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98.7

R

Radio-Bored-Op

We are six months out [ +/- 179 days ]
from " the hottest free agent " to be
available...

(a) will it fetch the 50 Million it is expecting... can't see it being higher than
50 M... could it ?

(b) who is legitimately interested and who will just kick the tires...

(c) already a done deal and just need to wait for the official August press release
( wondering if anyone has sent as far as
to register [Station name] 98.7 on GoDaddy... I'm not sure if anyone actually uses them, but they are easy to check the availability of a domain.
 
Radio-Bored-Op said:
We are six months out [ +/- 179 days ]
from " the hottest free agent " to be
available...

(a) will it fetch the 50 Million it is expecting... can't see it being higher than
50 M... could it ?

(b) who is legitimately interested and who will just kick the tires...

(c) already a done deal and just need to wait for the official August press release
( wondering if anyone has sent as far as
to register [Station name] 98.7 on GoDaddy... I'm not sure if anyone actually uses them, but they are easy to check the availability of a domain.
Click to expand...
went* not sent as far...
Weekend brain
will do better next time
 
I posited on an earlier thread somewhere, based on the EMF acquisition of 6 Cumulus stations for $103 million (2 in large markets, 2 in large markets with lesser signals, and 2 in smaller markets), that a similar deal in New York for one station would be around $25 million. However, I wouldn't count Red Apple out as a possible contender. Mr. Catsimatidis has the money, the interest in radio, and a desire for influence in the public discourse. Although he could simply run current WABC programming on FM, if he is amenable to any myriad of consultant's advice, he could do far more with it as a talk station chasing younger demos. Again, he would have the money to try something in this regard, and there are examples in other markets where it has been done successfully.
 
SCMcKinney said:
I posited on an earlier thread somewhere, based on the EMF acquisition of 6 Cumulus stations for $103 million (2 in large markets, 2 in large markets with lesser signals, and 2 in smaller markets), that a similar deal in New York for one station would be around $25 million. However, I wouldn't count Red Apple out as a possible contender. Mr. Catsimatidis has the money, the interest in radio, and a desire for influence in the public discourse. Although he could simply run current WABC programming on FM, if he is amenable to any myriad of consultant's advice, he could do far more with it as a talk station chasing younger demos. Again, he would have the money to try something in this regard, and there are examples in other markets where it has been done successfully.
Click to expand...
WPLJ accounted for about 55-60% of the EMF purchase on population count alone, which is how EMF values its deals since it is not purchasing stations for their existing revenue.
 
SCMcKinney said:
I posited on an earlier thread somewhere, based on the EMF acquisition of 6 Cumulus stations for $103 million (2 in large markets, 2 in large markets with lesser signals, and 2 in smaller markets), that a similar deal in New York for one station would be around $25 million. However, I wouldn't count Red Apple out as a possible contender. Mr. Catsimatidis has the money, the interest in radio, and a desire for influence in the public discourse. Although he could simply run current WABC programming on FM, if he is amenable to any myriad of consultant's advice, he could do far more with it as a talk station chasing younger demos. Again, he would have the money to try something in this regard, and there are examples in other markets where it has been done successfully.
Click to expand...
Catsimatidis is only concerned about pushing his own agenda and won't take the advice of any consultant. That doesn't make for good radio. And don't let the positive posturing fool you, WABC is a mess both on-air and off-air.

We alk know that Emmis has to let go of its unreasonable demand and lower the price tag for 98.7. They will eventually do that, and I think that Good Karma will work out a deal to buy the frequency outright. They're not going to cede what audience they do have on FM to WFAN, nor alienate them to the AM/stream.
 
Rollo-Smokes said:
They're not going to cede what audience they do have on FM to WFAN, nor alienate them to the AM/stream.
Click to expand...

I want to agree with you, but the actions by GKB seem to indicate that they're preparing to operate as AM only. They recently made a deal to put their Knicks games on Beasley's AM stations around northern NJ. They bought the three AMs from Disney for $15 million. Karmazin was not happy with the LMA he inherited, and was not happy that Emmis wouldn't credit him the LMA money towards the purchase. It sounded pretty bleak when this story emerged, and it hasn't gotten better.
 
$50 million? To air what? Country failed, alternative failed, Audacy won the race to sign on a rhythmic gold, and unless David Eduardo says otherwise, it appears that every viable Spanish-language lane is occupied, and with good quality.

We've reached peak radio programming. That's a problem completely independent of anyone's ad budget.
 
MassMusicMan said:
$50 million? To air what? Country failed, alternative failed, Audacy won the race to sign on a rhythmic gold, and unless David Eduardo says otherwise, it appears that every viable Spanish-language lane is occupied, and with good quality.
Click to expand...
Univision only has one NY station, and they'd likely want a flanker for WXNY at the least.
 
