Steve Dahl Quits CBS' WJMK-FM

Steve Dahl, a Chicago radio personality for more than 30 years whose broadcast style inspired a generation of voices, told his WJMK-FM 104.3 listeners that he was leaving the CBS Radio outlet after today's broadcast.Dahl's announcement confirms longstanding rumors that he would become the latest top-paid CBS Radio Chicago host cut loose in recent months despite a contract worth more than $1 million annually that extends to mid-2011.

"This is our last show here," Dahl said.Dahl, 54, has been a seminal figure in the radio business both as a solo performer and as part of a team over the years, including pairings with Garry Meier and Buzz Kilman, his most recent partner.Seen as an influence on Howard Stern and others, Dahl was among the first to return radio, which had become a time-temperature-song medium, to something approaching theater of the mind. He did not have a classic old-school radio voice, but that was part of bringing a certain "reality" to the air, taking listeners into his world, his head and behind the scenes at the stations where he worked.

He complemented that with song parodies, a cast of characters he invented or impersonated and other comedy bits.Even as he made his announcement, Dahl noted Pete Zimmerman, his technical producer, had failed to find an appropriate tape clip to segue out of a commercial break, mentioned producer Mary Van Daele was in tears, told Kilman he was still welcome to CBS Radio Chicago's Christmas party in Greektown next week and pointed out management wanted him to continue working for two more weeks before signing off.