WBEZ Rotates Three Interim Hosts on Midday Show
Underwriters and listeners of WBEZ's "In the Loop" face a three-month rotation with no set date for a permanent host.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in People
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WBEZ has named three interim hosts for its midday show "In the Loop" after Sasha-Ann Simons announced her exit to move back to the East Coast with her family. Mariah Woelfel takes over in November, Araceli Gómez-Aldana in December and Susie An in January, while the station searches for a permanent replacement.
Why it matters
Simons joined WBEZ in 2020 to host "Reset" and moved to "In the Loop" in 2025, so the lineup change disrupts a show that launched just over a year ago in a major overhaul of the station's local programming. Rotating interim hosts while no permanent successor timetable has been set leaves listeners and sponsors with an open-ended transition in Chicago's public radio market.
WBEZ is filling "In the Loop" with three interim hosts, each covering one month from November 2026 through January 2027, after Simons' six years at the station. The show is just over a year old, launched as part of a major overhaul of WBEZ's local programming.
The players
WBEZ
Chicago's public radio station, operating a local news and talk programming schedule funded largely by listener support and underwriting.
Sasha-Ann Simons
Longtime Chicago public radio host who joined WBEZ in 2020 and was the departing host of "In the Loop."
Dan Tucker
Executive producer at WBEZ who announced the interim host lineup for "In the Loop."
The details
WBEZ is rotating three hosts across successive months to fill the show while it looks for a permanent host, a structure that gives the station time to evaluate candidates without a gap on air. Executive producer Dan Tucker announced the interim lineup in a statement. Simons delivered her final broadcast on a Friday and is moving with her family back to the East Coast.
Timeline
2020: Simons joined WBEZ to host "Reset."
2025: Simons moved over to host "In the Loop."
Friday, November 6, 2026 (approximate): Simons delivered her final broadcast.
November 2026: Mariah Woelfel hosts "In the Loop."
December 2026: Araceli Gómez-Aldana hosts "In the Loop."
Market Landscape
WBEZ's 2025 local programming overhaul launched "In the Loop" as its midday centerpiece, and the host change now tests whether that restructuring can hold listeners through a leadership transition. Public radio stations in large markets often rely on continuity of familiar local voices to sustain underwriting and membership, making staffing stability a competitive factor.
Operators who sponsor or underwrite local public radio should factor in the three-month interim host rotation and the open timetable for a permanent hire when planning sponsorship commitments. Marketing and partnership teams should track listener retention through the transition before committing to multi-year underwriting.
The takeaway
The interim lineup gives WBEZ a bridge period, but the station has not set a date for naming a permanent host, so the key signal to watch is whether that announcement arrives before the January 2027 rotation ends. Businesses weighing underwriting should request the station's audience data for the transition months before renewing.
Further reading
For more on leadership moves across the city's media and business community, see the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Axios.
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