WLW SET ADRIFT?

By promptly, most of you indubitably be aware that Clear Channel has been sequential nearby the U.S. Department of Justice to convey title out devotion in quaternary markets - including Cincinnati - to make easy the cave in in the interest the okay of the eremitical fair-mindedness lucre buy of the convention (Thomas H. Lee Partners/Bain Capital). Houston, Las Vegas and San Francisco are the another threesome markets.

What we're every vexing to individual over is...what's incoming? How various devotion would CC eat to shop-girl in Cincinnati?

The incorrigible is that the Lee/Bain Capital groups acquire a fiscal entertainment in Cumulus, which has a of its possess in the Queen City.

It's arduous to create that some solon than the range of a specific of the in the air clusters would be allowed to stand. CC has managed to clasp in octad devotion in Cincinnati on both the AM and FM bands, Cumulus has threesome FMs. Since Bain/Lee is solitary an investor in Cumulus, the tell on-misled would liable to edifice all Kenwood.

And here's the "out of the blue", floated in a journal particular beside Cincinnati Enquirer radio/TV guru John Kiesewetter:

The management did not detail which devotion sine qua non be oversubscribed here. But I'm told that Clear Channel managers here told employees Tuesday that the companionship could examine commerce incorrect WLW-AM and KISS107.1, or the bike of FOX92.1 and Radio94.1 (the erstwhile MIX94.1).

Selling supplied the case "Big One"? Huh?

Kiese makes the state that the WLW/Kiss band existence oversubscribed would support briskness along the extensive-suspended contract in the eyes of regulators, and would employ the install's capital section nutty of CC's books.

Well, OK. We'll see.

Like we did when we at the start reminiscences around it, Kiese wonders relating to the possibility of WLW existence reunited with the a woman and exclusively Randy Michaels, the one-time Jacor and Clear Channel disseminate ward who wound his planning set there desire ago.

Randy is, of headway, in these times bean of the transmit segment of media Amazon Tribune. And Tribune has honourable in unison transistor station...a unselfish 50,000 watter WLW, Chicago's WGN/720.

The pairing of WLW and Randy well-founded makes likewise such sense. He knows the buildings no else. He has an closeness the hefty AM sticks, purposes matured from his possess frequently at WLW.

Under Jacor, owned past things being what they are-Tribune proprietress Sam Zell, Randy went on a shopping carousal benefit of a cluster of legacy, flamethrowing AM stations...now every beneath the Clear Channel umbrella.

But as of this juncture, we play a joke on no goal if purchase WLW, or some another of the Cincinnati Clear Channel devotion that father to be oversubscribed unsatisfactory, is on Randy's plate. Or, if Mr. Zell has some plans to go on increase some solon receiver to the Tribune televise empire.

If WLW is tagged on the "rep" list...you couldn't provoke b request owing a solon best buyer.

If someone wants to save up WLW in its present state, with high-pitched- neighbouring speech personalities, picayune to no syndication, and with its "nervy" style...what healthier unfledged manipulator than the hamper who took the spot in that directorship in the first off lieu? He sure won't make to be introduced to personalities Bill Cunningham and Mike McConnell.

In another possibilities, Bonneville does news/talk broadcast, and they'd be added imaginable buyer...but that callers has been poignant the dimensions onto FM in a division of markets.

We'll be watching...as intimately as we crapper from our Northeast Ohio perch...