HOW WILL WFAN's MOVE TO 101.9 AFFECT 1010 WINS?

[WNTIRadio]

[CBS could consolidate the two all-news stations into one/quote]

Why would they purposely drop one of two well performing revenue streams??

I they consolidated, the billing would in no way come close to what te combined is for the two stations.  Also, if there is only one all news station, that leaves the door open for a direct competitor.  We saw how that worked with 101.9.  Even if he programming was better on fm news, they would still be out flanked by the two established, entrenched CBS stations.

It's a business, not a hobby. 

[mets18]

This really is a brilliant move if it makes it past the lawyers.  The only question I have is can CBS keep the must-carry and not have the station subject to the ownership cap.  Sounds like having your cake and eating it too.  Hats off to them if they pull it off.

[DavidEduardo]

This really is a brilliant move if it makes it past the lawyers.  The only question I have is can CBS keep the must-carry and not have the station subject to the ownership cap.  Sounds like having your cake and eating it too.  Hats off to them if they pull it off.

As I understand this, CBS converts 10/55 to a pure cable play, and turns in the license for the spectrum used by the OTA station to be auctioned for other uses. Licensees who do this apparently retain must-carry status for cable only in exchange for relinquishing bandwidth.

Perhaps Scott Fybush, who is vastly more knowledgeable on this matter can give some additional depth to the discussion.

[Bob1370]

Latest scuttlebutt is that CBS will be able to keep all its radio licenses, plus 101.9/WFAN-FM, if it devolves Channel 55 on Long Island to an LMA under someone else's nominal ownership/license, leaving Channel 2 as their only fully O&O television property. And that's what they reportedly will do.

Having said that, they're crazy not to move WINS to 660, and if they do keep 1010, have it become WFAN-AM, the NYC flagship for the fledgling CBS Sports Network, while keeping 101.9 FM live and local like WFAN has been the last 25 years. We'll see if they're sharp enough to keep all the chess pieces delpoyed on the board to the best advantage.

[DavidEduardo]

Latest scuttlebutt is that CBS will be able to keep all its radio licenses, plus 101.9/WFAN-FM, if it devolves Channel 55 on Long Island to an LMA under someone else's nominal ownership/license, leaving Channel 2 as their only fully O&O television property. And that's what they reportedly will do.

LMA's and JSA's count against market caps.

[michael hagerty]

It is interesting to note that CBS Corporate decided that The Fan was the property that would be placed on the new FM, rather than 1010 WINS. We read so many times that WINS wins (no pun intended) revenues for CBS. Yet, sports was picked over news. Maybe they were spooked by the experience of FM News and thought they couldn't take the chance using their own news brands on that frequency?

Nope. There were exactly two things behind this. ESPN's move to FM, which could take sports listeners away from the AM band and 660....and the Yankees' insistence on an FM signal.

This says nothing about CBS' thoughts regarding news on FM.

[recto101]

It is interesting to note that CBS Corporate decided that The Fan was the property that would be placed on the new FM, rather than 1010 WINS. We read so many times that WINS wins (no pun intended) revenues for CBS. Yet, sports was picked over news.

WINS and WFAN have nearly identical revenues.

I think the huge success of sports on FM in places like Detroit has been a decisive factor, as well as the fact that news listeners tend to be older in general, while sports appeals to all ages and could benefit most from FM.

Some How in San Francisco thats different Sports is dismal on FM 95.7 KGMZ Entercom owned due to the fact that KNBR-AM 1050/680 is big and its a Cumulus O&O with an ESPN/CBS Sports/Fox affiliation. But In San Francisco 106.9FM KCBS all news from 740 AM simulcast is a success after the success of KQED-FM (NPR News/Talk affiliate). However San Francisco did have 2 failed attempts to put all-News and News/Talk on FM. KNAI-FM in the 1970's was all-news for the NBC NIS Network but it was killed off due to the fact that KCBS-AM and KGO-AM had higher ratings in the market. KPIX-FM was News/talk in the mid 1990's but once Group W Merged with CBS then KPIX-FM was killed off mainly because CBS wanted to back KCBS because of Higher ratings and it was more successful of the CBS affiliates in San Francisco. I do know in Washington DC WTOP-FM has done well on FM and is the highest revenue producing station for all-news and for Washington DC.

[pjc1961]

Having said that, they're crazy not to move WINS to 660, and if they do keep 1010, have it become WFAN-AM, the NYC flagship for the fledgling CBS Sports Network, while keeping 101.9 FM live and local like WFAN has been the last 25 years. We'll see if they're sharp enough to keep all the chess pieces deployed on the board to the best advantage.

Why move the chess pieces around when it's unnecessary? Keep it simple...as long as CBS Radio doesn't have to part with a frequency, keep the cash cows in place. Provide comfort for the listeners; very few like to change listening habits.

There's no need to move the City-based news station at 1010 to 660. 1010 serves that purpose well.
Keep 660 for the Sports Network plus game overflow - plus the stronger signal may come into play regarding Mets and/or Yankees rights negotiations (along with other sports properties: NFL, NBA, NHL).

1010 would be about as bad as 1050 was (is) for sports programming - remember Yankees games on 1010 from 1978-1980 and 1944-1957?

[radioguy39nj]

If WINS and WCBS had equal signals on AM or FM, only one would be all-news.  You had that situation in Chicago when CBS had two all-news outlets, WMAQ and WBBM, both 50 kW non-D AM blasters.  CBS had ownership issues in Chicago, so they chose to blow up WMAQ and replace it with all-sports WSCR.

I think it's possible that both WINS and WCBS could end up on FM.  WCBS becomes an all-news simulcast (like WBBM and KCBS), while WINS goes with a news-intensive talk format.  With equal signals on FM, WINS would no longer be superserving NYC.  If that's ends up being the case, CBS isn't going to run two all-news outlets.  WINS isn't going to 660.  That's going to become the flagship of CBS Sports Radio.

WXRK (92.3 NOW-FM) has long underperformed against Z100 and WWFS (Fresh 102.7) is in a crowded field of stations serving female listeners.

[TheBigA]

LMA's and JSA's count against market caps.

Based on what I'm reading, they will sell the station, but keep the rights to the cable distribution of the channel.  Not sure exactly how that will work.