UPDATE 8/16/06 8:50 PM: OMW has learned about at least part of what comprises “the other half” of the Clear Channel/Cumulus swap, which locally involves rock WRQK/106.9 “Rock 107” in Canton ending up with Clear Channel.
At least from what we’ve heard so far, Clear Channel will send a number of Michigan outlets to Cumulus in exchange for WRQK – stations in Battle Creek and Ann Arbor.
We hear from at least two sources that all of the Clear Channel stations in those two Michigan markets will be swapped to Cumulus as a result of the deal involving WRQK locally. OMW hears that employees at those current Clear Channel outlets in Michigan got word of their end of the deal today.
We still haven’t nailed down what other stations may be involved in what’s looking to be a rather complex swap, or what cash considerations may be involved.
One of the Ann Arbor Clear Channel stations was involved in a call letter swap that looked very odd at the time.
It now appears that its legendary calls of WWWW – which have resided on Ann Arbor’s “W4Country” – were planted on a Clear Channel AM station in Detroit in order to hang onto the call letters within the company, due to this transaction. The “W4Country” calls and format once resided in Detroit.
The reason the calls were warehoused on the former WDTW(AM) Dearborn MI – which still calls itself “WDTW” on the air – is now clear. With Clear Channel losing control of the Ann Arbor country FM now known as “W4Country”, they are keeping it on one of their AMs until they need to use it later on another property.
We’re hearing other rumors about other parts of the WRQK/CC/Cumulus swap, but we’ve only been able to confirm the information above…so we’ll hang onto this one, for now…
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