Wild 104.9 ratings in the toilet

[wastedtalent23]

It's sad to see that KKWD is just withering away. After killing the local morning show in favor of "The Bert Show", this station may never see the light of day again. Cumulus has let it fall by the wayside for a while now. They can't even pull out of the 1's now. How long can this last?

KJ103 will continue to dominate in that market until someone puts some time, effort and money into a new competitor.

I don't see how Cumulus can be making any money on Wild. CHR is a little tougher sell than most formats, and I wouldn't want to advertise on a station that has a 1.2 unless it was dirt cheap. Look for them to flip formats soon unless some type of miracle happens.

 

[Kent]

I don’t know if Cumulus is making any money on Wild or not, but it’s not costing them much at this point. Does Wild have any live and local talent anymore?

Truth is, anything you’re going to put on that signal is going to be an also-ran. It’s just not a strong enough signal to cover much of the market. It was originally acquired because it took a sports talk competitor to WWLS 640 out of the market, and 640 has a null to the west at night. 104.9 is strongest west of downtown. When Citadel upgraded 97.9 to a 100,000 watt signal on 98.1, it knew shuffling Wild to 104.9 was going to hurt its ratings. That was just an acceptable cost to upgrade one of its cash cows.

I understand WKY has picked up another sports network since ESPN Deportes went away. It appears to use a “Sports Animal” logo now that’s similar to 98.1. I don’t know if that means WKY is airing some, or all, of the WWLS-FM programming, but, if the two are programmed separately, that might be a viable format for 104.9. You’re going to need something you can sell without numbers, and sports is one of the only formats that fits that bill. Religion is another one, but Cumulus isn’t likely to do that because, these days, you need reach to get preachers to buy, and one station isn’t going to cut it.

 

[b-turner]

Religion would likely be out. National ministries don't buy like they once did and getting local churches to pony u the cash is tougher since online presence tends to excite boards more than radio broadcasts. Sports makes sense. Foreign language programming? Likely not but depending on the demographics within the 60 dbu might be a deciding facor.

 

[Kent]

Cumulus has exactly two religious talk stations, both of which it inherited from another broadcaster, and slightly more urban gospel stations. Unless it were to make a big dive into religion, which I can't see happening, I don't think Cumulus will be going that route with 104.9.

When it comes to Spanish-language programming, 930 has done multiple formats in Spanish, and there's probably a reason it didn't go back when ESPN Deportes went away.

From what I've been able to tell, WKY is mostly a WWLS-FM simulcast now. I'm also thinking all the satellite sports networks are on other stations in OKC. Tyler is running two versions of "The Franchise," while Cumulus has ESPN on 640 and Perry has CBS on 105.3. I suppose a switch of 104.9 to an ESPN simulcast would be possible, but I wouldn't think it would be likely. ESPN 640 isn't pulling much of any numbers, and putting it on an FM probably isn't going to help much. Plus, The Sports Animal already runs ESPN almost half the day and usually all day on the weekends.

If I were a gambler (which I'm not), I'd be betting on Wild staying the course, at least for the foreseeable future. From checking its website, it looks like it has mostly local personalities. I'd have to think most, if not all, would be voicetracked, and, if they're not, that would be the next big change you'd see there. If it's making Cumulus $1.00 right now, that's $1.00 more than it would be making trying to launch a new format there. That new format would also be likely to fail.

 

[wastedtalent23]

Cumulus has exactly two religious talk stations, both of which it inherited from another broadcaster, and slightly more urban gospel stations. Unless it were to make a big dive into religion, which I can't see happening, I don't think Cumulus will be going that route with 104.9.

When it comes to Spanish-language programming, 930 has done multiple formats in Spanish, and there's probably a reason it didn't go back when ESPN Deportes went away.

From what I've been able to tell, WKY is mostly a WWLS-FM simulcast now. I'm also thinking all the satellite sports networks are on other stations in OKC. Tyler is running two versions of "The Franchise," while Cumulus has ESPN on 640 and Perry has CBS on 105.3. I suppose a switch of 104.9 to an ESPN simulcast would be possible, but I wouldn't think it would be likely. ESPN 640 isn't pulling much of any numbers, and putting it on an FM probably isn't going to help much. Plus, The Sports Animal already runs ESPN almost half the day and usually all day on the weekends.

