Milwaukee Radio: WTMJ Competitor Objects To Translator Simulcast

Michael Crute

Announced plans for WTMJ 620 AM to launch and FM simulcast on translator W277CV at 103.3 FM has drawn a complaint from the crosstown competitor.

Michael Crute, who recently acquired daytimer WRRD 1510 in Waukesha, has hired an attorney to filed an objection with the FCC. Crute claims he  had a deal with translator owner Frank McCoy to rebroadcast progressive talk Resistance Radio WRRD on the channel. The technical arrangement for that was filed at the FCC in June. Now Crute says McCoy emailed him this week to say that Scripps-owned news/talk WTMJ had offered a better deal.

The WTMJ deal apparently offers more money and indicated WTMJ's parent company Scripps would pay to build the translator on the tower of their WTMJ and WKTI/94.5 – and would host it rent-free.

Crute cries foul.  He says WTMJ, “Wisconsin’s most powerful AM station, was making an unscrupulous hard-ball effort to crush my efforts to level the broadcast playing field.”

He added that WTMJ and Scripps have “picked a fight with the wrong guy and the wrong radio station.”

Crute is co-host of “The Devil’s Advocates” program syndicated by WYD Media Management and distributed by Westwood One.  After years of working on air in Madison and other markets via syndication, he purchased WRRD to launch a progressive talk station in the Milwaukee market.  His show airs on the station.

In a  press release, Crute paints this conflict as a David vs Goliath-type battle.