Good Karma To Lease 880; WCBS News Programming To End

[Rusty Muck]

Is any of the real estate on which the 660 WFAN, 880 WCBS or 1010 WINS towers reside developable? Might we see a diplexing at some point?

WCBS and WFAN have shared the same tower since 1967, a diplexed Franklin. It's one of @fybush 's classic tower site visits:

A selection from a decade of visits to tower and studio sites in the Northeast and beyond

 

[TheBigA]

Did Good Karma ever specifically say they were moving 98.7 WEPN-FM's programming to 1050 WEPN, or just that they were moving it to the AM band, and everyone assumed they meant 1050?

Here's what the CEO said one year ago:

“We’re committed to serving the New York sports fan and with the combination of our AM signal, the ESPN New York App, podcasts, smart speakers, YES and other additional audio and video distribution, investing in an FM signal was not relevant in the way it was a decade ago,” Good Karma Brands CEO and founder Craig Karmazin told The Post.

It really doesn't matter what they said a year ago.

 

[xmtrland]

Since the WCBS calls are on loan from CBS (owners of WCBS TV) that's one less station that falls under the shared call agreement with CBS.

 

[Weiserguy]

I assume that staff at 880 will either move to WINS or be laid off. Historically 880 has spent more time on national and international news than WINS. Will WINS spend more time on national/international news once News 880 is gone?

880 and 1010/92.3 have (at least) one limitation in common: they only get 60 minutes/3600 seconds in each hour, and no more than 168 hours in any week*. Consolidating any WCBS ad spots over onto WINS means that much less time for the newswatch. Moving any of WCBS's national and/or international news over to WINS decreases its own time available for local news.

They're in a room with cinderblock walls (time-wise), and the square footage ain't got nowhere to go. For every second that goes to somewhere new, something else has to be jettisoned.

(*Of course, one hour in March always shifts to November for the biannual insanity of Daylight Saving Time, but that's not really material.)

 

[radiofan2023]

https://radiodiscussions.com/threads/alt-92-3-to-become-wins-simulcast.755117/page-8#post-6537851

I wrote the above on October 10, 2022.

Time to buy a lottery ticket!

Consolidating any WCBS ad spots over onto WINS means that much less time for the newswatch.

But I've been told that the newswatch never stops....

 

[Rusty Muck]

Was there anything incorrect with anything I said? No. Let's face it: Old time WCBS listeners haven't been happy with the station running sports. There's an entire thread here on that subject. This station died for them years ago. This is quality programming. It's not WFME. We may see that pop up on 1050.

It might be quality, but unless there's an inherited contract from this deal, 880 will disappear entirely from the public Nielsen books because Good Karma ended their subscriptions chain-wide. So how does anyone even try to gauge their success at that point?

Good Karma Brands Drops Nielsen

Good Karma Brands is the latest operator to drop Nielsen's ratings services. Good Karma CEO Craig Karmazin told Newsday that

radioinsight.com

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

I assume that staff at 880 will either move to WINS or be laid off. Historically 880 has spent more time on national and international news than WINS. Will WINS spend more time on national/international news once News 880 is gone?

True if that's the case isn't some of the audience that listen for international and national news goes to NPR News/talk affiliate WNYC Radio for those stories on average.

 

[gr8oldies]

I assume that staff at 880 will either move to WINS or be laid off. Historically 880 has spent more time on national and international news than WINS. Will WINS spend more time on national/international news once News 880 is gone?

The one person I know who works there is being laid off

 

[OldiesMaven]

No one believed me when I postulated that the advent of a WINS 1010 simulcast on FM meant the clock was ticking on WCBS 880's demise.

"But Mark - the outlying areas need WCBS's strong signal!"

"But Mark - 880 bills $25 million a year and Audacy has slashed overhead by consolidating with the WINS newsroom!"

It is obvious Audacy feels a decent chunk of 880's revenue and audience will flow to 1010 / 92.3.

I also suspect 880's real time revenue is significantly weaker than the figures David and others here were purporting. 880's AQH share has been abysmal YTD.

Would not surprise me if Audacy has been quietly marketing 880 to interested parties for over a year.

I am not quite sure I understand the rationale for the "WHSQ" call sign for 880. Yuck.

 

[atthestars]

It might be quality, but unless there's an inherited contract from this deal, 880 will disappear entirely from the public Nielsen books because Good Karma ended their subscriptions chain-wide. So how does anyone even try to gauge their success at that point?

Good Karma Brands Drops Nielsen

Good Karma Brands is the latest operator to drop Nielsen's ratings services. Good Karma CEO Craig Karmazin told Newsday that

radioinsight.com

If it's an AM Station that continues to broadcast and stay on the air, I feel like that's a pretty good sign that they're not hemorrhaging money!

 

[OldiesMaven]

The WHSQ calls mean little. The station -- even with the change of ownership -- is and will still be marketed at ESPN New York. it will just be on 880 instead of 98.7 and 1050.

 

[Rusty Muck]

If it's an AM Station that continues to broadcast and stay on the air, I feel like that's a pretty good sign that they're not hemorrhaging money!

Or conversely, it's an internet stream that is now being simulcast on an AM station via a leasing agreement in which the owner can't lose any money to begin with.

 

[sjs1959]

And, since the ESPN New York app has been mentioned prominently, will this be on that app and Audacy as well?

 

[OldiesMaven]

A big part of the billing came from sports. I imagine Audacy keeps that revenue as part of the LMA. It's a good day for the Mets. They're now on an all sports station and share use of the ESPN brand.



I disagree. It keeps quality programming on one of NYC's best AM signals.

 

[NYAZSporty]

Hopefully, WINS will bring longtime WCBS radio met Craig Allen over, not sure if they still do Accuweather.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The WHSQ calls mean little. The station -- even with the change of ownership -- is and will still be marketed at ESPN New York. it will just be on 880 instead of 98.7 and 1050.

Once Good Karma disposes of 1050 (and they will, it's impractical to simulcast 880 and 1050), the WEPN calls will move to 880. Only a matter of when it happens.

 

[OldiesMaven]

ESPN 880 will keep the Mets. What will be the status of Rutgers basketball, which 880 picked up last winter -- especially with ESPN's local commitment to the Knicks and Rangers?

 

[RMarino]

Once Good Karma disposes of 1050 (and they will, it's impractical to simulcast 880 and 1050), the WEPN calls will move to 880. Only a matter of when it happens.

What’s the point of that? The assumption here is that 1050 will stay with the network and 880 will take the current 98.7 programming. Otherwise what’s the point of acquiring 880 (even if by lease) and selling 1050?

 

[NYRadioFan22]

So what happens now to AM 1050?

 

[Rusty Muck]

What’s the point of that? The assumption here is that 1050 will stay with the network and 880 will take the current 98.7 programming. Otherwise what’s the point of acquiring 880 (even if by lease) and selling 1050?

Family Radio easily could give Good Karma a few million reasons to sell off 1050, which is in their price range as opposed to, say, 98.7.