WLS-AM: No Plans To Add FM Simulcast

Citadel shakes up mornings

With change in the air across the Chicago radio spectrum, news/talk WLS-AM 890 shook up its lineup Friday by ousting late-morning host Cisco Cotto. The 9 to 11 a.m. slot will be filled by Bruce Wolf and Dan Proft begins Monday, according to a story by Robert Channick, The Chicago Tribune.

Cotto, who worked his last shift Friday, had been with the station for about a year and a half.  Wolf and Proft have worked together as fill-ins at WLS since spring 2010, garnering good ratings and generating buzz among listeners, according to Michael Damsky, president and general manager of WLS AM and FM.

"Cisco does a very solid, reasoned radio program," Damsky said. "Bruce and Dan bring a little bit more excitement."

Wolf, Proft

WLS-AM is currently ranked 5th in Chicago with a 3.9 share. The threat of increased competition in the news/talk arena was a catalyst for the move, according to Damsky.

On Friday, Merlin Media, a new company headed by former Tribune Co. CEO Randy Michaels, began running WKQX-FM, WLUP-FM in Chicago and WRXP-FM in New York, via an LMA with Emmis Communications.  Sale of majority share from Emmis to Merlin is pending FCC approval.

Meanwhile, CBS Radio announced Thursday plans to simulcast Newsradio 780 WBBM-AM on 105.9 FM beginning August 1.

While the migration of news/talk to FM is a national trend, Damsky said there are no such plans in the works at WLS. Sister station 94.7 WLS-FM plays oldies music and is ranked 10th in the market with a 3.6 share.

"We would love to be on the FM dial but there's certainly no place right now where we could go," Damsky said. "WLS-FM does very well and we're not going to make a change there."

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