"Potential New Operator" For 98.7

[Rollo-Smokes]

My take here is that Jeff is having fun. Kind of like what Cats does at WABC. How much research does Cats do?

That is a joke, right?

Catsimatidis's wallet provides all the research he needs. And he's using his play toy to promote his beliefs.

This is a man who is still promoting The Big Lie; believes that George Soros bought Audacy; claims that NYC (and all big cities) are crime-infested, lawless cesspools; and believes off-shore windmills are killing birds and whales.

Why? Because he says so. Even though all the research and data prove otherwise.

 

[lanceventa]

Catsimatidis's wallet provides all the research he needs. And he's using his play toy to promote his beliefs.

This is a man who is still promoting The Big Lie; believes that George Soros bought Audacy; claims that NYC (and all big cities) are crime-infested, lawless cesspools; and believes off-shore windmills are killing birds and whales.

Why? Because he says so. Even though all the research and data prove otherwise.

Let's keep the politics out of this.. It's not about what he believes, its about the part about what he says. They are not always interchangeable.

 

[TheBigA]

Why? Because he says so. Even though all the research and data prove otherwise.

That's what I'm saying with 98.7.

 

[notsurewhatoput]

Hmmm, no the building he's selling is in Indianapolis. I don't think he owns any property in NYC. WLIB is coming from a rack in the MediaCo office.

Emmis Corporation to sell Monument Circle headquarters

Emmis said the seven-story, 140,000-square-foot building has been their home since 1998.

www.wthr.com

My mistake, I meant and this station. His previous interviews indicate he has no interest in running a radio station. He probably expected that the station would be sold by now and had to quickly figure something out with it in hope to find some buyers by getting the station back in the news.

 

[lanceventa]

My mistake, I meant and this station. His previous interviews indicate he has no interest in running a radio station. He probably expected that the station would be sold by now and had to quickly figure something out with it in hope to find some buyers by getting the station back in the news.

The only difference in the operation of La Exitosa and TJ is that there's no third party programming it and splitting revenue. They're running network spots and making some revenue, but there is still no local sales presence. Will that change? I wouldn't be surprised if they at least work with local agencies now. The whole station is a computer in the rack room at ESB so operating expenses are low in comparison to anyone else in the market.

 

[davideduardo]

Agency sales require either a staff and sales manager or a subcontracted sales agreement, such as a JSA from the past, where another group that is under FCC quotas for ownership handles the sales.

I question the ability of another group that is not familiar with the Hispanic market to make any impact sales wise. A huge percentage of sales comes from Hispanic agencies or Hispanic branches of large agencies. To approach those accounts and their agencies requires a considerable market knowledge and the ability to discuss in depth, advantages, and disadvantages of using a station that programs English music for Hispanic listeners.

It takes just as long to get sales from Hispanic agencies as it does from any other agency; they want sustained ratings and guarantees of reach. Until the station has a good number of months of decent ratings, they will not sell to agencies of any type.

With many agencies using automated buying systems that are essentially based on AI, the buy criteria is based on a formula. Usually that formula will include a large number of sustainable levels of delivery, as well as a rate that meets the account’s goal whether that is in cost per point or some other measurement. In any case, the measurement will be based on the delivery of audience at a cost that meets the campaign goals.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Off-and-on topic just as an intro here :
Our town here is just south of the long but narrow coal vein with one terminal of it near Hazleton. Our boro was designed as a residential one; a non-sequitur among company towns because of its height, 1500' above sea level. Among the north view sites days and nights are several hundred windmills. At night the blinking lights look like those of AM sticks in the Meadowlands. Thing is: the uninhabitably high windmill land is owned by the coal companies. For 20 years word has been that the electricity gets directed to Philadelphia, not to here. Like radio licenses, the coal companies have been LMA-ing their properties in modern times.

Anyway: If Mr. Cats is in the market for a NYC area station, I doubt WLIB is getting much of his thought (if any) to bankrolling another AM, and a directional one that has seen as many format changes as Radio Belgrade.
And someone who knows about radio business may have informed him about the ways even huge-metro radio owners can experience diminishing returns at times. All they will have to do is show him the latest available 12+ Nielsen ratings for Fort Wayne. One guess as to what station sits at the top of the heap and not singing those little town blues.

