From the Clear Channel trust back to Craig Fox and Sam Furco! I hear the purchase price was like $1.2 million. Didn't Craig sell it to them for like 5 mil?
Shave and a harircut, two bits!
Shave and a harircut, two bits!
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105.1 sold
- Thread starter ThePickleReport
- Start date
Hot Country! A great time to get in the country game! Nova is decent but not great and going no where! B is stale and old...think about it! Jump on it Sam and Craig before one of the other lackluster ratings losers in town goes and gets it done! You waited too long to get into the top 40 game when Hot signed on.
Giddy up!
Giddy up!
T
theradiokid
Guest
I interned at the Cram “Movin’” stations in 2007. I also interned at Cram’s WVOA in the summer of 2005. While I don’t know Craig Fox verry well, I was able to get a jist of where things stand at that cluster. I know a little about some of the philosophy there. From my short time at both outlets, and from the interactions with MR. Fox and MR. Furco, I will make a pretty good guess of what’s gonna happen with 105.1.
Cram will most likely LMA the station from Foxfur Com, the moniker Fox is using as his business buying the station. They will put WVOA back on 105.1, along with the 103.9 simulcast.
Here’s why. When Cram sold then WVOQ (105.1) to Clear Channel in 2001, they were hoping to use that money to build out 720 AM, what was going to be WVOA (AM.) They figured that Syracuse would be without a direct WVOA signal for a short time, and that 720 would be on-air in March of 2005. That never happened. Now, it looks like 720 might not ever be built. Thing is, Cram wants to put WVOA back on in Syracuse verry badly. I think they just took this opretunity, and ceezed it. I believe they will just scrap all plans for 720 AM now, and put WVOA back on 105.1, and look back on the sale of that station back in 01 as a big mistake.
(Of course, now, watch, as either Craig Fox or Sam Furco will read this, post a reply saying that I’m wrong, and then change their minds, and do something different…)
--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].
Cram will most likely LMA the station from Foxfur Com, the moniker Fox is using as his business buying the station. They will put WVOA back on 105.1, along with the 103.9 simulcast.
Here’s why. When Cram sold then WVOQ (105.1) to Clear Channel in 2001, they were hoping to use that money to build out 720 AM, what was going to be WVOA (AM.) They figured that Syracuse would be without a direct WVOA signal for a short time, and that 720 would be on-air in March of 2005. That never happened. Now, it looks like 720 might not ever be built. Thing is, Cram wants to put WVOA back on in Syracuse verry badly. I think they just took this opretunity, and ceezed it. I believe they will just scrap all plans for 720 AM now, and put WVOA back on 105.1, and look back on the sale of that station back in 01 as a big mistake.
(Of course, now, watch, as either Craig Fox or Sam Furco will read this, post a reply saying that I’m wrong, and then change their minds, and do something different…)
--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].
If nothing else, this takes some air out of the "95X to country" thread. If the new-old owners of 105.1 decide to go country, they have but one chance to get it right. Is the signal good enough to compete with B? And then, there's Froggie on the eastern fringe to muddle the water. Not an easy task.
Element9 said:If nothing else, this takes some air out of the "95X to country" thread. If the new-old owners of 105.1 decide to go country, they have but one chance to get it right. Is the signal good enough to compete with B? And then, there's Froggie on the eastern fringe to muddle the water. Not an easy task.
It's been a long time since I've listened to the signal. It's a bit spotty in places in Syracuse if I remember right, but generally decent. The last time I think I heard it was when they were simulcasting WBBS, and the signal comes in like gangbusters down toward Cortland and Ithaca.
Country does make sense and it could probably be done on the cheap. I don't think the new-old owners have much interest in peddling a country format.
My guess is that they will simulcast 103.9 like the above poster said.
I have to also agree with The Radio Kid and Pickle. Country may be easy to pull off, but 105.1's signal doesn't compete with WBBS or WFRG. As one poster noted, WWDG is spotty in some places right in Syracuse. Anyone hoping to compete with WBBS needs to have complete and total coverage of the entire metro area, as well as very good coverage in ALL of the suburbs, not just those to the south. Remember, Oswego is the 2nd biggest city of the market, and with the 100,000-watt WBBS tower being in the Fulton area, it's in a very good position to cover the city folks and the backwood rednecks alike.
And while WWDG may work well for Cortland and Ithaca, WWDG is part of the Syracuse market. The Cortland/Ithaca market already has its own country station (WQNY). There's no way a Syracuse-based station can expect to land great national sales numbers based on numbers from an adjacent market. And I don't think Arbitron would allow Madison County to be shifted into the I/C market.
Last but not least, where would the studios be? I've seen the WOLF building, and it's pretty small. I have not seen the WVOA building, but based on the fact most religious stations are pretty obscure to most people, I'll assume their building is comparably tiny. A country station would need not only its own studio, but more sales offices, and perhaps more production and promotion space. Would highly doubt Fox plans to build an expansion at either building (which would likely cost even more than WWDG itself).