MassMusicMan said:
$50 million? To air what? Country failed, alternative failed, Audacy won the race to sign on a rhythmic gold, and unless David Eduardo says otherwise, it appears that every viable Spanish-language lane is occupied, and with good quality.

We've reached peak radio programming. That's a problem completely independent of anyone's ad budget.
Click to expand...
The general consensus here is that it will be a lot less than $50 million. New formats are going to be needed for radio. Because streaming services do the delivery of music cheaper, and from a listener standpoint, largely better, spoken word is going to be the basis for those new formats. On the Los Angeles forum is a discussion of "why not general interest talk?" A big problem there is that there is no viable FM signal available. That won't be the problem in New York. Why not general interest talk in New York - no politics, no sports. A city and region as vibrant as market 1 should have no shortage of things to talk about. Creative people work in radio. If given a very adequate FM signal to work with, and knowing that music was not a viable option, those creative types should be allowed to start brainstorming.

It will take money to create something new. I am wondering if experienced people here could hazard a guess as to 'how much'? If we assume that smaller audiences in the evening and overnights could be adequately served with music of some sort or repeats of the daytime programs, that leaves 12 hours needing creation. Popular Podcasters might be the first place to look for talent, but with the contraction in the music world, maybe there are DJ's who could reinvent themselves?
 
SCMcKinney said:
It will take money to create something new.
Click to expand...

That's part of the problem. You have a situation where admittedly an owner will have to overpay just to get the signal. And then have to pay an additional $10 million or more to staff, equip, and market it. (because they just get the signal, no studios or offices) Plus he can't actually sell it until he gets consistent ratings, which may take a while.

Who has that kind of money? We know who doesn't.

As for Cats, don't look to a rich boomer for new and different ideas. That's not the boomer way. Look at what he did with WABC. Cousin Bruce, Tony Orlando, and Rudy Guiliani. How new or different was that?
 
TheBigA said:
As for Cats, don't look to a rich boomer for new and different ideas. That's not the boomer way. Look at what he did with WABC. Cousin Bruce, Tony Orlando, and Rudy Guiliani. How new or different was that?
Click to expand...
Does anyone want the mess of an evening show he hosts–the one with a cacophony of voices talking over one another and the same ten guests recycled over and over, with Rita Cosby playing traffic cop, and that is currently simulcast in a time-buy on 970 WNYM–on FM stereo? Anyone?
 
There is a possible Catsimatidis scenario. He would buy 98.7 to put an Oldies station on the air, an outgrowth of what he's doing on WABC on Saturday and Sunday evenings. You know how ego works. He sees how he made WABC 770 into a sometimes-Top 10 station in the NY market. Nearly triple the ratings of iHeart's more professionally-programmed WOR 710. WABC probably doesn't earn much money but he thinks he's a programming genius, just as he is a supermarket and real estate tycoon.

So maybe he'll want to try his hand on the FM dial with a Catsimatidis-programmed Oldies station? He could sell spots to advertisers in combination with WABC. He might even call it WABC-FM (if ABC would allow it). I'm sure he listens to modern radio and asks, Where are The Beatles? Where's Sinatra? Where are The Supremes? Do you think if he wanted to do this, he'd have a sales manager who'd tell him, "Mr. Catsimatidis, you might like that music. But ad agencies don't." I'm sure he doesn't surround himself with many people who'd be able to tell him what he DOESN'T want to hear.
 
Gregg. said:
So maybe he'll want to try his hand on the FM dial with a Catsimatidis-programmed Oldies station?
Click to expand...

We've already discussed this previously, and it would likely get great ratings in 6+ just as the oldies stations in Chicago, Phoenix, and Buffalo do very well. But the audience would be primarily 65+ and difficult to sell. Just like WABC. I bet he could hire John Sebastian to bring his Wow Factor to NY.
 
TheBigA said:
That's part of the problem. You have a situation where admittedly an owner will have to overpay just to get the signal. And then have to pay an additional $10 million or more to staff, equip, and market it. (because they just get the signal, no studios or offices) Plus he can't actually sell it until he gets consistent ratings, which may take a while.

Who has that kind of money? We know who doesn't.

As for Cats, don't look to a rich boomer for new and different ideas. That's not the boomer way. Look at what he did with WABC. Cousin Bruce, Tony Orlando, and Rudy Guiliani. How new or different was that?
Click to expand...
have to overpay
Click to expand...
I would think that something in the $20 - 30 million range would be fair for a NYC signal. In your estimation, would it really take $10 million more to start it up? If so, there might be some alleviation of that if Red Apple did take it on. For one, they wouldn't have to recreate everything from scratch. But I agree that a simple transfer of 77 to 98.7 daypart for daypart would not be wise. Mr. Catsimatidis has to realize there is a large chunk of the populace he doesn't reach with the current station, but could with the right hosts and the right (FM) venue. There is nothing to say he couldn't grab a seat on a younger hosted roundtable and say his piece to that generation.
 
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