* Chicago Tonight’s Phil Ponce had big shoes to fill when he replaced John Callaway, who was without a doubt the best live TV interviewer and debate moderator I ever saw. But he made it work well and the venerated show didn’t lose a step. I was a semi-regular when I lived in the city, so I was privileged to watch Phil up close and personal. He was always prepared and always tough but fair. I hate to see him go, but I wish him all the best in the world. Phil Ponce rocks and Paris Schutz did a fine job with this sendoff in the Tribune…

He has been Chicago television’s premier interviewer and debate moderator for the better part of 30 years. I have watched him shift into a second gear when a public officeholder or a policymaker avoids a direct answer. Without changing his calm and measured tone, Ponce will follow up with laserlike precision until he has unearthed some nugget of truth or until the subject has coiled themselves into a knot of words and contradictions. […]

The key to a good interview, Ponce often says, is preparation. When he is moderating a political candidate forum, Ponce will begin doing his homework weeks in advance, filling a binder with research and highlighted notes. This frees him up to be in the moment, to listen to what the guests are saying, and to probe deeper. Anyone can ask questions written on a sheet of paper. A true journalist has to respond to what they hear so they can truly elicit the best information for the viewer.

Ponce has always approached his job humbly and as a vital public service. He puts in the work and fearlessly questions his subjects because he believes he is doing his part to help make the city that he loves better.

Ponce followed the examples of the late, great founder of “Chicago Tonight” John Callaway, as well as the late, great founder of the “PBS NewsHour,” Jim Lehrer. Callaway identified Ponce as the eventual successor to the franchise he created, but not before Lehrer noticed his significant skills and called him up for a stint as NewsHour’s national correspondent. […]

On Tuesday, Ponce steps away from his twice-weekly appearances on “Chicago Tonight” and into a new role as a correspondent on special assignments. He leaves a proud legacy as the face of news and public affairs on WTTW, and assumes his mantle next to Callaway on the Mt. Rushmore of “Chicago Tonight.” Chicagoans are better off because of his dedication to intelligent, public affairs journalism. Convicted ex-office holders, not so much.