And while WWDG may work well for Cortland and Ithaca, WWDG is part of the Syracuse market. The Cortland/Ithaca market already has its own country station (WQNY). There's no way a Syracuse-based station can expect to land great national sales numbers based on numbers from an adjacent market. And I don't think Arbitron would allow Madison County to be shifted into the I/C market.
Last but not least, where would the studios be? I've seen the WOLF building, and it's pretty small. I have not seen the WVOA building, but based on the fact most religious stations are pretty obscure to most people, I'll assume their building is comparably tiny. A country station would need not only its own studio, but more sales offices, and perhaps more production and promotion space. Would highly doubt Fox plans to build an expansion at either building (which would likely cost even more than WWDG itself).
T
theradiokid
Guest
Bob Ross,
You are right in the fact that both buildings are tiny. The WOLF building, while it is a decent building, is small in size compared to a Clear Channel or Citadel complex. The “Movin’” studio was literally built out of an old production room. The WVOA studio is literally a doublewide trailer on the corner of Myers Road in East Syracuse.
One thing interesting to note here: When WVOA (AM) was to be built, Fox and Furco were going to, eventually, flip 103.9 to a new format, 1 that would serve the Oswego area. Fox himself told me that the studio space would come from… the old WOLF (AM) studio, the 1 now used for “Radio Disney.” Esentially, Fox said that all capability for any live broadcasting to be done over the AM stations would be taken away, as those mics would be wired to a new board and Audio Vault. The option to control the “Disney” satellites would be just part of the new board. This new setup would lend studio space, and new equipment for live jocks for this new format.
However, I don’t see that happening with 105.1 now. Sorry, but I wouldn’t start screaming “Country! Country!” anytime soon.
--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].
You are right in the fact that both buildings are tiny. The WOLF building, while it is a decent building, is small in size compared to a Clear Channel or Citadel complex. The “Movin’” studio was literally built out of an old production room. The WVOA studio is literally a doublewide trailer on the corner of Myers Road in East Syracuse.
One thing interesting to note here: When WVOA (AM) was to be built, Fox and Furco were going to, eventually, flip 103.9 to a new format, 1 that would serve the Oswego area. Fox himself told me that the studio space would come from… the old WOLF (AM) studio, the 1 now used for “Radio Disney.” Esentially, Fox said that all capability for any live broadcasting to be done over the AM stations would be taken away, as those mics would be wired to a new board and Audio Vault. The option to control the “Disney” satellites would be just part of the new board. This new setup would lend studio space, and new equipment for live jocks for this new format.
However, I don’t see that happening with 105.1 now. Sorry, but I wouldn’t start screaming “Country! Country!” anytime soon.
--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].
If the leased time programming does indeed return to 105.1, I would be curious to see what happens with 103.9. There wouldn't really be a need to keep the programming on that signal, as it doesn't serve the Syracuse metro nearly as well as the DeReuter signal does. Personally, I would love to see a separate format on that frequency. One that wasn't targeted at Syracuse, rather, a service aimed at 103.9's COL and surrounding areas.
T
theradiokid
Guest
Jake, they’ll never do it. One thing about Fox and Furco that I have figured out is that they like to cover the entire radio market with their properties. This is why “Disney” and “Movin’” are on so many frequencies. The Syracuse signals don’t cover Oswego, Auburn, and other areas of the market. Likewise, the 105.1 signal doesn’t do that either. However, the 720 AM signal that was supposed to have been built, according to Fox, would have been strong enough to cover Syracuse, Auburn, Oswego, and possibly, I was told, Watertown! But now that 720’s fading like dust in the wind, expect 103.9 and 105.1 to be simulcast lovers once again, and, hopefully, this time, they’ll live happily ever after.
--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].
--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].
105.1 was simulcasting with Y94 today. Looks like CC is trying to get Nova listeners to flip to Y94 before Fox takes control of the programming.
R
RockinScience
Guest
Re: 105.1 sold /// NO! 95X Has To Go Country!!!
Cause the board said it would happen. It has to be true! They said 95X would go country!! Come on! WTF guys? You were wrong??? (The horror)
Cause the board said it would happen. It has to be true! They said 95X would go country!! Come on! WTF guys? You were wrong??? (The horror)
Brian Ocean Fan Club said:105.1 was simulcasting with Y94 today.
Really? Because they aren't now. (1:25am on Thursday)
Nova: Nickelback / Rockstar
Y94: Four Seasons / December 1963 (Oh What a Night)
I also recall them playing different songs while flipping around during my Wednesday evening commute home from work.
No doubt you heard a Y94 listen promo on Nova. I have heard it alot...the only smart move I've heard them make in a rally long time. No doubt Nova will go away and Y94 wants the audience before they blow it up!
ROCKTHEMIC said:No doubt Nova will go away and Y94 wants the audience before they blow it up!
