One Month In, WUSN Chicago's New Morning Team Is Making Itself At Home. DeNicolos other lawsuit, against Hubbard, accused her former employer of defaming her when the company stated it had investigated her claims against Ferguson but did not find corroborating evidence. Officials of the Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary station ended speculation today about McGurren's lengthy absenceand announced a parting of the ways. Eric Ferguson attends a Rosemont concert in 2015. McGurren called Ferguson a serial abuser of women, station management pulled Ferguson off the air, a separate $10 million defamation lawsuit against Hubbard Radio. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, The Mix ranked third overall in mornings with a 7.3 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 390,600. Tiffany and her husband are the proud parents of four children in her free time. Her new role will make them direct competitors. McGurren also accused Ferguson of grossly abusing his power and that his behavior created a hostile work environment. Melissa McGurren, who was a mainstay of Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX 101.9-FM for 22 years, has been hired by Audacy country WUSN 99.5-FM to lead a brand-new morning show. For the second time, a federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit related to the way Hubbard Radio Chicago handled misconduct allegations against onetime star host Eric Ferguson. Melissa McGurren, the pride of Portage, Indiana, who rose from traffic reporter to full-fledged co-host of Eric Ferguson's top-rated morning show, is out after more than two decades at WTMX. In the court filings made public Tuesday, McGurren said that during her 22-year career at The Mix she rose from traffic reporter to show co-host with Ferguson and Brian "Whip" Paruch, who she. Melissa McGurren, who was a mainstay of Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX 101.9-FM for 22 years, has been hired by Audacy country WUSN 99.5-FM to lead a brand-new morning show. Veteran Chicago radio personality Melissa McGurrens effort to revive her $10 million defamation suit against Hubbard Radio has ended. Jeff England, vice president and market manager at Hubbard Radio Chicago, was quoted as saying: Our plans for the future of Eric in the Morning definitely included Melissa. Last December Hubbard filed to have DeNicolos suit dismissed and to strike some of the allegations in her second amended complaint. Melissa McGurren (@melissamcgurren) Instagram photos and videos Huff, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and self-described country music fan, is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. She reiterated that position in a demand for arbitration filed June 24, 2021. In a four-page ruling issued by the United District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Judge Ronald A. Guzman granted Hubbard Radio Chicago petition to dismiss the suit brought by McGurren. In court filings, McGurren said Ferguson demeaned, harassed and ridiculed her when they worked together. Melissa McGurren to co-host a new morning show on Chicago country McGurren, the pride of Portage, Indiana, who rose from traffic reporter to co-host of Eric Ferguson's morning show at The Mix, has been off the air since she and the station parted company late last year. MCGURREN also brought an EEOC Charge of. The Mix and its corporate owners have been engaged in a coverup that is now exposed as a lie, Caruso told the Tribune. You can find a comprehensive archive of his material here. After McGurren left WTMX, in December 2020, she filed a charge of discrimination with the U.S. In the court filings made public Tuesday, McGurren said that during her 22-year career at The Mix she rose from traffic reporter to show co-host with Ferguson and Brian "Whip" Paruch, who she. A separate lawsuit she filed against Ferguson remains active. Amidst the continuing allegations, station management pulled Ferguson off the air, saying he will be sidelined through October. Michael Jackson, for instance, is a huge favorite for her. 10 Things You Didnt Know about Melissa McGurren, Five Songs That Lead to the Creation of a Movie or TV Show, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Brandon Flynn. Nazareth won its fourth state trophy since 2019, and more importantly the programs first state title. She is expected to be paid through the end of the year, when her contract expires. According to the newspaper, the suit includes a declaration as an exhibit from another former employee, Jennifer Ashrafi, who said she left as the station's afternoon co-host in January, 2020 because she was so "disgusted" by the "misogyny, gender discrimination and hostile work environment that was pervasive" at the station. She's a radio host, and she has a huge fan base. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Starting Monday, she will host "Melissa and Austin" from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays with co-host Austin Huff, a radio producer and podcaster just in from St. Louis. Melissa McGurren, who spent 22 years with WTMX-101.9-FM and co-hosted the Eric in the Morning with Ferguson, in 2020 filed suit against WTMX owner Hubbard Radio Chicago, claiming an email sent to her former coworkers implied she was lying about alleged abusive behavior by Ferguson. She does not have COVID-19, nor does she have any other health conditions. Terms of her multiyear deal, negotiated by attorney Steve Mandell, were not disclosed. Former WTMX Morning Co-Host Melissa McGurren Files $10 Million A statement released by the company alludes to a contract extension offer it says McGurren turned down, but it provided no other details. