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CBS FM Sports Lineup Projections/Predictions
- Thread starter AntDog152
- Start date
FM 100 Means Music said:
I was - and in a way, still am - more ticked off at LeCharles' body parts. Not the man himself.
Brokered-show status doesn't surprise me. Actually, that was always my presumption given that logo... That doesn't mean, however, that LeCharles shouldn't feel the need to advance in his career if that opportunity existed. If I were him, I'd have quietly applied already. Who knows.
Plus, after Bentley, who else is available that could be dynamic enough alongside Adam The Bull? Hmm.
vjm said:
Except that tRBS is so poorly run, and so stuck in their ways (i.e., Aaron and Fedor), it can't be saved. Throwing LeCharles on tRBS won't help.
In fact, that might signal desperation on WKNR's part - even if it's to protect him from flying the coop to The Fan.
vjm said:
WKNR will probably get more than a kick in the @$$. The station has for several years now been living solely on borrowed time.
It only gets ratings right now - in spite of such awful and forgettable programming - because it has been the de facto all-sports station in the market. That's how they primarily attract advertiser clients: it's pitched as "the only source for all-sports in Cleveland." Well, that goes buy-bye as of August 29, and because of those two game-changers, KNR will not be able to compete against that. Period.
Certainly they will never change the station culture, as Aaron and Fedor have permanent tenure as long as Craig K. holds the keys, and will proudly preside over the "S.S. tRBS Titanic" to its' utter demise against whomever 92.3 selects. They should install LeCharles and/or Bruce Hooley on tRBS full-time to save that show, but I can't see it happening. It upsets the apple cart too much, and takes too much control away from Aaron and Fedor. The Bratty Bunch are all geeks, but they aren't THAT smart.
Moreover, there are quite a bit of reporters - and even TEAM EMPLOYEES - that want to see 92.3 literally drive WKNR out of business.
This probably won't happen, but what if WKNR decides to dump Rome completely (or ship all 3 hours to KNR2) and replace him with X's and O's with the Pros (LeCharles Bentley and Je'Rod Cherry) but have Bruce Hooley host. X's and O's is the best show that KNR has but no one knows about it. The Hooley addition would be useful for non-football related topics.
I've always wondered who in their right minds would spend big, big money on an AM that's highly-directional in the daytime (great signal west of I-271 and into western Ohio, spotty east of I-271), and poor night signal almost everywhere (on 850AM) , and later paying more than $2 million for a 1,000-watt daytimer (1540AM) that can never get a nighttime license; and run a sportstalk format in a market where there were about half-a-dozen FM frequencies with marginal or fading formats capable of going sportstalk?
92.3, 95.5, 96.5, 98.5 100.7, 106.5, 107.3 (as of when GKB bought 850/1540).
Has anybody else wondered about that? I have for 4 or 5 years.
92.3, 95.5, 96.5, 98.5 100.7, 106.5, 107.3 (as of when GKB bought 850/1540).
Has anybody else wondered about that? I have for 4 or 5 years.
GKB brought 1540 1st in October 2006 just to get into the Cleveland market. Months later, WKNR became available from Salem and GKB took it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Karma_BroadcastingTim said:
AntDog152 said:
If you remember, the big scuttlebutt at the time was GKB was gonna set up a deal where they put their nightime programming on (what was then) WERE 1300.
1540 days/1300 nights...similar to what they had in Milwaukee at the time.
But then Salem wanted to get 850 off their hands, so Big Daddy Mel and Poppa Goldhammer ponied up for WKNR, and the rest is history.
My point was...why even 5 or 6 years ago, would anybody buy any AM station for obscene dollars and go sportstalk in a market where 6 or 7 marginal or fading FMs could easily go sportstalk and kill them with coverage and much deeper pockets?
Wasn't the purchase of 850 & 1540 a highly questionable "investment"????
If 92.3 (probably 98.5 eventually) is even half as successful as most of the other CBS-owned sportstalk FMs, what will 850/1540 be worth then? What do they flip to?
Wasn't the purchase of 850 & 1540 a highly questionable "investment"????
If 92.3 (probably 98.5 eventually) is even half as successful as most of the other CBS-owned sportstalk FMs, what will 850/1540 be worth then? What do they flip to?
