Buffalo Cumulus sells AM to Buddy Shula

[davideduardo]

It keeps reminding me of the threads about "Boomer" stations like MeTV FM, The Wow Factor in Phoenix, etc. "No advertiser is willing to buy a 55+ station." Yet, we're here, talking about a talk radio station (the ultimate older-skewing format) as a way to make money.

Buffalo... and most medium and small markets... don't get that much regional and national ad agency business. They sell local direct and to local small agencies; they are far less dependent on ratings (if they even look at them) and buy based on the customer traffic ads create, whether the consumer is 25 or 65.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Buffalo... and most medium and small markets... don't get that much regional and national ad agency business. They sell local direct and to local small agencies; they are far less dependent on ratings (if they even look at them) and buy based on the customer traffic ads create, whether the consumer is 25 or 65.

How much of this also has to do with Buffalo being a border market? As noted earlier, stations can't really sell to Fort Erie, Niagara Falls or St. Catherines on the other side of the river.

 

[Buddy Shula]

I think everyone may be thinking a little too much into this. The digital version of the article came out in the Buffalo News today. It should be in print tomorrow. It was a very honest conversation with the writer.

The move to stay talk was not political at all. I am not conservative or liberal, but somewhere in the middle. The move was strictly business based on what I feel is an "open lane". I hear it myself and from others, all the time, that WBEN is talking about things more topical, more local. They should, as they have local hosts, but one in particular tends to talk more about personal drama. I heard it myself several times over the past year especially. Since Hannity was nowhere to be found in the market, I decided he would be good.

Personally, I love talk radio. I used to do it at WBEN with my "Buffalo Means Business" show for years. It's fun to be able to have weekend local talk shows. The Patriot syndicated shows are all tested shows. They all sound good and they all make sense. Really, the Patriot is about the talk, not the news. WBEN does a terrific job at the news and we would never try to undo that. However, talk is different. It's all about the hosts. It's like TV. You watch it for the shows, not the stations. I feel our hosts will compete with WBEN. Sean Hannity surprised me the other day when he tweeted out to his 7.1 million followers that he was excited to be back in Buffalo, on The Patriot. That was a terrific.

National agencies were brought up on this thread. BIG WECK or The Patriot have no national rep firm, and we don't want one. National radio business has gone down to a trickle. We focus on local, direct business where we can be involved in our clients results and relationships. BIG WECK gets a ton of LOCAL agency business due to the ratings, but not national business.

Also, this George Soros stuff. This had zero to do in my decision making for The Patriot. My question was why someone with the mission and money like Soros would let FOX in the henhouse anywhere at Audacy nationwide. He rallied against FOX all the time. Perhaps I am overthinking it as well. Maybe Soros or his management fund could give a crap about making a political statement. Like me, perhaps it just about running a profitable businesses. Who knows.

I can say this, Audacy is going thru some restructuring right now. Just today, a key employee was let go due to "consolidation". That's not surprising as all larger broadcast companies are going thru the same thing. Thankfully, my company is growing.

We are excited about the Patriot and still have some major surprises, but our intention is just to be relevant to the listener, in a very professional sounding matter. I want a great sounding station. I can say this regarding the purchase, the c-suite of Cumulus could not have been any nicer to work with. From local to Atlanta, everyone I dealt with from that group was nothing but helpful.

As far as our streaming goes, I am not sure anyone really cares. It sounds great. We had Wide Orbit streaming and then it was purchased by Audacy. No reason to make a change. I happen to do business with Audacy all the time with our ad agency. I respect and purchase their products.

I am really looking forward to having 2 great AM's in Buffalo. It's an AM market, still. How long will it be an AM market? Who knows, but I am enjoying it while it is. Stay Tuned....

 

[ckg279]

Some thoughts from me, if I may....

-While I wish Buddy Shula the best on launching The Patriot, it won't be on my car presets. Personally, I have no use for talk radio. I've said in the past that talk radio is the format where the majority of the listeners have one foot in the grave and the other can't wait to join them. Younger listeners are NOT replacing the ones that are dying off. And as far as WBEN goes, it isn't really local if Bellavia & Bauerle are doing their shows from outside the market-and, yes, I know, it's easy to stay updated on what's happening in Buffalo through the news stations, etc....and unless you have a REALLY discerning ear, you can't really tell the difference. To me, at least, nothing beats having an actual, live person in the studio. This is why I listen to a LOT of Boom 97.3 out of Toronto(which I've harped on about quite a bit on this board in the past). It is live & local, has personalities that are known commodities in Toronto(and, to some extent, Buffalo), and-JMO-does classic hits BETTER than WHTT does, or at the very least presents it much better.

