The first song played after the flip was Rise Against’s “Satellite”. (Hat tip to Radio Insight.)

As the launch of Q87 took place, the station tweeted, (@Q877Chicago) “Yep, we just birthed this bitch. WKQX and Alternative are back in Chicago on 87.7FM!” The station is also on Facebook here.

Just a few short weeks after entering into a limited marketing agreement with Venture Technologies Group, Merlin Media and its investor group are making good on their promise to restore alt rock to the airwaves in Chicago, which have been lacking that format since they took it off last summer.

Currently, WLFM-LP 87.7 has been stunting with a simulcast of FM News 101.1, but that will change at some point on Monday when the call letters become WKQX-LP. The station will be helmed by longtime Randy Michaels acolyte Jim Richards, who worked with Michaels at Jacor, Clear Channel, and most recently at Tribune Media, which he left in November of 2010. For most of last year, he programed an alt/hot AC station in Seattle until an abrupt departure at the end of 2011. Richards will assume the title of Operations Manager for both WKQX-LP and WLUP-FM.

The unusual nature of the 87.7 frequency leaves a lot of doubt about the viability of the station. Technically, 87.7 isn’t really a radio station. It’s the audio portion of a low power TV station broadcasting on Ch. 6. The FCC has allowed the frequency to be used for radio broadcasts as long as video is also being transmitted on the analog frequency for Ch. 6. However, in September of 2015, all low power TV stations will be forced to convert to digital, which would render 87.7 completely useless for radio broadcasting.

Merlin Media is also expected to launch a new format on 106.9 FM in Philadelphia, which will reportedly be branded as “IQ 106.9″ with a news/talk format.

At the end of 2011, Sandberg and Dahl parted ways after budget constraints forced cuts in the operation. Since her departure, she has worked for several local event and media companies until landing in her new role at B96.

In the latest Abitron ratings, the “J & Julian” show ranked fifth in persons 18-34.

Send your congrats to Mary on Twitter and Facebook.

In an open letter to his colleagues at WGN-TV that was posted on the station’s website, Suppelsa explained the circumstances surrounding his decision:

I have been abusing alcohol at the end of my work day as my family slept. It was my secret and I became very accomplished at hiding it. I do my best to function at a high level and I know that it is my responsibility to correct anything that potentially interferes with my family or my work.

Suppelsa also explained that he plans on spending a month at the Hazelden Addiction Treatment Center in Minnesota, with the blessing of the WGN-TV’s management, and that he expects to return upon the completion of that program.

In a statement, WGN-TV Vice President and General Manager Marty Wilke said, “We are supportive of Mark’s efforts to deal with this issue and look forward to his return. We, and he, appreciate the support from our viewers.”

Suppelsa has been with WGN-TV since 2008. His previous gigs included ten years at WMAQ-TV NBC 5 and five years with WFLD-TV FOX Chicago. He’s a graduate of Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox and Marquette Univserity. He has won six Emmys, an Edward R. Murrow award, and the Silver Dome award in 2008 for “Best Anchor.”

Just a month ago, another Chicago media personality revealed his ongoing struggles with substance abuse. WSCR-AM 670 The Score’s Dan McNeil spent six weeks off the air, dealing with what he described as a nervous breakdown and treatment for depression and substance abuse. During his prolonged absence, McNeil and station management did not disclose the nature of his problems.

(Feder)

Colleagues in Chicago media have been expressing their support for Suppelsa on Twitter since the announcement:

@DeanRichards: Nothing but love and respect for Mark Suppelsa. His courage and candor is to be admired.

@RaviBaichwal: WGN’s Mark Suppelsa heading for alcohol rehab… brave, honest and praiseworthy. Looking forward to seeing you back.

@EricandKathy: Eric had a long talk w/ Mark Suppelsa. He’s in a good place & shared many thoughts that he would like us to convey. We’ll do so Mon morning

Sarosky is upset after seeing a new billboard for Merlin Media’s FM New 101.1 which depicts the former governor with the phrase, “He Never Listens.” The attorney claims that to use Blago’s image on a billboard without obtaining consent might be a violation of Illinois’ Right to Publicity Act. That law precludes the use of a person’s identity for commercial purposes unless consent is granted.

