98.7 Rumors

[davideduardo]

And I am starting to hear considerable rumors that SBS is the leading candidate to purchase a certain up-for-sale FM in New York with plans to do Regional Mexican on it.

This rumor is mostly interesting because there have been so few rumors of any kind about a buyer for that station, yet I have heard the SBS one from several different sources in the last four or five days!

 

[Identnut]

And I am starting to hear considerable rumors that SBS is the leading candidate to purchase a certain up-for-sale FM in New York with plans to do Regional Mexican on it.

This rumor is mostly interesting because there have been so few rumors of any kind about a buyer for that station, yet I have heard the SBS one from several different sources in the last four or five days!

I hope it doesn't go "Terrible" for them!

 

[101.9 La Kalle]

And I am starting to hear considerable rumors that SBS is the leading candidate to purchase a certain up-for-sale FM in New York with plans to do Regional Mexican on it.

This rumor is mostly interesting because there have been so few rumors of any kind about a buyer for that station, yet I have heard the SBS one from several different sources in the last four or five days!

Impossible for SBS to even gather enough funds in time.

 

[davideduardo]

Impossible for SBS to even gather enough funds in time.

SBS has been doing "the impossible" for the last 40 years. Based on their extreme success with the other two New York stations, I think they could figure out a way to make that happen. And let's not forget that selling to a minority controlled and managed company has good optics.

 

[101.9 La Kalle]

SBS has been doing "the impossible" for the last 40 years. Based on their extreme success with the other two New York stations, I think they could figure out a way to make that happen.

You DO have a point. I still doubt that SBS is a major player though. SBS would probably like to do R/M in NY though, with their upcoming R/M concert, Mega Bash MX.

 

[Identnut]

I'm surprised to see them doing Regional Mexican on a full NYC signal. The viability of such a format in NYC has been called into question many times.

My first expectation would have been a pure Reggaetón format like WODA or WRMA, but Dominican, like what Turbo 98 in Santiago would play. Should be interesting seeing them try a format that most people from the Caribbean rim think sounds like circus music. But SBS has always taken chances with ethnic groups that are underserved in their home markets (Dominicans in PR with Ritmo, Colombians in Miami with Cima, Central Americans in LA with La Sabrosa), even if they don't end up being successful.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm surprised to see them doing Regional Mexican on a full NYC signal. The viability of such a format in NYC has been called into question many times.

But there is adequate data to present to agencies about the population. And the argument is that "you won't reach them on any other station as the others are "too Dominican" for any Mexican to like.

My first expectation would have been a pure Reggaetón format like WODA or WRMA, but Dominican, like what Turbo 98 in Santiago would play.

Hard sell, as there are few if any 18-34 Spanish language radio buys. That was the lesson HBC learned over two decades ago when they tried it the first time.

Should be interesting seeing them try a format that most people from the Caribbean rim think sounds like circus music. But SBS has always taken chances with ethnic groups that are underserved in their home markets (Dominicans in PR with Ritmo, Colombians in Miami with Cima, Central Americans in LA with La Sabrosa), even if they don't end up being successful.

Sabrosa in LA was successful. But SBS decided to sell off all the bad facilities they had, whether extreme rimshots or Class A's, to raise money during a cash crunch.

In Puerto Rico, where almost all business for significant stations is agency business, they found that the extreme dislike of Dominican immigrants made that format impossible. It got numbers, but the image of Dominicans as low-income or welfare recipients cut it off any buys.

In Miami, Cima focused on the whole set of Bolivarian nations, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia, where there is a huge ongoing stream of immigrants coming from. The problem was that most of those immigrants were (and are) from the middle and upper classes and that explains the success of iHeart's "English music and Spanish ads and announcers" since that group is more likely to have listened to stations that played mostly or all English language music "back home".

 

[Barry]

Why would Regional Mexican have a good chance of success this time, when it did not last very long on 92.7? The better signal on 98.7?

 

[davideduardo]

Why would Regional Mexican have a good chance of success this time, when it did not last very long on 92.7? The better signal on 98.7?

