ZAU CHALLENGES B737-700 FLT CREW ON ALT ASSIGNMENT; THAT NEITHER PLT REMEMBERS ACKNOWLEDGING.

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WE WERE UNABLE TO GET THE ATIS FOR MDW UNTIL APCHING DRIVR INTXN ON GOSHEN ARR DUE TO ANOTHER CITY'S ATIS OVERPWRING MDW ATIS. I CLRED OFF AND STARTED WRITING ATIS ON COMPANY NAPKIN. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH ATIS; THE FLT ATTENDANT RANG US TWICE. I SAW THE CAPT TUNE UP THE SVC INTERPHONE. I REACHED DOWN AND TURNED ATC ALMOST FULL UP IN CASE ATC WOULD CALL. WE WERE LEVEL AT 10000 FT AND 250 KTS AT THE TIME. AFTER I GOT THE ATIS; I WENT BACK TO FULL TIME ATC MONITORING. THE CAPT RETURNED FROM THE SVC INTERPHONE AND TOLD ME THE PAX WANTED CONNECTING INFO. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER; APCHING AWSUM INTXN; ZAU CHANGED US TO ANOTHER ZAU FREQ. I CHKED IN AT 10000 FT. CTR ASKED US TO CONFIRM OUR ASSIGNED ALT. AFTER COM BACK AND FORTH; THEY CLRED US TO DSND 6000 FT. I AM NOT SURE WE MISSED THE HDOF; BUT ATC ACTED ANNOYED. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TFC. IN HINDSIGHT; I SHOULD HAVE NOT MADE SUCH AN EFFORT TO GET THE WX BELOW FL180. MDW ATIS IS A CONTINUOUS PROB; ESPECIALLY FROM THE E OR S. I RECOMMEND WE CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING THE SNORT PROCS FOR GETTING THE WX ON ARR. I HAVE DONE SOME SNORT WORK AND THOSE PROCS WILL HELP PREVENT THIS SORT OF INCIDENT. BASICALLY; SNORT PROCS DIRECT ASKING ATC FOR THE WX BELOW FL180. IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET ANOTHER MDW ATIS FREQ?