It’s been talked about for a while now, but it’s finally happening. The classic rock radio station, FM – 97.9 WLUP “The Loop”, former home to Steve Dahl and current home of Mancow’s Morning Madhouse will be no more. At least not the way it currently is.
New owners, Educational Media Foundation bought the station from Merlin Media as well as Atlanta based, Cumulus Media and will switch the format to Christian music. That’s right, a complete 180. The new station, K-LOVE is adult contemporary Christian music and is wide spread throughout the US as it can be found in over 600 radio stations nationwide.
This is big news for Rock n Roll fans in the Chicago market as this radio station has been in that format since 1977. Many have come and gone through it’s mighty airwaves including original Chicago based shock jock Steve Dahl. You might remember him as the DJ that killed Disco in the south side fields of Chicago at Comiskey Park back in the late seventies.
The Loop is currently, the home of Gen-X, morning, shock jock, Mancow (Erich Muller) and his rotating Morning Madhouse cast of characters. This has been a topic of subject on their show for weeks now with the cast and crew making fun that their contract was up and they didn’t know where they could be the next day. That answer is here.
Steve Dahl was quoted as saying, “This marks the end of a bygone era in radio history. We took a lot of chances and made a few mistakes. Nobody is allowed to even try that in this day and age.”
The final radio waves of the Loop can be heard up until midnight of this Friday night as Saturday beings a new day for the FMer’s.
Here’s to the rebels, the rockers, the image makers through the dying industry. Farewell WLUP 979 FM The Loop. You helped raise many loyal listeners and followers of Rock n Roll. You will be missed in the spirit of radio.
Stay tuned to us here at In The Loop Magazine. We’ll give you the news of what’s going to happen to the station and it’s crew as it develops.