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Feder: Big Morning FM Talk Changes in Chicago

O

OldAkronite

He's usually pretty plugged in...

Chicago Sun-Times media columnist Robert Feder outlines a coming swap in the works that if it all happens - will shake the landscape of Chicago morning radio.

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.suntimes.com/output/feder/cst-fin-feder02.html>http://www.suntimes.com/output/feder/cst-fin-feder02.html</a>

The highlights:

* Emmis WKQX/101.1 ("Q101")/syndicated morning star Mancow Muller moves to Infinity's hot talk WCKG/105.9 to replace the outgoing Howard Stern.
* Former "Loop FM" (WLUP-FM 97.9) star Jonathan Brandmeier returns to Chicago and takes over mornings at his old station.
* Infinity would air Mancow on at least a half-dozen now-Stern affiliates. This would fit in with the company's reported plan to replace Stern regionally, with these talents in regional syndication: David Lee Roth (out of NYC), Loveline's Adam Carolla (out of Los Angeles), and "Rover" (out of Cleveland's WXTM/92.3, the only one who's actually been announced in the role of regional Stern replacement).

No word on how this affects Mancow's deal with "TRN FM", an arm of Talk Radio Networks.

The above changes, if all the T's get crossed and the I's get dotted, would take place at the start of the Fall book (September 22). This fits in with Stern's own frequently expressed speculation that Infinity will pull him off the air before the Fall book, since they wouldn't be able to sell his Fall numbers in January.

I'll leave it to our own Lou Pickney to figure out who goes where...as far as the Future Stern Replacements go.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> This fits in with Stern's own frequently
> expressed speculation that Infinity will pull him off the
> air before the Fall book, since they wouldn't be able to
> sell his Fall numbers in January.

You beat me to it on this one, OA. A Mancow "sale" to Infinity would have a major impact on his affiliate base. I'm not sure what role TRN-FM would have in this, but so far they've only landed him one station (KLAC/Los Angeles, an AM station, ironically enough), and I've been told that was a bought spot.

> I'll leave it to our own Lou Pickney to figure out who goes
> where...as far as the Future Stern Replacements go.

Speculating on the non-Infinity stations is tough, but I'll put my guesses in for the Infinity-owned stations.

KZON Phoenix, AZ: Possible Adam Carolla affiliate, also a possible Mancow affiliate since Mancow also once aired there
KKDG Fresno, CA: Going all-Spanish once Stern is gone
KLSX Los Angeles, CA: Adam Carolla's taking over there, it will be his flagship station
KHWD Sacramento, CA: May flip to JACK-FM (Bob FM in the market flipped formats yesterday), will need rebranding regardless, possible Carolla affiliate
KPLN San Diego, CA: Adam Carolla affiliate
KITS San Francisco, CA: Long-shot Carolla affiliate, likely to get local show due to market size, outside shot for Mancow since he used to broadcast from there
WCCC-FM Hartford, CT: (Non-Infinity)
WJFK-FM Washington, DC: Don & Mike
WOCL Orlando, FL: Rumored to be a local show (former WTKS night host Drew Garabo?)
WBZZ Tampa, FL: Who knows what this station is going to do, might put Don & Mike in mornings if D&M allow the show to go outside DC/Balt/Ocean City
WPBZ West Palm Beach, FL: Likely to get a local show, as they had pre-Stern, might go to Mancow if they need a 6th station to go to him
WCKG Chicago, IL: If Mancow goes with Infinity, this will be his new flagship
WHXR/WHXQ Portland, ME: (Non-Infinity)
WHFS Baltimore, MD: Don & Mike
WBCN Boston, MA: Likely to get a local show
WPXC Cape Cod, MA: (Non-Infinity)
WKRK-FM Detroit, MI: Possible Mancow station if he goes with Infinity, since he was once in the market, long-shot for Rover, possible local
KPNT St. Louis, MO: (Non-Infinity)
KXTE Las Vegas, NV: Long-shot Carolla affiliate, might get the Big Johnson show moved over from sister station 1140 KSFN
KBZZ Reno, NV: (Non-Infinity)
WJSE Atlantic City, NJ: (Non-Infinity)
WQBJ/WQBK-FM Albany, NY: (Non-Infinity)
WBUF Buffalo, NY: Going all JACK-FM once Stern is gone
WXRK New York, NY: David Lee Roth's flagship station
WZNE Rochester, NY: Maybe local, maybe a Roth station if he gets a few affiliates (I'm not sure how he's going to be rolled out)
WAQZ Cincinnati, OH: Likely Rover affiliate, but if Mancow signs he might get this one
WNCX Cleveland, OH: A possible Mancow station, if not then Infinity will face a tough choice (keep Rover at WXTM, move Rover to WNCX and have a music-intensive show on WXTM, etc.)
WBZX Columbus, OH: (Non-Infinity)
KUFO-FM Portland, OR: Possible Carolla affiliate
WYSP Philadelphia, PA: Kidd Chris' new station?!?
WRKZ Pittsburgh, PA: Possible Rover affiliate, could be a Mancow station, could flip to JACK-FM
WYBB Charleston, SC: (Non-Infinity)
WMFS Memphis, TN: Hard to say what this station will do, could be a Mancow station, could be a Rover station, might go local
KXBT Austin, TX: Going all Urban once Stern is gone
KLLI Dallas, TX: Will Russ Martin really say no to mornings? If so, probably will go local with somebody (but who?), might have Mancow mandated on them
KIKK Houston, TX: Going all business talk once Stern is gone
WIZN Burlington, VT: (Non-Infinity)
KISW Seattle, WA: (Non-Infinity)

