On March 5, 2018 Merlin Media LLC sold WLUP FM 97.9 to Educational Media Foundation, ending WLUP The Loop’s control by Cumulus under a local marketing agreement (LMA), and ending WLUP’s existence.
On March 6, 2018, Cumulus ended manned operations on WLUP-FM and let go the entire air staff. An automated playlist of typical WLUP music continued until March 10th, when EMF took control of the frequency from Merlin as K-LOVE — a non-commercial FM radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois. Last year EMF purchased the license for the former WETN from Wheaton College on February 28, 2017 for $150,000. The station changed its call sign to WAIW on March 1, 2017. WAIW (88.1 FM) is a radio station broadcasting the Air 1 Contemporary Christian format — a sister format to K-LOVE.
Cumulus Media Tuesday April 3, 2018 agreed to buy alternative rock station WKQX FM 101.1 from Merlin Media. Along with the deal, it’s been reported that Cumulus will also own the call letters of WLUP and the former rock station’s intellectual property for a total price of $18 million. However, as of March 19, 2018, WLUP — the call letters — are now associated with WLUP 97.9 “The Moose” Real Country in Au Sable, New York. WLUP 97.9 “The Moose” plays country and western music from past decades, or classic country. The classic country radio station is owned by radio license holding company Radioactive, LLC. The sole proprietor of Radioactive, LLC is Randy Michaels, the former CEO of The Tribune Co. and the former CEO of Merlin.
Cumulus Media is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Entercom and iHeartMedia, Inc.
On November 29, 2017, Cumulus filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a restructuring of the company, and iHeart Media and various affiliated companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on March 14 and 15, 2018.
Cumulus also owns news/talk WLS AM 890 and classic hits WLS FM 94.7.
Some are speculating that an identity such as “94.7 The Loop” will merge with WLS FM 94.7 or arise as an HD-2 digital stream; or WLS FM 94.7 will become the HD-2 digital stream. So far there is nothing official to confirm the speculation. Marv Nyren is vice president and market manager of Cumulus Chicago.
If all this isn’t confusing enough, Q101 Chicago (the intellectual property owner of the original Q101 that was formerly on WKQX 101.1 MHz) is an alternative Internet radio station in the Chicago metropolitan area. “Q101 Chicago” is a direct continuation of the programming that was featured on terrestrial radio station WKQX 101.1 from 1992 until 2011.
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