FishbowlNY first told you about the factors weighing in CBS Radio’s favor to create a WFAN-FM. We speculated that WFAN would be moved “in-house” to either 102.7 FM, home of Fresh 102.7 or NOW FM 92.3.  However, CBS Radio has confirmed its acquisition of Merlin Media’s ill-fated 101.9/WRXP for the purchase price of $75 million.

CBS Radio said in a statement that WFAN will remain on 660 AM with a simulcast on 101.9.

We have the memo from Merlin CEO Randy Michaels to staffers after the jump.

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Those who didn’t have their radios on, or tuned to the live stream, missed a faux anchor delivering the final story for FM News.

“It is to announce that a format change is about to occur at 101.9,” the male voice-over person said. “In just a few minutes FM News will become New Rock 101-9. The final line of the final story is this, a special note of thanks to everyone involved in FM News for their passion and support. Sometimes just saying thank you isn’t enough, but in this case, it’ll have to do. Thank you and good bye.”

With the immediate switch to Alternative Rock, 101.9 returns to a format Emmis ran prior to Merlin Media’s arrival last summer. There is no definitive word that this will become the permanent format. There is also speculation that Merlin will move the new version of WEMP to Chicago. It’s too soon to know if Merlin will keep the WEMP call letters. We can only assume that Randy Michaels can’t get rid of the calls fast enough, and lose the bad taste that was WEMP.

We’re told only 10 people were retained as on-air talent for the new station. Until that happens, though, they will provide additional content to the Philadelphia sister station.

The first song played on New Rock 101.9 was the Beastie Boys’ No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn. Thus closing the book on FM News 101.9 in less than 12 months. But it is not without precedent. Just think of Patrick Duffy emerging from the shower to a one-year dream season on Dallas. The dream of WEMP as an FM News station is thankfully over.

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The station is returning to its Emmis roots with 101.9 New Rock, an Alternative rock station.

The handwriting has been on the wall for FM News/WEMP to make a major change, after it was unable to get past a .6 in the ratings. Interestingly, a News/Talk idea gained traction when the station hired Mark Austin Thomas, a veteran of that genre.

Merlin Media CEO Randy Michaels tells All Access, ”It was a difficult decision to make, but after a year of minimal audience engagement, coupled with the format’s inherent expense, I felt it was time to make a change. I’d like to thank the people who poured their heart and soul into the effort and I wish them all the best.”

Update: FishbowlNY has learned from a source close to the situation at WEMP that virtually the entire staff has been let go, including management. News director Thomas, hired in May, and last month Terry Sheridan, brought in from WINS as newsroom manager, also was sent packing. We’re told a several younger editors, and a couple of reporters, siblings Mike Murillo and Michelle Murillo stay on, primarily to gather news for the sister station in Philadelphia. The new Alternative format began just as the 10 a.m. meeting concluded, although without jocks for the time being.

We’re told that the anchors Alice Stockton-Rossini, Catherine Smith, and Dave Packer are among the purged. However, Maria Garcia does remain. She has many years of DJ experience on Long Island.

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Sources tell FishbowlNY that WEMP will become a hybrid News/Talk format, likely modeled after Merlin’s Philadelphia station, IQ 106.9.

Someone with knowledge of the situation says significant layoffs are expected at the meetings.

“They’re expecting the worst because they’ve already seen the worst.” the source tells FishbowlNY

Ahead of tomorrow’s meeting, we’re told that the new format is expected to launch in September. There’s no word if the meetings will expedite the tweaking.

WEMP has had nearly non-existent numbers since taking the 101.9 frequency from Emmis last summer. The station has been stuck at a .6 in recent months.

With endless struggles to find the right sound, several key managers, including VP of programming/news director Liz Aiello, and Merlin COO Walter Sabo, were shown the door by the start of 2012.

In May, WEMP hired Los Angeles News/Talk programming veteran Mark Austin Thomas to take the reigns into year-two.

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One source tells FishbowlNY that Kessler is among several staffers that may be let go due to “outs” in their contracts as Merlin Media is now in a cutback mode.

However, another person with knowledge of the situation was not familiar with any personnel changes, other than Kessler. Additionally, that person could not confirm if Kessler left on her own volition or was squeezed out.

There’s been turmoil at WEMP since signing on last summer. The station has struggled mightily to find an audience, which led to the ouster of VP of programming Liz Aiello earlier this year and COO Walter Sabo in December.

Last week, Randy Michaels and Merlin began the march toward the future, naming Eric Seidel interim program director.

WEMP inched ahead in the January Arbitron ratings to a .7.

Update: FishbowlNY has confirmed that evening anchor Maureen Langan and reporter Bob Brown have also left the station.

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FishbowlNY learned earlier this month that the station was conducting a nationwide search for the next programming head.

The January Arbitron ratings released this week showed a slight uptick for WEMP at .7.

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Updating the story today, FishbowlNY has learned that Merlin has handed the reins to veteran broadcasting exec Al Gardner, recently hired by Randy Michaels to helm a Philadelphia version of WEMP.

