largely was off Chicago's radio airwaves, although he performed occasional vacation fill-in work, most notably at WCKG-FM. In January 1998, Wolf returned to Chicago's radio airwaves as the morning news and sports anchor for host Jonathon Brandmeier on WCKG-FM. "I stand on the shoulders of the giants of news broadcasting-Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and (Chicago newsman and past Brandmeier sidekick) Buzz Kilman," Wolf joked to the Chicago Sun-Times in January 1998. By December 1998, Wolf's contract was not renewed at WCKG after Brandmeier brought back his old colleague, Buzz Kilman. "Radio is a game of musical chairs. I almost worked with Buzz at the Loop last year. And I've known Buzz since he was middle-aged," Wolf joked to the Chicago Sun-Times in December 1998. Between 1998 and 2003, Wolf largely was off Chicago's radio airwaves, although he performed occasional vacation fill-in work and had his Chet Chitchat character contribute weekly segments on Friday mornings on Kevin Matthews' show on then-ABC Radio-owned WXCD-FM between 2000 and 2001. "I believe the (Monday Night Football) hiring of Dennis Miller was the cornerstone of an ABC plan to distinguish its sports presentation as the most pseudo-intellectual in broadcasting," Wolf joked to the Chicago Sun-Times at the time the Chet Chitchat deal was signed. "The hiring of Chet Chitchat is the masterstroke that completes that plan." Wolf rejoined WLUP in November 2003. "It's good to be home again at the Loop," Wolf told the Chicago Sun-Times at the time. "Anybody who considers a radio station as his home is an idiot. I'm an idiot. As for doing the news, I stand on the shoulders of giants: Walter Cronkite, John Chancellor, (and the frequently mocked, short-lived Chicago news anchor) Ron Hunter. I do not take this responsibility lightly. In fact, I take no responsibility at all." In December 2004—and while still on the air at WLUP—Wolf auditioned for a job working alongside Roe Conn at WLS (AM) radio. The pairing didn't work out, however. On March 5, 2009, WLUP fired Wolf from his role as a morning radio sidekick, as part of a cost cutting. In May 2010, WLS radio hired Wolf as a Saturday afternoon talk-show host, co-hosting a two-hour program with political commentator Dan Proft. In July 2011, WLS-AM announced that starting July 18, 2011, Wolf and Proft would begin airing their show five mornings a week, replacing the weekday morning show of