-To follow up on Nathan's post earlier: True, but(and I believe Buddy can back me up on this)Byrnes Communications(which owns More FM and 105.1 the River across the border)entered into an advertising sales partnership with Radio One Buffalo to sell advertising for the two stations in Buffalo. AFAIK, that deal is still in effect

 

[BuffaloRadioFan]

Some thoughts from me, if I may....

-While I wish Buddy Shula the best on launching The Patriot, it won't be on my car presets. Personally, I have no use for talk radio. I've said in the past that talk radio is the format where the majority of the listeners have one foot in the grave and the other can't wait to join them. Younger listeners are NOT replacing the ones that are dying off. And as far as WBEN goes, it isn't really local if Bellavia & Bauerle are doing their shows from outside the market-and, yes, I know, it's easy to stay updated on what's happening in Buffalo through the news stations, etc....and unless you have a REALLY discerning ear, you can't really tell the difference. To me, at least, nothing beats having an actual, live person in the studio. This is why I listen to a LOT of Boom 97.3 out of Toronto(which I've harped on about quite a bit on this board in the past). It is live & local, has personalities that are known commodities in Toronto(and, to some extent, Buffalo), and-JMO-does classic hits BETTER than WHTT does, or at the very least presents it much better.

-To follow up on Nathan's post earlier: True, but(and I believe Buddy can back me up on this)Byrnes Communications(which owns More FM and 105.1 the River across the border)entered into an advertising sales partnership with Radio One Buffalo to sell advertising for the two stations in Buffalo. AFAIK, that deal is still in effect

Totally agree with the Boom 97.3 comment. They do the 70’s to 90’s really well. Better music mix, more engaging and long established personalities and much better production and presentation of the music. Feels like a station of that time period whereas WHTT is blah. Hearing Maie Pauts middays feels like a way back time machine.

 

[ckg279]

Totally agree with the Boom 97.3 comment. They do the 70’s to 90’s really well. Better music mix, more engaging and long established personalities and much better production and presentation of the music. Feels like a station of that time period whereas WHTT is blah. Hearing Maie Pauts middays feels like a way back time machine.

Probably because MANY WNY'ers grew up in a time when CFNY was pretty dominant here in WNY(and the time when 102.1 the Edge and 103.3 the Edge kinda sorta had a REALLY funny lawsuit going on led to one of the most hilarious ads you're ever going to see...and it was CFNY's ad.) I will add that more 2000's product has reached the playlists because enough time has passed where it's considered classic.

 

[Buddy Shula]

Some thoughts from me, if I may....

-While I wish Buddy Shula the best on launching The Patriot, it won't be on my car presets. Personally, I have no use for talk radio. I've said in the past that talk radio is the format where the majority of the listeners have one foot in the grave and the other can't wait to join them. Younger listeners are NOT replacing the ones that are dying off. And as far as WBEN goes, it isn't really local if Bellavia & Bauerle are doing their shows from outside the market-and, yes, I know, it's easy to stay updated on what's happening in Buffalo through the news stations, etc....and unless you have a REALLY discerning ear, you can't really tell the difference. To me, at least, nothing beats having an actual, live person in the studio. This is why I listen to a LOT of Boom 97.3 out of Toronto(which I've harped on about quite a bit on this board in the past). It is live & local, has personalities that are known commodities in Toronto(and, to some extent, Buffalo), and-JMO-does classic hits BETTER than WHTT does, or at the very least presents it much better.

-To follow up on Nathan's post earlier: True, but(and I believe Buddy can back me up on this)Byrnes Communications(which owns More FM and 105.1 the River across the border)entered into an advertising sales partnership with Radio One Buffalo to sell advertising for the two stations in Buffalo. AFAIK, that deal is still in effect

No. I will always help those stations sell if someone needs to reach Canadians, but we ended anything formal.

