All Hit 98.9 Sold!!

[jojo_collins]

From All Access...

WHTS to be Sold and Flipped to Christian Outlet

MERCURY BROADCASTING Top 40 WHTS (ALL HIT 98-9)/QUAD CITIES, IA will end its JSA with CLEAR CHANNEL on FEBRUARY 15th, 2006 in anticipation that the station will be sold to EDUCATIONAL MEDIA FOUNDATION, which reportedly will drop the Top 40 format and flip the station to a turnkey Christian outlet by MARCH.

The current staff at WHTS is already on the hunt for new jobs. Reach out to PD TONY WAITEKUS at (563) 391-6913 or [email protected].


Tony was my first boss at WCIL when it was owned by the McCoys. He will be back...

 

[malibu989]

I'm the morning guy on that station (Malibu Mark Manuel)...yes, it IS very sad that something like this happens. I guarantee you that it was a not something that Clear Channel WANTED to do...but that they HAD to do. It's really hard to believe that a heritage station like All Hit 98-9 (Top 40 since 1987) will be going non-commercial christian. I will certainly miss the Quad Cities, as it's been my home since 1975 when my dad moved us here from Wisconsin. Thanks to everyone who tuned in...it's very humbling to know that we have fans like you listening and enjoying what we do. All the best... Malibu Mark Manuel

 

[qcradioguy]

Just why does Mercury have to sell? Couldnt they just end the JSA and Move out of the basement? Not really on the "know" on how JSA's work? It is VERY SAD to see such talented people on WHTS having to leave!! I got my start there and LOVE(D) the station!! Listen to it everyday and VERY proud to have graced the mirophone there!! Good luck to all with their furture!!

Shawn Geyssens

 

[-TJ-]

<font color=3333ff>This can't be true?? Even tho I'm not a CHR fan, that's the most popular station and GREATEST signal in the market! SHOCKER!
</font>

> Just why does Mercury have to sell? Couldnt they just end
> the JSA and Move out of the basement? Not really on the
> "know" on how JSA's work? It is VERY SAD to see such
> talented people on WHTS having to leave!! I got my start
> there and LOVE(D) the station!! Listen to it everyday and
> VERY proud to have graced the mirophone there!! Good luck to
> all with their furture!!
>
> Shawn Geyssens
>

 

[Link]

> This can't be true?? Even tho I'm not a CHR fan, that's the
> most popular station and GREATEST signal in the market!
> SHOCKER!
>
>
Damm right they didn't want to sell it and they only would let it go to someone who would not compete against them. I think KBF will have to go to, which religious group will get it? They have to make sure no competition exists.

 

[Kent]

Just wanted to say I hate to hear this. I've found myself out of work due to station sales, and it's not fun. Keep your head up. Although I haven't heard WHTS since the days of WPXR "Power 98.9," it's still unfortunate to see a heritage station go non-commercial religious and become little more than a faceless transmitter for a national network. Maybe I'm just conjuring up false hope here, but is there any chance WHTS could find itself on another of Clear Channel's signals? With Clear Channel punting even highly rated oldies stations and having a classic hits station in the market, I have to think KUUL won't be long for the world, though it may not happen in the next few months.

 

[PhilJSmith67]

> > This can't be true?? Even tho I'm not a CHR fan, that's
> the
> > most popular station and GREATEST signal in the market!
> > SHOCKER!
> >
> >
> Damm right they didn't want to sell it and they only would
> let it go to someone who would not compete against them. I
> think KBF will have to go to, which religious group will get
> it? They have to make sure no competition exists.

... Just brainstorming on what is happening here and there ...

With iPods, satellite and internet radio stealing listeners away from AM and FM, I get the feeling that we are beginning to see the Shortwavizing of terrestrial radio, where stations with commercial content slowly disappear, to be replaced with non-commercial "broadcasters with a message" (and a donation base). Anyone with a shortwave radio knows what I'm talking about. *Every* U.S. broadcaster on SW has become a religious broadcaster, or leases 100% of their time to religious organizations -- Except for the Voice of America which is obviously not a commercial broadcaster.

 

[Link]

> > > This can't be true?? Even tho I'm not a CHR fan, that's
>
> > the
> > > most popular station and GREATEST signal in the market!
>
> > > SHOCKER!
> > >
> > >
> > Damm right they didn't want to sell it and they only would
>
> > let it go to someone who would not compete against them.
> I
> > think KBF will have to go to, which religious group will
> get
> > it? They have to make sure no competition exists.
>
> ... Just brainstorming on what is happening here and there
> ...
>
> With iPods, satellite and internet radio stealing listeners
> away from AM and FM, I get the feeling that we are beginning
> to see the Shortwavizing of terrestrial radio, where
> stations with commercial content slowly disappear, to be
> replaced with non-commercial "broadcasters with a message"
> (and a donation base). Anyone with a shortwave radio knows
> what I'm talking about. *Every* U.S. broadcaster on SW has
> become a religious broadcaster, or leases 100% of their time
> to religious organizations -- Except for the Voice of
> America which is obviously not a commercial broadcaster.
>
Phil,
What you reporting is definitely at trend. But there is a bigger reason why these guys sell the station to non-commercial operators. Its simply about competition. Wait until you see who gets KBF. It going to be some religious outfit that does not sell ads. I guarantee you. Or it could be a college operator.

