Which AM Station Might Be Available to Family Radio?

[ai4i]

I, if I ran a non-com mostly specialty talk radio station with no chance of competition from anyone, would jump on an AM flame thrower.
The interest from the millions of dollars for the swap would fund my hobby beyond forever.
Only issue with those guys is that they would not want to benefit anyone with a corporate agenda.

[Giacomo Siffredi]

Emmis does not and never did own WLIB.

My error. Still, I don't see ICBC/YMF/YMF Holdings/other creditors and owners giving this one up. Not unless they could replicate the programming elsewhere on the New York radio dial, which they cannot unless they displace some of the programming on WBLS or purchase another station in the market. Neither seems very likely, although considering what has occurred so far this year, neither may not be off the table...

Regarding WNSW, depending on the terms of the agreement with The Voice of Russia, MCBC could relocate that programming to one of their other properties. Perhaps the agreement precludes them from doing so. However, the 1430 signal seems in line with, if not better than, what Family Radio would be willing to accept, based on their acceptance of what their two present Baltimore, MD. AM holdings offer them in terms of coverage.

The other option is the AM extended band, but considering the average age of the Family Radio listener, explaining the move to the traditional AM band may be difficult enough. Not to mention many older radio sets generally cannot tune beyond 1620 AM.

[stationless listener]

Among the possibilities:

570
620
820
930
970
1130
1280
1380
1430
1480
1560
1600
1660

Everything else is still too good to let go of for the time being.

[tommy3477]

Family Radio has purchased WPEN AM 950 in Philadelphia from Greater Media.

[Steve Green NEPA]

If the Radio-locator maps are correct,   WPEN 950 must be a pretty expensive setup to run. It's not only directional,   it's virtually 50,000 watts for half the year.     And from two different sites,  yet.     Perhaps it was the only desirable/big signal in that market which had a quick 'for sale' sign on it.     Maybe they'll seek to downgrade it,   or lose one of those two arrays.      Either way,   they acquired a big signal on an orphaned band.

Perhaps Family Radio is in no big hurry to get to Times Square when the ball drops.    They might be waiting to see how the reception is (pun intended)  in Philadelphia first,   at that somewhat cumbersome 950 facility.

Am missing the exact figures,    but among their final FM NYC showings were things in the 1.5 or 1.6 range.    They cannot expect to get anywhere near that on any respectable AM signal there which would be inexpensive to operate.     The move would be a huge step sideways,   no ?           

[DanStrassberg]

If the Radio-locator maps are correct,   WPEN 950 must be a pretty expensive setup to run. It's not only directional,   it's virtually 50,000 watts for half the year.     And from two different sites,  yet.               

Certainly a two-site AM is more expensive to run than most one-site AMs, but WPEN can't be too bad. I'm pretty sure that GM owns the day site and rents the night site (from Beasley, which, AFAIK, owns the land, building, and towers). Remember, WPEN's night operation is NOT a diplex; WWDB, whose site WPEN uses at night, is a daytimer. WWDB and WPEN are never on the air simultaneously from the WWDB site. Only WPEN uses the WPEN day site; that site is not used by any station at night.

Even though GM is almost entirely an FM company, they do not spare the $$$ when they build or upgrade an AM facility. I believe that both WPEN sites are very well engineered. I've heard that the night site has two identical 50-kW transmitters and the day site has two identical 25 kW transmitters. GM spent big $$$ at both sites with the objective of having highly reliable signals and minimizing operating costs.

[Markd]

My guesses are WPAT 930 AM, 1190 WLIB (whose owner is recently out pof bankruptcy and being refinanced by the same company Yukapia that has financed A & P/Pathmark/Waldbaums out of their benkruptcy), 1600 WWRL, or even 1050 WEPN. My thoughts is that Spanish ESPN Radio could move to FM - WPAT FM 93.1 which is doing horrible in ratings the past couple years. Also the FM tranelators around the market will likely remain.

Also Family Radio is evaluating which direction they should move on two fronts. One is Theological - they are needing to decide on an Evangelical Christian ecumenical direction or more of the Fundamentalist Calvinist direction. Also they need to decide where toi head musically...either remnaining Christian MOR Standards, more of a Christian MOR Mix with some contemporary mixed in or more of a Soft Christian AC. They also must decide what features and outside ministries to air as well. So expact programming changes from within Family Fadio if they are to survive. Also might Family decide to start selling time. In the past they Gave the time free to outside ministries. So alot is up in the air.

[DavidEduardo]

...or even 1050 WEPN. My thoughts is that Spanish ESPN Radio could move to FM - WPAT FM 93.1 which is doing horrible in ratings the past couple years.

Why would ESPN, which worked hard to get o&o stations for both of their national networks, try to put ESPN Deportes on someone else's station with no future clearance guarantee?

ESPN Deportes is a 0.3 to 0.5 station in just about every market. Using a full B FM for that niche format is not logical, and SBS is unlikely to trade low numbers for even lower numbers.

In any case, using the WOR sale as a benchmark for AM pricing, Disney is not going to even consider an offer for much less than what Cumulus just sold WFME for... so Family would end up with an AM and very little profit on the sale of the FM.

[DavidEduardo]

Am missing the exact figures,    but among their final FM NYC showings were things in the 1.5 or 1.6 range.    They cannot expect to get anywhere near that on any respectable AM signal there which would be inexpensive to operate.     The move would be a huge step sideways,   no ?           

More like a 0.8 average over the last year's books.

[pjc1961]

Unless they have found a loophole of my math is incorrect, CBS will have an "extra" signal to put in a trust or sell.  Would WINS work on 660 or would they lose their NYC focus trying to cover the whole market a suffer ratings wise?  In the 1010 pattern (which ratings wise works for WINS) who has the stronger signal 1010 or 660?  I personally would would keep 660 just because it is a simpler operation technically but I do not get to make the decision.

As Giacomo S. pointed out in his post, CBS is looking for a favorable FCC decision regarding its (soon to be) 9 NYC-area properties -
details in thread linked here.