-The possible Mancow stations (would have 7 total): KZON (Phoenix), WCKG (Chicago), KITS (San Francisco), WPBZ (West Palm Beach), WKRK-FM (Detroit), WAQZ (Cincinnati), WNCX (Cleveland), WRKZ (Pittsburgh), WMFS (Memphis), KLLI (Memphis). But any station that doesn't have a firm host by it could go to Mancow.
-Don & Mike stations: WJFK-FM (Washington DC), WHFS (Baltimore)
Possible Adam Carolla stations (will have 4 total): KLSX (Los Angeles *confirmed), KPLN (San Diego *confirmed), KZON (Phoenix), KHWD (Sacramento), KITS (San Francisco), KXTE (Las Vegas), KUFO-FM (Portland).
-Possible Rover stations: WAQZ (Cincinnati), WKRK-FM (Detroit), WRKZ (Pittsburgh), WMFS (Memphis). He looks to have the most to lose from Mancow joining Infinity.<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>
 
> He's usually pretty plugged in...

Not of late, only Howard Stern takes more days off than Feder.

Plus the Mancow - Dahl - Brandmeier love triangle has a long, long history which wont allow this scenario. Unless Emmis is planning on $aving Ca$h by dumping expensive Mancow for cheap Johnny B and Kevin, I just dont see it.
 
> > He's usually pretty plugged in...
>
> Not of late, only Howard Stern takes more days off than
> Feder.

Well, someone's obviously planted this in his ear, and he seems to think it's being negotiated. He isn't making this up out of whole cloth.

> Plus the Mancow - Dahl - Brandmeier love triangle has a
> long, long history which wont allow this scenario. Unless
> Emmis is planning on $aving Ca$h by dumping expensive Mancow
> for cheap Johnny B and Kevin, I just dont see it.

The deal as outlined would seem to work, and it supposedly assuages Brandmeier by moving the Cow off of Emmis property. I don't know how Steve Dahl fits into this, or if he would have a, er, Cow, if Mancow took over mornings at 'CKG.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
> -Possible Rover stations: WAQZ (Cincinnati), WKRK-FM
> (Detroit), WRKZ (Pittsburgh), WMFS (Memphis). He looks to
> have the most to lose from Mancow joining Infinity.

I'd have to agree, there. And I'm guessing Rover was eyeing markets like Chicago when Infinity re-inked him and said he'd be in the post-Stern mix!

It'd be interesting, especially, if Infinity puts Mancow on here in Northeast Ohio. That whole mix likely depends on if they are moving Rover and Xtreme to 98.5, and if they plan to blow up the classic rock format and put something else on 92.3.

-OA <P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Las Vegas addendum

Looks like the KXTE morning show to-be is waiting in the wings in afternoons...

(From FMQB)
Infinity Modern Rock KXTE/Las Vegas yesterday unveiled new afternoon drive show, The Xtreme Disorder. The PM Drive team arrives from Modern Rock WARQ/Columbia, S.C. and features co-hosts Dave Farra a.k.a. Attention Deficit Dave, Brian Keadle a.k.a. Brian Black, and sidekick/stunt guy Shane Harrington a.k.a. Lemmy.

http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=104984<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>
 
Re: Las Vegas addendum

> Looks like the KXTE morning show to-be is waiting in the
> wings in afternoons...

And we'd better keep a close eye on this in the next few weeks or so: Morning-style shows being debuted in the afternoon on Stern affiliates. Do you have any other examples out there?

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: Las Vegas addendum

> > Looks like the KXTE morning show to-be is waiting in the
> > wings in afternoons...
>
> And we'd better keep a close eye on this in the next few
> weeks or so: Morning-style shows being debuted in the
> afternoon on Stern affiliates. Do you have any other
> examples out there?

Not any new ones offhand, but Russ Martin at KLLI/Dallas and Deminski & Doyle at WKRK-FM/Detroit are two possibilities. I'm told Martin does NOT want to return to mornings, while D&D could be in a position to slide into mornings, depending on what Infinity Detroit wants to do.

Then again, Mancow's website still has a very outdated listing of WKRK-FM/Detroit as one of his affiliates, so he wouldn't even have to update that part if he was to reacquire that station as an affiliate.

