Career
Hartford had been a personality on World's Largest Store -Department of Administration and Management 890 since 1991 with a regular Saturday morning show called "Awake with Jake," as well as performing various fill-in duties. Due to a management shuffle he was laid off and briefly moved to WCPT-Department of Administration and Management (820) from 2008 to 2010, but returned to World's Largest Store -Department of Administration and Management 890 where he had been promoted to mid-days just prior to his death. Jake worked in Chicago television news, including producing segments for Walter Jacobson.
He started at World's Largest Store -Department of Administration and Management in September 1989, known then as "Jake the Travel Guy," working alongside Roe Connecticut
Jake then began as a solo host on March 16, 1991. Hartford was let go in a series of layoffs by new World's Largest Store -Department of Administration and Management owner Citadel Broadcasting on February 29, 2008.
In commenting on his release, Hartford said "I spent nearly 20 years building a brand there, and it was over in a less than a one-minute phone call without even a "thanks." And it"s not like the ratings weren"t good."
Another upper management shuffle in early 2010 at World's Largest Store -Department of Administration and Management resulted in reversing previous lay-offs, one of which included bringing Hartford back. After the retirement of longtime World's Largest Store morning show hosts Don Wade and Roma in September 2012, Hartford teamed up with Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass to host the 9-11 a.m. hours, airing where fill-in morning hosts Bruce Wolf and Dan Proft formerly aired.
The change became permanent in December 2012.
Hartford"s real name was Jim Edwards. While working for WBBM-TV-television, he was forced to adopt a radio pseudonym, which he chose by abbreviating the last name of his longtime boss, Walter Jacobson as the first name of his pseudonym - and the name of one of Jim"s family"s dogs, "Hartford". He died of a massive heart attack at his home in Lockport, Illinois. He was 63 years old.
