• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WABC/WCBS questions...

Anybody know when John Catsimatidis takes ownership of WABC? Is that still happening?

Anybody know what happens to WCBS/WCBS-FM this year when, as per the CBS/Entercom deal, Entercom must end use of all CBS branding, including call letters matching CBS-owned TV stations?
 
Anybody know when John Catsimatidis takes ownership of WABC? Is that still happening?

Anybody know what happens to WCBS/WCBS-FM this year when, as per the CBS/Entercom deal, Entercom must end use of all CBS branding, including call letters matching CBS-owned TV stations?

In the case of CBS Sports Radio, Entercom has to end that brand by December 31st,. 2020.

For KCBS and WCBS radio they can continue to use those calls for 20 years.
I Understand that Entercom has been rolling out the name radio.com brand for their in house outlets ever since the CBS Radio deal was approved 2 years ago.
 
In the case of CBS Sports Radio, Entercom has to end that brand by December 31st,. 2020.

For KCBS and WCBS radio they can continue to use those calls for 20 years.
I Understand that Entercom has been rolling out the name radio.com brand for their in house outlets ever since the CBS Radio deal was approved 2 years ago.

So would CBS own the rights to the call letters after or will they just never be allowed to be used after the 20 years?
 
Anybody know about Catsimatidis and WABC?

He's been running the station since the sale. I didn't see any FCC approval yet. But he's running it, and the web site has moved off Cumulus and on to his server, managed by Inter-Tech. I read somewhere they moved the studio, but I don't know for sure. I also read they were doing some work on the tower a few months ago. That might have something to do with the FCC approval. Just speculation.
 
Maybe they are preparing to move the studios, but for now, they remain in place. Really little has changed. I do see on FCC.gov, that Radio License Holdings LLC is listed as the owner of WABC, no longer Cumulus Media.

https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/...&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9

However, all the same Westwood One-Cumulus shows remain. No shows from any other syndicator are heard. Overnights and weekends, the station continues to carry Westwood One News. Weekdays it is Total Traffic that supplies the local news.

I wonder why Catsimatidis would continue paying Salem to run his Sunday show on 970 WNYM if he owns a more powerful station in the market. But as I said, little has changed.
 
You're right. FCC.gov says the owner of KGO San Francisco and WBAP Fort Worth is also Radio License Holdings LLC.
 
He's been running the station since the sale. I didn't see any FCC approval yet. But he's running it, and the web site has moved off Cumulus and on to his server, managed by Inter-Tech. I read somewhere they moved the studio, but I don't know for sure. I also read they were doing some work on the tower a few months ago. That might have something to do with the FCC approval. Just speculation.

I don't think this is true. The meta data for the website still says Cumulus and the "Job Opportunities" page also lists Cumulus.
 
I don't think this is true. The meta data for the website still says Cumulus and the "Job Opportunities" page also lists Cumulus.

Look at the very bottom: © 2020 77 WABC Radio Powered by OneCMS™ | Served by InterTech Media LLC

Compare that to any other Cumulus site: Copyright 2020 Cumulus Media Cumulus Media is an equal opportunity employer / AA
 
So would CBS own the rights to the call letters after or will they just never be allowed to be used after the 20 years?

The language of the applicable FCC rule, 47 CFR §73.3550(m), is a bit convoluted, but basically it states that the current user of a call sign can approve or deny another owner's use of the "basic" call sign (the three or four letters) in a different broadcast service, and before reserving such a call sign at the FCC's web site the requester must certify that approval was legitimately obtained.

In the CBS/Entercom case, Entercom's use of the WCBS, WCBS-FM, KCBS and KCBS-FM call signs was covered under the merger agreement. Beyond the 20 year time period, any further use of those call signs would be subject to CBS's approval.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom