NERW midweek update: Merlin gets Philly

*We now know why Philadelphia-market WKDN (106.9 Camden NJ) wasn’t part of the announcement of CBS Radio’s purchase of Family Stations assets a few weeks ago: it’s because CBS didn’t win the bidding for WKDN.

While CBS prepares to use former Family station WFSI (107.9 Annapolis MD) as part of its launch of a new all-news signal in the Washington market (the news goes on what’s now WLZL 99.1 Bowie MD, while WLZL’s Spanish hits format moves to 107.9), WKDN will end up competing against CBS under new owner Merlin Media.

That’s Randy Michaels’ group, which has been struggling to gain ratings and revenue traction against CBS with all-news entries in New York City (WEMP 101.9) and Chicago (WIQI 101.1, ex-WWWN). In Philadelphia, Merlin goes up against another aggressive CBS cluster that includes all-newser KYW (1060), sports WIP-FM (94.1)/WIP (610) and talker WPHT (1210).

Much more in Monday’s NERW on the new competitive dynamics in the City of Brotherly All-News Competition…

*In Quebec, we told you Monday that Cogeco hadn’t found a buyer for CJTS (104.5 Sherbrooke) in order to get back under the ownership cap after swallowing the Corus cluster. Just a day later, Cogeco pulled the plug on the station, which had been carrying its “Souvenirs Garantis” French-language oldies format.

*Across the border in the Burlington, Vermont market, Steve “Corm” Cormier is back on the air. The veteran morning man is now doing afternoons (3-5 PM) on new signal WXMR (100.7 Plattsburgh West NY), which is doing a talk format as “Radio Bistro.”

*Much more in Monday’s NERW, and on our Facebook and Twitter feeds as news breaks…