Same thing happened in Lincoln IL. with the AM property. CC's done it in the past in other markets. You should see a flurry of it with JSAs counting as ownership. Would not the quads be a better radio market with 3 commercial operators instead of two? It will never happen.

 

[Kent]

> What you reporting is definitely at trend. But there is a
> bigger reason why these guys sell the station to
> non-commercial operators. Its simply about competition.
> Wait until you see who gets KBF. It going to be some
> religious outfit that does not sell ads. I guarantee you.
> Or it could be a college operator.

I'm not sure Clear Channel will have to unload KBF. It may be within the ownership caps since Clear Channel only has two other AM's in the Quad Cities.

> Same thing happened in Lincoln IL. with the AM property.
> CC's done it in the past in other markets. You should see a
> flurry of it with JSAs counting as ownership. Would not the
> quads be a better radio market with 3 commercial operators
> instead of two? It will never happen.

This is a case consolidation foes can truly hang their hats on. If there were more than two operators in the Quad Cities, someone would undoubtedly pick up the WHTS format for a struggling station. However, with Cumulus as the only other operator and already doing CHR with KBEA, the more successful heritage WHTS will just go away unless Clear Channel decides to shuffle it off to another signal, like 101.3, or decides to sell one of its signals and take WHTS. Of course, one of the reasons you're seeing K-Love get 98.9 is that only a fool would want to come into the market as a new commercial operation. Despite its success, a combination of WKBF/WHTS would not be able to compete against the salesforces of Cumulus and Clear Channel. Remember, one of the reasons we saw this flurry of consolidation is because radio was a money losing business when ownership caps were strictly in place. More than half of commercial radio stations lost money in 1991, the year before duopoly was allowed. Coming into the market with just WKBF/WHTS and no opportunity to expand would be suicide.

 

[Link]

Despite its success, a > combination of WKBF/WHTS would not be able to compete
> against the salesforces of Cumulus and Clear Channel.
> Remember, one of the reasons we saw this flurry of
> consolidation is because radio was a money losing business
> when ownership caps were strictly in place. More than half
> of commercial radio stations lost money in 1991, the year
> before duopoly was allowed. Coming into the market with
> just WKBF/WHTS and no opportunity to expand would be
> suicide.

It depends upon what your cost basis is. $3.5 mil for 98.9 and $1.5 for KBF may allow for profitable operation. There may be someone that would take the opportunity however I doubt the station was ever freely available on an open market.

One of the affects of consolidation was to raise the prices on radio stations much higher based upon the opportunity to control the market. A third operator in the market drops the values of the cc stations they are keeping.

 

[radioaircheck]

> Despite its success, a > combination of WKBF/WHTS would not
> be able to compete
> > against the salesforces of Cumulus and Clear Channel.
> > Remember, one of the reasons we saw this flurry of
> > consolidation is because radio was a money losing business
>
> > when ownership caps were strictly in place. More than
> half
> > of commercial radio stations lost money in 1991, the year
> > before duopoly was allowed. Coming into the market with
> > just WKBF/WHTS and no opportunity to expand would be
> > suicide.
>
> It depends upon what your cost basis is. $3.5 mil for 98.9
> and $1.5 for KBF may allow for profitable operation. There
> may be someone that would take the opportunity however I
> doubt the station was ever freely available on an open
> market.
>
> One of the affects of consolidation was to raise the prices

I remember when the station use to play Adult Contemporary as WHBF-FM back in 79 or 80.
> on radio stations much higher based upon the opportunity to
> control the market. A third operator in the market drops
> the values of the cc stations they are keeping.
>

 

[Jammerz]

Re: Good luck to the staff at All Hit 98.9

Just wanted to say thank you to WHTS for being one of our valued RadioMixes Mainstream affiliates. For a long time, we've been happy to provide them with their weekend mixshow. Now it's sad to know that the remarkable calls are going away after almost two decades of Top 40/CHR music.

Good luck to the entire team at WHTS as they move on to bigger opportunities.

 

[adz]

The CHR format as a whole faces some problems inherant with the format itself..

Its target base is 18-34 females for the largest part...and some Group Presidents are telling their programmers, as has been covered on FMQB.com, that you can pretty much write off 12-24 as a viable audience for commercial radio..I-Pods, burning C-Ds and entirely new delivery systems on line are how this demo is getting its music...Inside Radio.com has an item this week that studies are showing the 18-34 demo is leaving radio in droves, finding it boring and predictable..and not portable enough..satellite radio only adds to the the CHR format's demise..