Billboards

[TheBigA]

The other thing to know is iHeart seems to love big signal AMs. Not sure why, but in the last few years, they bought WOR in NY, and WBZ and WRKO in Boston. This may be Pittman's personal thing, as someone who ran WNBC and WMAQ in his younger years. But the problems and costs they have with WOR are way bigger than the ones in Cincinnati. The folks in NY would love the kinds of problems they're having with WLW.

 

[gr8oldies]

Wasn't the deal with WOR to guarantee clearance of Rush and Sean when Cumulus was threatening to pull the plug?

The other thing to know is iHeart seems to love big signal AMs. Not sure why, but in the last few years, they bought WOR in NY, and WBZ and WRKO in Boston. This may be Pittman's personal thing, as someone who ran WNBC and WMAQ in his younger years. But the problems and costs they have with WOR are way bigger than the ones in Cincinnati. The folks in NY would love the kinds of problems they're having with WLW.

 

[partymarty]

WLW dips to #4. That hasn't happened during Reds baseball since the lazy hazy crazy days of Bill Wills. Continue your smug retorts, but the grand old lady has gone from dancing to a wheelchair. Fire up the vent, it's over unless they clean it up and move it to FM

 

[TheBigA]

WLW is doing better than the Reds, who are already 16 games out of first place and we're not even to the All Star break.

That's the problem when you're the flagship station of a losing team.

Moving WLW to FM won't fix the real problem. How about some pitching?

 

[gr8oldies]

If you did, which FM do they blow up, Kiss or WEBN. Unless the ownership caps change, that's the reality

 

[almaniac27]

If you did, which FM do they blow up, Kiss or WEBN. Unless the ownership caps change, that's the reality

If ownership rules imposed by the FCC are the problem, then iHeart should try throwing some money or future employment at Mr. Pai and see what happens.

To me, it seems like nothing short of shifts in ownership will spark major change in this market. Everyone's niche is so stable, it's like the clusters are in plate tectonic-style gridlock.

 

[TheBigA]

If ownership rules imposed by the FCC are the problem, then iHeart should try throwing some money or future employment at Mr. Pai and see what happens.

Maybe you haven't noticed, but the company we're talking about is currently going through bankruptcy proceedings, so they're not really flush with money to throw around. Especially when they really don't need to buy a station in Cincinnati. As I said, the problem with WLW will not be solved by moving its signal to FM. If iHeart has a few million, it would be better spent buying a few quality pitchers.

 

[partymarty]

There is absolutely no way any logical business owner would put their highest end (and most costly to produce) product in the worst part of town. AM is the ghetto of radio. Just another example of why the 2 biggest radio operators are in receivership. Absolutely incompetent.

 

[partymarty]

Gr8. I think you need to torch KISS and try to fix ebn and build a wall of men. Hubbard owns women. Or the rumors are true and Scripps buys WLW and EBN

 

[TheBigA]

Just another example of why the 2 biggest radio operators are in receivership. Absolutely incompetent.

Here's a reminder once again of the facts, since you have no idea what you're talking about:

WLW bills 25% more than the #2 biller in the market.

And the #2 station is WUBE, with 30% higher billing than the #3 station

So WLW is the #1 biller in Cincinnati, and you use it as an indication of the intelligence of its parent company. OK?

What matters is the billings, not the ratings. Understand?

 

[partymarty]

Yep. I'm an MbA (whatever that means) I hear you. And I see you fading into irrelevance. Billing lags reality. I'm sad to see a great station fade into irrelevance. Even more sad to see dolts like you try to justify the fall. Fix your product. Stop making excuses. The fat lady is tuning up. Do something so she doesn't sing. I want you to succeed.

 

[TheBigA]

Even more sad to see dolts like you try to justify the fall. Fix your product. Stop making excuses. The fat lady is tuning up. Do something so she doesn't sing. I want you to succeed.

You want me to succeed? Too late, I already have. I don't work at WLW or iHeart, so don't make assumptions about me.

So now you say "fix your product." Before you said "move to FM." Which is it?

I admit the product would be a lot better if the Reds started winning. I've been saying that all along. Maybe you don't realize the Reds are on WLW. Or you don't realize how bad the Reds are this year.

Go ahead...I have a sense of humor. Tell me how you'd fix the product.

Or the rumors are true and Scripps buys WLW and EBN

I guess you missed the story that Scripps is getting out of radio. They won't be buying any stations.

https://radioink.com/2018/01/25/scripps-selling-34-radio-stations/

 

[davideduardo]

Gr8. I think you need to torch KISS and try to fix ebn and build a wall of men. Hubbard owns women. Or the rumors are true and Scripps buys WLW and EBN

Scripps is actively selling its radio division, whole or in parts. There are books out since at least the beginning of the year!

 

[gr8oldies]

Scripps is getting out of radio.

Gr8. I think you need to torch KISS and try to fix ebn and build a wall of men. Hubbard owns women. Or the rumors are true and Scripps buys WLW and EBN

 

[davideduardo]

Yep. I'm an MbA (whatever that means) I hear you. And I see you fading into irrelevance. Billing lags reality. I'm sad to see a great station fade into irrelevance. Even more sad to see dolts like you try to justify the fall. Fix your product. Stop making excuses. The fat lady is tuning up. Do something so she doesn't sing. I want you to succeed.

We all know that the shelf life of AM is nearly up... so the job is to get the available cash flow as long as it lasts. When we can't kick the can down the road any more, sell 'em or turn 'em off.

 

[partymarty]

Sorry Big A. You sound like an insider. My bad.

Fix.

Stop the book tours. Stop the Tempstar. Stop the lazy hosts and news reporting.

Return to the premise..

Report the news
Talk about the news
Mock the news.

Do these things is a way that is relevant to 40 year olds not 60 (or 70) year olds.

Honestly, I'd fire the entire damn staff and start over. Way different than what I did in 98 when I put the band back together.

The problem is if you implement those fixes without an FM outlet you are screwed. Average age on the AM band is approaching 70. What ya gonna do with that?

You like the billing? Kiss it bye bye. Get your head out of your tushie. This ship has sailed. It's over.

Time to fix it or ride it to the grave. I really hate that, but it's true

 

[partymarty]

Scripps wants to play radio in their home market... Just sayin based on very reliable sources. They want WLW. Will see

 

[davideduardo]

Do these things is a way that is relevant to 40 year olds not 60 (or 70) year olds.

Honestly, I'd fire the entire damn staff and start over. Way different than what I did in 98 when I put the band back together.

The problem is if you implement those fixes without an FM outlet you are screwed. Average age on the AM band is approaching 70. What ya gonna do with that?

FM or no FM, the format is aging just like the AM band.

Persons under 40 consume media very differently. There is no way to extend the franchise that WLW still holds into much younger demos because the long-form talk format is not friendly to earlier Gen X and Millennial audiences. That's the group that wants shorter, pithier content delivered on demand. Not on AM, not with today's model and not with a facelift.

 

[partymarty]

David. WLW doesn't need folks under 40. They need folks under 70. And an FM extension buys them that. It's all a house of cards, but to invest that kind of money on an AM only play is foolish and in disregard of shareholders

 

[davideduardo]

Scripps wants to play radio in their home market... Just sayin based on very reliable sources. They want WLW. Will see

No, they don't. They are getting out of radio due to lack of ongoing synergy with the core business.