Jim Johnson

Jim Johnson (April 2, 1945 – March 28, 2025) was an American news anchor and reporter on WLS (AM) 890 in Chicago for over 45 years, where he regularly participated in on-air discussions with the other on-air personalities ranging from Roe Conn and Steve Dahl to Richard Roper and Larry Lujack.

Background Johnson grew up in Chicago and the North Woods of Wisconsin. His father was also in the news business, working at the City News Bureau of Chicago, then with the Chicago Sun Times. When the family lived in the North Woods, they built and operated a hunting and fishing lodge. This lodge was a popular vacation spot for Chicago politicians, judges, policemen, and firefighters, including then Mayor of Chicago Richard J. Daley and his son and future Mayor, Richard M. Daley.

In July of 2021, Jim’s daughter, Alexis, announced that Jim was battling Alzheimer’s disease. She chronicled the family's journey on her Facebook page, which is open to the public. Johnson died of complications from the disease on March 28, 2025, at the age of 79. The 'Canarble Wagon' was a segment airing on the Roe Conn Show every Friday on at 5:00 pm. It is a time when the cast of the show order alcoholic beverages from the Canarble Wagon. The name 'Canarble Wagon' comes from Johnson's early days in journalism. When he was a reporter at the City Hall press room, veteran reporters told a story of a newspaper reporter who would come back from lunch drunk. This reporter could not pronounce the word cocktail; instead, the word canarble was heard. Johnson added the word wagon to canarble and the Canarble Wagon was made. The Jimism was "the practice of botched news reporting". If a listener "catches" a Jimism, they called in to the station and report it. If Johnson did say a Jimism, the caller won a "I Caught a Jimism" T-shirt.

On April 30, 2013, Johnson announced on air during the Roe & Roeper show that he would retire when his current contract expired in June 2013. His final newscast was at 6:30 p.m. on June 28, 2013. He was replaced by news anchor Susan Carlson.