The return of Randy Michaels?

Radio Ink reports the following rumor:

The hot rumor circulating throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center during NAB2005 is that Entercom CEO David Field will serve as chairman of a proposed Entercom-Citadel merger, with Randy Michaels serving as CEO.

Wow! I really hope this one’s true.

Although Randy’s fan club is not universal, I am certainly a member. He was always good to me when I worked with him – even when we disagreed, which was about half the time.

But more important, Randy’s enthusiasm about Radio as a medium, not simply a business, is immense and infectious. And his ability to peer over the horizon to see what’s coming next is second to none.

I will never forget watching him run around a dinner table plugging an earbud into everyone’s ear so they could listen to a few random seconds of a radio station that was new to his family. He was like a kid in a candy store.

And our industry needs more candy store kids in the corner offices.

If the rumor is true, welcome back to the head of the table, Randy.