Due to my behind-the-scenes-work for the relaunch of The T Dog Media Blog, yours truly hasn’t been able to write about some of the items that has been going on. So let’s catch up: – Maybe they should change the call letters to WLLL? WWWN-FM, the new all-news station launched a few weeks ago has not gotten off to a […]
Last week, Chicago did not have FM all-news stations. As of 8:10 a.m., we had not just one – but two as the race between the Court Jester and The Church of Tisch for all-news supremacy begins. On Friday, WWWN-FM (101.1 FM) dropped all music from its airwaves and became all-news, with Merlin Media making the announcement official on Sunday […]
The new WWWN-FM and Charlie Sheen… A “winning” combination! Welcome to WWWN-FM – Winning Radio – a place where someone is always winning and where you definitely won’t find the Cubs (or the White Sox.) And holding down morning drive is the one and only… Charlie Sheen! He’s always winning! Okay, so the new 101.1 isn’t nicknamed “Winning Radio”… and […]
Meet Merlin Media’s new mascot. Don’t let the Florida Marlins garb fool you. Ladies and gentlemen… grab a ringside seat because it’s time for the Chicago radio smackdown between old standby The Church Of Tisch and newcomer Merlin Media! In what promises to be the first of many clashes between CBS and Merlin, the two exchanged not-so-friendly letters to each […]
Today’s lesson on Radio 101: We’re taking you back to the old school – with an old school jock. As part of its soon-to-be launch of its news/talk format, WKQX-FM, which was known as Alternative/Modern Rock Q101, is heading back to its Adult Contemporary roots as part of its “stunting” until its new permanment format is ready to go. First […]
In news that first broke Thursday afternoon by Robert Feder on Twitter, CBS radio has finally pulled the plug on WCFS-FM, or Fresh 105.9 after three-and-a-half years of underperforming ratings and is replacing the Adult Contemporary format with a simulcast of top-rated WBBM-AM beginning on August 1st. The move could be read as a preemptive strike against Merlin Media, which […]
These days when a format change takes place at a radio station, it usually happens without notice and the radio personalities are usually thrown out onto the street without the chance to say goodbye. Thankfully, that won’t be the case Thursday as WKQX-FM (Q101) prepares to shift from Alternative/Modern Rock to either all-News or News/Talk. Before handing the keys over […]
Remember when Merlin Media purchased a majority stake in WLUP-FM, WKQX-FM (Q101), and New York’s WRXP-FM from Emmis Communications and said it would take weeks for them to take over all three outlets, perhaps as soon as mid-August. Well, scrap that: those changes now take place this week. Merlin announced today it will take over the operations of all three […]
For the first time ever, the three items in the Winner’s circle this week are all radio items – how about that? (of course its summer, and there’s very little TV news to report on. But still….)Winning Attitude. John Williams. WGN Radio’s John Williams raised more than $25,000 during his Thursday show for the Animal Welfare League to replace air […]
More talk, less music – as in none at all. Say goodbye to Q101, who Winnetka-based Fall Out Boy credits for helping launch its career. With Randy Michaels about to take over Emmis’ WKQX-FM (Q101) in Chicago and WRXP-FM in New York City and the all-but certain likelihood of shifting both stations from Alternative Rock to either all-news or news-talk, […]
RTV: The R stands for “ruined”. – Good news for fans of Richard Roeper and Roe Conn – the duo at WLS-AM signed a three-year contract extension to continue their successful afternoon show through the year 2014. The move come as Cumulus is about to take over Citadel Communications, owners of WLS-AM and FM in a merger. If you want […]
More X Factor for everyone – whether we want it or not. This week, Randy Michaels makes a comeback – which sends the Alternative Rock format on the ropes; and the Crosstown Classic – not to mention interleague baseball – is a flop. The week’s winners and losers: Winners Randy Michaels. If this was on an ethics level, The Court […]
The Court Jester rides again. In a move that took everyone by surprise, Emmis Communications sold controlling interest in WLUP-FM (The Loop) and WKQX-FM (Q101) and a New York City station (WRXP-FM) to a constroium headed by former Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels and Chicago-based equity group investement group GTCR, Inc. The news was first reported yesterday as a tip […]
Aqua Fraud? In this edition of the Six Pack: The biggest Oprah Winfrey diss ever, Chicago’s news media possibly aiding and embedding a cover-up by city officials, and a sequel of a series that turned out not to be a sequel after all: Winners WFTV and Bob Jordan. WFTV news director Bob Jordan (no relation to WGN-TV’s Robert Jordan) […]
The Voice finds… its “voice”… Looney Tunes returns… and other news of note – It’s official: the sale of Bonneville’s radio stations in Chicago and a few other cities is now complete: Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul) -based Hubbard Broadcasting has officially taken over The Mix (WTMX), The Drive (WDRV), and WILV-FM on May 2. The formats and management who served […]
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