Randy Michaels

Radio Ink writes a piece this morning trying to make you think these Randy Michaels' hires are all misdirection...

Randy Michaels has never been one to stage a complicated ruse or wage a campaign of disinformation has he? Somehow, without even saying a word, Michaels has everyone convinced he's going to flip one, maybe two stations, to some sort of FM news or talk. Of course, all indications, according to media journalists and radio reporters believe some sort of format flip will happen in either Chicago or New York. Maybe both. The Sabo hire helps that theory along. But what if Michaels is just playing everyone to see if he can get Dan Mason to make the first move? Mason's CBS owns WBBM-AM, the news leader in Chicago and powerhouse New York stations WINS-AM and, of course CBS-AM. One Chicago insider told Radio Ink, "Randy is very good at yanking people's chains."

If you say so, Radio Ink. I think the fact that he has hired Charlie Meyerson and Rob Hart, (both former Chicago Radio Spotlight interviewees) and a talk radio consultant to run the joint (Sabo) says he's flipping at least one of the stations in Chicago. Of course he is. Right now they're doing rock (The Loop) and alternative rock (Q-101). One of those formats (or both) is a goner.