John Williams
John Williams is currently heard on WGN Radio weekdays from 10am to 2pm, including the Wintrust Business Lunch noon hour. John also hosts the award- winning weekly “The Mincing Rascals” podcast, a roundtable discussion with Chicago journalists about top news stories. He first came to WGN Radio in September 1997 as midday host. Prior to that, he hosted middays on WCCO Radio, Minneapolis, for four years. Prior to that, John spent ten years at WMBD, Peoria. His first radio job out of college was WSPY in Plano, Illinois. John's program is all encompassing. Focusing on current events, he discusses the news of the day, sports, television programs, movies, and books with a thoughtful perspective and quirky sense of humor. John excels at drawing out listener views on all sides of the issues. Inquisitive and curious by nature, he asks what listeners want to know and his guests never get a pass on the tough questions. Over the years, John has received several broadcasting awards, including Personality of the Year, Best Afternoon Show and Best Talent on a News/Talk/Sports Station. John has been voted “Favorite Radio Personality” four years in a row by West Suburban Living Magazine readers. In 2024, John won a Peter Lisagor Award from the Chicago Headline Club for his 2023 interview with the student editor of The Daily Northwestern. He’s been both a finalist and a winner of “Best Radio Personality” Silver Dome Award by the Illinois Broadcasters Association, a category he last won in 2022. John has also been a finalist for a Marconi award from the National Association of Broadcasters. In addition, John's opinion pieces occasionally appear in the Chicago Tribune. His hobbies include hiking (it used to be running), reading, telling people what he's read, and yardwork. He really enjoys yardwork. John is of the opinion the greatest invention ever is either the seedless watermelon or the internet. John and his wife Brenda have two sons, Grant and Griffin, and two granddaughters, Bernadette and Jane.
Appears in 1 Episode
From JJC to WGN: John Williams on Fairness, Positivity and the Art of Radio Hosting
In this episode of the Roots and Branches JJC Alumni Podcast, host Jen Davis welcomes John Williams, a popular radio host on WGN Radio in Chicago. John shares his jour...
