Beginning on either Thu. or Fri. 10/15-10/16/2020, the jingles that play coming out of the top-of-hour Sports Flashes
and the two commercial breaks per hour that would mention both "Sports Radio Sixty-Six and One-O-One-Nine FM"
(and the reverse, mentioning 101-9 first) have been altered
(not re-cut or re-sung) to say "Sports Radio One-O-One-Nine FM" only.
There's been speculation since November 2012 when the FM simulcast began as to how long it would last.
The possibility exists that the national Sports Radio format could move to 660, yet still
they'd use the frequency for the many conflicting game broadcasts between the Yankees, Giants and Nets.
(The NJ Devils have been shuffled off to primarily online-only status with the rare broadcast on 660/101.9 of
their contests vs. either the NY Rangers or NY Islanders as long as they don't conflict with their main "tenants".)
A permanent splitting of the simulcast would have the added benefit of putting most Nets games that are in
conflict on 660 instead of 880, allowing the Newsradio 880 format to have fewer interruptions and more consistency.
(In Fall 2019 and Summer 2020, WFAN has taken advantage of the "95% simulcast rule" to split the signals for
game conflicts between the Yankees, Giants and Nets. Thus, the combined stations continue to get single-line
reporting for a 4 week ratings survey period as long as the simulcast isn't split for more than 33.6 hours per period.)
Maybe Entercom is now confident that even without single line reporting, enough of the
audience has shifted from 660 to 101.9. Thus, the 101.9 signal could hold its own ratings-wise.
Or: does Entercom have any other plans for the 660 signal? Would they sell it? If so, to whom?
I'm assuming it's still handy to have as a "spillover channel", but when do costs outweigh any benefits?
What station would they use as a spillover channel if they ever gave up 660?
880 (likely)? 1010 (highly unlikely)? Any of their FM signals (highly unlikely)?
I don't think a sale would happen (unless they get an offer they could not refuse)
as the signal is likely more valuable to Entercom (currently) than any other operator.
Plus, why go under the market limit of 8 signals (5 FM, 3 AM) if not really necessary?
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Side note: there's the end of the "CBS Sports Radio" branding which (I believe) is scheduled to take
effect by January 2021. Likely they'll go with "Radio.com Sports" as WFAN used that branding with
the NY Yankees radio broadcasts for the just completed 2020 season. The "Sports Radio"
one-minute commentary was also rebranded as a "Radio.com Sports Minute" several months ago.
and the two commercial breaks per hour that would mention both "Sports Radio Sixty-Six and One-O-One-Nine FM"
(and the reverse, mentioning 101-9 first) have been altered
(not re-cut or re-sung) to say "Sports Radio One-O-One-Nine FM" only.
There's been speculation since November 2012 when the FM simulcast began as to how long it would last.
The possibility exists that the national Sports Radio format could move to 660, yet still
they'd use the frequency for the many conflicting game broadcasts between the Yankees, Giants and Nets.
(The NJ Devils have been shuffled off to primarily online-only status with the rare broadcast on 660/101.9 of
their contests vs. either the NY Rangers or NY Islanders as long as they don't conflict with their main "tenants".)
A permanent splitting of the simulcast would have the added benefit of putting most Nets games that are in
conflict on 660 instead of 880, allowing the Newsradio 880 format to have fewer interruptions and more consistency.
(In Fall 2019 and Summer 2020, WFAN has taken advantage of the "95% simulcast rule" to split the signals for
game conflicts between the Yankees, Giants and Nets. Thus, the combined stations continue to get single-line
reporting for a 4 week ratings survey period as long as the simulcast isn't split for more than 33.6 hours per period.)
Maybe Entercom is now confident that even without single line reporting, enough of the
audience has shifted from 660 to 101.9. Thus, the 101.9 signal could hold its own ratings-wise.
Or: does Entercom have any other plans for the 660 signal? Would they sell it? If so, to whom?
I'm assuming it's still handy to have as a "spillover channel", but when do costs outweigh any benefits?
What station would they use as a spillover channel if they ever gave up 660?
880 (likely)? 1010 (highly unlikely)? Any of their FM signals (highly unlikely)?
I don't think a sale would happen (unless they get an offer they could not refuse)
as the signal is likely more valuable to Entercom (currently) than any other operator.
Plus, why go under the market limit of 8 signals (5 FM, 3 AM) if not really necessary?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side note: there's the end of the "CBS Sports Radio" branding which (I believe) is scheduled to take
effect by January 2021. Likely they'll go with "Radio.com Sports" as WFAN used that branding with
the NY Yankees radio broadcasts for the just completed 2020 season. The "Sports Radio"
one-minute commentary was also rebranded as a "Radio.com Sports Minute" several months ago.
