[BC] WLS-AM Rock-n-Roll

[Rich Wood]

------ At 04:36 PM 2/23/2010, Scott Bailey wrote: -------

>I remember "Super CFLs" version. It was the last song played on the 
>Larry Lujack Show when the format was changed to Beautiful Music. 
>WCFL just couldn't hold up against WLS. I know Larry had a contract 
>with the Chicago Federation of Labor that he could get out of and 
>had to stay at WCFL until he could break the contract, then he 
>quickly went back to to WLS to be the morning jock.

I programmed the music for WCFL when they went to Easy Listening. The 
first ARB after the change had slightly higher numbers than the last 
Rock book. Larry Lujack was probably the highest paid liner card 
reader in history. As I remember, Larry decided to stay at WCFL for 
the duration of the contract. There was a lot of money involved. He 
wouldn't have been competition for the new format and the station 
would have been happy to lose the expense.

It's been a very long time but I don't think WLS had a quick opening. 
It might have been the conflict of contracts that made him stay 
longer than the station wanted. WLS would have had to pay two 
salaries for the morning show until their talent's contract ran out. 
Even a company like the "real" ABC of the time would have had a 
problem paying two huge salaries where one talent did nothing for a 
year or so. I was involved with replacing talent and paying the last 
year of the previous person at $250,000. It hurts, but you have to 
honor the deal.

Rich