Chicago GM is Bumped Upstairs

WGN in Chicago is going to be getting a new boss.  

Robert Feder says that after one year as acting general manager of WGN-Channel 9, Steve Farber (pictured) is moving back to a corporate job with Tribune Broadcasting. And the search for a new boss of “Chicago’s Very Own” goes on.

Larry Wert, president of Tribune Broadcast Media, announced Wednesday that he has appointed Farber senior vice president/operations, overseeing the company’s digital networks, Antenna TV and THIS-TV, and “The Bill Cunningham Show” in syndication. Before he was named acting general manager of WGN in September 2012, Farber had been vice president of programming operations for Tribune Broadcasting.

Few expected Farber to get the top job permanently when he was tapped by Wert’s predecessor to step in for Marty Wilke, who left to become president and general manager of CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2.

Wert, who took over as president of Tribune’s expanding station group last February, has ties to numerous past and present broadcast executives who no doubt would jump at an offer to run the company’s flagship in Chicago. No word on a time frame for filling the vacancy.

FTVLive is betting Werst already knows who he is giving the job to, so no need to apply.