Tim said:
Considering how little Salem invested into WKNR when they ran it, Craig K. was heralded by many almost as a savior for the format in this town. Which only added to the disappointment.
Craig first bought 1540: a small, independent gospel station that operated out of an old house at East 80th and Euclid. By all accounts, it was a soft launch (and "vjm" is correct; GKB was close to setting up a lease agreement with then-WERE/1300 to program from 7pm-6am... or even thought of swapping the signal with Radio One in exchange for 1300. That plan was nixed just before they purchased WKNR).
Look at 1540 today. That house is now long gone, and after the aborted power increase CP, they only can pump 1kW out into the ether via a small temporary transmitter out of a trailer during daytime hours only. It's one of the worst signals in town, and draws less than flies. It wouldn't be billing a damn thing were it not for GKB's "two stations for the price of one" ad arrangement.
As for WKNR itself, Craig K. still overpaid dearly for that signal back in 2006. There is no way that it was worth $6.5M back then - Salem made out like a bandit.
As per the risk of another station group flipping a marginal FM to sports, honestly, the only group would have been CBS*. CC never would have done it, and never will - because that would have resulted in stripping one of the "big three" - the Indians, Cavs and/or Browns - from WTAM in order to make that FM sports station competitive. (Unlike the Browns, simulcasting the Indians or Cavs would have been overkill and detrimental to both stations IMO.) Moreover, those three teams - especially the Indians and Browns - keep WTAM as high in the ratings as it is, and that's why CBS will covet both of those contracts for "The Fan."
The only real option that CC Cleveland ever had for all-sports was the proposed 1170/Wheeling facility back in 2004.
*True, Elyria-Lorain COULD HAVE flipped 107.3 to sports/talk instead of AAA, but that would have required an impossible investment on their own end.
Tim said:
1540 will probably be leased out for religious or ethnic fare within a year. That or it flips to ESPN Deportes to keep the Bristol folks happy.
Without a doubt, CBS still would eventually want to leave if it was ever possible. But there's a part of me that would have them buy WKNR should Craig K. pull the plug, and just run it as an all-satellite "ESPN 850" + Romey, while "The Fan" has the all-local lineup. (Think of the arrangement in Baltimore, with 24/7 ESPN outlet WJZ/1300, and the all-local "105.7 The Fan" WJZ/105.7.) 850 could then be exploited as a spillover for any play-by-play conflicts, and as a possible simulcast for a marquee team like the Browns.
I know... that would probably never happen.
Thanks, Nathan for your detailed views. Appreciate your comments!
95.5 and 107.3 have been for sale for over 5 years. Both ownership groups have called every station owner and/or sales VP/exec most of us know asking "do you want to buy our stations?" for that long a time. Multiple offers have been made over the past few years to try to move Salem & ELB's properies...with, so far...no takers. And, from what many of us have heard, the asking price wasn't that outrageous (in a better economy, at least).
I'm amazed with Craig K's dad being the lead man at Sirius/XM and a former major executive at CBS....his son would have gotten the advice: buy a Cleveland FM, and put your sports there.
Still, you have to give GKB credit for saving sportstalk in Cleveland. Like I've said in past posts....I kind of feel sorry for them about what's coming on the 29th....and the impact CBS will likely have in northeastern Ohio on 92.3/98.5 eventually.
p.s.: My guess about Clear Channel Cleveland: they would have gone sports on WMMS allowing WTAM to be more of a talk station. But, WMMS has had pretty decent success at being more or less a "young" talk station in drive times...and, til the 29th, WTAM has had a heavy sports image without actually doing that much sportstalk (just play-by-play, for now).
You're so correct, Nathan: CBS, with their format experience and deep pockets is the most-logical choice to go FM sportstalk in Cleveland.
95.5 and 107.3 have been for sale for over 5 years. Both ownership groups have called every station owner and/or sales VP/exec most of us know asking "do you want to buy our stations?" for that long a time. Multiple offers have been made over the past few years to try to move Salem & ELB's properies...with, so far...no takers. And, from what many of us have heard, the asking price wasn't that outrageous (in a better economy, at least).
I'm amazed with Craig K's dad being the lead man at Sirius/XM and a former major executive at CBS....his son would have gotten the advice: buy a Cleveland FM, and put your sports there.
