Get ready to ring in the new year with WGN-AM 720 on the FM band. But don't get used to it.
WGN's AM signal will simulcast on 87.7 FM beginning Wednesday night at 11 p.m., filling the programming void left by the imminent demise of sports talk station The Game, and keeping the frequency warm for an operator and format to be named later.
The FM simulcast of WGN's news/talk programming is a one-month deal, executives said.
Tribune Media, which owns WGN-AM 720, signed an 18-month lease for FM 87.7 and launched The Game in February. Low ratings doomed the sports talk format, which will end its run on New Year's Eve.
While the lease runs through September, WGN has no obligation to operate the FM station beyond the one-month simulcast.
"We've reached an agreement on the remainder of the contract," said Todd Manley, vice president of content and programming at Tribune Media's WGN Radio.
Los Angeles-based Venture Technologies Group owns the frequency, and is expected to announce a new long-term broadcasting partner next month. WGWG-LP is a low-power television station that has been operating as an FM radio station since it went on the air in 2008. The station has been through a variety of operators and formats, with smooth jazz and alternative rock achieving far greater ratings success than its recent foray into sports talk.
The Game ranks 36th in Chicago with a .4 share in the latest Nielsen audience survey. WGN-AM 720 is tied for 7th with a 3.5 share.
Airing a news/talk format on both AM and FM has had success in some markets, including Chicago. CBS Radio has been simulcasting news station WBBM-AM 780 on 105.9 FM since August 2011, bolstering its ratings and defending its turf against competitors. WBBM-AM is ranked 3rd in Chicago with a 6.2 share, according to Nielsen.
Manley said simulcasting on 87.7 FM might bring some new listeners into the WGN-AM fold, but didn't expect a major boost in the ratings.
"The frequency has done much better with music on it," Manley said.
As for The Game, only The Kap & Haugh Show will see in the new year, via a simulcast of its own. The show, which features David Kaplan and Chicago Tribune sports columnist David Haugh, will continue to run weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, with audio streaming on wgnplus.com beginning Friday.
rchannick@tribpub.com
Twitter @RobertChannick
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