Sarosky told Crain’s Chicago Business, “I don’t think they got Rod Blagojevich’s consent to do this. The question is, what do we do? We haven’t made any decision yet, but it clearly seems to be a violation of the law.”

Merlin Media hasn’t offered any official statement on the matter and won’t disclose how many of the billboards they’ve placed or how long the image of Blago will stay on the billboard.

In the re-shuffling, Cassidy exited the station and will likely return to his previous radio home of all-news WBBM-AM, which, not coincidentally, is where Drew Hayes most recently roamed the halls. Hayes was, no doubt, aware of the long-rumored standing invitation for Cassidy to return to WBBM. By releasing Cassidy from his WLS contract, Hayes knew that the veteran newsman would be able to make smooth transition back to his old stomping grounds.

Meanwhile, Mancow has been fired from yet another Chicago radio station. He joined WLS in late 2008 in a very unusual deal that essentially cost the station nothing. Mancow’s national syndicator TRN brokered a deal with WLS to share revenue sold during the 9-11am time slot, where Mancow was heard. This allowed TRN to sell this inventory to many of the national clients who were buying spots in Mancow’s national show. It seemed to be a smart move for all parties involved, and for a while, the ratings for the show seemed to be holding steady. But a recent decline and the change in regime at WLS once again puts Mancow off the air in his home market.

Here are Damsky’s comments on Mancow and Cassidy, via Feder:

“Mancow has been an outstanding talent and an ideal employee in every respect. Unfortunately, he does not fit the needs of the radio station as we try to fulfill a very clear vision of what listeners expect, and try to restore credibility to conservative talk. We thank him and Pat Cassidy for their contributions, and wish them both well.”

Cisco Cotto will slide into the 9-11am slot, which is familiar territory for him. For many years, up until 2006, Cotto worked as a reporter and new anchor at WLS and frequently contributed to the various shows that occupied that slot. This move ends the arranged marriage between Cotto and Roe Conn that scarcely had a honeymoon period. Cotto was foisted upon Conn later last year when the previous general manager Mike Fowler eyed Conn’s falling ratings and forced him to choose a new sidekick. Little did Conn know that he was actually picking a co-equal partner and not another sidekick, which has included a recent string of names like Amy Jacobson and Bill Leff. Conn wasn’t even aware of the egalitarian relationship he would be having with Cotto until days before they began working together on the air.

There’s little doubt that Conn’s longtime relationship with Hayes factored greatly into this re-shuffling. Conn and Hayes worked together at WMAQ-AM nearly 25 years ago. Hayes was the operations manager at WLS 20 years ago when a young Conn was first hired. It’s become clear that Conn encouraged — if not fully orchestrated — the moves implemented on Wednesday. He did not want to be partnered with Cotto, and he wanted Ron Magers back on the program. There’s now word that Christina Filiaggi may return to the show. Whatever pull Conn had lost under the tenure of Fowler and PD Bob Shomper has returned tenfold with the return of Hayes.

So where does this leave everyone involved? First, the winners.

Roe Conn. If anyone had any doubts, the events of this week prove that Roe gets what Roe wants. He’s survived at WLS through numerous management shake-ups, and he’s managed to stay on top. Just weeks ago, he was described by friends and colleagues as distraught and depressed about his falling ratings and his lack of influence at the station. Now, he has nearly single-handedly changed the character of the radio station while remaining the top dog in afternoon drive. There’s been no confirmation of a new deal being signed, but you can bet that Conn will make out better now than he would have if he’d re-signed six weeks ago.

Pat Cassidy. His foray into talk radio didn’t go as planned, for sure. In the summer of 2008, Cassidy was lured to WLS by then-GM Mike Fowler with the promise that he’d be working in morning drive alongside Don Wade. Unfortunately, no one asked Wade first. Once that idea was vehemently vetoed, Cassidy became a man without a show on WLS. He bounced around between several different shows, being paired with Conn and Jerry Agar for temporary assignments until finally landing in the chair next to Mancow. The pairing never worked and now Cassidy can return to WBBM where he can do what he does best — read the news.

Now, the losers.

