I am hearing rumors that 3WS is up for sale. Is it true or wishful thinking?
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3WS
- Thread starter BillAlexander
- Start date
if this business has shown us anything lately it is THAT anything is POSSIBLE...
but i doubt 3WS is for sale......
doesn't serve any purpose.....
> I am hearing rumors that 3WS is up for sale. Is it true or
> wishful thinking?
>
but i doubt 3WS is for sale......
doesn't serve any purpose.....
> I am hearing rumors that 3WS is up for sale. Is it true or
> wishful thinking?
>
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
> if this business has shown us anything lately it is THAT
> anything is POSSIBLE...
> but i doubt 3WS is for sale......
> doesn't serve any purpose.....
Exactly. Sell a 50kw full-market FM? Doesn't make sense. Format change, maybe. But not a sale. CC has four of the biggest FM signals in Pittsburgh, and in this market, full coverage is important. Hills suck.
> anything is POSSIBLE...
> but i doubt 3WS is for sale......
> doesn't serve any purpose.....
Exactly. Sell a 50kw full-market FM? Doesn't make sense. Format change, maybe. But not a sale. CC has four of the biggest FM signals in Pittsburgh, and in this market, full coverage is important. Hills suck.
> > if this business has shown us anything lately it is THAT
> > anything is POSSIBLE...
> > but i doubt 3WS is for sale......
> > doesn't serve any purpose.....
>
> Exactly. Sell a 50kw full-market FM? Doesn't make sense.
> Format change, maybe. But not a sale. CC has four of the
> biggest FM signals in Pittsburgh, and in this market, full
> coverage is important. Hills suck.
>
My cousin lives in DC and they had a similiar clear channel 60's and 70's station like 3WS and they just changed their format yesterday to the greatest rock of all time. I think it is 100.3 I doubt it that will happen here because DC is a much bigger market than Pittsburgh. thoughts?
> > anything is POSSIBLE...
> > but i doubt 3WS is for sale......
> > doesn't serve any purpose.....
>
> Exactly. Sell a 50kw full-market FM? Doesn't make sense.
> Format change, maybe. But not a sale. CC has four of the
> biggest FM signals in Pittsburgh, and in this market, full
> coverage is important. Hills suck.
>
My cousin lives in DC and they had a similiar clear channel 60's and 70's station like 3WS and they just changed their format yesterday to the greatest rock of all time. I think it is 100.3 I doubt it that will happen here because DC is a much bigger market than Pittsburgh. thoughts?
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
> My cousin lives in DC and they had a similiar clear channel
> 60's and 70's station like 3WS and they just changed their
> format yesterday to the greatest rock of all time. I think
> it is 100.3 I doubt it that will happen here because DC is
> a much bigger market than Pittsburgh. thoughts?
3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've tweaked the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national advertisers to be enticed.
WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and easy listening because they're not relying totally on agency buys--they get out and actually sell to the community. As a result, they can do a true oldies/EL format (50s/60s/70s). 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew the formats to the available buying public. As the 70s crowd hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
> 60's and 70's station like 3WS and they just changed their
> format yesterday to the greatest rock of all time. I think
> it is 100.3 I doubt it that will happen here because DC is
> a much bigger market than Pittsburgh. thoughts?
3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've tweaked the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national advertisers to be enticed.
WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and easy listening because they're not relying totally on agency buys--they get out and actually sell to the community. As a result, they can do a true oldies/EL format (50s/60s/70s). 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew the formats to the available buying public. As the 70s crowd hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
Sounds like they've done another tweak of some significance. Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger cuts they weren't playing before.
> 3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've tweaked
> the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old
> town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national
> advertisers to be enticed.
>
> WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and easy
> listening because they're not relying totally on agency
> buys--they get out and actually sell to the community. As a
> result, they can do a true oldies/EL format (50s/60s/70s).
> 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew the
> formats to the available buying public. As the 70s crowd
> hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
>
> 3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've tweaked
> the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old
> town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national
> advertisers to be enticed.
>
> WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and easy
> listening because they're not relying totally on agency
> buys--they get out and actually sell to the community. As a
> result, they can do a true oldies/EL format (50s/60s/70s).
> 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew the
> formats to the available buying public. As the 70s crowd
> hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
>
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
> Sounds like they've done another tweak of some significance.
> Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger
> cuts they weren't playing before.
Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
> > 3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've tweaked
>
> > the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old
> > town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national
> > advertisers to be enticed.
> >
> > WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and easy
> > listening because they're not relying totally on agency
> > buys--they get out and actually sell to the community. As
> a
> > result, they can do a true oldies/EL format (50s/60s/70s).
>
> > 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew the
>
> > formats to the available buying public. As the 70s crowd
> > hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
> >
>
> Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger
> cuts they weren't playing before.
Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
> > 3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've tweaked
>
> > the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old
> > town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national
> > advertisers to be enticed.
> >
> > WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and easy
> > listening because they're not relying totally on agency
> > buys--they get out and actually sell to the community. As
> a
> > result, they can do a true oldies/EL format (50s/60s/70s).
>
> > 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew the
>
> > formats to the available buying public. As the 70s crowd
> > hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
> >
>
Hey, gotta make it where you can. These days, a lot of their spots are for funeral planning, foot pain, vision improvement and cosmetic dentistry.
> Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman
> who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a
> circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
>
> I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
>
> Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman
> who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a
> circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
>
> I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
>
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
> > Sounds like they've done another tweak of some
> significance.
> > Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger
>
> > cuts they weren't playing before.
>
> Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman
> who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a
> circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
>
> I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
No, that was dead-on accurate. It just shows how thin the 3WS playlist is that adding a scant handful of songs can be described as "plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger cuts they weren't playing before".
As many others in this forum has pointed out, 3WS and the rest of the Clear Channel second-string stations exist for one purpose -- protecting WDVE. I have to agree with all those who have said that Clear Channel would rather see all of their other stations tank than to have any of them pull listeners away from 102.5.
>
> > > 3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've
> tweaked
> >
> > > the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old
>
> > > town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national
>
> > > advertisers to be enticed.
> > >
> > > WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and
> easy
> > > listening because they're not relying totally on agency
> > > buys--they get out and actually sell to the community.
> As
> > a
> > > result, they can do a true oldies/EL format
> (50s/60s/70s).
> >
> > > 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew
> the
> >
> > > formats to the available buying public. As the 70s
> crowd
> > > hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
> > >
> >
>
> significance.
> > Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger
>
> > cuts they weren't playing before.
>
> Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman
> who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a
> circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
>
> I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
No, that was dead-on accurate. It just shows how thin the 3WS playlist is that adding a scant handful of songs can be described as "plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger cuts they weren't playing before".
As many others in this forum has pointed out, 3WS and the rest of the Clear Channel second-string stations exist for one purpose -- protecting WDVE. I have to agree with all those who have said that Clear Channel would rather see all of their other stations tank than to have any of them pull listeners away from 102.5.
>
> > > 3WS still pulls good 25-54 numbers because they've
> tweaked
> >
> > > the format enough to skew younger. Pittsburgh is an old
>
> > > town, but old people don't buy enough stuff for national
>
> > > advertisers to be enticed.
> > >
> > > WKFB, WKHB, WJAS, WJPA can afford to play oldies and
> easy
> > > listening because they're not relying totally on agency
> > > buys--they get out and actually sell to the community.
> As
> > a
> > > result, they can do a true oldies/EL format
> (50s/60s/70s).
> >
> > > 3WS can't afford the manpower to do that--so they skew
> the
> >
> > > formats to the available buying public. As the 70s
> crowd
> > > hits the deadly 55, it'll be 80s music.
> > >
> >
>
> Hey, gotta make it where you can. These days, a lot of their
> spots are for funeral planning, foot pain, vision
> improvement and cosmetic dentistry.
>
>
>
> > Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman
>
> > who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a
> > circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
> >
> > I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
> >
>
It's a shame what the oldies format has become. Hardly any Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock. It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
> spots are for funeral planning, foot pain, vision
> improvement and cosmetic dentistry.
>
>
>
> > Well, that'll seal up 3WS's hold on the "47 year-old woman
>
> > who goes to weddings and office parties and dances in a
> > circle with 4-5 others of the same age and sex" demo.
> >
> > I'm sorry, that was somewhat cynical.
> >
>
It's a shame what the oldies format has become. Hardly any Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock. It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
> It's a shame what the oldies format has become. Hardly any
> Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock.
