CC Sale

[lovethebiz]

Anybody hearing anything about the (Ohio)Clear Channel stations up for sale ...any buyers names being floated around?

 

[PUnit]

Maybe it's just a rumor, (and the employess are always the last to know). A person in Mansfield says they have been sold, but the Market Manager hasn't been told yet which company purchsed them. They won't be able to hire me or anybody else until the grant from the FCC. How the heck long is that going to be?

BTW, the 16 and 17 million figures thrown yesterday seem really high. I thought the stations are so much a burden that they have to go for cheap. Isn't that the point? Aren't the shareholders happy get stung on these small market stations, just to get rid of them? I don't think anyone really cares.

If they cut their losses and just estimated each station to be worth a mill each. 448 million looks good to me. (... employee buyout... anyone in?)

Paul (PUnit)
future jock
Mansfield, OH

 

[kentuckymedia]

Its official, Clear Channel Mansfield had 3 bids. Someone has purchased the stations and the asking price was at 16.3 Million Dollars for the entire cluster.

I can tell you this. There were 2 offers on individual stations. One offer was for 1340/101.3 and the other offer was on 107.7. The company who submitted the highest bid is offered the opportunity to spin off a couple of the properties if they wish which most likely will happen. However, I also hear that the offer for 107.7 was enough that it may go out on its own.

KMW

 

[AugC]

How about the other clear cahnnels in ohio? chillicothe? defiance....lima....findlay???
anything?
should be interesting to find out.

 

[theproducerman]

Very interesting. Can't wait to see what happens.

 

[jimbo60]

Its official, Clear Channel Mansfield had 3 bids. Someone has purchased the stations and the asking price was at 16.3 Million Dollars for the entire cluster.

I can tell you this. There were 2 offers on individual stations. One offer was for 1340/101.3 and the other offer was on 107.7. The company who submitted the highest bid is offered the opportunity to spin off a couple of the properties if they wish which most likely will happen. However, I also hear that the offer for 107.7 was enough that it may go out on its own.

KMW

Here's the news we've all waited for,CC is selling 140 stations and the announcement should be this week. A former TV exec. with Paxton Communications has formed a new company. The name I hear is Goodman. Everything up in Ohio is going to that company except Mansfield. SAGA wins there ! J60

 

[kentuckymedia]

Yeppers Jim...thats what I heard. It would BAS get their hand on one of the clusters.

What I did hear and this is really interesting.

GOODMAN gets

FINDLAY/TIFFIN - WTTF AM, WCKY FM, WPFX FM
SANDUSKY - WLEC AM, WMJK FM, WCPZ FM
ASHTABULA - WFUN AM, WFXJ FM, WREO FM, WYBL FM, WZOO FM
LIMA/WAPAKONETA - WIMA AM, WLWD FM, WIMT FM, WMLX FM
CHILLICOTHE - WBEX AM, WCHI AM, WKKJ FM, WSRW FM
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE - WCHO AM, WSRW AM, WCHO FM
MARION WMRN AM, WYNT FM, WDIF FM

Saga of course walks away with the prize known as Mansfield

MANSFIELD WMAN AM, WNCO AM, WYHT FM, WNCO FM, WFXN FM, WXXF FM, WXXR FM, WSWR FM

I dont know if you heard this or not...but I was told Saga wants to do a nice little trade with this new company so they can move in 106.7 to Dublin, Saga will spin off 107.9 in Delaware to the new people in town.

Defiance is up in the air, but I heard its now in the family of someone who owns stations in Indiana....

 

[radiotops]

kentuckymedia,

What do you mean "It would BAS get their hand on one of the clusters"?
I don't understand what you're saying.

 

[kentuckymedia]

sorry for the misspelling. i was hoping that BAS would have picked up Tiffin and/or Findlay in the deal.

 

[radiotops]

Why are people enamored with BAS?

 

[sunset77]

I don't think anyone is enamored by or with BAS...but they are locally owned and much like other locally owned companies like Elyria-Lorain, their owners are are right in the market every day...just like it use to be.
I understand they run a pretty good operation and their employees seem to stay for a long time...sounds like somethings working for them.
Anyone who's been in broadcasting for any length of time would remember when radio offered you a pretty good career...however since 1996...and the Telecommunications Act... the birth of CC, Cumulus and others like them...the radio industry is now completely different...and not in a good way...