Mancow. He’s burned just about every bridge in this town. He has nowhere left to go. His syndicated show will continue on the handful of mid-size markets that haven’t grown tired of his shtick, but he will likely not work in Chicago in any prominent position for a long time. He never seemed comfortable fully shedding his shock jock persona in pursuit of becoming a serious political talker. Perhaps that metamorphosis is still in the making, but it’s more likely that Mancow will now be viewed as damaged goods.

Cisco Cotto. He jumped from WIND-AM where he co-hosted mornings back to WLS where he had hoped to save afternoon drive, after watching Conn slowly decline for the last 18 months. In many ways, it was doomed from the start, as both Cotto and Conn are known for having strong personalities and very narrow views of how to perform their craft. Conn wasn’t going to cede any control of his show to Cotto, no matter how bad the ratings might have been. As a result, Cotto has been exiled to the 9-11am shift, which has been a career dead-end for names like Jay Marvin, Eileen Byrne, and Jerry Agar. Two years from how now, it’s not likely that Cotto will be working in this town either.

And lastly, those whose fates are still to be determined.

Drew Hayes. It was a series of bold movies from a guy know for bold moves. Clearly, Hayes’ boss Michael Damsky has a vision that Hayes has been set about to accomplish. WLS has spent the last few years spinning its wheels, making some gains but quickly giving them right back. The brand that was once golden when it came to news talk now seems a little tarnished. It will be interesting to see if Hayes can reignite some of the old sparks that jumpstarted WLS twenty years ago when it first launched.

Amy Jacobson. In the last year, she went from being heralded as the new co-host of the Roe Conn show to being marginalized to reading weather and traffic to being forced off the show completely to make way for Cisco Cotto. Ironically, she’s now reading news during Cotto’s new solo show. Jacobson’s days at WLS may be numbered, as she’s surely looking for more substantive opportunities in the market.

Jiggetts acts as the maestro of this misfit orchestra, trying to direct the flow of the conversation, launching new topics, and handing off to Carlson and Kleist for the information elements. Unfortunately, as affable as Jiggetts may be, he lacks the gravitas to effectively wrangle the personalities seated around the table. All too often, North would chime in at inopportune times, clearly derailing the program’s flow. The role of moderator would be better handled by a veteran TV broadcaster who has experience handling this type of situation.

In many respects, North has been the show’s selling point since its inception. The boisterous former sports jock apparently didn’t learn his lesson when he tried to expand his intellectual portfolio on The Score. North can talk sports with the best of them, but once he steps out of those bounds, he gets lost. It came off as creepy when North began ogling Beyoncé during the Grammy re-cap portion of this morning’s show.

Both Savage and Hegedus seem a little shell-shocked by their participation in their gabfest. When called upon to offer their expertise on financial topics, they both performed admirably. It was the transitions to each of them that continued to sound forced and contrived. It’s hard for North and Jiggetts to feign any interest the Dow Jones or foreign markets.

Carlson seemed a little too enthusiastic to be a part of the show, which can probably be expected for the first day. However, Carlson will, in many ways, need to act as the glue that holds the whole thing together, since she has the most television news experience.

Perhaps the worst part of the new show is the aesthetics. Much had been made of the elaborate set built at Ch. 2’s new studios for the show. The cast sits around an enormous seven-foot table, painted to resemble a dart board. A rotating “Monster Cam” has been dropped in the center of the table, and it spins around during the show for strange, low-angle shots of the show’s participants. This rotating camera looks odd in just about every shot, as it protrudes from the center of the table like some kind of weird retro sci-fi set piece. Its presence requires that all the other shots have to be too tight in order to crop it out, which means that just about every shot is an uncomfortable close-up.

It’s also worth nothing that the shows graphics are all green, rather than the traditional CBS 2 blue. I guess this is because green is the color money … and monsters.

It was clear today that the show’s crew was woefully unprepared for the freewheeling nature of the format, as too many times the wrong camera was on the air or Carlson didn’t have her copy loaded into the teleprompter or mics weren’t properly mixed.

After one day, the jury is still out on both the concept and the execution of “Monsters & Money in the Morning.” The concept may be viable with the right participants and the right production values, but it’s still too early to tell if any of those pieces are in place.

Phil Rosenthal offers a more generous review — and running commentary — of the show’s first day here.

Rob Feder also gives the show a lot more credit than I do.

You can listen to the podcast here: