back to Chicago radio. McCann was in the Chicago studio and Lujack worked from his home in New Mexico. Most people had no clue they were in different studios and were amazed they worked so well together.
When McCann's mother became ill, McCann took a major career change and went into the long-term care insurance business. He did not leave radio completely as he did some weekend work at suburban stations like WERV, Aurora and WJTW, Joliet.
But the long-term care business took off where he quickly established himself at a nationally known expert and a nationally known speaker on long-term care issues.
McCann is often sought as a speaker for meetings large and small. He is often quoted in news stories about long-term care issues. McCann has also been recognized as one of the top insurance agents in the country in long-term care and has thousands of clients.
He is a frequent contributor to the editorial page of the Chicago Tribune
's "Voice of the People" feature.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He has been a well known radio station air-personality, program director and now a nationally known expert on long-term care insurance and long-term care
Long-term care
Long-term care is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical need of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time....
planning and a well known speaker on long-term care issues.
He attended Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois
Darien, Illinois
Darien is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, USA. The population was 22,086 at the 2010 census.A suburb of Chicago, Darien was named after a town in Connecticut.-Popular culture:...
. His love of radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
started having grown up listening to legendary top 40 station WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
, Chicago. When he started high school at Hinsdale South High School he quickly joined the school's radio station, WHSD (88.5 FM). It was in high school that his radio career started.
Biography
While in high school McCann joined the school's FM radio station where he quickly became the station's student station manager. In 1976, McCann got his first chance at a commercial radio station landing a weekend on-air job at WKDC (AM) , Elmhurst, Illinois. By the time his senior year started, he added a job working at another Chicago suburban station, WAUR (FM), Aurora, IL.McCann decided to go to Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
at Carbondale. So in the fall of 1978 he moved to Carbondale where in 1982 he received his BS degree from SIUC. But while in school he worked, grabbing a job at WCIL
WCIL (AM)
WCIL is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk format as a simulcast of WJPF. Licensed to Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.A.. The station serves the Marion-Carbondale area...
& WCIL-FM, Carbondale.
When he did graduate in 1982, the owner of WCIL offered him the job of program director
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
for WCIL
WCIL (AM)
WCIL is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk format as a simulcast of WJPF. Licensed to Carbondale, Illinois, U.S.A.. The station serves the Marion-Carbondale area...
.
In January 1986 it was time for him to leave southern Illinois and he accepted the program director's position at WLRW, Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, IL. McCann is crediting for putting this station on the map. This top 40 station dominated in ratings and revenue for years under his leadership.
Just a few months after the birth of his son, Joe McCann, he left for Des Moines, IA to take the program director's job at KRNQ, Des Moines in the fall of 1991.
In 1993 McCann went south and arrived in San Antonio, Texas where he was named program director of country formatted KDIL. Soon he was also given control of co-owned KKYX (AM). The owners changed formats at KDIL and was told to move KDIL from country to smooth jazz and KDIL became KCJZ.
In January 1996 McCann was able to go home. ABC hired him at WLS-FM where they were about to change format of the station to country. WLS-FM became KICKS Country and McCann was the mid-day air-personality and music director for the station.
The station did not last very long and when ABC changed formats again, McCann moved to WUSN
WUSN
WUSN is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, The station broadcasts on 99.5 MHz and is a country radio station owned by CBS Radio. The station focuses on country music from the '90s, along with current product and some classic country from the '70s and '80s.-99.5 WEFM/99-"We" FM:Until 1978,...
, Chicago and later to WUBT
WUBT
WUBT is a United States Urban contemporary FM radio station broadcasting in the Nashville, Tennessee market on a frequency of 101.1 mHz.Licensed to Russellville, Kentucky, WUBT was originally WBVR , a country music-formatted station which received minor Arbitron ratings in the Nashville market and...
, Chicago. It was at WUBT where McCann was teamed up with legendary Chicago radio personality Larry Lujack
Larry Lujack
Larry Lujack , a Top 40 Music radio disc jockey, was known for his world-weary sarcastic style, "Klunk Letter of the Day" and darkly humorous "Animal Stories" along with "sidekick Little Tommy", and "Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report." He was also referred to as Superjock, Lawrence of Chicago, Uncle...
. That show had huge ratings as Lujack had been in retirement for years before coming back to Chicago radio. McCann was in the Chicago studio and Lujack worked from his home in New Mexico. Most people had no clue they were in different studios and were amazed they worked so well together.
When McCann's mother became ill, McCann took a major career change and went into the long-term care insurance business. He did not leave radio completely as he did some weekend work at suburban stations like WERV, Aurora and WJTW, Joliet.
But the long-term care business took off where he quickly established himself at a nationally known expert and a nationally known speaker on long-term care issues.
McCann is often sought as a speaker for meetings large and small. He is often quoted in news stories about long-term care issues. McCann has also been recognized as one of the top insurance agents in the country in long-term care and has thousands of clients.
He is a frequent contributor to the editorial page of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
's "Voice of the People" feature.
Awards
McCann is a two time winner of the coveted Golden Harvest Award for outstanding public service in long-term care. He also is a six time winner of the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome Award,External links
- http://www.McCannLTC.com