 

[TheBigA]

For example, a company controlled and majority owned by Soros has entered into an agreement to buy Audacy and is simply waiting for government approval. It is about as much of a done deal as possible.

Not exactly. Here's what the FCC says:

FCC Approves License Transfer to New Audacy

Federal Communications Commission approves license transfer to new Audacy.

www.fcc.gov

FCC Approves Plan That Allows Audacy to Exit Bankruptcy - Radio World

The FCC has approved the plan of Audacy, the second-largest radio company in the United States by revenue, to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

www.radioworld.com

 

[Weiserguy]

Interesting to read the Chairwoman's statement (emphasis mine):

Federal Communications Commission FCC 24-94
21
STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL
Re: In the Matter of Audacy License, LLC, as Debtor-in-Possession (Assignor) and Audacy License,
LLC (Assignee) Application for Consent to Assignment of Licenses, Memorandum Opinion and
Order, Application File Nos. 0000241074 et al.
In this decision, we approve the assignment of licenses held by Audacy, which has been under the
control of a bankruptcy court, to the new Audacy, so that the company can emerge from bankruptcy
proceedings. The process we use to facilitate this license transfer is identical to the one recently used by
the agency in the bankruptcy proceedings of Cumulus Media in 2018, iHeart Media in 2019, Liberman
Television in 2019, Fusion Connect in 2019, Windstream Holdings in 2020, America-CV Station Group
in 2021, and Alpha Media in 2021. To suggest otherwise is cynical and wrong, as this precedent clearly
demonstrates. Our practice here and in these prior cases is designed to facilitate the prompt and orderly
emergence from bankruptcy of a company that is a licensee under the Communications Act.

 

[Rollo-Smokes]

Let's keep the politics out of this.. It's not about what he believes, its about the part about what he says. They are not always interchangeable.

I tried, but this is a time where the lines are blurred.

There is significant evidence that huge windmills located in the ocean disrupt the flight patterns of birds and confuse whales and other ocean critters. Because the technology is new, we do not know if birds and whales will adapt or be seriously prejudiced. The real argument with all wind generation devices is their immense cost, and their use of materials which are mined and refined using fossil based fuels. So there are valid arguments in this area and very little historical documentation on which two base conclusions.

What this has to do with radio, and electronic media is that there should be reporting on all aspects of these subjects. I personally find many if not most news sources show only one side of these arguments. Looking at both or many aspects of a situation would be the better solution.

And all sides should be heard. But you won't get that on WABC. A token opposing opinion will get drowned out by Cats and his peanut gallery.

Without getting too political, just one example: Cats will push the narrative about bird and whale deaths caused by windmills to further his argument against pretty much all forms of wind- and solar-powered renewable energy...which allows him the opportunity to promote his interests in nuclear energy in the form of small modular reactors.

This is what WABC has been reduced to. I wish I could say more, but I'll respect the rules and Lance's wishes.

 

[Barry]

They're running network spots and making some revenue, but there is still no local sales presence.

Perhaps that explains the reason why all of the spots I've heard on the station so far have been in English.

 

[RadioGuy1864]

What network are they running spots from?

 

[lanceventa]

Keep this thread focused on radio. This isn't EnvironmentalProtectionAgencyDiscussions.com

 

[davideduardo]

What network are they running spots from?

Good question. The "models" for this station are the ones in Miami and Orlando which do all DJ talk, promos and ads in Spanish. That is not what they are doing here.

And the ads that are running are not direct buys; none of those major accounts would buy local single station spot advertising on a brand new station with an unproven format and no ratings.

 

[TheBigA]

And the ads that are running are not direct buys; none of those major accounts would buy local single station spot advertising on a brand new station with an unproven format and no ratings.

Looking at the brands on the commercials, they look like the kind of national ads run by United Stations. So perhaps they're leftovers from TJ.

 

[davideduardo]

Looking at the brands on the commercials, they look like the kind of national ads run by United Stations. So perhaps they're leftovers from TJ.

I thought of that, too. Sounds like the simplest answer.