Sources also tell FishbowlNY that Merlin is conducting a nationwide for Aiello’s successor.

The ratings for WEMP have been abysmal, .5 in the most recent book, down .1 from the previous month.

There has been upheaval at Merlin Media in recent weeks, if not since first taking the air from Emmis’ WRXP in August.

Walter Sabo was ousted from his position as company COO before year’s end.

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Sabo, on his personal LinkedIn page, lists Merlin Media as his employer from May 2011 to December 2011 (8 months). Although, officially he joined the start-up company on June 27.

Merlin Media owns three radio stations, including FM News WEMP 101.9.

Adding further speculation that Sabo’s tenure may have ended with Merlin, the veteran radio programmer places his Merlin position is in the “past” category on LinkedIn.

On LinkedIn, he posts self-created businesses  Sabo Media and Hitviews as current jobs.

FishbowlNY attempted to reach Sabo and a spokesman for Merlin Media to confirm.

Merlin Media launched one of New York City’s first FM all-news stations in August,  a one-part cutting-edge, one-part experimental station.  

WEMP failed to gain ground in the overall December Arbitron ratings with a .6.  

Randy Michaels acquired WEMP and two other stations from Emmis in June.

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Randy Michaels

The Middletown, Ohio police report says Michaels, whose real name is Benjamin Homel, smelled of alcohol and was unable to perform sobriety tests.

He is scheduled to appear in court next Friday.

Michaels was ousted as Tribune CEO last year amid complaints into his behavior began to circulate.

Startup news station WEMP is part of the Michaels’ Merlin Media portfolio.

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WEMP began streaming on its website Friday.

But, before clicking the “Listen Live” for the news format geared to women loaded with lifestyle and entertainment features, visitors are encouraged to answer a few questions.

Merlin execs chose morning co-anchor (longtime, former WINS reporter) Alice Stockton-Rossini as the face for this experiment.

With a picture of Rossini on the page, she “asks” for input from new listeners. 

“I need your thoughts on the type of stories and information that would be most helpful to you all day,” Rossini writes.

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With the Emmis sale to Merlin Media and Randy Michaels, WRXP goes off the  air today.

WRXP program director Leslie Fram tells FishbowlNY that the Rock station will not do anything out of the ordinary for the final hours.

“Each of the jocks will have their own ending song just to thank the audience,” Fram says. “We want to end on a positive note.”

One other positive for ‘RXP, Fram says the station has a 2.3 million cume (listenership), their highest in the three-year history. Fram is also pleased with the ‘RXP’s rating in the 25 to 54 demographic—3.6.

Fram says she’ll remain in New York through the summer, searching for her radio gig.

“[I'm] looking for my next adventure,” Fram says.

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On June 21, Randy Michaels assumed control of three Emmis radio stations, including ‘RXP.

Since then, Michaels brought in radio veteran Walter Sabo as COO, likely to run the day-to-day operations of the new 101.9.

Last week, FishbowlNY learned that Pete Salant was tapped to reunite with Sabo in an unspecified programming role. Salant ran Adult Contemporary WYNY in the early 1980s with Sabo as his boss.

Since buying the station, rumors have persisted that the new 101.9 would flip format. The most likely candidate for 101.9 is News/Talk, or some variation.

However, Merlin Media, in attempt to keep people guessing, recently registered www.1019wyny.com through Go Daddy.

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Accomplished radio programmer Pete Salant has joined Merlin Media in an unspecified programming role, sources with knowledge of the information tell FishbowlNY. 

Salant made a name for himself as the program director and operations manager of WYNY from 1980 to 1983.  

Salant reteams with his former NBC boss–then-FM radio division executive VP Walter Sabo, now the Merlin Media chief operating officer.  While at 30 Rock, Salant led the team that pioneered the Adult Contemporary music format at WYNY, which climbed from number 22 to number one in Adults during Salant’s first six months. The station remained the highest rated music station among all FM and AM stations in New York City during his tenure.

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As we’ve been reporting for several weeks, rumors are running rampant that Merlin will flip former Emmis-owned Rocker WRXP 101.9 to a News/Talk station.

Now, All Access reports that Merlin has registered www.1019wyny.com through Go Daddy. The information lists Merlin Media, LLC as the registrant.

Of course, WYNY, which built its reputation by playing Adult Contempory, made the move to Country in the 1987.

However, bringing a Country format to 101.9 doesn’t appear likely.  

“There’s no chance,” one industry insider told FishbowlNY.

Walter Sabo, Merlin’s COO, is a longtime talk radio consultant.

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The paper reports today that McKay, known for his reports on 1010 WINS, will join Merlin Media. In turn, that will further fuel speculation that Randy Michaels‘ upstart media company will flip WRXP/101.9 from a Rock station to News/Talk format.

Broadcasting  consultant Walter Sabo had been brought in to run Merlin. His background includes programming New Jersey 101.5/WKXW, a Metro affiliated station at which McKay also spent many years helping listeners negotiating jams with “The McKay Way.”

The Daily News reports that a timetable for the changeover isn’t known, but it’s not likely to be an extended process.

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