 

[kentuckymedia]

BAS is locally owned and operated which is great! The only bad thing is everything flies on the bird but that will change once they start getting a few bucks in the bank. Maybe they will eventually buy the WBVI/WFOB combo and do something in Findlay.

Im really excited to see Saga getting in the game. I was told that people were elated to see Saga grab up Mansfield. Or atleast thats what we were told in the office. I really have a hard time seeing Saga changing too much. They are okay with the Adult Top 40 scene, as well the Classic Rock, Oldies and Country scenes. However 3 signals all blaring Classic Rock, they might change something or sell something.

Overall I think this will be a great thing.

So far...markets that Goodman has in his posession.

MOBERLY MISSOURI
KWIX-AM, KRES-FM, KIRK-FM
BETHANY MISSOURI
KAAN-AM, KMRN-AM, KAAN-FM, KKWK-FM
FARMINGTON MISSOURI
KREI-AM, KJFF-AM, KTJJ-FM
WAYNESVILLE MISSOURI
KBNN-AM, KJPW-AM, KOZQ-AM, KJEL-FM, KJPW-FM, KFBD-FM
FAIRFIELD IOWA
KMCD-AM, KMCD-FM, KIIK-FM
NEWTON IOWA
KCOB-AM, KCOB-FM, KRTI-FM
FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS
KKIX-FM, KIGL-FM, KEZA-FM, KMCK-FM
ROCHESTER MINNEAPOLIS
KWEB-AM, KNFX-AM, KMFX-AM, KMFX-FM, KRCH-FM
BANGOR MAINE
WABI-AM, WBFB-FM, WFZX-FM, WGUY-FM, WKSQ-FM, WLKE-FM, WNSX-FM, WVOM-FM, WWBX-FM
AUGUSTA MAINE
WFAU-AM, WABK-FM, WIGY-FM, WKCG-FM, WTOS-FM
ROCKLAND MAINE
WRKD-AM, WCME-FM, WMCM-FM, WQSS-FM

This is the list that was provided to me earlier this afternoon.

 

[radiotops]

I understand that BAS ownership may be local, but isn't most of their stations' programming done by satellite? If so, is that still considered local programming?
I'm not trying to be smart, I'm just wondering what some of you think.
I realize that WRFO and WHOF both broadcast some high school sporting events, and yes it's local, but it's not like it used to be.

If memory serves me correctly, BAS created quite a stir when they bought WFRO, fired at least one longtime personality, and took away some of the local flavor.
But, I guess you could say that about many current radio companies.

 

[sunset77]

Radiotops...I don't know whether they got rid of people or not when they took over...I just listen to them often and they sound great...in fact their stations sound like anything I listen too in Cleveland, Detroit or Toledo. If you hadn't told me I would have never known they weren't local...as far as local programming though...not only high sports but racing, NFL games, OSU, BGSU...they far exceed anything CC does in the market...I understand CC voice tracks most everything but the morning show on CPZ...and their announcers on the classic rock station weren't even born when that music came out...as an avid radio listener...that's annoying!

 

[kentuckymedia]

In the situation concerning BAS, they are a local company and I applaud them for that. It really is sad to see their stations on the abc bird, as I also stated before.

I would love to see if WFRO/WOHF/WMVO/WQIO got a little more local. One could argue that BAS is local enough by airing Sports Roundtable on WQIO every Friday Night, but its not going to get them very far.

WQIO, WOHF and WFRO need to get rid of their terrible ABC Satellite networks and get on Waitt. Its satellite fed radio but it actually has local content fed in twice an hour by jocks out of Omaha. It would be much better than what ABC has or even WW1. The best part of the deal with Waitt is it comes with computers and its 100% barter. WRN would be the best solution for the company, it supplies local weather (with actual towns and temps), if you have local events they promote it...etc.

If I were Jim, Tom or Jeff I would do this.....