> It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
>
What do you expect? As people get older, the target era for nostalgia moves forward. The popular genres of the 60's you listed just hit their cut-off points. But the "Hit Parade" stuff of the 50's, like Patti Page's music, disappeared a few decades back. And further back than that, Big Band and Swing from the 40's disappeared.
In the 2010's, we'll see 70's music disappear. In the 2020's, 80's music will vanish. And so it goes.
I think that sucks, but I'm not in a position to do anything about it.
> Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock.
> It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
>
What do you expect? As people get older, the target era for nostalgia moves forward. The popular genres of the 60's you listed just hit their cut-off points. But the "Hit Parade" stuff of the 50's, like Patti Page's music, disappeared a few decades back. And further back than that, Big Band and Swing from the 40's disappeared.
In the 2010's, we'll see 70's music disappear. In the 2020's, 80's music will vanish. And so it goes.
I think that sucks, but I'm not in a position to do anything about it.
F
FreddyE1977
Guest
> > It's a shame what the oldies format has become. Hardly
> any
> > Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock.
>
> > It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
> >
>
> What do you expect? As people get older, the target era for
> nostalgia moves forward. The popular genres of the 60's you
> listed just hit their cut-off points. But the "Hit Parade"
> stuff of the 50's, like Patti Page's music, disappeared a
> few decades back. And further back than that, Big Band and
> Swing from the 40's disappeared.
>
> In the 2010's, we'll see 70's music disappear. In the
> 2020's, 80's music will vanish. And so it goes.
>
> I think that sucks, but I'm not in a position to do anything
> about it.
>
Yes, when I was a kid we used to refer to WJAS as
"The Music of Somebody Else's Life". Now I am waiting for
the day when I flip it on and hear Led Zeppelin!
> any
> > Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock.
>
> > It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
> >
>
> What do you expect? As people get older, the target era for
> nostalgia moves forward. The popular genres of the 60's you
> listed just hit their cut-off points. But the "Hit Parade"
> stuff of the 50's, like Patti Page's music, disappeared a
> few decades back. And further back than that, Big Band and
> Swing from the 40's disappeared.
>
> In the 2010's, we'll see 70's music disappear. In the
> 2020's, 80's music will vanish. And so it goes.
>
> I think that sucks, but I'm not in a position to do anything
> about it.
>
Yes, when I was a kid we used to refer to WJAS as
"The Music of Somebody Else's Life". Now I am waiting for
the day when I flip it on and hear Led Zeppelin!
O
OldiesCat
Guest
joke
And why, in God's name, would CC sell 3WS? Think about it.
> I am hearing rumors that 3WS is up for sale. Is it true or wishful thinking?
>
And why, in God's name, would CC sell 3WS? Think about it.
> I am hearing rumors that 3WS is up for sale. Is it true or wishful thinking?
>
O
OldiesCat
Guest
And a station that is one of the few in its format that's financially healthy. It would be like saying they're putting WMJI in Cleveland on the market. Lunacy.
>
> Exactly. Sell a 50kw full-market FM? Doesn't make sense.
> Format change, maybe. But not a sale. CC has four of the
> biggest FM signals in Pittsburgh, and in this market, full
> coverage is important. Hills suck.
>
>
> Exactly. Sell a 50kw full-market FM? Doesn't make sense.
> Format change, maybe. But not a sale. CC has four of the
> biggest FM signals in Pittsburgh, and in this market, full
> coverage is important. Hills suck.
>
O
OldiesCat
Guest
and while the Oldies purists hate hearing this, that makes sense- in Oldies today it's "move along (era-wise)" or get left behind.
Remember: WQSR, WJMK, CBS-FM, WGLD, WKQL, WEBG, WWMG, WTRG, WBIG and on and on and on.
> Sounds like they've done another tweak of some significance.
> Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger
> cuts they weren't playing before.
Remember: WQSR, WJMK, CBS-FM, WGLD, WKQL, WEBG, WWMG, WTRG, WBIG and on and on and on.
> Sounds like they've done another tweak of some significance.
> Lots more '70s, including plenty of Hall & Oates and Seger
> cuts they weren't playing before.
O
OldiesCat
Guest
So, even though stations that played that music has seen their listeners pass into their 60s (meaning little or no advertiser support), they should just keep playin' the old Oldies-type music and lose big money?
