Still Not Theirs

Here's one from our Technicality Department.

A brief item in AllAccess today confirms what we'd wondered about while looking at FCC records online - rock WRQK/106.9 Canton is still technically owned by Cumulus, not Clear Channel.

Of course, WRQK was involved in a multi-station swap, where Cumulus sent it to Clear Channel, and received a number of stations in Michigan in return.

The deal was filed in December 2006, and approved by the FCC in December 2007.

The proposed swap was extensively reported right here in OMW, long before it was even filed. Clear Channel actually took over operations of WRQK in January 2007...and has run the station known as "Rock 106.9" ever since.

No, WRQK is not leaving Freedom Avenue.

AllAccess reports that "a tower problem" for one of the Michigan outlets going to Cumulus - WWWW-FM/Ann Arbor - has held up the consummation of the deal, and forced the filing of two extensions. (You'll note that the above-linked FCC approval has no consummation date.)

Time-wise, it's gotten to the point that Cumulus and Clear Channel have now refiled the deal with the FCC (shown here on the WRQK end of things).

Again, we're in Technicality Land.

Clear Channel continues to run WRQK under an LMA, and Cumulus is doing the same for the Michigan stations, while the licensing issues sort out. Listeners have no idea which company name is on the official license, with the future owners already in charge.

And since the swap has already been approved in its present state, except quick FCC action after all the Michigan tower issues get ironed out...