Cumulus Media and Merlin Media have decided to give 97.9 WLUP-FM Chicago an on-air farewell after all.
Steve Dahl, the personality most associated with the station’s history, will host a farewell program on Friday afternoon from 2-6pm. That happens to be the same timeslot Dahl normally fills at Cumulus News/Talk 890 WLS.
Dahl launched WLUP-FM into the stratosphere in July 1979 when as morning host he led the infamous Disco Demolition Night during a Chicago White Sox doubleheader at Comiskey Park as part of a promotion between the station and the team. Fans in attendance were offered 98 cent tickets as long as they brought one disco record for Dahl to blow up between games. The event led to an on-field fan riot as they stormed the field and led to the White Sox forfeiting the second game.
Dahl left WLUP for WLS in 1981 but later returned and anchored mornings into its Hot Talk run. He would later spend time at 1000 WMVP, 105.9 WCKG, and 104.3 WJMK before returning to WLS in 2014. He will now also give WLUP-FM at least the partial sendoff it deserves.
On the air before the prayer! We're taking over @979TheLoop tomorrow from 2-6pm. #DiscoSucks #TheSteveDahlShow pic.twitter.com/ODBQob7VY6
— The Steve Dahl Podcast (@SteveDahlShow) March 8, 2018
Nathan Obral 
Joseph_Gallant 
Eric Jon Magnuson 
It helped that Dahl was already on the Cumulus payroll and has pretty much all but outright stated his desire to do a farewell show.
I’m under the impression that WLS will simulcast this show, which is somewhat fitting given that the station was rendered “un-hip” by Dahl and The Loop.
At least they’re doing the right thing by giving WLUP-97.9 the sendoff it deserves.
But, they should’ve been doing it since Tuesday. While I understand that this unfolded very quickly (which would’ve made it harder to do a formal countdown), Cumulus already has the best-known Loop talent ever on the payroll–and he was all over the news coverage of the sale. Also, there are many folks who are still active in Chicago/suburban radio who have historical ties to the Loop–even more, if you include the Loop-era AM 1000.
Doing so should have helped promote Mr. Dahl’s show on WLS–not to mention the area’s surviving Classic Rock stations. The only reasons that I can think of for Cumulus not doing something more extensive are that it was afraid of on-air criticism (which, I think, is unfounded), and that the relationship between Cumulus and Merlin may now be so poor that neither wanted to do any more than the bare minimum.
I haven’t been able to monitor any broadcasts today, but my fear is that the Drive (WDRV) is doing a better job of paying tribute to the Loop…
https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/174723/wdrv-chicago-offers-on-air-tribute-to-rival-wlup
(For those who may not know, Off Broadway was a local band that formed in the late ’70s.)