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CBS BLOWING UP 'FRESH' TO SIMULCAST WBBM-AM NEWS

Drucifer

Drucifer

It starts Monday, August 1. There was an 11:30am Chicago-time staff meeting today, tweets Robert Feder at Time Out Chicago. CBS looks to fend off a news challenge from Merlin Media, which could come as soon as tomorrow (7/15), when Merlin takes over Emmis' alternative "Q101" WKQX through an LMA. But many observers predict a period of stunting by Merlin. All-news WBBM-AM (780) is the Windy City's leading revenue biller, and CBS wants to protect its franchise.

IMHO this makes a tremendous amount of sense. CBS has an incredible product with WBBM-AM and instead of an either/or ADDING it to FM makes sense. The more platforms for it's availability the better. I expect more FM's to do AM simulcasts in the future.
 
KeithE4 said:
Mike said:
and how much longer until they put the score on 104.3 ?
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About a year - two max.
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I've been saying for at least a year that we'd see WBBM on 105.9. Yet I don't see WSCR ending up on 104.3 anytime soon - if ever. That station, as currently programmed, has a lot of potential. Unlike the bungled cluster that was [not so] Fresh.

No, I'd say it's HD-2 for WSCR. Perhaps a translator, if CBS could scare one up.
 
Mike said:
and how much longer until they put the score on 104.3 ?
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Won't happen anytime soon if ever. WJMK just changed format and their numbers went up in June.
The question now is when will the WBBM-FM calls go to 105.9?
 
I think they should switch right now!! Don't wait until August 1st. It's not like they have to do a much to punch up the AM and put it on FM. Get the jump on Q101, or what ever they are going to call themselves. Who would miss Fresh? Lite 93.9 might see a rise in the PPM.
 
radioaircheck said:
I think they should switch right now!! Don't wait until August 1st. It's not like they have to do a much to punch up the AM and put it on FM. Get the jump on Q101, or what ever they are going to call themselves. Who would miss Fresh? Lite 93.9 might see a rise in the PPM.
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My thoughts also, why wait for longer than 2 weeks? Come on, switch it on! Other format failed, time for the other.
 
radioman148 said:
The question now is when will the WBBM-FM calls go to 105.9?
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They won't. Why would they? Last year in Atlanta COX added an FM simulcast of WSB 750, but COX already had a WSB-FM in Atlanta so they made the new simulcast WSBB. The branding changed from NewsTalk 750 to NewsTalk WSB. In San Francisco KCBS got an FM simulcast at 106.9 FM and CBS kept 106.9 as KFRC since KCBS-FM are the call letters of JACK-FM in LA.
 
MarcB said:
radioman148 said:
The question now is when will the WBBM-FM calls go to 105.9?
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They won't. Why would they? Last year in Atlanta COX added an FM simulcast of WSB 750, but COX already had a WSB-FM in Atlanta so they made the new simulcast WSBB. The branding changed from NewsTalk 750 to NewsTalk WSB. In San Francisco KCBS got an FM simulcast at 106.9 FM and CBS kept 106.9 as KFRC since KCBS-FM are the call letters of JACK-FM in LA.
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I think they will since they already own the FM call letters. They'll move something to 96.3 with a "B" in it. The WBBM brand is too important for news IMO.
 
radioman148 said:
MarcB said:
radioman148 said:
The question now is when will the WBBM-FM calls go to 105.9?
Click to expand...

They won't. Why would they? Last year in Atlanta COX added an FM simulcast of WSB 750, but COX already had a WSB-FM in Atlanta so they made the new simulcast WSBB. The branding changed from NewsTalk 750 to NewsTalk WSB. In San Francisco KCBS got an FM simulcast at 106.9 FM and CBS kept 106.9 as KFRC since KCBS-FM are the call letters of JACK-FM in LA.
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I think they will since they already own the FM call letters. They'll move something to 96.3 with a "B" in it. The WBBM brand is too important for news IMO.
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I agree with Radioman, I think that they will. All they have to do is find another set of calls with a "B" in them an plop those on 96.3, moving WBBM-FM to 105.9.

And Marc, I've heard rumblings that CBS will move the KCBS calls from 93.1 in LA to 106.9 in San Francisco. Wanting to keep the KFRC calls around, those would need to move too - so this would require 3 sets of their calls to be changed. This may be why it hasn't happened yet.
 
With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.

I also doubt very seriously that KCBS-FM is moving to San Francisco anytime soon. Just my opinion.
 
BRNout said:
And Marc, I've heard rumblings that CBS will move the KCBS calls from 93.1 in LA to 106.9 in San Francisco. Wanting to keep the KFRC calls around, those would need to move too - so this would require 3 sets of their calls to be changed. This may be why it hasn't happened yet.
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The KFRC calls are also on 1550AM in San Francisco. They carry an oldies format.
 
Don't count out K-Hits, just yet. Like I said somewhere else, it's not if, it's pretty much WHEN the quality of 94.7 goes down (we're talking about Cumulus here, going by their track record), they will gain listenership.

I agree that waiting 2 weeks is a little strange. ???
 
billalm said:
With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.

I also doubt very seriously that KCBS-FM is moving to San Francisco anytime soon. Just my opinion.
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I agree. The calls just aren't that important. KCBS SF calls itself "KCBS ALL NEWS 740 and FM 106.9" They've got the KCBS and ALL NEWS for imaging and they showcase the new and important FM frequency along with the heritage AM frequency.
 
The WBBZ-FM calls are avaiable as when I did a search only a WBBZ AM station came up in Ponca City, OK.

CBS could also move the WBZZ calls from Pittsburgh which they recently got back and placed on Star 100.7 the Hot AC in Pittsburgh. Those WBZZ calls used to be on B 94 the first time around.
 
billalm said:
With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.
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It'll be a long ID regardless of the call letters, since the COLs of the AM and FM are different. Even if CBS moved the WBBM-FM call letters to 105.9, it would still have to be ID'ed separately: "WBBM Chicago, WBBM-FM Elmwood Park/Chicago," not "WBBM AM & FM Chicago."
 
KeithE4 said:
billalm said:
With PPM... call letters are a thing of the past. Doesn't matter what they are unless you want to use them for on air imaging. A quick ID of the FM's current calls will suffice. IF the AM station ever went away and something different was happening on that frequency, only then would it be really necessary to change the FM's call letters.
Click to expand...

It'll be a long ID regardless of the call letters, since the COLs of the AM and FM are different. Even if CBS moved the WBBM-FM call letters to 105.9, it would still have to be ID'ed separately: "WBBM Chicago, WBBM-FM Elmwood Park/Chicago," not "WBBM AM & FM Chicago."
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Move WBBM to 105.9 and slap WBBW on 96.3 the LID on B-96 could be rushed. Further, WBBM-FM is licensed to Chicago, not Elmwood Park.

Here is a sample from 2009: http://www.tophour.com/audio/Chicago IL/fm0963_2009-06_wbbm-fm_gwollman.mp3
 
We've been speculating on this for over a year and now it's finally about to happen! The FM talk tsunami is about to arrive in Chicago and New York. WBBM is about to make something good even better! No way they can lose simulcasting on FM! :)
 
The rumor has the new WIIN as well as whatever it will be in NY will be "female" oriented news/talk. The potential to deliver some shows on both stations. If that's the case, it's edgy, and risky. With both come great rewards, and sometimes even greater failure. I'd say I would be more risky in a better economic climate, but that may not happen for awhile. I'll miss Q though. Glad to see they'll still have a presence on the web.
 
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