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USA Networks Buys Translator

T

TheBigA

USA Radio Network buys a Mount Holly translator that had been airing WKVP:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/...sa-radio-network-head-adds-philly-translator/

One day after filing the $1.9 million purchase of 99.1 W256CL Park Forest/Chicago IL, USA Radio Network CEO Fred Weinberg is acquiring 100.7 W264BH Mount Holly NJ/Philadelphia from Spectrum Development Group through his Far West Radio LLC for $1 million. W264BH is currently licensed to rebroadcast EMF’s 106.9 WKVP Camden NJ.
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So by spending $3 million, USA Radio Network gets a market area presence in Chicago & Philadelphia.
 
Very directional? Is that going to justify the cost and coverage.
 
Groove1670 said:
Very directional? Is that going to justify the cost and coverage.
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From AllAccess.com:

While the translator is licensed to MOUNT HOLLY, the antenna is located on ONE LIBERTY PLACE in CENTER CITY PHILADELPHIA and is directional south to cover SOUTH PHILADELPHIA and the immediate SOUTH JERSEY and DELAWARE COUNTY suburbs.
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His intent appears to be a market clear, not local ratings. USA Radio syndicates national programming, and apparently he needs presence in certain major markets. This is a low cost way to do that. A cheaper way would be to do a barter clear on a locally owned station, but apparently he was unsuccessful at doing that.
 
radiodx10 said:
What does the USA network air?
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Primarily conservative talk shows:

www.usaradio.com

USA Radio Network is an American media company, specializing in long-form spoken word (talk radio) and radio newscast production and distribution, with a generally conservative and Christian focus. In April 2018, Nevada Radio LLC acquired the assets of Anthem Broadcasting, which previously owned USA Radio Network.
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Their flagship program is apparently Wayne Allyn Root.

Root likes to style himself as a close advisor to President Trump. I was listening to his show one night in the car and Root took credit for Pres. Trump's "family separation" policy as his idea. That might be true, or it might be bluster, I don't know.

Root also is known for spreading falsehoods, such as continuing to assert that the Route 91 Music Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017 was an ISIS attack, or that Pres. Obama is gay.

Root is the only show on USA Radio that continued since before Fred Weinberg took over as owner. Before that time, USA Radio Network syndicated a morning drive and an afternoon drive hard-news program and a fourth-rate top-hour newscast. Weinberg cancelled the PM news program and replaced it with a conservative talk show.

I just listened to a half-hour of USA Radio's morning show, from this past Tuesday. They apparently think Sarah Huckabee Sanders still works for the Trump Administration. In reality, she resigned like 6 months ago...
 
It could explain why they're taking this route of buying translators. In the long run its cheaper than buying time on someone else's stations.
 
So when do we expect for the 100.7 to flip to the USA network? I'm down in DC right now and can't hear (obviously) the translator to see if it's still simulcasting WKVP.
 
That's a nice $875K (minus expenses) profit for Spectrum Development Group which bought W264BH for $125K from Burlington County College (Rowan College At Burlington County) back in July of 2017. Spectrum engineered the move from Mount Holly to the top of One Liberty Place in center city Philly. While USA Radio Network's programming doesn't look like anything to get excited about, the translator should hold its value due to the good coverage of center city and southeast.
 
Yuck. I remember USA Radio Network. Back in '02 I was an unpaid employee of AM 990 in suburban Hartford and we ran that network when we first launched our talk format. It was horrible crap with a Christian slant. One of my jobs was running the board for what was back then their flagship show "Point of View" with Marlon Maddox. I ran the board for that show for like 5 Fridays and 4 of those Fridays there was someone else filling in for Marlon Maddox. The show was so boring I'd often have to take my pulse to make sure I was still alive.
 
So which station will they (USA Networks) be acquiring an HD channel from since the WKVP route will no longer be viable? Does EMF generally lease their HD sub channels to any Commercial broadcasters? A translator is great, however you need a primary frequency to relay it legally. THIS is where HD radio is most useful, for FCC compliance feeding a translator! Maybe they can grab a graveyard AM'er and use that as a primary. Good Luck to them... nothing wrong with dreaming BIG.
 
Radi0411 said:
So which station will they (USA Networks) be acquiring an HD channel from since the WKVP route will no longer be viable? Does EMF generally lease their HD sub channels to any Commercial broadcasters? A translator is great, however you need a primary frequency to relay it legally. THIS is where HD radio is most useful, for FCC compliance feeding a translator! Maybe they can grab a graveyard AM'er and use that as a primary. Good Luck to them... nothing wrong with dreaming BIG.
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EMF cannot lease a subchannel to a commercial broadcaster because they have filed for non-commercial operation on their facilities in the commercial band. (Maybe a handful of exceptions, but WKVP is not one of them)
 
Radi0411 said:
So which station will they (USA Networks) be acquiring an HD channel from since the WKVP route will no longer be viable?
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The translator will have many more ears than any HD channel. Stations use translators to feed their HD signal, not the other way around.
 
TheBigA said:
The translator will have many more ears than any HD channel. Stations use translators to feed their HD signal, not the other way around.
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Actually NO... what you state may very well be true as an end result but with out a PRIMARY there would be NO translator to broadcast per FCC requirements.
 
Radi0411 said:
Actually NO... what you state may very well be true as an end result but with out a PRIMARY there would be NO translator to broadcast per FCC requirements.
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Aha, I see what you're saying. Perhaps they intend to run USA Radio Network non-commercially from WKVP? They have the same situation in Chicago.
 
TheBigA said:
Aha, I see what you're saying. Perhaps they intend to run USA Radio Network non-commercially from WKVP? They have the same situation in Chicago.
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I imagine they do in Chi-town as well. I can't imagine USA shelled out all that money not to operate commercially in order to clear inventory and programming in the Philly market. I would imagine it would be a lot of the same network inventory heard on most AM talkers now-a-days. You were spot on correct about HD listenership though, no arguments here. For them in this case (and all translator operators) that isn't just a formality its a necessity. So I would imagine they have secured one (before the purchase as that would have the wise thing to do) or are in the process of it currently. Probably more cost-efficient to grab a Class C or D AM'er and maybe grab "a few" and satisfy the FCC that way rather than throw away money on HD which yields even less in return.
 
Radi0411 said:
I imagine they do in Chi-town as well. I can't imagine USA shelled out all that money not to operate commercially in order to clear inventory and programming in the Philly market. I would imagine it would be a lot of the same network inventory heard on most AM talkers now-a-days. You were spot on correct about HD listenership though, no arguments here. For them in this case (and all translator operators) that isn't just a formality its a necessity. So I would imagine they have secured one (before the purchase as that would have the wise thing to do) or are in the process of it currently. Probably more cost-efficient to grab a Class C or D AM'er and maybe grab "a few" and satisfy the FCC that way rather than throw away money on HD which yields even less in return.
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They can and probably will change the primary on the translator

And yes, they really did spend all that money for to get the network in those markets
 
Radi0411 said:
seems like you are quite close to the arrangement... thanks for the confirmation!
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Not as close as you think.. I'm just a current broadcaster who knows a little here and there about EMF, USA, how they operate and what can be done and whats legally possible

Market clearences in Philly and Chicago are big for a network.

That's why USA Radio also owns KQSP 1530 in the Minneapolis market
 
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