Chicago Radio: Cumulus Could Be Ready To 'Loop' 94.7 FM

InsideRadio is specualating that with Cumulus Media coming to terms with Merlin Media for the purchase of modern rock WKQX 101.1 FM and the call letters and intellectual property of WLUP-FM in an $18 million deal, it could be planning to adjust classic hits WLS 94.7 FM to fashion a new home for “The Loop?”

The 97.9 signal, which formerly housed classic rock “The Loop,” was sold to Educational Media Foundation last month for $21.5 million and now airs the Christian broadcaster’s syndicated “K-Love” programming. Merlin retained the WLUP call letters and Cumulus kept an online version of the station alive at WLUP.com and on the HD2 channel of WKQX.

Shortly after the sale, and subsequent sign-off of “The Loop,” WLUP PD Wade Linder segued to the programming chair of WLS-FM as Cumulus transferred Brian Thomas to the PD post at country sister “Kicks 101.5” WKHX-FM Atlanta. WLS-FM morning man Dave Fogel, who returned to the station in December 2017, has since added middays on Cumulus classic hits sister KCMO-FM Kansas City (94.9). Mancow was in mornings at The Loop prior to its sale to EMF.

According to InsideRadio, it also makes sense from a ratings standpoint as WLUP outperformed WLS-FM in Persons 25-54 and Men 25-54, where it holds a nearly two share lead in the latter demo in the February PPMs. Overall, the stations shadow each other with two-tenths of share between the two Persons 6+. WLS-FM’s three-book-trend moves 3.0-3.1-3.4, while The Loop was up 2.7-2.9-3.2.