With 2021 coming to a close, what do you think will happen in the coming new year with the local radio and television stations?
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Radio/TV Predictions for 2022
- Thread starter MediaLover
- Start date
Who, in your opinion, are the small AM station candidates for shutting down?
Agreed. The issue with all traditional mass medias is declining advertising revenues. The monster internet is a competitor that’s a nightmare.
My hope for listeners is WNWV flips to a more mass appeal format, or gets sold. When any format goes multiple ratings books and can’t even pull a .1 share in total audience, that’s telling. Small AMs often do .5’s. Or so. (.1 is one tenth of one percent). Obviously Jeny isn’t attracting much of an audience.
Hello there! New forum, many familiar names.
My own thoughts on 2022. As mentioned, a continued rush to national programming ousting voice tracked local or real time shows, perhaps time shifted for the different zones. Audacy is already heavy into it, rolling back the clock 85 years to when stations aired mostly network programs.
I believe we could see some major class C FMs sold. Audacy wants to expand in larger growth markets, leaving Cleveland vulnurable. Buyers will include EMF with its bulging pockets and a Salem-like penchant for buying legacy stations and turning them into repeaters for their system. Another to watch is Rubber City Radio, not just 107.3. Thom Mandel is of retirement age as are many of his senior staff and I don't know if another generation is waiting in the wings. In addition to EMF there are many other groups like Cumulus, Alpha Media, that are happy to expand in medium markets. It will mean further job losses and less local programs, but that is unavoidable. Keep an eye on Good Karma, too. They're becoming big time and a purchase of 92.3 could give them the best of both stations and a nice simulcast presence. And someone might offer big money for the land 1000 AM sits on and put that station out to pasture!
My own thoughts on 2022. As mentioned, a continued rush to national programming ousting voice tracked local or real time shows, perhaps time shifted for the different zones. Audacy is already heavy into it, rolling back the clock 85 years to when stations aired mostly network programs.
I believe we could see some major class C FMs sold. Audacy wants to expand in larger growth markets, leaving Cleveland vulnurable. Buyers will include EMF with its bulging pockets and a Salem-like penchant for buying legacy stations and turning them into repeaters for their system. Another to watch is Rubber City Radio, not just 107.3. Thom Mandel is of retirement age as are many of his senior staff and I don't know if another generation is waiting in the wings. In addition to EMF there are many other groups like Cumulus, Alpha Media, that are happy to expand in medium markets. It will mean further job losses and less local programs, but that is unavoidable. Keep an eye on Good Karma, too. They're becoming big time and a purchase of 92.3 could give them the best of both stations and a nice simulcast presence. And someone might offer big money for the land 1000 AM sits on and put that station out to pasture!
Good Karma taking 107.3 off of RCRG’s hands for a WKNR-FM is a win-win for both parties, plus it gives the Browns a third FM flagship and solves WKNR’s obvious coverage issues to the west of Columbia Road. Hell, going mono would help 107.3’s reception.
1540 is probably a goner. 1000 is hanging on by a thread. Whether or not 1260 can survive as a non-comm is questionable. 1490 feels like Radio One has cast it adrift.
Further nationalization of programming on iHeart stations continues, and at least one heritage brand will probably be retired for a group-wide format rebranding (Majic is most likely).
1540 is probably a goner. 1000 is hanging on by a thread. Whether or not 1260 can survive as a non-comm is questionable. 1490 feels like Radio One has cast it adrift.
Further nationalization of programming on iHeart stations continues, and at least one heritage brand will probably be retired for a group-wide format rebranding (Majic is most likely).
All I seem to hear on 1490 is Al Sharpton almost non-stop. Could a new owner help the station?
I'm guessing that ... 1. He's a big enough draw to actually get some advertisers to buy-in.
2. (and/or) his program is agenda-driven on the part of the owner.
As for a new owner... There's probably a limited number of things that are worth trying on a station like that. The best thing, and I think they are already doing this, is to be a brokered station, and sell half-hour or hour long blocks for people or groups to do shows. Do they still have the Labor Union program on, which I recall being on during afternoon drive and hosted by Ed "Flash" Ferenc (sp) of WMMS Morning Drive fame. I also recall hearing, at night years ago, an African-American hosted Conservative show (syndicated?) and a show that I heard once running between 6:30 and 7:00pm with the topic being wines and wine drinking.
With articles on Martha Quinn launching a show on iHeart's 35 or more Classic Hits stations, it would not be surprising to hear her on Majic.
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