That is very true; nobody knows for sure what will happen yet. I would hope that the all-news format would continue in some capacity, as I think this is actually an important format for any large metropolitan area.
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Sinclair selling KOMO, KVI & KPLZ
- Thread starter DN14224
- Start date
It certainly can be, provided it makes money.
COVID-19 proved you don't need to have a large newsroom to execute the format. Reporters can easily file from the field (or their homes FTM) and can do broadcast-quality live shots from outside the studios.
But in this market you DO need a content partner because it's not cost-effective to have a standalone staff.
KOMO-TV, KING and KIRO-TV are all spoken for. That leaves KCPQ. Maybe Lotus will do a deal with Fox, pull Fox News Radio off KTTH and rebrand 1000/97.7 as Fox Seattle. Or not.
It sounds like a bad idea to brand anything as "Fox News Radio" in Seattle, regardless of the actual content not having anything to do with Fox Cable News. I agree that KCPQ could work as an effective news partner, though.
FOX News, for whatever you think about it, is a well known brand. Assuming Lotus were to strike that kind of deal and became a FOX News Radio affiliate, that doesn't mean their survival would be hinged on having some sort of relationship with the local FOX O&O.
As you say, it would be nice to have some content sharing agreement with a TV station to keep costs down, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker if they didn't. The reason I say that; was in spite of years of cross-promoting between radio and TV for news, research showed that listeners and viewers gave no preference to the local KOMO brand simply because they watched KOMO TV News, or listened to KOMO radio on their way to work. The name FOX, on the other hand, is different. FOX Cable News has developed a strong core of followers nationwide, that I believe would lean toward getting their news from a FOX-affiliated radio station in the area because of that brand.
But you have to pay those reporters, so there's an expense. Even if you pay them per story, you still have to pay them.
Has KOMO-TV done a radio deal with another station in the market?
Not yet. The sale hasn’t even closed. Come back in 6 months and ask again.
So then why couldn't they do a radio deal with Lotus? Why does Lotus have to use Fox News? KOMO is not spoken for.
As stated earlier in this thread, Lotus is committed to promoting Sinclair TV stations.
And I believe that's part of the discounted price for Seattle: A certain amount of promotion-promoting Sinclair stations in Seattle and their other markets where Sinclair and Lotus both reside. What's got everyone worked up here, is the potential loss of call letters as part of the deal. Many on this site are really attached and nostalgic toward legacy call letters. As DN said; this deal is at least four to six months before it closes. There's lot's of time to speculate and get worked up between now and when something actually happens.
Changing call letters is somewhat rare but certainly not out of the ordinary. Anyone remember KING AM, KXA, or KOL? All those are gone with very little disturbance to the community.
Go back and read the terms of the deal. Sinclair is keeping the KOMO calls and branding. If they were going to do a deal with Lotus it would've been in the sale terms. Clearly SBG isn't interested in that.
And if you'd like to hop aboard the good shup KOMO Newsradio before it sails down 5th Avenue, they have an "immediate" need for a PM producer. Radio News Producer
I read the terms of the deal. Lotus is obligated to provide $13 million in promotion for Sinclair TV stations, including KOMO. What better way to promote news on KOMO-TV than have them do local weather & headlines on the station? Free promotion. It's very easy. It happens on lots of stations around the country. Do you want to see scripts or airchecks?
Once again, why should they do a barter deal with some national network when they are obligated to promote a trusted local source
98.5 FM KARR, a translator which went Oldies for a while before going all Fox News Radio, appears to be silent -- or moved to an area which gives it no coverage in the south end, which wasn't the case a few months ago (last time I tuned into the channel).
Right now, all I hear is a Victoria AC station (CIOC The Ocean, which I've heard periodically on most of my better FM radios), which is also on 98.5.
So, obviously, there is no present all-Fox News Radio signal in the metro right now. After reading some of the other posts here, I doubt it means all that much, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
Right now, all I hear is a Victoria AC station (CIOC The Ocean, which I've heard periodically on most of my better FM radios), which is also on 98.5.
So, obviously, there is no present all-Fox News Radio signal in the metro right now. After reading some of the other posts here, I doubt it means all that much, but I thought I'd throw it out there.
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Clearly you did not. From KOMO Call Letters Stay With Sinclair Under Terms Of Radio Sale To Lotus.:
"Sinclair, which owns KOMO-TV in the market, is retaining the radio call letters along with “any other call sign which contains ‘KOMO’ and all intellectual property rights associated with such call signs,” according to a filing with the FCC. This includes trademark, trade names, service marks, internet domain names, website and website content, copyrights, programs and programming material, jingles, slogans, logos and related intangible property or intellectual property related to the KOMO call letters."
With those SPECIFIC terms it's clear SBG is NOT doing a deal with Lotus for AM1000/FM97.7. Case closed.
I don't see anything there that prohibits Sinclair employees from appearing on the AM/FM stations representing their brand, and even playing the KOMO-TV news sounder, and doing a quick :30 local news summary that concludes with "More news tonight on KOMO News." They own it, they're responsible, and they're providing it for the Lotus stations. This very thing happens in other markets. Tell me specifically why that's not allowed. They've DONE a deal, and it includes $13 million in TV promotion.
This assertion is so absurd - and laughable - that it doesn't deserve a counterargument.
As was said above, case closed. But I'm sure you'll want the last word.
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