The legendary WLS-AM is about to undergo even more changes. After adding Erich “Mancow” Muller to the line-up last week, in place of Jerry Agar, WLS is faced with the prospect of losing their heritage morning duo of Don Wade and Roma, at least temporarily.

The Wades’ contract comes to an end this Friday, and sources close to the negotiations indicate that neither side is close to reaching a deal. If no agreement is reached by the end of the week, Don and Roma will likely be taken off the air, as they were in 2004 when their previous contract was being negotiated.

In 2004, they sat out for nearly two months, as then-owner ABC/Disney stumbled through the negotiation process. Finally, newly-appointed general manager John Gallagher brokered a deal that got the team back on the air, shortly after the 2004 presidential election.

This time around, the landscape has drastically changed. WLS is now owned by Citadel — a company know to be incredibly tight-fisted with its cash. The new GM is Mike Fowler, who has no history with the Wades. The station just last week brought Mancow into the fold to host mid-days, and a few months ago veteran newsman Pat Cassidy was hired for a role that is still unclear.

Some have speculated that Mancow is waiting in the wings for his chance to take over mornings and would walk away from his nationally-syndicated morning show if he had the chance to helm mornings on the Big 89. Sources within WLS confirm that the station is in the process of building studios for Mancow in their facility at 190 N. State Street.

Meanwhile, Cassidy’s much-heralded arrival at WLS has been followed with a lot of confusion. No one seems quite sure where the long-time anchor at WBBM fits in at WLS. He was touted as wanting to host a talk show, but since his hiring, Cassidy has bounced around as a news reader and sidekick for almost all of the local shows on the station.

Initially, it was thought that Cassidy would join the morning show, contributing to Don and Roma’s show. Unfortuntately, no one asked either Don or Roma if they were amenable to that idea. Reportedly, Don Wade has no desire to share his mic time with Cassidy.

Cassidy certainly doesn’t fit into Mancow’s show, as this last week has demonstrated. Roe Conn already has a newsman in Jim Johnson, who shows no signs of wanting to give up his comfortable schedule, numerous weeks of vacation, and the rub of working with Conn.

So what will happen if the Wades’ contract expires? They will no doubt sit out, at least temporarily. WLS still has Jerry Agar under contract, so he might be a temporary option for mornings, perhaps along with Pat Cassidy. However, if the Wades are truly finished at WLS, is it possible that WLS would elevate Mancow to mornings and use Pat Cassidy in mid-days? Stranger things have happened. These are unusual times at the Big 89.