How stupid are owners?

Apparently, pretty dumb.  Here's from Tom Taylor:

Chicago’s WLUP (97.9) finally reacts to the anonymous “Save the Loop” campaign.

Emmis Market Manager Marv Nyren sounds fed up in this internal memo – “This will be the only time I address this. Yes, there is a website out there trying to get people to believe they are going to buy the Loop. They are NOT! The 2 guys behind the entire project are Mike Noonan and Matt Dubiel. Mike used to work at the Loop as a weekend air-talent and Matt was the PD at a group of suburban stations. They are 2 unemployed guys that have been pitching us a show for the past 2 years that we have no plans on taking. Unfortunately, this is their way of being disappointed. They are also trying to get various ex-employees...to be a part of their sad little on-line campaign.”

Nyren advises staffers “Do not waste your time on the web-site and do NOT give them the time of day.”

Whoever’s behind the campaign, they’ve concocted an elaborate game plan that includes well-produced videos and a series of emails. The site claims they’re “assembling a group of Loop fans for a bid to purchase WLUP and run it by Chicago, from Chicago, for Chicagoland.”

Emmis has said it's open to selling its two Chicago FMs (WLUP and "Q101" WKQX), but that's as far as it's gone, at least in public. Late last night, the SaveTheLoop crew responds to Nyren's memo by saying "It's not a gag. It's not 2 guys. It's thousands of people, with Eddie Webb and others behind us." The whole thing's certainly unusual, and distracting for Emmis (and its sales reps, probably).

The SaveTheLoop site is here.