Imus Coming to Citadel, WLS?
Citadel Broadcasting confirmed this week that Don Imus will return to the airwaves on December 3, appearing on at least one Citadel station, WABC-AM in New York.
Speculation has begin that, with a salary in the $5 million range, Imus will end up on quite a few more stations across the country. Clearly, Citadel boss Farid Suleman isn’t spending that kind of cash on a talent that will only be heard in one market, even if that market is the largest in the country.
With Citadel’s acquisition of ABC Radio earlier this year, the company has picked up a number of large market, heritage stations, including WLS-AM here in Chicago. Now, it would seem to make sense that Citadel would want to put Imus on in the nation’s third largest market, right? Well, not according to WLS GM John Gallagher:
WLS morning hosts Don and Roma Wade remain under contract to WLS for another year, and John Gallagher, president and general manager of both WLS and sister station WZZN-FM 94.7, said there have been “no discussions” about putting Imus on the station and “no anticipation” of doing so.
… for now. There’s no way that Gallagher or anyone at Citadel would consider speculating about the future of mornings on WLS, as they have Don & Roma under contract until November of 2008. It was Gallagher who, upon his arrival at WLS in November of 2004, got a deal done with the Wades after their prior contract had expired and they were yanked off the air for a month.
However, it does make sense that Citadel would put Imus on in mornings in Chicago just as Don & Roma are about to reach the end of a contract that may insiders have described as the couple’s last deal.
It’s about time that you have started making programming and personnel changes. I (and my family) have been a WLS listener for 9+ years. Don & Roma are stale (Roma has difficulty reading a script and adds no intelligent imput to stories. And, I’m tired of hearing “it’s a ‘hoot’”). Don Wade’s political commentaries, however, are very focused and very good at parsing the subject at hand. The sooner the better.
Again, from a listeners standpoint, the termination of Christina Filliaggi is a plus. She adds nothing to the Roe Conn show other than an obnoxious and abrasive cackling laugh for no apparent mature rreason. She can’t even ‘read’ the traffic script with clarity and tone. Too fast, too hurried not allowing a listener to decipher and digest the information. Roe Conn’s support of Christina is commendable but his perception of her contribution to his show is out of touch. We generally tune out his show, particularly between the hours of 3:00 and 3:30 PM
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