Stern just said on his show (in an interview with Adam Carolla) that Carolla will be getting San Francisco as his third market (to go with Los Angeles and San Diego). David Lee Roth will also be getting a few stations, according to Stern. Some of the pieces are beginning to be fit into place...<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>
 
Re: Las Vegas addendum

> Stern just said on his show (in an interview with Adam
> Carolla) that Carolla will be getting San Francisco as his
> third market (to go with Los Angeles and San Diego). David
> Lee Roth will also be getting a few stations, according to
> Stern. Some of the pieces are beginning to be fit into
> place...

Indeed.

What are you hearing about Infinity pulling the plug on Howard on September 22nd, or somewhere near the start of the Fall book? That seems to be the target in the recent Feder column about the Chicago scuttlebutt, and Stern himself seems to think he won't be doing radio for Infinity in the Fall book...

I know in that interview, Carolla didn't appear to be thrilled to start any earlier than January. (For one, he's got his new Comedy Central late night show!)

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: Las Vegas addendum

> What are you hearing about Infinity pulling the plug on
> Howard on September 22nd, or somewhere near the start of the
> Fall book? That seems to be the target in the recent Feder
> column about the Chicago scuttlebutt, and Stern himself
> seems to think he won't be doing radio for Infinity in the
> Fall book...

I tend to trust Stern's sources, backed up by Feder, more than what Adam Carolla may or may not admit to over the telephone. Remember, Carolla said he hasn't signed yet, and moreover he's lower down on the food chain information-wise than Stern.

Moreover, it's possible that "things may have changed" with Infinity from the last time that Carolla was contacted about doing the west coast morning shows.

> I know in that interview, Carolla didn't appear to be
> thrilled to start any earlier than January. (For one, he's
> got his new Comedy Central late night show!)

Yeah, he'll be a busy guy. I'm still slightly dubious about San Francisco; it's almost as if it was a slip of the tongue by Stern (who said San Francisco, but before had said "Los Angeles, San Diego and two others" and might've just gotten his San cities mixed up). It doesn't mean it won't be San Fran, but I don't want to entirely overreact about it.

Regardless, Fall book starts on Thursday, September 22, and I expect Stern to be gone before then. Will they stretch him out all the way until September 21? It remains to be seen.<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>
 
Vegas

I think Vegas might be getting Penn from Penn & Teller. Infiniti is auditioning him in Chicago this week.
 
Re: Vegas

> I think Vegas might be getting Penn from Penn & Teller.
> Infiniti is auditioning him in Chicago this week.

It would be funnier if they got Teller.

Seriously though, if that is the plan, I wonder why Infinity is looking for so many "celebs" without radio experience? Particularly since KXTE brought in an established show to do afternoons...<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>
 
Stern, Fall Book and SF

> Yeah, he'll be a busy guy. I'm still slightly dubious about
> San Francisco; it's almost as if it was a slip of the tongue
> by Stern (who said San Francisco, but before had said "Los
> Angeles, San Diego and two others" and might've just gotten
> his San cities mixed up). It doesn't mean it won't be San
> Fran, but I don't want to entirely overreact about it.

In a rather vague note on AllAccess' Net News the other day, they hinted that an FM talker could be coming to SF.

Infinity is the only major group with massive experience in the format, and they have a new frequency in the wings (106.9, which will flip from religious KEAR after the Oakland A's season ends). Could we see it go FM talk with Carolla in AM drive? Or could it take alt-rock from Live 105.3 and THAT station will go FM talk? And if Infinity took one of these frequencies to FM talk, does it automatically mean Carolla's show would be in AMD on it? Things that make ya go "hmmm".

> Regardless, Fall book starts on Thursday, September 22, and
> I expect Stern to be gone before then. Will they stretch
> him out all the way until September 21? It remains to be
> seen.

I tend to agree that he won't be on a day longer than September 21st. But I think he's trying to force their hand even before that start of the book.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: Vegas

> It would be funnier if they got Teller.
>
> Seriously though, if that is the plan, I wonder why Infinity
> is looking for so many "celebs" without radio experience?
> Particularly since KXTE brought in an established show to do
> afternoons...
>

Because Radio has no new ideas, they figure celebrities have a built in fan base that will follow them. Also they are afraid to give new local talent a shot -- hell, they stopped developing local talent (unless you count voice tracking the intro to "Behind these hazel eyes" talent).

And how lame the guys they have been trying out: Geraldo, Penn, DLR, Tom Arnold, etc., etc. I like all these guys in their respective fields, but how desperate is Infiniti?

Personally, I would have fired Howard immidiately after he announced he is leaving to Sirius. Pay him and keep him off till January, people would have had a year to forget about him! Instead they look so bad! They are playing right into his hands! I would have canned him, then flip all the CBS stations he 's on to JACK. Instead look at the mess they have created nationwide! They flipped innocent oldies and classic rock stations, but kept a bunch of lame active rock and hot talk stations which are hanging by a thread just to keep Howard on?

Adam is great, he should be the heir apperant to Howard, but even if he does get the gig (as both Howard and Corrola have claimed), he wont be on in chicago, which sucks.

When Howard is gone all we will have is local has beens on 'CKG. Johnny, Mancow, Sirrott, Dahl............
 
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