The Patriot is not meant for you. It’s meant for people who like conservative talk. If we had a classic rock station, we would not expect to get a jazz listener.

You are wrong about younger listeners. The the different media platforms, they listen to this content

 

[Buddy Shula]

Probably because MANY WNY'ers grew up in a time when CFNY was pretty dominant here in WNY(and the time when 102.1 the Edge and 103.3 the Edge kinda sorta had a REALLY funny lawsuit going on led to one of the most hilarious ads you're ever going to see...and it was CFNY's ad.) I will add that more 2000's product has reached the playlists because enough time has passed where it's considered classic.

Canadian radio is great. But it has the same issue radio everywhere has. Content is king. There is no destination listening. The radio is not the only thing that matters anymore. Its the other platforms.

People could say to me “well you can get syndicated talk anywhere” and I would respond, “not like we deliver it”. FYI, The Patriot realizes local wins. We are prepared for that. However, you would not know it by reading my press releases. We have some great local programming coming seven days a week. We think out of the box. I would not put a station on the air that runs only syndication, and national PSA’S

 

[ckg279]

Some ripostes:

1. (The Patriot is) "meant for people who like conservative talk." Fair. But more than a few stations around the country have dropped conservative talk as a format over the last little while. As for younger listeners, they're more than likely listening to the podcast versions of said shows rather than the shows themselves. Yes, it's putting money into the host's pocket one way or another. But if the podcast gets more listeners than the show itself...

2. "There is no destination listening." I direct you back to Boom in Toronto; to me, at least, it IS destination listening. And the Numeris numbers for Boom back that up: the just concluded Spring book shows Boom leading in 12+ as well as women & men 25-54. People would not be listening to the station if it didn't put out a winning product-and they do. (BTW, weirdly enough, Numeris also notes that 680 NewsRadio does well with both young men as well as men 25-54. That part IS surprising.)

 

[Buddy Shula]

Some ripostes:

1. (The Patriot is) "meant for people who like conservative talk." Fair. But more than a few stations around the country have dropped conservative talk as a format over the last little while. As for younger listeners, they're more than likely listening to the podcast versions of said shows rather than the shows themselves. Yes, it's putting money into the host's pocket one way or another. But if the podcast gets more listeners than the show itself...

2. "There is no destination listening." I direct you back to Boom in Toronto; to me, at least, it IS destination listening. And the Numeris numbers for Boom back that up: the just concluded Spring book shows Boom leading in 12+ as well as women & men 25-54. People would not be listening to the station if it didn't put out a winning product-and they do. (BTW, weirdly enough, Numeris also notes that 680 NewsRadio does well with both young men as well as men 25-54. That part IS surprising.)

I don’t run those stations that do not run conservative talk anymore. I run The Patriot Buffalo, which will win.

We have been against podcasts for years. Doesn’t bother me at all. Again, I run my station and it will win.

No one will change my gut feelings on programming. The station will be great

 

[Rusty Muck]

(BTW, weirdly enough, Numeris also notes that 680 NewsRadio does well with both young men as well as men 25-54. That part IS surprising.)

CFTR has traffic every ten minutes on the 1s, which is essential in a market like Toronto. Think how WTOP and even WSB are also known for traffic reports in their respective markets and how that’s their calling card.

CFTR also has a fast-paced, easily accessible news format to tie around the traffic.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Boom in Toronto; to me, at least, it IS destination listening. And the Numeris numbers for Boom back that up: the just concluded Spring book shows Boom leading in 12+ as well as women & men 25-54. People would not be listening to the station if it didn't put out a winning product-and they do. (BTW, weirdly enough, Numeris also notes that 680 NewsRadio does well with both young men as well as men 25-54. That part IS surprising.)

CFTR has traffic every ten minutes on the 1s, which is essential in a market like Toronto. Think how WTOP and even WSB are also known for traffic reports in their respective markets and how that’s their calling card.

CFTR also has a fast-paced, easily accessible news format to tie around the traffic.

