At What Point Will 94.7 WFME Be Sold?

[DToTheJ]

You've got to hand it to Family Radio - after selling off a few big-market stations in Philly and D.C., they've managed to hold onto 94.7. When ESPN comes to FM next week, 94.7 will still be Family Radio.

Yet they've switched their license from non-commercial to commercial. Something's got to give. If it wasn't written in the Scriptures, it was certainly written here.

 

[DToTheJ]

I'm marking down Barry's prediction that it will likely be sold to Merlin Media when it goes on the block.

Mr. Camping... Mr. Michaels... You're on the clock.

 

[TimeIsTight]

With ESPN out of the hunt, there are probably many serious and capable potential bidders interested in WFME.

Cumulus, which is the second largest station owner in the country, only has one FM, WPLJ. So, it probably would be looking.

The new owner of WBLS, might consider starting a New York cluster. WFME licensed to Newark would fit right in.

And then there are the broadcasters who have successful operations around the country who might want entry into the top market.

And there are potential buyers with New Jersey links, and deep pockets, like Townsquare, which has a cluster at the shore, and also owns WKXW in Trention. There is likely a long list of those interested, the list of those with the financial resources to make the purchase is likely shorter, it isn't a perfect gem, but it is still a very valuable one with lots of potential. Let's hope somebody with real vision is the winning bidder.

 

[XCountry285]

94.7-Radio 94.7 Alternative Rock or FM 94.7 or call it I don't know if it's legal or not to do this but "KRock" @ 94.7. or 94.7 the apple or something cool like that.
Country: Have to be 94.7 WYNY-FM

 

[crainbebo]

Smooth Jazz CD 94.7!

Or 94.7 WYNY [Country] if that doesn't work.

-crainbebo

 

[DToTheJ]

@TimeIsTight: FWIW, Cumulus also owns recent Bronx move-in WFAS 103.9. If not Merlin, Cumulus would also be a possible buyer for 94.7 - if only to simulcast 77 WABC...

 

[ansky212]

@TimeIsTight: FWIW, Cumulus also owns recent Bronx move-in WFAS 103.9. If not Merlin, Cumulus would also be a possible buyer for 94.7 - if only to simulcast 77 WABC...

When will WFAS actually start broadcasting from the Bronx location? We've been hearing about the move for years now.

 

[radioguy39nj]

And then there are the broadcasters who have successful operations around the country who might want entry into the top market.

AFAIK, WFME's stick cannot be relocated to Manhattan to become a full-market class B. Why would a major operator want a signal-challenged FM in market #1? Without at least the possibility of becoming a full-market B, 94.7 is going to be a tough sell.

 

[ansky212]

And then there are the broadcasters who have successful operations around the country who might want entry into the top market.

AFAIK, WFME's stick cannot be relocated to Manhattan to become a full-market class B. Why would a major operator want a signal-challenged FM in market #1? Without at least the possibility of becoming a full-market B, 94.7 is going to be a tough sell.

I still think NJ 101.5 should use WFME as a simulcast. The 101.5 signal is terrible anywhere north of I-78. WFME would give them greater coverage in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Morris Counties - some of the most lucrative counties in the state in terms of advertising dollars.

 

[badjef]

And then there are the broadcasters who have successful operations around the country who might want entry into the top market.

AFAIK, WFME's stick cannot be relocated to Manhattan to become a full-market class B. Why would a major operator want a signal-challenged FM in market #1? Without at least the possibility of becoming a full-market B, 94.7 is going to be a tough sell.

I still think NJ 101.5 should use WFME as a simulcast. The 101.5 signal is terrible anywhere north of I-78. WFME would give them greater coverage in Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Morris Counties - some of the most lucrative counties in the state in terms of advertising dollars.

Too much overlap in areas that wouldn't matter.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[ka2xuk]

Cumulus is up to its corporate eyeballs in debt as a result of the Citadel acquisition...to the tune of approximately $3 billion...that's BILLION, with a "b". They already had to eliminate $51 million in "synergies" (read that as massive layoffs) by the end of 2011. Unless Lew Dickey plays some more financial shell games like the ones leading to him getting his slimy tentacles on Citadel, it is highly unlikely that Cumulus will buy WFME, especially since that company is busy running WABC and WPLJ into the ground.

WFME will be sold when someone makes Family Stations an offer that meets or exceeds the stick value of a Class B FM station in the New York market. (Newark, the city of license, is not rated as a separate market, despite its population of about 380,000.)

