The AM (at 680) is adequate to cover the market if you're talking about geographic coverage. The FM is there to get listeners who aren't likely to listen to AM. From a geographic perspective, it does not cover the entire market even accounting for boosters. It essentially was an audience preservation move (similar to the KCBS simulcast on KFRC-FM). The 1050 signal has its own programming and, in any event, wouldn't add any areas to coverage that the 680 signal wouldn't already have.
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Drew hayes out from KABC.
- Thread starter 34james
- Start date
I'm convinced that some dead music professor somewhere put a curse on 95.7 that won't be lifted until it becomes KKHI again.
Keep in mind there were two parties in the decision, the other being the content supplier, which is Audacy's BetQL.
The station also runs non-betting programming, such as Jim Rome.
Although branded as KNBR 1050.
Which is just a brand extension.
Wont ever happen haven't you been listening to David or Michael. Kabc problem mostly is signal. No way kabc will ever make a comeback ever!!! Doesn't matter what format or what kind of spoken word they run. It will never return to it's once greatness.
Don’t know why some people just don’t realize how much demographic change has taken place in the Los Angeles market since the days when stations like KABC were big with lots of listeners. Hoping that KABC will “come back” is like hoping The Lone Ranger or Fibber McGee and Molly will magically return.
I mean, it's beyond that. Of course it's not going to be number one with a 10.4 again (that was July/August 1978).
The market has changed so much and the signal is so inadequate to cover it now that, if by some miracle you found the "gotta-have-it" format of the decade that people wanted so much, they'd listen to it on AM, and you put it on KABC, you're probably limited to a 2.5. IF that.
I think what they are doing with it now is about the best they can do. They clear shows and keep their costs low. Anything else would have to be ethnic. They come in quite well in my highly ethnic neighborhood by the airport.
I'm not aware that Cumulus owns any "ethnic" stations.
Which is probably why they’re doing what they are doing.
... and waiting for a buyer.
I suspect the station is "on the books" with an asset value that exceeds its market value. If they sell it below book value, then they take a hit that looks bigger than just keeping it.
You would think if cumulus really wanted to sell 790 Kabc they would have by now. So does anyone know is it up for sale or is it it for sale but unless we get what we want we will keep it.
David kinda answered that question just above you.
And with every month that goes by the selling price gets lower.
And I doubt that it is being carried on the books at a substantially higher value than market. They are required to test all long-term assets for impairment on at least an annual basis and essentially mark any such asset down to fair value if it has been determined to be impaired. In other words, the book to market loss up until this point has already been mostly recognized.
Correction: with every month that goes by, the asset value gets lower. Remember, this is Cumulus. I wouldn't put it beyond these folks to raise the price in the face of a falling market.
Keep in mind the license isn't where the value is. For KABC, the tower property was where the value was, and they sold it several years ago for around $70 million. That'll help pay KABC's bills for a while. I drove by the old KABC building on La Cienega, and there's a huge high rise on the property already.
www.latimes.com
How one South L.A. neighborhood got a new luxury tower — and rents starting at $3,100
The massive development at Jefferson and La Cienega boulevards got a big push from Councilman Herb Wesson.
www.latimes.com
Of course, the same story has been repeated many times now as stations cash in on the 1930's "land out in the country" where the station was built is now prime and pricey property for development and worth vastly more than any AM station now.
And hundreds of AMs more have gotten translators, allowing them to eliminate complicated and expensive directional antenna systems by going to just a few watts at night while serving the market with a translator instead.
What you say is true, but much less so in the major cities (with their heavily congested FM dials) like Los Angeles. KABC is not getting an FM translator. Neither are most AM's there or in NYC, SFBA, Chicago, etc. There's just no dial location for them. So having sold off the transmitter real estate, the La Cienega real estate, and doubled up on someone else's tower (which I assume they're leasing with real dollars as opposed to that intracompany funny money), and they're now getting negligible listenership, what is the point in Cumulus continuing to waste electricity? The cow is laying on the ground, gasping for air, and they're continuing to try to milk it.
At some point they will come down enough in price that a deal will happen. I can see Kalmenson buying it to run // with 670 in Farsi. And he already has the land the transmitter is on for KWKW so it's a good deal for them.
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