FMQB now weighs in with a small item on the OMW Story of the Year, the big station swap between Cumulus and Clear Channel in Ohio and Michigan:
Clear Channel and Cumulus have worked out a complex swap of stations, where CC’s Ann Arbor, MI and Battle Creek, MI clusters are being traded for Cumulus’ Canton, OH stations. Clear Channel owns four stations in each of the Michigan cities. Sources tell FMQB an LMA is set for Friday, September 1.
Note that the FMQB folks say “Cumulus’ Canton, OH stations”.
On the company’s website, WRQK/106.9, WQXK/105.1 and WSOM/600 are broken out as the company’s “Canton Salem” cluster. This, despite the fact that both of the latter stations are operated out of the Cumulus “Radio Center” building on Simon Road in Youngstown.
While the math makes more sense with K105 and WSOM in the trade mix, we have yet to hear any of our sources confirm their presence in the swap deal…and we’ve already outlined at least one or two good reasons for each company that those two stations could not be involved.
Could we – and our sources – be wrong on this? Well, at last check, we are not perfect. But we’re still hearing even today, after WRQK employees found out about the sale officially for the first time, that it’s the only Cumulus station in Northeast Ohio going to Clear Channel.
Stay tuned…
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