If I were a gambler (which I'm not), I'd be betting on Wild staying the course, at least for the foreseeable future. From checking its website, it looks like it has mostly local personalities. I'd have to think most, if not all, would be voicetracked, and, if they're not, that would be the next big change you'd see there. If it's making Cumulus $1.00 right now, that's $1.00 more than it would be making trying to launch a new format there. That new format would also be likely to fail.

You may be right, but I'm just wondering what other formats Cumulus would be interested in doing with a 6,000 watt stick that covers about 75% of the metro. Smooth jazz or a Soft AC may generate some ratings and revenue, targeting the upper half of the Adults 25-54 demographic. It doesn't need to be a talk format. I haven't driven through OKC in a couple of years, my career took me there several years ago, and this is a market that I've always kept tabs on.

There has never been an Urban station with a solid signal, KVSP broadcasts to a vast rural area, west all the way to the Texas state line, but I've always had trouble picking them up east of downtown and Midwest City. I don't think KKWD's signal is a good candidate for Urban for the same reason.

There's not a lot of other holes in the market. Not anything that would do any better, perhaps, so you made a valid point.

 

[Kent]

You may be right, but I'm just wondering what other formats Cumulus would be interested in doing with a 6,000 watt stick that covers about 75% of the metro. Smooth jazz or a Soft AC may generate some ratings and revenue, targeting the upper half of the Adults 25-54 demographic.

Before 97.9 went Wild, it spent almost the previous 10 years as a Jazz derivative. It actually started out as a straight-ahead jazz station with an occasional AC or urban AC track sprinkled in as “97.7 The New Trend” and evolved to smooth jazz before ending as a smooth jazz/soft AC hybrid, “97.9 The City.” From what I'd heard, when Citadel acquired KLGH 105.3, it looked at bringing back “The City” on 104.9 before ultimately deciding OKC needed yet another country station. I don’t see smooth jazz coming back to OKC anytime soon, though soft AC might make some sense on 104.9. It wouldn’t be a major cash cow with that format, but, as we’ve already discussed, nothing on that stick would be.

It doesn't need to be a talk format. I haven't driven through OKC in a couple of years, my career took me there several years ago, and this is a market that I've always kept tabs on.

Until 2003, that stick had always been some form of religious or talk programming. I first remember it as KJIL “King Jesus Is Lord.” It was owned by Swaggert and flipped to talk around 1990 as KNTL. The foray into FM talk didn’t last long, and it went back to religious programming as CCM “The Light.” That kind of programming has never been my cup-of-tea, but it ran a music format with little-to-no teaching or preaching. Bott Radio took it over in the mid-90’s and started running its network on it until it launched KQCV-FM 95.1. I remember hearing some people were really upset that Bott took “The Light” off-the-air. Someone else ultimately bought the intellectual property of it and relaunched “The Light” on KLGH 105.3, which, ironically, got bought by Citadel and taken off-the-air to pick up 104.9’s sports programming in 2003. After Bott launched 95.1, 104.9 was sold and became “Sports Talk 104.9,” which got acquired by Citadel shortly afterward and got merged into WWLS. Seems like a few of the people with Sports Talk 104.9 decided not to join the Sports Animal and went to 1340 and/or 1400, but I'm not 100% sure of the connection there. The sports talk format stayed on 104.9 until 2003, when it went to 105.3, and KQBL was launched on 104.9. That lasted until about the end of the year when Citadel took over KMMZ 96.9 and moved “The Bull” there and WWLS-FM back to 104.9. The Sports Animal would remain at 104.9 until Citadel upgraded KKWD 97.9 to 98.1. That was made possible by a Dallas/Ft. Worth move-in that downgraded KJMZ in Lawton. Citadel had to move a Stillwater station and downgrade the KATT to a C1 to accommodate the Stillwater move.

There has never been an Urban station with a solid signal, KVSP broadcasts to a vast rural area, west all the way to the Texas state line, but I've always had trouble picking them up east of downtown and Midwest City. I don't think KKWD's signal is a good candidate for Urban for the same reason.

