Chicago Tribune business beat column.

By Jim Kirk, Chicago Tribune Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Sep. 10--A dispute that turned personal between WMAQ-Ch. 5 president and general manager, Larry Wert, and Clear Channel Communications has spilled over into the courtroom.

Wert, who spent 10 years with properties that were acquired by Clear Channel, is suing the radio giant for breach of contract for refusing to let him cash out nearly $800,000 in options he had been granted.

The suit pits the high-profile Wert against the conglomerate over what some consider to be a fairly minor sum of money for Clear Channel. The suggestion that the dispute may be personal stems from long-standing competitive battles between executives at a time when radio companies were …