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. The judges ruling is with prejudice, meaning DeNicolo cannot file an amended complaint. In a declaration attached to McGurrens defamation suit, Ashrafi said the station was a hostile, humiliating atmosphere for female employees. Hubbard also asked Judge Franklin Valderrram to consider Judge Guzmans rationale and toss DeNicolos complaint for the same reasons. Former Eric Ferguson co-host Melissa McGurren files suit - Yahoo! McGurren claimed in her filing that the station's management protected Ferguson for years by allowing him to "perpetuate his misconduct that goes far beyond the limits of decency." In court documents filed Oct. 5, McGurren called Ferguson a serial abuser of women and claimed that station management for years has protected Ferguson in allowing him to continue in perpetrating his misconduct that goes far beyond the limits of decency despite ample notice from me and many of my co-workers that Fergusons behavior is unlawful. McGurren went on to say that the long-running morning host has grossly abused his power, and his conduct was the major reason the station became a hostile working environment., Her accusations were submitted as supporting evidence in an amended defamation lawsuit brought by former WTMX Associate Producer Cynthia DeNicolo against Hubbard. Chicago | Mornings @US99Chicago 6-9am SHOP Melissa's Amazon Favorites link below . Melissa McGurren - Facebook She described him as a serial abuser of women and said management failed to respond and then forced her out when she demanded that the alleged harassment stop. US99 Chicago Launches New Morning Show. A federal judge has dismissed Chicago radio host Melissa McGurren's defamation lawsuit against her former employer, Hubbard Radio Chicago, whom she alleged falsely branded her a liar while responding to her harassment claims against former co-host Eric Ferguson. Ferguson, 55, has denied the allegations but was sidelined from his popular morning show in October 2021, weeks after the Tribune first reported that DeNicolo had sued him earlier that year. CHICAGO An Illinois District Court judge on Friday dismissed a $10 million defamation lawsuit by former Chicago radio host Melissa McGurren, who had filed suit against her former employer in connection with sexual harassment allegations against her former co-host on The Mix, Eric Ferguson. 1 talking about this. Melissa McGurren Departs WTMX's Eric In The Morning It sounds to us like shes your every day proud mom, but let us not forget he is so many of these things because of who she is. oh and REINVENTION. Her coworker, Whip, calls her the secret weapon on their show. Melissa McGurren, who worked for 22 years at the station, filed a $10 million defamation lawsuit against Hubbard Radio Chicago, claiming the company did not perform an investigation or conducted a sham investigation of her earlier allegations and that Hubbard attacked her credibility and integrity with comments it made to staff last week, the Chicago Tribune reports. oh and REINVENTION. No reason was cited for the breakup, but reports persisted of friction between Ferguson and McGurren. It just brings alertness and focus to the game., White Sox notebook: Benintendi, Anderson, Alberto, Saturdays win. May 6, 2021. Audacy announced a new morning show for US99 (WUSN-FM) in Chicago, welcoming local media veteran Melissa McGurren and Austin Huff as morning show co-hosts. After being missing from "Eric In The Morning" for the past several weeks, Hubbard Hot AC "101.9 The Mix" WTMX Skokie/Chicago has revealed that co-host Melissa McGurren is departing the station after declining a contract extension offered to her. However, McGurren's suit states "Hubbard Radio's statement" that the company "thoroughly investigated" her allegations "is false." She also loves artists like the Foo Fighters. DeNicolo, a former WTMX assistant producer, claims Hubbard defamed her in statements it made to the Chicago Tribune after the newspaper first reported on her original suit against Ferguson. Melissa McGurren wont be a name you recognize unless you live in Chicago, but shes very famous in her own town. The accusations of sexual harassment and abuse of power levied against Eric Ferguson continue to pile up as a fourth accuser has come forward, while the station he hosts mornings at, Hubbard hot AC 101.9 The Mix WTMX Chicago, is hit with a $10 million lawsuit from a former co-host of Fergusons. Guzman also provided McGurren with a window of time to amend her complaint and gave Hubbard 14 days to respond to her amended filing. She is a huge fan of different genres of music that would never be played on her own station. Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more. Melissa McGurren Drops Attempt To Revive Her Defamation Case Against Hubbard. Eric in the Morning assistant producer Cynthia DeNicolowho also occasionally worked as a babysitter for Ferguson and his then-wifealso has sued the station, claiming Ferguson used his star power to coerce her into sex acts when she first began working for the station, and, for years after she began refusing his come-ons, taunted her in front of co-workers. She became a stay-at-home mom and writer with her own blog. I know this is exactly where I'm supposed to be, and I couldn't be happier to make this new move in my career.". Marci Braun continues as program director of US99 and regional brand manager of the country format for Audacy. I love smooth jazz Christmas music. Melissa McGurren, former morning co-host on WTMX 101.9-FM, worked at the Hubbard Radio Chicago station that's more popularly known as The Mix for more than two decades before leaving in 2020. CHICAGO - A federal judge has dismissed Chicago radio host Melissa McGurren's defamation lawsuit against her former employer, Hubbard Radio Chicago, whom she alleged falsely branded her a liar. Honestly, let her not forget that. "I wish I could fully express my gratitude and happiness about joining the US99 team," McGurren said in a statement. She subsequently filed two lawsuits, one against Ferguson and the other against Hubbard. The list of flaws with this team are many, but the fact that this Bulls front office thought Russell Westbrook might help them out could be atop that list. A defamation claim by former Ferguson co-host Melissa McGurren was dismissed earlier this year. After studying business in college, Tiffany embarked upon a career she never dreamed of. Shes been gone from the program long enough that her fans have been a little worried. The court agrees with Hubbard that the statements have nothing to do with DeNicolos conduct on the job.. Melissa McGurren - Facebook A onetime producer of "The Jim Rome Show" for CBS Sports Radio, he owns and operatesKorkedBats.com,a comedy sports blog. She loves that they listen to her, that they reach out to her, and that they want to connect with her through their own stories. Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. The announcement, made Thursday, comes months after McGurren mysteriously left her morning. She's back: US99 hires Melissa McGurren to host mornings Radio host sells Hinsdale home for less than he paid - Crain's Chicago Fans have been worried. Ferguson's former co-host, Melissa McGurren, filed the $10 million lawsuit last fall. While so many people tend to move to Chicago from far away, she is not one of those people. You have permission to edit this article. Melissa McGurren (@melissamcgurren) / Twitter Such complaints are confidential, but her allegations later became public in a court filing that was part of DeNicolos defamation lawsuit. Hubbard Radio Wants Court To Dismiss Defamation Suits From Eric In January 2020, I resigned after I lined up another job.. Melissa McGurren Profiles | Facebook I wish I could fully express my gratitude and happiness about joining the US99 team, McGurren said in a statement. The judge also found that Hubbard did not cross the line because its statement expressed an opinion regarding McGurrens claim to the EEOC. Melissa McGurren, the pride of Portage, Indiana, who rose from traffic reporter to full-fledged co-host of Eric Fergusons top-rated morning show, is out after more than two decades at WTMX 101.9-FM. 10 Things You Didn't Know about Melissa McGurren - TVOvermind McGurren currently co-hosts mornings at Audacy crosstown country US99 WUSN. Thanks for reading! Moving to Chicago was a natural move for her. On Thursday, she alleged that WTMX-FM (The Mix) management perpetuated a culture of discrimination to protect cash cows such as its morning host Eric Ferguson "at any cost." Both she and McGurren are represented by attorney Carmen Caruso. Mom 1st. Overall the station ranked 13th with a 2.6 share and weekly cume of 710,900. Her writing has allowed her to visit NYC for Fashion Week events since 2015, and she's worked with clients in almost every field, from dentistry to law and family to entertainment. DeNicolo was laid off from the station in May 2020 after a nearly 20-year career. She too was represented by Mandell. A status hearing in DeNicolos lawsuit against Ferguson is scheduled for Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court. The judge on Friday ruled that the station's statement regarding a complaint made by McGurren to the U.S. A defamation claim by former Ferguson co-host Melissa McGurren was dismissed earlier this year. Terms of her multiyear deal, negotiated by attorney Steve Mandell, were not disclosed. Report: Chicago Radio Host Melissa McGurren Sues WTMX The suit against Ferguson states that in 2004 she stopped providing oral sex in response to his demands, which he allegedly made by using the code words I need a back rub. She said Ferguson taunted her with the phrase throughout her remaining tenure at the station. Feder flashback: So you think you know Chicago television. Former Eric Ferguson co-host Melissa McGurren breaks silence, alleges How would you rate this article? While not claiming that Ferguson abused her specifically, Ashrafi said the disgraced morning host was rude and dismissive to women., His abusive behavior is open and known by all at The Mix, she said. Second woman alleges inappropriate behavior by Eric Ferguson of The Mix Heres a fun fact: Shes been writing and creating her own radio shows since she was a little girl of only 8. Shes always wanted to be in the business, and she always wanted to do things like this that she loves so much. 13 talking about this. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, US99 tied for 15th in mornings with a 2.0 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 250,800. McGurren was one of three female former station employees to raise allegations about Ferguson in court filings after DeNicolo filed her lawsuits.