Not exactly true, but definitely the case for the last 35 years or so. There were several urban FM's in OKC in the 70’s and early 80’s that covered the entire market really well, but almost nobody listened to FM back then. I’m thinking 100.5 was urban until the KATT was launched in the mid-70’s, and 98.9 and/or 101.9 tried versions of the format at various points after 100.5 went rock. The African American population in OKC is mostly on the east side of the city with the heaviest concentration of African American residents living near the State Capitol around Lincoln Blvd. You’re absolutely correct that KVSP 103.5 doesn’t cover that area of town well at all. Prior to launching urban on 103.5, that format was on 1140. Again, not the best signal and a daytimer to boot. 104.9 might be a little more solid in that area than 103.5, but it’s still not much better of a choice for targeting the African American audience than 103.5 is.

 

[OKCer]

Value of Radio Station

Do you have any idea what this station, which is likely not making a profit, could be purchased for?

Before 97.9 went Wild, it spent almost the previous 10 years as a Jazz derivative. It actually started out as a straight-ahead jazz station with an occasional AC or urban AC track sprinkled in as “97.7 The New Trend” and evolved to smooth jazz before ending as a smooth jazz/soft AC hybrid, “97.9 The City.” From what I'd heard, when Citadel acquired KLGH 105.3, it looked at bringing back “The City” on 104.9 before ultimately deciding OKC needed yet another country station. I don’t see smooth jazz coming back to OKC anytime soon, though soft AC might make some sense on 104.9. It wouldn’t be a major cash cow with that format, but, as we’ve already discussed, nothing on that stick would be.



Until 2003, that stick had always been some form of religious or talk programming. I first remember it as KJIL “King Jesus Is Lord.” It was owned by Swaggert and flipped to talk around 1990 as KNTL. The foray into FM talk didn’t last long, and it went back to religious programming as CCM “The Light.” That kind of programming has never been my cup-of-tea, but it ran a music format with little-to-no teaching or preaching. Bott Radio took it over in the mid-90’s and started running its network on it until it launched KQCV-FM 95.1. I remember hearing some people were really upset that Bott took “The Light” off-the-air. Someone else ultimately bought the intellectual property of it and relaunched “The Light” on KLGH 105.3, which, ironically, got bought by Citadel and taken off-the-air to pick up 104.9’s sports programming in 2003. After Bott launched 95.1, 104.9 was sold and became “Sports Talk 104.9,” which got acquired by Citadel shortly afterward and got merged into WWLS. Seems like a few of the people with Sports Talk 104.9 decided not to join the Sports Animal and went to 1340 and/or 1400, but I'm not 100% sure of the connection there. The sports talk format stayed on 104.9 until 2003, when it went to 105.3, and KQBL was launched on 104.9. That lasted until about the end of the year when Citadel took over KMMZ 96.9 and moved “The Bull” there and WWLS-FM back to 104.9. The Sports Animal would remain at 104.9 until Citadel upgraded KKWD 97.9 to 98.1. That was made possible by a Dallas/Ft. Worth move-in that downgraded KJMZ in Lawton. Citadel had to move a Stillwater station and downgrade the KATT to a C1 to accommodate the Stillwater move.



Not exactly true, but definitely the case for the last 35 years or so. There were several urban FM's in OKC in the 70’s and early 80’s that covered the entire market really well, but almost nobody listened to FM back then. I’m thinking 100.5 was urban until the KATT was launched in the mid-70’s, and 98.9 and/or 101.9 tried versions of the format at various points after 100.5 went rock. The African American population in OKC is mostly on the east side of the city with the heaviest concentration of African American residents living near the State Capitol around Lincoln Blvd. You’re absolutely correct that KVSP 103.5 doesn’t cover that area of town well at all. Prior to launching urban on 103.5, that format was on 1140. Again, not the best signal and a daytimer to boot. 104.9 might be a little more solid in that area than 103.5, but it’s still not much better of a choice for targeting the African American audience than 103.5 is.

 

[davideduardo]

Do you have any idea what this station, which is likely not making a profit, could be purchased for?

There is no precedent in the market. Partial signal stations are most undesirable now, except for special formats where the signal may hit a specific audience, such as ethnic formats.

The last significan sale was for the four Renda stations for $40 million in 2012, and my guess is that those stations are worth perhaps $18 to $22 million today based on 2 x billing. But those are better signals, and big billers.

I'm guessing that it is worth, maybe , $1.75 to $2.5 million, depending on whether it owns its tower or leases. It's likely barely profitable only because it shares expenses with a cluster.

 

[OKCer]

Thank you!