I already gave examples of the Jets and Commanders. Also Carolina Panthers.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Audacy Sportstalkers and Houston future
- Thread starter Mediafrog+
- Start date
- Status
I already gave examples of the Jets and Commanders. Also Carolina Panthers.
If iHeart was to grab the Texans rights I would guess that the games would be on KTRH with a FM simulcast on Rock/Alternative KTBZ. But what happens to the ancillary Texans programming with MLB and NBA eating airtime on KBME?
The Texans themselves produce daily shows on KILT 610 that run throughout the year, not just during football season. There is also extensive training camp and draft coverage on 610. All this is easily available online, along with other content. KILT 610 also has lengthy pregame and postgame shows.
The exposure and ad time the Texans have on KILT 610 is quite extensive, and they don’t have to fight any other teams for attention there.
D
Deleted member 108832
Guest
So much so that they used to double up quite a few of the games on KTRH. Maybe they still do. KTRH has a hell of a time sending any signal this far north and east.
They'll want a new stadium pretty soon, too. My condolences to all of you taxpayers in Harris County. I'm pretty sure you guys are still on the hook for the Dome renovations in 1987, let alone NRG, Minute Maid, Toyota, and the Dynamo playground (BBVA, right?)
That's not what this is about. This is about continuing their relationship with Audacy. They appear to be satisfied with their current arrangement. You're attempting to create a problem where none exists.
Nonetheless, I don’t think Audacy is going to leave its sportstalker in market #5 stranded on AM when they have added FM simulcasts in other markets, not to mention the fact that their Spanish language FM effort in Houston is spiraling down into the ones.
If a FM simulcast doubles or even triples the audience, I sure the Texans will be thrilled.
Maybe. But what I'm saying is it won't be because of the Texans.
D
Deleted member 108832
Guest
Help me out here, 🐸. Aren't the Texans games still broadcast on 100.3? I realize, that's just pregame-game-post game, but if you add an FM simulcast of 610, or *gasp* send everything to the FM and start anew at 610, what is that going to do to KILT-FM? The game broadcasts have to be a huge asset for Audacy to have on 100.3, because their "Bull" crap country format sure ain't blazing any trails.
If Audacy moved sports to 101.1 including the Texans, that would not meaningfully hurt KILT-FM. It probably hurts them now that country fans have to get their fix on 93Q. It’s a big break in the format.
Audacy knows all about mixing sports and country music. In Minneapolis, their country station KMNB carries Minnesota Twins baseball. That means the country fans go to iHeart's KEEY, and KMNB loses that audience. But they make a lot of money with sports, and it helps pay for the music. We see the exact same thing with iHeart and WMMS in Cleveland. They're mainly a rock station. But they also carry the Cleveland Guardians play by play.
The Houston Texans are very popular among the country fan base. The Texans bring in country music acts to sing the anthem and do halftime concerts. Both the station and the team benefit from that relationship.
For sure. Some music formats work better mixing sports than others. Country, Classic Hits, and Rock seem more compatible and it sounds they are maximizing the opportunities with The Bull. Good.
Still though, it is more disruptive to blow out the music and run five hours of sports programming at a time. There are certainly country music listeners who have no interest in play by play and sports listeners who are uninterested in country music. It's definitely more of a direct fit on a sports station.
As a thought exercise, if SportsRadio 610 was already on FM, would they still simulcast the Texans on The Bull? Of course not. The only reason the Texans play on The Bull is because the sports station is on AM and country makes more sense for the Texasn than adult hits, hot ac, or spanish contemporary.
It's on the weekend, when listenership and advertising are lower than weekdays. It's not like baseball, that's daily. If it wasn't running football, it might instead run a syndicated countdown show or VT non-stop music. This gives them something live & local that has a built in revenue base.
Probably not, but then revenues for the FM would drop and that money would transfer to the sports station. If you're the GM of the country station, and your bonus is based on the revenue your station makes, you will fight to keep football on your radio station.
Look, as I've said, it's very likely that the sports format will move to FM at some point. But the driving force will be from the sales department, not the programming department.
Not that I'm aware of. Just saying that there are benefits to the country station to run sports. It's very possible that having the Texans once a week on a music station helps keep the music station profitable in ways that wouldn't mean as much to an all-sports station. In other words, moving sports and the Texans to KLOL not only loses the revenue from the Spanish format, but also weakens the country station in ways that wouldn't be replaced by the revenue for a sports-only simulcast. That's part of the balancing act in cluster management. That situation may change as music listening continues to fall.
Yes they do. That may be another factor here. Also the fact that KLOL has the youngest audience in the cluster.
D
Deleted member 108832
Guest
I just really doubt this is ever considered. Blow up both 100.3 and 101, just to move an also-ran country format to an equal signal from Senior Road?
KLOL has its own issues, but moving a bunch of "Bull" there just isn't the answer. If and when this FM migration for Sportsradio 610 happens, I imagine that it'll be 95.7 that takes on 610's programming, and The Spot and Mix are combined at 96.5 to take it back to the more traditional sound of "Mix" than it's current incarnation as an almost CHR.
I would not put The Bull in the “also-ran” category at all!
Secondly, the only reason this idea is even being floated here is that 100.3 and 610 have the same call sign. It’s silly.
No way.
KRBE would be a prize, but it doesn't really change the problem for Audacy putting 610 on FM in that there is no obvious weak performer to kill. There is a place for an adult-leaning CHR and a Hot AC.
Also, they could in theory work out a trade now since Audacy is under the current cap in Houston or worked out a trade for KROI when it was on the block, which they also didn't.
I still think if they were blow up something in Houston for sports, whether they had KRBE or not, Mega is clearly the most obvious choice.
- Status