Jess 1110 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 A few months ago, Randy Michaels' Merlin Media purchased WKDN 106.9, a Christian station led by Harold Camping's Family Radio. You know, the one that predicted the apocalypse twice? Still waiting on that. Anyway, Merlin has owned the station for about a month now, but didn't take control until midnight today. And because you can't flip a station without a ludicrous stunt, the newly-christened WWIQ-FM ran a 12 hour loop of R.E.M.'s "End of the World", then went into its interim format at noon today - Sean Hannity 106.9. Yes, they are running Sean Hannity 24/7. I can't decide whether this is the dumbest radio stunt ever or the smartest radio stunt ever. More to the point, the imaging for Hannity 106.9 is very familiar. Yes, Larry Mendte is voicing the station IDs and break bumpers. I think it's cute, but I think there has to be something more to this. Mendte wrote an article unabashedly praising Merlin's FM News fiascoes formats in NY and Chicago for Philadelphia magazine a few months back, when Merlin and CBS were vying for the station. (If CBS had gotten the station, it's widely believed it would have been KYW Newsradio 106.9.) If you can find it online, I advise you read it because it is really the most blatant suck up to an executive that I've ever seen. It really just stops short of asking for sexual favors from Randy Michaels. So understandably, rumors have linked Mendte to the Philadelphia format for some time. Just what role he'll play, I don't know. Merlin is going in a different direction here than with their FM News formats in NY and Chicago - the station will obviously be running Hannity and it's all-but-certain Rush Limbaugh is landing here as well, so there's going to be a talk element here. However, it's still believed they'll run some all-news blocks. So Mendte will either wind up anchoring the news blocks (most likely from what I'm hearing)... or it's entirely possible he'll be the live and local talk show centerpiece. Just think, a Larry Mendte radio talk show. Like the stunt, that could be the dumbest radio idea ever... or the smartest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhillyWatch 238 Posted May 1, 2012 Share Posted May 1, 2012 Looks like mornings with Mendte (and Al Gardner) will soon be here (via The Philly Post) Tea Party-Friendly Talk Radio Arrives in Philly With WWIQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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