>
> It's a shame what the oldies format has become. Hardly any
> Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock.
> It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
>
>
> It's a shame what the oldies format has become. Hardly any
> Motown. No Doo Wop. No surf music. Just tired 70's rock.
> It's like Classic Rock Lite. Uggh.
>
P
Part-timer
Guest
> I am hearing rumors that 3WS is up for sale. Is it true or
> wishful thinking?
>
The FM, no way.
But I would not be stunned if a deal was in the works for 970, in exchange for or in conjunction with the acquisition of a better signal.
A likely candidate might be 540, currently Radio Disney, owned by Birach but operated by ABC under an LMA. To my understanding, part of the LMA involved Disney/ABC eventually buying the station, but since the Citadel deal it wouldn't seem that they'd necesarily still want to make that acqusition.
540 is a massive daytime signal, and can be heard easily as far away as Wheeling and Clarksburg. It also is not burdened with the stringent union contract that makes local shows on 970 very expensive.
Just a guess on my part. Could be pure fiction, but who knows?<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P>
> wishful thinking?
>
The FM, no way.
But I would not be stunned if a deal was in the works for 970, in exchange for or in conjunction with the acquisition of a better signal.
A likely candidate might be 540, currently Radio Disney, owned by Birach but operated by ABC under an LMA. To my understanding, part of the LMA involved Disney/ABC eventually buying the station, but since the Citadel deal it wouldn't seem that they'd necesarily still want to make that acqusition.
540 is a massive daytime signal, and can be heard easily as far away as Wheeling and Clarksburg. It also is not burdened with the stringent union contract that makes local shows on 970 very expensive.
Just a guess on my part. Could be pure fiction, but who knows?<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P>
> 540...also is not burdened
> with the stringent union contract that makes local shows on
> 970 very expensive.
What are you talking about?
> with the stringent union contract that makes local shows on
> 970 very expensive.
What are you talking about?
P
Part-timer
Guest
> > 540...also is not burdened
> > with the stringent union contract that makes local shows
> on
> > 970 very expensive.
>
>
> What are you talking about?
>
Maybe this doesn't exst anymore, but one of the original reasons 970 became a simulcast of 3WS was that 970's union contract had heavy requirements for things like show producers at very high rates of pay.
My assumption was that those contracts never went away unlss the station wanted to get into a big battle with AFTRA, so it was easier just to do things like simulcasting and network shows.
But in the words of Dennis Miller, "Then again, I could be wrong."<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P>
> > with the stringent union contract that makes local shows
> on
> > 970 very expensive.
>
>
> What are you talking about?
>
Maybe this doesn't exst anymore, but one of the original reasons 970 became a simulcast of 3WS was that 970's union contract had heavy requirements for things like show producers at very high rates of pay.
My assumption was that those contracts never went away unlss the station wanted to get into a big battle with AFTRA, so it was easier just to do things like simulcasting and network shows.
But in the words of Dennis Miller, "Then again, I could be wrong."<P ID="signature">______________
"With God as my witness, I could have sworn turkeys could fly."</P>
R
Radio_Realist
Guest
The funny thing is ...
> Yes, when I was a kid we used to refer to WJAS as
> "The Music of Somebody Else's Life". Now I am waiting for
> the day when I flip it on and hear Led Zeppelin!
>
I am encountering lots of twenty-somethings who grew up listening to the radio stations that their parents forced them to listen to (in the car, dad still rules the station buttons!). Amazingly, these people actually LIKE the classic rock, the oldies, and all the other music from bfore they were born. They don't care what decde it was recorded in, they just know that they like it.
Perhaps the paradigm that everyone only likes to listen to the music that was brand new when they were teenagers is shifting.
> Yes, when I was a kid we used to refer to WJAS as
> "The Music of Somebody Else's Life". Now I am waiting for
> the day when I flip it on and hear Led Zeppelin!
>
I am encountering lots of twenty-somethings who grew up listening to the radio stations that their parents forced them to listen to (in the car, dad still rules the station buttons!). Amazingly, these people actually LIKE the classic rock, the oldies, and all the other music from bfore they were born. They don't care what decde it was recorded in, they just know that they like it.
Perhaps the paradigm that everyone only likes to listen to the music that was brand new when they were teenagers is shifting.
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