WFRO FREMONT "EAGLE 99.1" Soft AC
*Get rid of the name Eagle. Name it LITE 99.1
*Hire a local morning show
*Waitt Radio Networks CHRIS HATTON
*Waitt Radio Networks CHRISTINA COOPER
*Pick up Delilah or Tesh @ Night

WOHF FREMONT "92.1 THE WOLF" Classic Rock
*Rebrand the stations music position to 92.1 The Wolf Rocks the Northcoast.
*Design it as a mainstream rocker targeting a 18-54 Male instead of 35-54
*Syndicate mornings (Free Beer, Mancow, Etc.)
*Waitt Radio Networks EmJay
*Hire a local afternoon driver from 3P-8P
*Waitt Radio Networks Amber Kuhl from 8P to 1A

WMVO MOUNT VERNON "KNOX COUNTY'S 13 WMVO" News/Talk/Oldies
*Move Dave Bevington into Morning Drive 6-9
*Keep Marty Tracy from 9-12
*Mike McConnell on tape delay from 12-3
*Sean Hannity live from 3-6
*Fox Sports Network on 100% barter from 6-?

WQIO MOUNT VERNON "EAGLE 93.7" Soft AC
*Get rid of the name Eagle. Name it I-93, Mid Ohio's Music Variety
*Bob and Sheri in the morning (via Jefferson Pilot)
*Move John Tesh in mid-days
*Hire a live and local afternoon jock from 3-8
*Waitt Radio Networks AMBER KUHL

But then again I dont own the stations. No matter what they do, they need to get rid of ABC and dump it fast. ABC radio networks doesnt do well in the ratings, atleast with Waitt they might have a chance.

 

[pbf1]

WAITT? Nah. Could do better than that, too.

I-93? Why not go back to the 93-Q name it used for years (and probably still gets called by locals)?

 

[kentuckymedia]

WAITT is really the best you can get on Barter, and its much better than the absolutely terrible ABC networks on the station now.

I was just trying to think of a way to make 93 actually do something when I mentioned the name. Mansfield people remember it as 93Q the station that betrayed them and left for the world of Celine Dion every hour and nothing newer that 1999. Then completely left the scene and wanted a cartoon eagle as their mascot.

Something refreshing and new. But if you had to.....93Q would work for the quick buck return.

Obviously they wont hire more talent, that is out of their hands....completely. WAITT really does miracles, we have it on a couple of our stations in the company and it sounds really good!

 

[jimbo60]

I understand that BAS ownership may be local, but isn't most of their stations' programming done by satellite? If so, is that still considered local programming?
I'm not trying to be smart, I'm just wondering what some of you think.
I realize that WRFO and WHOF both broadcast some high school sporting events, and yes it's local, but it's not like it used to be.

If memory serves me correctly, BAS created quite a stir when they bought WFRO, fired at least one longtime personality, and took away some of the local flavor.
But, I guess you could say that about many current radio companies.

You need to get your facts in order. BAS never fired anyone. Some people were not picked up by BAS. Their employment ended with the old owners. Others left the area. The long time personality you refer to took the sports job in Fostoria ( where he lives ) due to the death of their longtime sports personality.

As for local flavor, tell me the last time music was played live in any RADIO studio ? Also, tell me how stations are programmed these days ? By computer ! Jocks have no imput, period. CC and several other companies don't have live jocks. They voice track. Oh, that's original and real !

Now as far as what WFRO used to be ? Local Yokel people that couldn't pronounce "W" when they cracked a mike. The bird as you call it, is all live. As live as any big or medium market. BAS and other satellite operated companies didn't invent todays technology but to be competitive and offer listeners a professional product they have to utilize what's out there. JL60

 

[kentuckymedia]

WAITT also provides FULL imaging services, FOR FREE. Its part of the barter package. I dont work for Waitt, if I did..I wouldnt be working in Columbus. However, I do think its the best satellite company in radio.

I understand that their stations are prolly under a contract with ABC, but the day that contract ends BAS seriously needs to jump ship and switch to WAITT.

For example, we have a station in Keene..it runs on Waitt Radio Networks. The competition has the same exact format, but airs ABC fed satellite....we beat them in the last ratings hands down. We had a 8.3 share and only have been on the air for 1 year and 2 months. They are a heritage station thats airing ABC and only pull a 1.9.

 

[radiotops]

Jimbo,

I'm not a confrontational person, but you need to make sure your facts are straight.
There's not really any difference between being fired, let go, or not picked up by new ownership. In any of those cases, you're out of a job.
The sports personality wasn't picked up by BAS, THEN left to work at Fostoria radio. He left, after he wasn't "hired" or retained by the new ownership.

While the number of radio stations that program music locally is shrinking, it's still done.

I seem to remember hearing and reading about a big public outcry, when new ownership took over.
The Fremont newspaper had a scaithing editoral as well, which is odd, because the paper and the radio station compete for ad dollars.