Chad Hartman/ Photo by Stormi Greener

WCCO Radio, which seems to have as many staffing changes as commercials these days, officially announced Thursday morning that Chad Hartman will be host of a 9 a.m.-noon broadcast Monday through Friday starting May 17.

No surprise there, although there were plenty of rumors a few weeks ago that Hartman would get the 8-10 p.m. slot (that less glamourous position will go to another longtime Twin Cities broadcaster John Hines).

I'm happy for Chad and John, both top-notch radio hosts who can riff on any number of subjects. That being said, neither will probably be a major game changer for the aging 'CCO audience. The station continues to be lily-white and with the move of Susie Jones back to the newsroom and the apparent departure of health-challenged Eleanor Mondale, the only prominent female will be Michele Tafoya.

Part of me had hoped that the rash of buyouts to save money would also provide WCCO an opportunity to bring in new voices with new ideas and new personalties, young newcomers that would serve as an investment that could pay off decades down the road. That doesn't appear to be happening.

One way 'CCO could take a step in that direction is to make sure Chad and John are joined by fresh "sidekicks" or personalities that will good-naturedly, but firmly challenge them. That kind of tension and interplay is why the teaming of Hartman and Dan Barriero was one of the finest radio shows the Twin Cities has had in the past 20 years. Tom Barnard wouldn't still rules the morning airwaves if he didn't have a team around him that both inspire and annoy him. Howard Sterm became the King of All Media because his court is full of jesters.

Anyways...for those keeping score at home, here's the WCCO lineup starting next week:

Mornings: Dave Lee

9 a.m.-noon: Chad Hartman

noon-3 p.m: John Williams

3-6 p.m.: Michelle Tafoya

6-8 p.m.: Mike Max

8-10 p.m. John Hines

10-midnight: Tommy Mischke