BECOME AN AFFILIATE OF T-SHIRT HELL AND MAKE SOME MONEY!
Name: Benjamin "Randy Michaels" Homel
Age: 60s
Occupation: radio executive
Last Seen: who the hell knows
Bee-otched For: killing The Loop
Age: 60s
Occupation: radio executive
Last Seen: who the hell knows
Bee-otched For: killing The Loop
---
As Ozzy Osbourne once sang, "You can't kill Rock 'n Roll, it's here to stay".
Just don't say that to the once-mighty WLUP in Chicago, which signed off for good on midnight this past Saturday.
The once-mighty rock station signed off with three songs about H-E-double-hockey sticks: Motley Crue's "Shout At the Devil", Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" and (you guessed it) "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. Moments after Bon Scott sang the words "we're on the highway to hell", the sounds of lame-ass Christian Contemporary music overtook the 97.9 signal as it became an affiliate of the national K-Love network.
It was announced early in the week that WLUP was being sold from owner Merlin Media to K-Love's parent, Educational Media Foundation for $21 million. The station had been operated by bankrupt Cumulus Media; the selling of WLUP was a stipulation of the bankruptcy.
For now, Merlin and Cumulus still own and operate sister station 101 WKQX, the alternative station formerly known as Q101. Merlin also ran 101.9 New York, which was a successful alternative station, but they too ran that to the ground with a shitty, low-rated news format that also ran on 101.1 Chicago with similar results. Thankfully, they flipped the station back to alt-rock, but sadly sold it to CBS Radio (now Entercom) which flipped it to a simulcast of sports WFAN-660.
Thankfully, WKQX went back to alternative and now has an OK three share in the ratings, a tick above WLUP which had a 2.9 in the January book. Currently, Chicago's top rocker is Hubbard classic rock station 97.1 The Drive, which has a 3.3. Entercom AAA 93.1 WXRT is a .01 lower.
But sadly, two disastrous companies can do so much damage when it comes to heritage stations, especially with WLUP. One of the worst things they did, IMO was when they hired Mancow to do mornings. OK, so how many fucking stations have this fucker been on in The Windy City? Rock 103.5, Q101, some shitty daytimer in the 'burbs and WLUP were to name a few. The tragedy is the fact that this douchebag spent his career ripping off Stern and THANK GOD he's out of a job again.
But in the end, radio stations are like life: they don't last forever. Now, The Loop has joined the WNEWs, 92.3 K-Rocks, WKLQs, WYSPs, KNACs and the nationwide Z-Rocks of the world that's all dead and gone. Of course, we've all played a role in WLUP's demise, too since they were Chi-town's lowest-rated rocker. But then again, they deserved it for putting a fake jerkwad in the morning. Plus the fact that many have flipped over to the internet and satellite for their music decisions.
Thanks, Randy Michaels. You almost killed WGN and you now have killed WLUP. And we know why.
---
As Ozzy Osbourne once sang, "You can't kill Rock 'n Roll, it's here to stay".
Just don't say that to the once-mighty WLUP in Chicago, which signed off for good on midnight this past Saturday.
The once-mighty rock station signed off with three songs about H-E-double-hockey sticks: Motley Crue's "Shout At the Devil", Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" and (you guessed it) "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC. Moments after Bon Scott sang the words "we're on the highway to hell", the sounds of lame-ass Christian Contemporary music overtook the 97.9 signal as it became an affiliate of the national K-Love network.
It was announced early in the week that WLUP was being sold from owner Merlin Media to K-Love's parent, Educational Media Foundation for $21 million. The station had been operated by bankrupt Cumulus Media; the selling of WLUP was a stipulation of the bankruptcy.
For now, Merlin and Cumulus still own and operate sister station 101 WKQX, the alternative station formerly known as Q101. Merlin also ran 101.9 New York, which was a successful alternative station, but they too ran that to the ground with a shitty, low-rated news format that also ran on 101.1 Chicago with similar results. Thankfully, they flipped the station back to alt-rock, but sadly sold it to CBS Radio (now Entercom) which flipped it to a simulcast of sports WFAN-660.
Thankfully, WKQX went back to alternative and now has an OK three share in the ratings, a tick above WLUP which had a 2.9 in the January book. Currently, Chicago's top rocker is Hubbard classic rock station 97.1 The Drive, which has a 3.3. Entercom AAA 93.1 WXRT is a .01 lower.
But sadly, two disastrous companies can do so much damage when it comes to heritage stations, especially with WLUP. One of the worst things they did, IMO was when they hired Mancow to do mornings. OK, so how many fucking stations have this fucker been on in The Windy City? Rock 103.5, Q101, some shitty daytimer in the 'burbs and WLUP were to name a few. The tragedy is the fact that this douchebag spent his career ripping off Stern and THANK GOD he's out of a job again.
But in the end, radio stations are like life: they don't last forever. Now, The Loop has joined the WNEWs, 92.3 K-Rocks, WKLQs, WYSPs, KNACs and the nationwide Z-Rocks of the world that's all dead and gone. Of course, we've all played a role in WLUP's demise, too since they were Chi-town's lowest-rated rocker. But then again, they deserved it for putting a fake jerkwad in the morning. Plus the fact that many have flipped over to the internet and satellite for their music decisions.
Thanks, Randy Michaels. You almost killed WGN and you now have killed WLUP. And we know why.
---
--
Got a Bee-otch to nominate? E-mail us @ chuck69dotcom@gmail.com. All suggestions (except for me) are welcome!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
CHUCK69.COM IS ALWAYS ON!
No comments:
Post a Comment