Ed Schwartz
| "Chicago Ed" Schwartz | |
|---|---|
Ed Schwartz at WIND, 1976.
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|
| Birth name | Ed Schwartz |
| Born |
May 5, 1946 Chicago, Illinois 
|
| Died | February 4, 2009 (aged 62) Waukegan, Illinois |
| Station(s) |
WIND (AM) WGN (AM) WLUP |
Ed Schwartz (May 5, 1946 – February 4, 2009) was a Chicago media personality who hosted local late-night radio programs from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. He was nicknamed "Chicago Ed."
A native of the Southeast Side of Chicago, Ed's interest in radio began as a youngster with the gift of a portable radio from his grandparents. He fell asleep each night tuned to the Jack Eigen Show on WMAQ (AM). When his part-time high school job took him to the WLS (AM) studios for a delivery, WLS personality Dex Card invited Schwartz to come into the studio and watch him broadcast; the experience made Ed even more determined to secure a job in radio. Schwartz graduated from Bowen High School, and then attended Columbia College where he studied radio production. Some of Schwartz' classmates included Pat Sajak, Bob Sirott, and Bruce DuMont; Ed was the first of the group to get a broadcasting job. Ed also attended Triton College where he became a certified paramedic.
After working as a gofer at WLS (AM) and WIND (AM), where he began as music librarian, Ed became a full-time late-night host at WIND in 1973. Ed Schwartz did not have a voice that was naturally suited for radio. His multiple attempts to win an on-air position at both WLS-AM and WIND had failed, but feeling he had something to offer the public via the airwaves, Schwartz never gave up his hopes.
The beginning of Ed's on-air career was something of an accident. The usual late-night radio personality phoned the station to say he would not be in a half-hour before airtime. WIND had made no arrangements for a replacement because of such short notice. Ed was there and was asked to fill in. It soon became his full-time overnight job, as the audience liked his style of honestly speaking his mind and addressing community concerns. During his programs, Schwartz led discussions on local Chicago issues, inviting listeners to call in with their problems so that Schwartz and the listening community could offer some assistance. He frequently telephoned aldermen in the middle of the night to inform them of listener complaints, and he held open forums on racism, poverty, and health care. While still at WIND, Schwartz started a dating service for listeners of his show. There were 22 weddings before management made the decision to close it down because of possible legal issues.
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