When Will Tampa Get A K-Love Station?

[DToTheJ]

91.5 keeps tearing it up, in second place again this month. 97.1 ended up going to SBS. Was that EMF's last opportunity? (btw 97.1 is again the last major FM above 1.0 before all of the streams register.)

 

[speer360]

Careful what you wish for.

 

[terabitz]

Never, as long as WCIE/WJIS and WBVM rule the airwaves on the Sun Coast and Nature Coast.

 

[Gregg.]

That leads us to the question. If a market already has a couple of strong Christian Contemporary stations, does that A) discourage EMF from bringing in K-Love? B) encourage EMF to join the party? Or C) it doesn't make a bit of difference.

I'm thinking it's C. I believe EMF is on a quest to put K-Love in every large and medium market in the country, whether there's no CCM or several CCM stations already there. Maybe if EMF puts a suitcase full of money on the table, a Tampa station you didn't think was available would suddenly be sold? Did anyone think Audacy would sell WTSS Buffalo? Or blow up WMC-FM in Memphis to move its country format there and sell EMF its lower-powered FM frequency?

WCIE is #2, WBVM is #23. BTW, isn't it odd the Catholic Church owns WBVM, a CCM station in Tampa? That's more an Evangelical Protestant thing. Most Catholic stations are talk and teaching, from either the Relevant Radio or EWTN networks. And in Connecticut, the Church owns a chain of non-commercial Soft AC stations that weave in Catholic thoughts and some Sunday religious shows. But no CCM music.

 

[CTListener]

That leads us to the question. If a market already has a couple of strong Christian Contemporary stations, does that A) discourage EMF from bringing in K-Love? B) encourage EMF to join the party? Or C) it doesn't make a bit of difference.

I'm thinking it's C. I believe EMF is on a quest to put K-Love in every large and medium market in the country, whether there's no CCM or several CCM stations already there. Maybe if EMF puts a suitcase full of money on the table, a station you didn't think was available would suddenly be sold? Did anyone think Audacy would sell WTSS Buffalo? Or blow up WMC-FM in Memphis to move its country format there and sell EMF its lower-powered FM frequency?

WCIE is #2, WBVM is #23. BTW, isn't it odd the Catholic Church owns a CCM station in Tampa? That's more an Evangelical Protestant thing. Most Catholic stations are talk and teaching, from either the Relevant Radio or EWTN networks. And in Connecticut, the Church owns a chain of non-commercial Soft AC stations that weave in Catholic thoughts and some Sunday religious shows. But no CCM music.

CCM is played on a specialty show on WJMJ, the Connecticut station you refer to. It's a weekly countdown program, not sure what entity originates it.

 

[RMarino]

That leads us to the question. If a market already has a couple of strong Christian Contemporary stations, does that A) discourage EMF from bringing in K-Love? B) encourage EMF to join the party? Or C) it doesn't make a bit of difference.

Believe it or not, the answer used to be A. I remember reading an article many years ago in which EMF stated they would not bring K-Love into areas already serviced by other successful CCM stations. Shortly after that, they entered Nashville which already had two CCM stations (Way FM and The Fish). I figured they must have made Nashville an exception since it’s the centerpiece of the format. But nope, the floodgates opened and soon thereafter they started buying everything in sight.

 

[FrankF]

Careful what you wish for.

Exactly. Either way just be glad there's no audacy stations in the Tampa market. They're having a few problems.
NYSE Moves To Delist Audacy; Trading Halted - RadioInsight

Here in my neck of the woods (Orlando) there's 3 audacy stations, WOCL, WOMX & WQMP, all FM's. I don't foresee audacy selling any of them here yet, but with their financial woes and EMF's evidently large cashbox (I'm sure they're licking their chops), I wouldn't be surprised to see ownership changes coming down the pike in any market including Orlando even though we already have 2 CCM's, local WPOZ and The Joy FM affiliate WNUE (not to mention both stations various HD subchannels).

 

[terabitz]

Audacy could have been in this market, if CBS didn't sell off their group of stations here to Beasley.

 

[itsTheRolyPoly]

Stop wishing for it. These religious "godcasters" don't need more.

 

[davideduardo]

Believe it or not, the answer used to be A. I remember reading an article many years ago in which EMF stated they would not bring K-Love into areas already serviced by other successful CCM stations. Shortly after that, they entered Nashville which already had two CCM stations (Way FM and The Fish). I figured they must have made Nashville an exception since it’s the centerpiece of the format. But nope, the floodgates opened and soon thereafter they started buying everything in sight.

EMF is now, at many levels, in a third generation of management people since those policies of respect for existing CCM stations were expressed.

We don't know a lot about the top level management of EMF, as they don't seem to be speaking at the NAB or being on panels or discussions at other general market broadcaster gatherings. But I sense that they are now putting total national coverage ahead of protecting a random Fish or whatever in a few of the markets.

 

[Mediafrog+]

We don't know a lot about the top level management of EMF, as they don't seem to be speaking at the NAB or being on panels or discussions at other general market broadcaster gatherings. But I sense that they are now putting total national coverage ahead of protecting a random Fish or whatever in a few of the markets.

Big test of that would be in Houston, where KSBJ has a 40+ year record of huge success. Will EMF challenge them?

 

[wprt949]

Believe it or not, the answer used to be A. I remember reading an article many years ago in which EMF stated they would not bring K-Love into areas already serviced by other successful CCM stations. Shortly after that, they entered Nashville which already had two CCM stations (Way FM and The Fish). I figured they must have made Nashville an exception since it’s the centerpiece of the format. But nope, the floodgates opened and soon thereafter they started buying everything in sight.

Let’s not forget in Atlanta the market was served by 93.3 and 104.7 the fish 🐠 emf bought 106.7 putting k love on that signal

 

[RMarino]

Let’s not forget in Atlanta the market was served by 93.3 and 104.7 the fish 🐠 emf bought 106.7 putting k love on that signal

Yes. That came long after the Nashville purchase.