CC to sell off two out of four Allentown stations?

[radiophiler]

Insideradio.com, as of midday, has a list of top 100 markets where CC may spin off some stations to help the ownership transfer go more smoothly (i.e. limit FCC scutiny).

Among the listings: 2 AMs or 2 FMs in Allentown-Bethlehem.

Let's assume they sell off the AMs.

And remember that the Reading cluster (one AM, one FM) is also for sale.

1340 in Reading and 1470 in Allentown are sharing the same religious format, filling a void after 107.5 went from religious to Frank-FM. So one buyer may have an interest in both of those signals.

But who would buy WAEB-AM? It'll cost a pretty penny: It has the best AM signal in the Valley and is consistently the top-rated AM station.

Different scenario: CC sells off 1470 AM and 104.1 FM, keeping WAEB-AM and WZZO. Who might come into the LV to buy an AM-FM combo?

I'd like to see a company with a commitment to news coverage get WAEB-AM. The Valley has been without a really good radio station for news for a while now.

 

[Radiodeity]

...The Valley has been without a really good radio station for news for a while now...

The Valley has been without a really good radio station for a while now - period.

Well... maybe ZZO every so often... And Lite107 playing Christmas music and running commercials for the soft porn store in Allentown, that's pretty cool... Nothing like Jeezus and a G-String to paint a Happy Holiday mental picture, huh? :

(Just another point of view)

 

[eyg2181]

i dont care what happens over there as long as 99.9 and 95.1 dont go anywhere 0r 107.5 and 102.5 for that matter...

 

[yocco]

Yeah...kinda a crazy time this holiday season around the Lehigh Valley. The Christmas Lite with spots for the adult "toy" store. WLEV running ads attacking the Promenade Shops. CC and Nassau laying off people left and right. Where is all the peace and love this holiday season? Oh...I forgot...this is radio we're talking about.

As far as CC selling their AM stations, how about a local group grabbing WAEB..dumping the political talk..and putting on a real oldies station in the Lehigh Valley. There are enough former AEB jocks still around.....who knows?

 

[rdcuffpa1]

I'd like to see a company with a commitment to news coverage get WAEB-AM. The Valley has been without a really good radio station for news for a while now.

Even simulcasting WFMZ-TV news would be a good start. I listen to the Berks Edition on WEEU on my daily commute home from Reading to Allentown, and it's more useful than political talk, to me anyway.

Seriously, I think that the newsgathering infrastructure of WFMZ ought to be more effectively used on local radio than it is.

Might WFMZ's MBC be a buyer?

Richard in Allentown

 

[blueboy]

Richard: I could be wrong but I doubt that Maranatha Broadcasting is interested in radio anymore. After selling 100.7 for $23 million back in 1997 they have concentrated on tv. I believe that Maranatha Broadcasting sold off all of the radio stations it once owned (Virginia, Colorado etc) a while ago. Like I said, I could be wrong, though.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

Richard: I could be wrong but I doubt that Maranatha Broadcasting is interested in radio anymore.

Yeah, probably right. Had forgotten that they sold WFMZ radio voluntarily.

Richard in Allentown

 

[TODDMAYOR]

Richard: I could be wrong but I doubt that Maranatha Broadcasting is interested in radio anymore.

Yeah, probably right. Had forgotten that they sold WFMZ radio voluntarily.

Richard in Allentown

the only reason they sold wfmz fm was to invest in the huge cost of hdtv with the plant upgrades that were needed for wfmz tv is what i am to understand.

 

[whatutalkinbout]

I think that the newsgathering infrastructure of WFMZ ought to be more effectively used on local radio than it is.

99.9 The Hawk and 1230/1320 ESPN Radio use the area's two leading news sources (WFMZ and The Morning Call) extensively throughout the day for news updates and traffic reports. maybe it's a matter of The Hawk and ESPN Radio being smart and having exclusivity on those services. For news and local traffic reports you can't do any better than those two.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

99.9 The Hawk and 1230/1320 ESPN Radio use the area's two leading news sources (WFMZ and The Morning Call) extensively throughout the day for news updates and traffic reports. maybe it's a matter of The Hawk and ESPN Radio being smart and having exclusivity on those services. For news and local traffic reports you can't do any better than those two.

I'm talking about 10-15 minutes of local / national / international news per hour, not two-minute top-of-hour updates. After all, WFMZ-TV can easily fill 30 minutes per day.

Richard in Allentown

 

[yocco]

Sounds like you want an all news radio station in the Valley. Much too expensive to do. Or an old line Full Service station like the old WEST with CBS News on the hour, two local updates an hour, and lots of news features. I guess if you want to target a 70 plus audience this might work.

 

[whatutalkinbout]

I'm talking about 10-15 minutes of local / national / international news per hour, not two-minute top-of-hour updates. After all, WFMZ-TV can easily fill 30 minutes per day.

Richard in Allentown

That's just not gonna happen on any radio format other than NEWS...and the Valley doesn't have a NEWS radio station, it's that simple. I'd call WAEB a "Talk" station, but not a "News" station.

 

[whatutalkinbout]

wait...did we ever answer the question that is the topic of this thread? LOL I know CC is selling off all their stations that are in markets SMALLER than the Top 100, but with all the bodies being pushed (or jumping) from CC-Allentown i wouldn't be surprised if this cluster is on the chopping block, either. anybody see anything official about it? this kind of talk needs to be substantiated.

 

[radiophiler]

Several weeks (if not months) ago, Insideradio.com published a list of additional markets in which CC said it would divest a certain number of stations within the top 100 markets to comply with CURRENT FCC rules. Some of the market clusters were formed when the FCC was using different rules and would not be allowed today.
Other examples: CC is going to spin off WALK-FM Long Island so it can keep its full count of FMs in New York City.
I think I also remember that they have to do some spinning in the LA and San Francisco areas.

When I searched the Internet for this list recently, I could no longer find it. I do remember that it listed the Allentown-Bethlehem market, and said it would spin off "either two FMs or two AMs."

Supposedly, CC wants to spin these off to take away even one ounce of debate about the upcoming buyout.

 

[whoadoggie]

no Allentown stations are on the list, and no stations from LA are on the list either

 

[whatutalkinbout]

it's my understanding that selling 400+ radio stations and letting go hundreds, if not thousands, of employees at the remaining stations was to shore up Clear Channel's finances in the wake of the buyout, and as radiophiler said "to take away even one ounce of debate about the upcoming buyout." if this deal falls through afterall, all of that will be in vain. When a company gets that big, decisions are made so far up the chain that employees are nothing but pawns in the game. i truly feel for anybody who works for a CC station right now. they can kid themselves into thinking that all of this high-level maneuvering doesn't affect their lives, but it's just a denial tactic so they can get through their day. they're ALL on the chopping block. ugly stuff.

from allaccess today:

----

"The buyout of CLEAR CHANNEL has become a test of wills between some of the nation’s largest investors -- like mutual fund giant FIDELITY INVESTMENTS, which plans to vote against the deal, contending it severely undervalues their shares -- and the private equity firms. The firms refuse to raise their bid and have threatened to walk away from the deal if it is voted down.

"The deal, which was struck in NOVEMBER, will be voted on in less than three weeks. The sale requires approval from two-thirds of the shares outstanding. If current shareholder sentiment holds and a higher offer does not emerge, the deal will almost certainly be dead."