Less Likely Merlin Is Doing All-News

Randy Michaels: "We Won't Be All-News..."

From Robert Channick, The Chicago Tribune

Several major AM news/talk stations have broadened their audiences in recent years with an FM simulcast. In 2008, KCBS-AM in San Francisco began simulcasting its news format on a CBS-owned FM. The combined stations currently rank second in the market.

News/talk station WSB-AM in Atlanta began simulcasting on FM last August and saw overall listenership grow by 44 percent.... In the key 25 to 54 demographic, which is most attractive to advertisers, the simulcast format moved up from sixth to second in the market over the same time frame, according to Pete Spriggs, the station's program director.

"When you go to FM, you're really going to where all the traffic is," Spriggs said. "You have the ability to pick up the people that don't even know you exist. It's a brand new product for those people, especially under the age of 40."

With Merlin set to take over operations at its three new stations Friday, the disc jockeys at Q101 said their goodbyes on-air Thursday.... The station is expected to "stunt" beginning Friday — a transitional musical format — before rolling out the new permanent format.

While not confirming specifics for WKQX, Michaels conceded a head start to WBBM in any FM news/talk competition.

"I can tell you that we won't be going all news on August 1st," Michaels said in an email Thursday.

If WKQX does go news/talk, some industry analysts think the format will sound very different from WBBM.

"I think Merlin's version of all-news could be something very different," said talk radio consultant Randall Bloomquist. "It may be much more personality-oriented, and it will probably aim youner."

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Tom Taylor at Radio-info.com hears one agency rep in NYC is being told that WRXP will be all-news in morning drive and then talk after that, with a strong news component - and leaning younger than CBS Radio's all-news "1010 WINS" and WCBS-AM (880).