 

[badjef]

Cumulus is up to its corporate eyeballs in debt as a result of the Citadel acquisition...to the tune of approximately $3 billion...that's BILLION, with a "b". They already had to eliminate $51 million in "synergies" (read that as massive layoffs) by the end of 2011. Unless Lew Dickey plays some more financial shell games like the ones leading to him getting his slimy tentacles on Citadel, it is highly unlikely that Cumulus will buy WFME, especially since that company is busy running WABC and WPLJ into the ground.

WFME will be sold when someone makes Family Stations an offer that meets or exceeds the stick value of a Class B FM station in the New York market. (Newark, the city of license, is not rated as a separate market, despite its population of about 380,000.)

Cumulus would still be the best choice for 94.7, and the cheapest for the legal fees to move the antenna.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[TimeIsTight]

Unless Lew Dickey plays some more financial shell games like the ones leading to him getting his slimy tentacles on Citadel, it is highly unlikely that Cumulus will buy WFME, especially since that company is busy running WABC and WPLJ into the ground.

When you are already $3-billion in debt, putting out something in the maximum range of $100-million certainly may be do-able, especially since there are synergy benefits from adding it to a small cluster in the biggest market in the country.

Dickey also probably could sell off some properties in smaller markets to raise the needed cash if he had to.

Despite its transmitter site imperfections WFME is still a rather rare industry gem and there are likely a lot of companies that would like to own it, and Cumulus is probably just one of them.

 

[radioguy39nj]

OK Cumulus, you just acquired WFME. Now you've got legal fees to move the stick. Once that's accomplished, what do you put on 94.7? ???

 

[xmradiopro]

Would think 94.7 would be a good place for Country Oldies...

 

[WNTIRadio]

Jeff still thinks that 94.7 is going to move. It ain't gonna move! It's hemmed in where it is in all directions, due to the stations that cropped up around it. It is short-spaced out the ying-yang, and can't physically move to Empire, all legal fees aside.

Sometimes you really can't throw money at things and make them the way you want them to be, but have to accept how they are.

99.1 hasn't moved either, for the same reasons, and won't. No matter who buys it.

 

[badjef]

Jeff still thinks that 94.7 is going to move. It ain't gonna move! It's hemmed in where it is in all directions, due to the stations that cropped up around it. It is short-spaced out the ying-yang, and can't physically move to Empire, all legal fees aside.

Sometimes you really can't throw money at things and make them the way you want them to be, but have to accept how they are.

99.1 hasn't moved either, for the same reasons, and won't. No matter who buys it.

If you mean WAWZ, it is NOT the same at all. There is no 99.1 New York City allocation, 94.7 IS.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[CTListener]

Would think 94.7 would be a good place for Country Oldies...

The songs New Yorkers remember from the last time the city had a contemporary country station?

 

[ansky212]

Would think 94.7 would be a good place for Country Oldies...

How does that make sense considering there is not even a contemporary country station in the market? Country oldies only exists in places like Nashville and the deep South - places that have been deep-rooted in country music for decades.

 

[WNTIRadio]

If you mean WAWZ, it is NOT the same at all. There is no 99.1 New York City allocation, 94.7 IS.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Jeff, even though it is a NYC allocation, that does not mean or guarantee that the transmitter HAS to be located in NYC. First of all, it's licensed to Newark. Second of all, even if it were licensed to NYC, the transmitter can remain where it is and they put a city grade signal (at least on paper) over the entire city. THAT is all that is needed. There are many places where the actual transmitters are located outside the city of license.

You don't seem to grasp the situation with it being short spaced in relation to 94.7 WMAS, 94.3 WIGX, 94.3 WJLK to the south and 94.5 WPST to the south and west. It isn't going to move without major things happening, such as WMAS moving, WIGX moving or going dark.

When WFME signed on, the FM dial was a lot less crowded and the current spacing/allocation table rules didn't exist. That allowed other stations to crop up around it, effectively "walling it in" to where it is now.

This isn't a legal issue either, this is an engineering issue. It just won't fit if moved to Empire. Period. Unless there is a downgrade to a B1, and even then I think there is still a spacing issue to WIGX. And there's no room at the inn for a directional antenna at Empire. 4TS, yes, there is room, but that much of a DA is going to lower the value of the station almost as much as being on First Mountain.

Option B would be to see how the new 1 World Trade center would work with regard to WMAS, but that still doesn't solve the WIGX problem at all, without a major DA in place.

If this thing could have been moved 30 years ago, someone would have done it.