If that's the case, Y94 would be smart to refresh its playlist. Time to reduce the frequency of older, slower tunes, and make room for some of the 90s library that Nova plays now. Otherwise, I think many Nova listeners could wind up disappointed with Y94 and wind up going to Movin or one of the two CHR stations instead. (In fact, might not be a bad idea to give Hot 107.9 a few plugs as well.)
I'm not saying Y94 should completely get rid of the 70s/disco stuff, but they seem to play it more often than an average AC... perhaps they didn't want to be too direct against Nova, but it was a really fine line between those two stations the entire time. For every song that was clearly "exclusive" to one station or the other, it seemed there was at least one or two that could easily fit in on both stations... almost to the point I wonder if Y94 was hindered by losing titles that may have been deemed "Nova-only" in an effort to make the two stations more distinct. Obviously, there was some overlap, but you don't want to allow too much overlap or else the stations wind up sounding like the same thing. I would imagine the eventual end of Nova will only benefit Y94... assuming Y94 reclaims any "lost" titles, and perhaps picking up a few extras.
As much as "New Rock 105 The Dog" may have been a failure, I'm not entirely sure if Nova was better idea. At least with a rock format, CC was competing against the competition. With Nova, CC was competing with itself -- mostly with Y94, and I'd even say a little bit against Hot 107.9. If you're gonna run a flanker to try to hinder a market leader, go after the competition, not yourself.
On the other hand, I can see where CC could use Y94 to cater to the older half of the at-work demo, and Nova to cater to the younger audience. AC radio is at a point where it needs to evolve. Ten years ago, AC featured many songs that were considered CHR titles in the 70s and 80s. Now, more and more of those songs are getting plenty of play on oldies or "classic hits" stations. AC in 2010 and beyond needs to start getting 90s CHR titles (and maybe even early 2000s) into the gold categories -- because the teenagers of the 90s are now your "money demo" 30-somethings. Nova has been doing a decent job covering that younger end. Y94 has been better at covering the older stuff. Can you do it all on one station? Yes, as long as there isn't too much of one or the other. And once CC has only one outlet for AC, I hope they *do* balance the eras more evenly.
C
CNYRadio.com
Guest
Well, it's over. CC pulled the plug on Nova today.
http://www.cnyradio.com/2009/05/01/nova-1051-signs-off/
They took it down around 3:45pm -- and 5 hours later, still dead air.
Whatever Craig Fox is going to put on that stick, apparently he's not in any kind of a hurry to do it.
http://www.cnyradio.com/2009/05/01/nova-1051-signs-off/
They took it down around 3:45pm -- and 5 hours later, still dead air.
Whatever Craig Fox is going to put on that stick, apparently he's not in any kind of a hurry to do it.
Sam Furco says on Facebook the station is stunting...new format called "Silent Night"...
ROCKTHEMIC said:Sam Furco says on Facebook the station is stunting...new format called "Silent Night"...
Well who ever this Sam person is, he must be a real genius. Here it is Saturday afternoon and the station has been silent for over a week now. How is that even possible!
Even if it signs on as a simulcast of Love Radio, I doubt it will stay that way. I don't have any inside information or anything, but it just doesn't make sense. Why would they put a religious station on 105 instead of something like MOVIN which could generate a lot of interest and (hopefully) advertising dollars. I seriously don't think LoveRadio will be on 105.1.
C
CNYRadio.com
Guest
Lame_Listener said:Even if it signs on as a simulcast of Love Radio
There's no "if" about it: Sam -- who is part-owner of the station -- confirmed for us back on Wednesday that 105.1 will indeed be simulcasting WVOA.
http://www.cnyradio.com/2009/05/05/wwdg-back-to-pre-cc-format/
Sam also told us the station would be back on the air "within the next few days. Most likely Friday," but as of 1:45am Sunday, it's still nothing but static.
That signal (105.1) is strong in Cortland County! The Cayuga Radio Group (Saga) could care less about Cortland listenership since their collective focus is on Ithaca, why couldn't a Syracuse-ish station show Cortland County love as well? Cortland felt abandoned by Saga when they blew up WKRT (60 years) and moved I-100 into their almost Ithaca building. WXHC stepped in and gave that county a big huge hug and never looked back. If your in your car in Cortland and your looking for a decent station, your out of luck with Saga stations. WXHC has a major indentity crisis, 93Q is listenable sometimes. Other than that 105.1 is the only other decent signal in that burg! Nova used to be a decent alternative to what is available on the radio dial in Cortland. Do not discount Cortland..that town has a pulse and a decent one at that. Sam and his gang would be missing an opportunity to service this radio hungry community/ county and maybe even make a buck or two in the process! A Movin simulcast would be a very smart "Move" if nothing else than to reinforce that brand and give it more validity with a larger reach! Their current reported plan, a waste of time!
Rockthemic has spoken!
Rockthemic has spoken!
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