LTSC1980 114 Posted March 6, 2018 Posted March 6, 2018 Prayers for the Loop staff......EMF will take over 97.9 WLUP. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-wlup-sold-emf-christian-20180306-story.html
LoadStar 364 Posted March 6, 2018 Posted March 6, 2018 For what it's worth: EMF currently has a K-Love station on 94.3 FM, licensed to Glendale Heights and broadcasting at 3.5 kW from Oakbrook Terrace. They also have an Air-1 station broadcasting from Wheaton on 88.1 FM at only 250 W. They just bought 88.1 about this time last year. I think K-Love and Air-1 are the only two radio formats that EMF operates. K-Love is an adult-contemporary Christian format, while Air-1 is a CHR/Active Rock Christian format. Whether they put Air-1 or K-Love on the station, I'd have to imagine that 88.1 goes away, as it would be wholly redundant.
TheMassMediaGeek 98 Posted March 6, 2018 Posted March 6, 2018 Prayers for the Loop staff......EMF will take over 97.9 WLUP. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-wlup-sold-emf-christian-20180306-story.html 40 Years, some Classic Rock fans are not going to be happy about this, unless an event like WABD and WLVM happens, where a station (Cumulus’ WYOK in Mobile, AL, which changed calls to WABD when the final hour of WABB-FM happened, now WDLT-FM) picks up the format and branding of the original station simultaneously after the original Heritage station (Dittman’s WABB-FM, now WABD) signs off.
scrabbleship 429 Posted March 6, 2018 Posted March 6, 2018 Is radio that bankrupt that EMF is the only company with money anymore? At which point do they buy a full B in NYC?
TheMassMediaGeek 98 Posted March 7, 2018 Posted March 7, 2018 RadioInsight.com reports that K-Love is launching on WLUP this Saturday March 10th. https://mobile.twitter.com/radioinsight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fradioinsight.com%2F
Rusty Muck 4390 Posted March 7, 2018 Posted March 7, 2018 Is radio that bankrupt that EMF is the only company with money anymore? At which point do they buy a full B in NYC? EMF just doesn't go stupid on purchases. They only need at least one FM signal for the main format K-Love, and a secondary for Air1. TBH, I don't think they have any debt load whatsoever. For a non-profit organization, they are well-respected, very transparent, and rated highly by appraisers like Charity Navigator. I betcha they want to get WBAI, but the only reason why that class B isn't being sold is the crippling dysfunction that's governed WBAI since the Johnson Administration.
WAVY 10 Fan 233 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 Said this on Facebook and the 506 forums, but KLove is pretty much the Christian radio equivalent to the "Ma Bell"-era AT&T. I would have to guess this is easily one of the biggest surprise acquisitions in the media world probably since FOX grabbed the NFL from CBS.
Eat News 4745 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 I betcha they want to get WBAI, but the only reason why that class B isn't being sold is the crippling dysfunction that's governed WBAI since the Johnson Administration. Submitted without comment...
hmaxhanson 650 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 I'll bet Entercom reverts 105.9 back to classic rock to fill the void left by the Loop. The existing K-Love station at 94.3 will likely go to Air 1.
LoadStar 364 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 I'll bet Entercom reverts 105.9 back to classic rock to fill the void left by the Loop. The existing K-Love station at 94.3 will likely go to Air 1. That seems logical, but I haven't seen any confirmation of such. If that happens, I do wonder what they do with 88.1, given that it's in the non-commercial reserved band. They could sell it (or donate it) back to Wheaton College, I suppose.
scrabbleship 429 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 Submitted without comment... [ATTACH=full]5568[/ATTACH] We've reached the point that when Pacifica's number is up, the only company that could afford them is EMF. That is if they don't end up buying the Emmis NYC cluster first. Imagine a world where the Hot 97 and WBLS brands are just cast aside. It could very well happen at this point.
Rusty Muck 4390 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 I'll bet Entercom reverts 105.9 back to classic rock to fill the void left by the Loop. The existing K-Love station at 94.3 will likely go to Air 1. The Drive pretty much IS the classic rock station for Chicago. Plus a flip to classic rock at 105.9 would hurt AAA WXRT.
hmaxhanson 650 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 The Drive pretty much IS the classic rock station for Chicago. Plus a flip to classic rock at 105.9 would hurt AAA WXRT. Oh yeah, I forgot about The Drive. I'll bet Entercom is waiting for WKQX the second coming to go away so that they can flip 105.9 to their Alt format that's been popping up at some of the former CBS stations.
Mrtraveler01 738 Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 The Drive pretty much IS the classic rock station for Chicago. Plus a flip to classic rock at 105.9 would hurt AAA WXRT. The Drive is an example of how successful a classic rock station can be when it has competent management. I doubt any station will switch to fill in the void by WLUP since the Drive essentially made the Loop irrelevant. Classic Rock fans are cursing the name EMF because they basically did the same thing in LA late last year. However in that case, they bought out the more successful classic rock station in LA because of the CBS/Entercom merger forced them to sell it off. But compared to KLOS, The Sound was a whole lot better. I feel bad for the classic rock fans in LA after that happened.
LTSC1980 114 Posted March 10, 2018 Author Posted March 10, 2018 WLUP is now 97.9 K-Love. https://formatchange.com/97-9-the-loop-becomes-klove/
nathannah 2493 Posted March 12, 2018 Posted March 12, 2018 I'll bet Entercom reverts 105.9 back to classic rock to fill the void left by the Loop. Why go back to a station that just flopped around with hot talk and other detritus when the WBBM simulcast kills all those issues? WBBM on FM is staying, especially with the oncoming move of the AM to the WSCR tower site.
Rusty Muck 4390 Posted March 24, 2018 Posted March 24, 2018 Why go back to a station that just flopped around with hot talk and other detritus when the WBBM simulcast kills all those issues? WBBM on FM is staying, especially with the oncoming move of the AM to the WSCR tower site. The moving of WBBM's transmitter to the WSCR tower won't be that much a difference. Even with a technical decrease in power, WBBM will still enjoy the same coverage area they've had for decades.
LoadStar 364 Posted March 24, 2018 Posted March 24, 2018 So are they still airing K-LOVE on both 94.3 at the same time as 97.9? If so, I'd have to assume that's temporary, because I can't see any point to carrying the same stuff on both signals. 94.3 doesn't reach anyone that 97.9 doesn't.
LTSC1980 114 Posted March 24, 2018 Author Posted March 24, 2018 One less jazz station....EMF will take over WSHA Raleigh. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167318/educational-media-foundation-acquires-wsha-raleigh/
Georgie56 3318 Posted March 24, 2018 Posted March 24, 2018 One less jazz station....EMF will take over WSHA Raleigh. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/167318/educational-media-foundation-acquires-wsha-raleigh/ Man. The smooth jazz format moves one step closer to death.
Rusty Muck 4390 Posted March 25, 2018 Posted March 25, 2018 Man. The smooth jazz format moves one step closer to death. Actual jazz is not smooth jazz, not by a long shot. I'm surprised WSHA was viable for this long.
LTSC1980 114 Posted August 16, 2018 Author Posted August 16, 2018 EMF launched K-Love Classics with new Christian Classic Hits formats. https://radioinsight.com/headlines/169969/emf-launches-christian-classic-hits-k-love-classics/
TheMassMediaGeek 98 Posted August 17, 2018 Posted August 17, 2018 Actual jazz is not smooth jazz, not by a long shot. I'm surprised WSHA was viable for this long. As of July 26th, WSHA is now airing K-Love as WRKV.
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