92.7 had a terrible signal. Yet it got as much as a 0.8 to a 1.0 share with regional, and the format was not even designed for New York and was a bunch of shows from other markets that did not resonate there.

 

[Barry]

92.7 had a terrible signal. Yet it got as much as a 0.8 to a 1.0 share with regional, and the format was not even designed for New York and was a bunch of shows from other markets that did not resonate there.

OK.
But I do recall you stating in the past that you felt the format was too niche for this area, as even many Mexicans are not very fond of the music.

 

[Identnut]

92.7 had a terrible signal. Yet it got as much as a 0.8 to a 1.0 share with regional, and the format was not even designed for New York and was a bunch of shows from other markets that did not resonate there.

I know mornings are a different animal from the rest of the day, but I wonder how Terry Cortez would do in New York. He doesn't really network to the Eastern time zone, except for some Radio One RM stations in Ohio.

 

[JohnVin2000]

It would be an amazing surprise if it becomes Spanish AC instead.

 

[Identnut]

It would be an amazing surprise if it becomes Spanish AC.

WPAT is Spanish AC. It's just that the definition of AC in Spanish right now is one that a bunch of older people don't like.

 

[RadioGuy1864]

Given their difficulty in closing on the Houston acquisition, Emmis would have to be willing to sell to SBS on the installment plan as I can't see SBS being able to come up with the full purchase price--whatever that turns out to be--at closing.

 

[JohnVin2000]

WPAT is Spanish AC. It's just that the definition of AC in Spanish right now is one that a bunch of older people don't like.

No it is not. It is more of Tropical/CHR formatted. If you take a look at their playlist, it is just pure songs by Romeo Santos, Ozuna, Bad Bunny, Karol G, etc.

In order to be a Spanish AC station, they should be playing Spanish romantic ballad/pop songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and today. The following artists consists of José José, Luis Miguel, Cristian Castro, Alexandre Pires, Dyango, Rocío Durcal, Juan Gabriel, Sin Bandera, etc.

WPAT-FM no longer produces songs like that anymore.

 

[davideduardo]

Given their difficulty in closing on the Houston acquisition, Emmis would have to be willing to sell to SBS on the installment plan as I can't see SBS being able to come up with the full purchase price--whatever that turns out to be--at closing.

Or SBS comes up with a new line of credit based on that acquisition.

 

[davideduardo]

No it is not. It is more of Tropical/CHR formatted. If you take a look at their playlist, it is just pure songs by Romeo Santos, Ozuna, Bad Bunny, Karol G, etc.

And that, for an audience that is predominantly Dominican, is AC. Today's AC.

In order to be a Spanish AC station, they should be playing Spanish romantic ballad/pop songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and today.

Not even the most heritage Spanish language AC does that. Check the list of KLVE in LA, and the 70's are gone, most of the 80's are too. Some, but few 90's. And it includes lots of Regional Mexican ballads as well.

The following artists consists of José José, Luis Miguel, Cristian Castro, Alexandre Pires, Dyango, Rocío Durcal, Juan Gabriel, Sin Bandera, etc.

All are way beyond what will research for 18-49 demos.

I've been doing Spanish AC and Spanish Hits since 1964 and the format changes every few decades, sometimes radically.

WPAT-FM no longer produces songs like that anymore.

Because that is a true "oldies" format for people over 55 or 60. What 25 year old wants to hear La Nave del Olvido or Jamás?

 

[Identnut]

Because that is a true "oldies" format for people over 55 or 60. What 25 year old wants to hear La Nave del Olvido or Jamás?

There are 25 year olds with very good, old-school musical taste... but if they really like those songs so much they probably have them on their Internet playlist.

 

[TheBigA]

Or SBS comes up with a new line of credit based on that acquisition.

Or perhaps a partner.

 

[exbloguero]

I've been doing Spanish AC and Spanish Hits since 1964 and the format changes every few decades, sometimes radically.

exactly, each era is different. Today the AC trend in Spanish is the lists from the 90's and 2000's in Mexico.