All News stations that makes money

[recto101]

http://www.radio-info.com/news/wtop-washington-dc-all-newser-repeats-as-americas-top-billing-station

The odd part about this survey is that WCBS-880 makes $47.5 million a year over WINS where it makes $42 million. How is this possible? I seen the NYC books and 1010 Wins has more listeners than WCBS. Well I know WTOP makes $64 Million a year.

 

[Shoot From Hip]

Baseball creates opportunities for stations to engage advertising at premium rates.

 

[DanStrassberg]

http://www.radio-info.com/news/wtop-washington-dc-all-newser-repeats-as-americas-top-billing-station

The odd part about this survey is that WCBS-880 makes $47.5 million a year over WINS where it makes $42 million. How is this possible? I seen the NYC books and 1010 Wins has more listeners than WCBS. Well I know WTOP makes $64 Million a year.

When you say a company (or a radio station) "made" $xxx, most people interpret that as the NET income (the so-called bottom line). However, the numbers you quoted are GROSS revenues. As businesses go, those radio stations that are doing well still do very well. Net profits as a percentage of gross revenues can approach (and occasionally even exceed) 40%. But 40% of $48 million is still a far cry from $48 million. So I suggest that you get your terminology right. When you cite the type of numbers you were citing, you should refer to them as gross revenues--not what the stations "made."

 

[TimeIsTight]

The odd part about this survey is that WCBS-880 makes $47.5 million a year over WINS where it makes $42 million. How is this possible? I seen the NYC books and 1010 Wins has more listeners than WCBS.

The points in the two posts above both make good points that can explain the difference between the revenue or "billing" numbers for WCBS-880 and WINS.

WCBS runs the Yankees, and pays the team $13-million a year for the privilege, and WCBS takes in about $5.5-million a year more than WINS.

But when it comes to which station is "more profitable," (simply put: has more money left over when all expenses from salaries to electric bills, to rent have been paid) which is really the ultimate goal of any business, it might be a safe guess that one without a $13-million Yankees payment might have an easier time being more profitable, particularly when it takes in only $5.5-million less.

It's also good to remember that higher ratings don't "always" translate into higher billing, and higher billings don't always translate into higher profits.

 

[nd2023]

FM News will probably be the only all news station that will lose money

 

[radioguy39nj]

To be fair, WINS wasn't profitable when it started as an all-news station in 1965. It took about five years for them to be running in black ink. That said, WINS' programming even in '65 was far superior than FM News 101.9 today.

 

[jmtillery]

It took about five years for them to be running in black ink.

Five years is about the industry average for a start-up to show a profit. Sometimes a start-up will show a profit sooner; however, the general rule-of-thumb is to give a new venture at least five years to break even and begin to show a reasonable ROI.

 

[Gregg]

Even if WCBS didn't have the Yankees, it may bill a bit better than WINS because its audience is more affluent and suburban-based. WINS, due to its signal, aims its news coverage more at the five boroughs of New York. WINS' audience is reported to be about a third African-American and Hispanic.

That's no knock on WINS. It still does great in revenues and doesn't have The Yankees to boost its ratings. But WCBS's audience might make it the better buy for blue chip advertisers, even if its numbers may be smaller than WINS outside the baseball season.


Gregg
[email protected]

 

[recto101]

In the case of KCBS in San Francisco and WBBM in Chicago where they have FM Simulcast of legendary AM stations. Does the revenue data combine the simulcast station like (KFRC-FM 106.9 aka KCBS-FM 106.9) with the primary station KCBS 740?

 

[davideduardo]

In the case of KCBS in San Francisco and WBBM in Chicago where they have FM Simulcast of legendary AM stations. Does the revenue data combine the simulcast station like (KFRC-FM 106.9 aka KCBS-FM 106.9) with the primary station KCBS 740?

On a full simulcast, there is no way of separating AM from FM revenue since both signals carry 100% identical programming.

 

[ansky212]

Even if WCBS didn't have the Yankees, it may bill a bit better than WINS because its audience is more affluent and suburban-based.

Yeah, as someone living in NJ I never listen to WINS. It's too city-centric for me, especially the traffic reports. WCBS does a much better job of covering the entire tri-state area (both news and traffic).

 

[radioguy39nj]

Even if WCBS didn't have the Yankees, it may bill a bit better than WINS because its audience is more affluent and suburban-based.

Yeah, as someone living in NJ I never listen to WINS. It's too city-centric for me, especially the traffic reports. WCBS does a much better job of covering the entire tri-state area (both news and traffic).

That has always been the difference between WINS and WCBS. WINS has been NYC-centric since its inception in 1965. WCBS has always been more broad based in its coverage, especially since it has a better signal in those affluent suburbs.

For the record, WINS broadcast the Yankees from 1978 to 1980. George Steinbrenner was very upset with WINS when in August 1980, they chose to pre-empt the games to broadcast one of the political conventions. The games were moved to WABC that week. In 1981, WABC became the Yankees flagship station in what would be a major move toward the flip from top 40 to news/talk.