Report: WBBM-A Takes Lead In Battle For Cubs Radio Rights

780 Or 720?

The CHICAGO CUBS have been mum about the status of the team's radio rights beyond the end of the current pact with longtime rights holder TRIBUNE Talk WGN-A/CHICAGO, but the CHICAGO TRIBUNE's ED SHERMAN reports that the leading candidate to take over the broadcasts is crosstown CBS RADIO News WBBM-A, breaking the bond between WGN and the CUBS which goes back to 1925.

SHERMAN cites "team and industry sources" for the tip.

If the CUBS sign with CBS, SHERMAN reports, the games would air on WBBM-A while WBBM's FM simulcast on WCFS would split and continue the all-News format. 

Other CBS stations in the cluster -- Top 40 WBBM-F (B96),  Country WUSN (US99) Triple A WXRT, and Classic Hits WJMK (K-HITS 104.3) -- would be part of a cluster-wide CUBS marketing campaign; CBS' Sports WSCR-A (670 THE SCORE) is the WHITE SOX flagship through 2015.

SHERMAN said that CUMULUS has expressed interest to air the games on Talk WLS-A but "isn't expected to meet the CUBS' asking price."

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