You won’t find a more solid and reliable newsman in all of Chicago radio than John Dempsey. Now he’s voluntarily stepping down as news director and afternoon news anchor at WLS 890-AM. Dempsey, 60, announced Monday he’s retiring after 38 years in broadcast journalism, including the last 13 at the Cumulus Media news/talk station. His final day on the air with afternoon host Big John Howell will be December 23. “My career in news has been one of the highlights of my life, one that has allowed me to cover thousands of stories and meet people from every walk of life,” Dempsey wrote in an email to colleagues. “The entire experience has made me a better person and enriched my life beyond anything I could have imagined, but now I want to step aside to give myself more time to think about my next chapter.” A Chicago native and Southern Illinois University graduate, Dempsey joined WLS in 2007 after stints at WBEZ 91.5-FM, WBBM 780-AM and the former WMAQ as well as WFLD-Channel 32. “John brought his love for journalism to work every day and we are all more informed because of it,” said Stephanie Tichenor, program director of WLS. “We will miss his news judgment, knowledge and most importantly, we will miss him.”