Still, you have to give GKB credit for saving sportstalk in Cleveland. Like I've said in past posts....I kind of feel sorry for them about what's coming on the 29th....and the impact CBS will likely have in northeastern Ohio on 92.3/98.5 eventually.
p.s.: My guess about Clear Channel Cleveland: they would have gone sports on WMMS allowing WTAM to be more of a talk station. But, WMMS has had pretty decent success at being more or less a "young" talk station in drive times...and, til the 29th, WTAM has had a heavy sports image without actually doing that much sportstalk (just play-by-play, for now).
You're so correct, Nathan: CBS, with their format experience and deep pockets is the most-logical choice to go FM sportstalk in Cleveland.
Tim said:
To put it very bluntly, Craig Karmazin and Aaron Goldhammer saw a big new shiny toy that they could get their daddies to buy for them, from a company that wanted to get it off their hands ASAP.
Tim, let me say this...you probably put more thought into all of your points in your post, then The Bratty Bunch did when they bought the station.
It's still rumor at this point, so I'm not going to confirm or name names yet, but it looks like "The Fan's" M-F lineup is nearly complete.
One thing I can say...it appears that they will now go live until midnight, which makes sense when you consider the competition's post-game shows and their own promises of doing the shows.
Hints? Well, at least one host is very much an up and comer, a young, talented guy with no connection at all to the Galleria. In fact, none of the names I've seen so far are being stolen from there.
There may be one or two folks in some positions with WKNR on their resumes, but it is by far not a flood.
One thing I can say...it appears that they will now go live until midnight, which makes sense when you consider the competition's post-game shows and their own promises of doing the shows.
Hints? Well, at least one host is very much an up and comer, a young, talented guy with no connection at all to the Galleria. In fact, none of the names I've seen so far are being stolen from there.
There may be one or two folks in some positions with WKNR on their resumes, but it is by far not a flood.
Middays are still in flux, if you believe the rumor - with one name on board and the second player not firmed up yet. Let's put it this way - the names I'm hearing are known Cleveland sports media names.
One reason I'm not coming forth with names, is that they mostly are not confirmed yet. I'm getting names from sources who have been accurate about the information surrounding this station in the past, tho.
I like the night hire a lot. It's someone I, as an amateur sports talk radio PD, would have hired in the slot. (If Andy Roth has two seconds to read this board, which he probably doesn't, he's probably laughing...'twas meant to be tongue in cheek, of course.)
Several of the names I'm hearing have been mentioned in this thread, though I think we've mentioned about every possibility...
One reason I'm not coming forth with names, is that they mostly are not confirmed yet. I'm getting names from sources who have been accurate about the information surrounding this station in the past, tho.
I like the night hire a lot. It's someone I, as an amateur sports talk radio PD, would have hired in the slot. (If Andy Roth has two seconds to read this board, which he probably doesn't, he's probably laughing...'twas meant to be tongue in cheek, of course.)
Several of the names I'm hearing have been mentioned in this thread, though I think we've mentioned about every possibility...
Tim said:
I dont. They have had their chance to make that staion a powerhouse and totally own the market and have chosen unwisely and instead have a limp horse thats just getting along on the fact that they have no competition. If The Fan's arrival means they will change thier M.O. and step thier game up, than would be great for all. If not, they will get bowled over and we wont have them to kick around any longer.
If the ship starts to sink, dont be suprised to see Aaron Goldhammer shift himself to one of the other GKB markets. I dont believe his ego will allow him to simply ride it out and go down with his ship.
Ron Lee said:
Seriously, I don't think Aaron's that smart.
If he were, he would have left tRBS three years ago, decided not to play the contrarian everyone loves to hate(s), never played the "I hate tOSU more than Colin Cowherd" act with wild abandon, took seriously his repeated 90%+ disapproval ratings within the widely discredited and lampooned "station surveys," or allowed for Munch or Brinda to be the de facto "Face of Cleveland" on any/all ESPN radio and TV programs instead of him, a Denver native.
Aaron's the type of kid that would preside over a station's utter demise just for the heck of it. The GKB brass have no control over him - and if Craig DID try to scoot him back to Milwaukee or Madison, Aaron's dad probably would overrule him.
It's ALL about the ego.
Besides, it's not a matter of IF they get bowled over by The Fan, it's a matter of WHEN. CBS clearly is setting up the lineup to go against WTAM and WMMS... with WKNR as collateral damage.
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