I wonder if this is a sign that they have pretty much given up on this station and just waiting to put something else in its place.
Since Merlin seemed to stop its advertising and promotion push of the format back in early winter, you do have to wonder if it isn't just coasting until the time is right to flip to a different format.
Merlin may be planning the same kind of format in New York that its new station in Philly is becoming. That is, news in morning drive, followed by syndicated talk the rest of the day, followed by whatever until the next morning. With weekends filled with more syndicated talk.
Given that Clear Channel is maxed out in NYC and its stations are doing so well in the ratings, it's not likely to dump any of its own formats to clear its Premier talk shows like Rush, Hannity and Beck. But, with big rival Cumulus possibly considering pulling the plugs on Premier's big talk shows on WABC, Clear Channel may be looking for an FM alternative in NYC the same way it was looking for an FM alternative in Philly.
In the meantime, Merlin may have some newspeople still under contract from its earlier plans and may just be burning those contracts down, although it would keep some for its morning show. There's not much point in switching to another format now if the plan is to carry syndicated talk that might be moving off WABC, or even WOR, in the next year. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Merlin is trying very hard to have its news format catch on in New York and that is not a good sign for its continuation.