Reality is that Boom in Toronto has never had much impact on WNY ratings. It may be destination listening for you, but you're part of a small minority. They may be a P2 or P3 for a handful of listeners here, but their local and GTA-relatable content is meaningless to most people on the US side. I'd suggest that WHTT likely does as well as Boom among Canadian listeners in the Lake Erie shore communities. Unfortunately, Arbitron ratings don't tally that, and Numeris ratings are all about the GTA. Still, results from shoppers and promotions do tell a part of the story.

The last thing any WNYer wants to hear is a Toronto traffic report. Canadian news sometimes offers a different perspective, but I suspect that most people looking for a different perspective listen to the CBC or the BBC on BTPM-Radio.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The last thing any WNYer wants to hear is a Toronto traffic report. Canadian news sometimes offers a different perspective, but I suspect that most people looking for a different perspective listen to the CBC or the BBC on BTPM-Radio.

I was only replying to the Numeris data point cited earlier about CFTR’s listenership demos. Was not implying it had anything to do with WNY.

 

[CSMWNY]

Reality is that Boom in Toronto has never had much impact on WNY ratings. It may be destination listening for you, but you're part of a small minority. They may be a P2 or P3 for a handful of listeners here, but their local and GTA-relatable content is meaningless to most people on the US side. I'd suggest that WHTT likely does as well as Boom among Canadian listeners in the Lake Erie shore communities. Unfortunately, Arbitron ratings don't tally that, and Numeris ratings are all about the GTA. Still, results from shoppers and promotions do tell a part of the story.

The last thing any WNYer wants to hear is a Toronto traffic report. Canadian news sometimes offers a different perspective, but I suspect that most people looking for a different perspective listen to the CBC or the BBC on BTPM-Radio.

I'm a 51 year old male and I listen to Boom 97.3 while Doordashing, I'm sure there are others out there in WNY that know about the station. They do a great job making the station fun and I love the much deeper playlist. WHTT is also on my presets but the songs on there are very burned out for me and I listen to Boom much more.
Additionally I've been listening to the Drex show on CFNY 102.1 quite a bit lately. I love the High Tea segement where they choose lesser known British Alternative songs from 1975 to today and listeners have to guess what it will be in order to win concert tickets. As a listener of CFNY from back in day, they have had some real gems in there. I like how CFNY in general has sounded lately with throwbacks to the 80's and 90's, while still playing newer alternative. I'm sure it attracts a broader audience then when it was current focused.
I do find Canadian radio to be more interesting, engaging and they generally play a better, broader list of music.
I do listen to The Bridge in the evenings on 88.7 but my car is older and is not streaming friendly and would definitely listen more if they had a full time FM signal. I do like the AAA format and the music mix they play. Too bad BPTM is broke now with the government funding cuts and can't afford to buy another signal. The Bridge would be great on 92.9.
I Doordash quite a bit to supplement my income, so I probably listen to the radio in the car more than most.

 

[Buddy Shula]

Why are we talking about Canadian radio on this thread?

 

[Theater of My Mind]

I Doordash quite a bit to supplement my income, so I probably listen to the radio in the car more than most.

Based on your favorites list, you should give the Drive show on CBC Music 94.1 a try in the afternoons. It's a pop-leaning Triple-A and Canadian Indie-pop mix with a lot of music discovery, along with surprises like old school hip hop nuggets that you normally don't hear on AAA.

I'm a big fan of the way Rich Terfry talks about the music. It adds so much value and is a perfect example of how radio can, and should, set itself apart from streaming services with well-researched, interesting hosted content.

 

[ckg279]

Why are we talking about Canadian radio on this thread?

Because we get a boatload of radio stations from southern Ontario...and a number of the major Toronto stations can be received in Buffalo because their transmitters are on the CN Tower. Twirl around the FM dial in WNY and you'd be surprised as to how many stations from north of the border you'll find.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Why are we talking about Canadian radio on this thread?

International comparison on how things are done.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Perhaps someone should start a Canadian listening in WNY thread. This seems to have gotten to be a catchall thread.

 

[davideduardo]

Perhaps someone should start a Canadian listening in WNY thread. This seems to have gotten to be a catchall thread.

This kinda' sounds like people in Manhattan not wanting to have posts about stations on Long Island. If the signals reach as locals or even rimshots, then it seems that the subject is relative. But if we get into discussions on the financial status of Bell and stuff like that, it is a bit far off from a Buffalo board.