"Chicago Radio Town Hall Meeting" To Air "Live" November 14th

30-Minute Commercial-free Radio Broadcast to air simultaneously on over 40 Stations

In a show of unprecedented collaboration, more than 40 Chicagoland radio stations will simultaneously air a 30-minute broadcast conversation with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a "Chicago Radio Town Hall Meeting." These member stations of the Illinois Broadcasters Association will interrupt regular programming at 6pm on Monday, November 14, 2016, to highlight the strength of Chicago, and host a conversation about pressing issues facing the city.

Award winning and IBA Hall of Fame broadcast journalist Bill Kurtis will moderate the Chicago Radio Town Hall Meeting, scheduled to air on a diverse group of stations involving all formats including music, spoken word and Chicago's Spanish language stations. Programmers from a number of the participating stations are collaborating to produce the program while General Managers have cleared the time to air the program commercial free.



"This project showcases the high value that radio broadcasters have in a media marketplace," says Doug Levy, Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA) Chairman of the Board and Chair of the IBA's Radio Broadcasters of Chicagoland Committee responsible for the program. "My colleagues and I all share a deep sense of responsibility to our audiences. This unprecedented broadcast connects an enormous number of people with their elected leader tasked with making lives better for everyone in Chicago."

"I recently asked the leaders of Chicago-area radio stations to utilize their powerful platforms and tremendous reach to motivate Chicagoans to take a more active role in making our city stronger," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "They answered the call with this unique broadcast opportunity. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with the people of Chicago about how, when we work together, we make our city better for everyone who calls it home."

"The fact the most popular radio stations in Chicago are willing to set aside regular programming and commercial inventory to air this 30-minute conversation with the Mayor is a prime example of local broadcasters doing what they do best; serving the needs of their listeners within their communities of license," said Dennis Lyle, president & CEO of the IBA.

In advance of the broadcast, participating radio stations will give listeners a chance to submit questions of the Mayor by visiting the RBC's designated website www.ChicagoRadioStations.com or through social media with the hashtag #ChicagoRadio. Kurtis will use some of those questions during the broadcast.

"Radio stations have a unique ability to create a meaningful conversation because of the intimate relationship the medium has with its audience," continued IBA/RBC Chairman Levy. "Chicago is a world class city with some of the best radio stations in the country. I am proud that we are leading the dialogue about how to solve some of our biggest problems and take full advantage of some of our greatest strengths."