2-8-2012
It wasn't too long ago Clear Channel and Cumulus were announcing industry-wide working relationships to help each other succeed with non-competing business models. All 555 Cumulus owned stations will soon be available on Clear Channel's iHeartradio. And, all 845 Clear Channel stations will soon promote Sweet Jack, the Cumulus daily deal coupon business. With Cumulus launching Huckabee to challenge Rush Limbaugh we wondered how that will affect the relationship that seemed to be so cordial since Cumulus swallowed Citadel. In the cross hairs may be New York City, Chicago and Washington DC.
Cumulus Carries Rush Limbaugh on stations in three of the top ten markets, WABC in New York (where the newly launched Geraldo show is already airing), WLS in Chicago and WMAL in Washington, DC. It's interesting to note that WABC is already carrying the shorter Huckabee report. If Cumulus is serious about challenging that time slot, as John Dickey states in the New York Times, what happens to those long-time affiliates when it's time to renew Rush? In addition, when Huckabee launches on April 2nd, will Clear Channel carry the program on iHeartRadio knowing the Cumulus plan is to challenge Rush? Did Clear Channel know of the Huckabee plan ahead of time when the iHeartRadio deal was being negotiated?
Rush also airs on Cumulus owned WJR-AM in Detroit. Market #11. In the majority of the Top 25 markets, Rush is already airing on Clear Channel owned sttions. In New York City where Rush airs on Cumulus owned WABC, Clear Chanel owns 5 FM signals, Classic Rocker WAXQ, AC formats with WHTZ and WKTU, Soft Rock WLTW and Hip-Hop WWPR. Also something to keep an eye on in The Big Apple, at WOR-AM Lou Dobbs, who occupies the 2PM to 4PM slot is about to come off the air. When we asked Joe Bilotta who would be taling that slot, all he would say is "news coming soon."
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