Chicago’s iconic rock station WLUP 97.9 FM, more famously known as the Loop, may have been put to rest last month after it was sold to a Christian broadcasting company, but one student from North Central’s WONC assured it was anything but forgotten.
On April 14, 2018, Brandon Herman, ’20, WONC’s acting community ascertainment director and soon-to-be station manager, orchestrated a five-hour long tribute to one of Chicago’s most dominant classic rock stations. He outsourced several individuals who served as hosts on the Loop over the course of four decades and compiled a playlist of songs that definitively captured the spirit of the trailblazing station as well as classic rock.
“The Loop brought to the table this different attitude of rock radio,” said Herman, known for his Thursday-night program “The Herman Show” on WONC. “What the Loop did for Chicago radio, and really all radio, totally, from all aspects, changed the landscape across the country.”
The roster of names Herman put together for the special ranged from heavy-hitters such as Chet Coppock, Kevin Matthews, John Records Landecker and Mitch Michaels to others whose comparatively smaller imprints, still left an indelible mark on the station, including Lorelei Shark and former adult film actress Seka. Herman used existing connections from his days at Lyons Township’s station, WLTL, to compile many integral jocks into one special.
“A lot of these people I knew for a while, but a lot of these people (Seka, Rick Kempfer and Terry Gibson), I didn’t know,” Herman said. “But once they heard who was participating already and they saw that this was a legitimate program, they were all nice enough to give their time as well. I think the importance of (the Loop) really made a lot of them want to participate.”
In terms of reaching an audience, Herman did a lot of promotion via “The Herman Show’s” social media outlets — Facebook and Twitter — but also got some help from Chicagoland media columnist Robert Feder. In his digital issue of “Robservations” the week of WONC’s Loop special, Feder included a blurb about the upcoming broadcast and mentioned the many guests who would take part in the show. Herman credits Feder for helping spread the word.
“The response has been outstanding,” Herman added. “I’m not used to getting such large response for broadcasts I put on. I couldn’t have done it myself. Feder played a massive part in that just by having it in his blog. I credit the amazing response of (the special) to all the personalities and anyone who helped behind the scenes.”
It’s true that no amount of on-air tributes and nostalgic musings will bring the Loop back from the dead, but Herman and many others are certain the legacy is solid enough to be remembered for generations to come.
“I know there are some incredible and legendary stations, not only in Chicago but across the United States,” said Herman. “I really do think when it comes to the Loop no other radio station’s legacy rivals (its legacy). I know there are WLS and WCFL and these other incredible stations that did a lot of groundbreaking stuff, but if you look at everyone as a whole and compare all their material, I don’t think any of their stations rival the Loop.”
Herman will soon have his Loop special in its entirety accessible in podcast form. His program, “The Herman Show,” airs Thursdays on WONC from 8-10 p.m.
