• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Chicken or the Egg

T

trusty

With all the press releases and talk about the WGST flip and the Rush move, (and my getting older so I probably missed it), I have only one question:

What came first:
Did WSB go after Rush, which caused WGST to flip formats because it didn't have much of anything else?
OR
Did WGST decide to flip formats, which left Rush without a home so WSB picked him up?

Thank you. (I'm sure I missed it somewhere. ::))
 
I would think that WGST could have had Rush as long as they wanted, since Premiere syndicates Rush and they are both owned by CC. However, setting aside the plans for a flip word could have come down from San Antonio to sell Rush to someone else thinking that they would make more money that way (see Hannity). Or maybe Cox gave CC an offer they couldn't refuse.

I guess what I am saying is that CC could have kept Rush on WGST if they had wanted to, and Cox couldn't have taken Rush from them without their consent. Either the flip of WGST led CC/Premiere to find another home for Rush, or Cox gave CC/Premiere a check with enough zeros on it and that drove the flip.
 
trusty said:
With all the press releases and talk about the WGST flip and the Rush move, (and my getting older so I probably missed it), I have only one question:

What came first:
Did WSB go after Rush, which caused WGST to flip formats because it didn't have much of anything else?
OR
Did WGST decide to flip formats, which left Rush without a home so WSB picked him up?

Thank you. (I'm sure I missed it somewhere. ::))
Click to expand...
Trusty, I asked here:
fortt3 said:
??? This feels rushed (no pun intended). Did CC want to flip GST and Rush had to land somewhere, so WSB was most logical? With the announcement 4 day (2 business days) before the event, it's not normally how WSB does things.
Click to expand...
Also, seems to me WSB did not have their normal amount of online and on-air promos ready to go on announcement day, which they have done when they have had time.
 
CC and all publicly held companies need to generate cash. Even if they "gave"* Rush to Cox / WSB, they would come out better "cash wise" by getting rid of the staff salaries at WGST. Rush's national sales will not be affected by the Atlanta station swap an in fact with a better AM signal, and the 95.5 signal it might help a little coverage and demographics wise.

*Rush / EIB / CC has been rumored to extract "fees" from some of the affiliates in addition to clearing his commercials. In WSB's case Cox might have to just clear the commercials because this arrangement allows CC to cut payroll at WGST. I am sure CC thought up this deal.
 
secondchoice said:
CC and all publicly held companies need to generate cash. Even if they "gave"* Rush to Cox / WSB, they would come out better "cash wise" by getting rid of the staff salaries at WGST. Rush's national sales will not be affected by the Atlanta station swap an in fact with a better AM signal, and the 95.5 signal it might help a little coverage and demographics wise.

*Rush / EIB / CC has been rumored to extract "fees" from some of the affiliates in addition to clearing his commercials. In WSB's case Cox might have to just clear the commercials because this arrangement allows CC to cut payroll at WGST. I am sure CC thought up this deal.
Click to expand...

As a play on the old Q100 joke: "How does CC decision making affect Cox?"
 
jabba17 said:
Either the flip of WGST led CC/Premiere to find another home for Rush, or Cox gave CC/Premiere a check with enough zeros on it and that drove the flip.
Click to expand...

Well, since no one really knows the answer, and everything is speculation, it's time for conspiracy theories to come out. For example, we all know that Cox owns this market, they play strong and can easily give any station an offer it cannot refuse. The only way to get Rush on the cheap is to graciously give him a place to land when he is left stranded without any warning.

So, WSB gets Rush cheap and CC doesn't have to pay a staff. It's a win-win, except for the listener.

Think about it. Every time CC has gotten anywhere near Cox in the ratings in Atlanta, Cox has held up its hand, and CC has backed off and ran with its tail between its legs. In Atlanta, CC does not act; it reacts, and the only reason CC does Spanish and Country is because Cox doesn't want to do it - at least for now.

Wait and see what happens. ;)
 
trusty said:
Think about it. Every time CC has gotten anywhere near Cox in the ratings in Atlanta, Cox has held up its hand, and CC has backed off and ran with its tail between its legs.
Click to expand...

JACOR didn't...either with WGST or Peach.
 
Conspiracy theory....hmmmm...

Maybe CC is going to sell the 640 frequency. Fearing that a new buyer would actually do what CC refused to do with WGST to make it a successful station, CC gets rid of its major programming to other stations. WSB would have been nuts to pass on Rush. Assuming Beck lands on WGKA, that leaves Mark Levin as Michael Savage won't be back on the air for some time. Rusty was leaving anyway and he does have his national show. Levin could end up on WGKA, but in the late night. I would assume that Beck and Levin end up on 920 assuming their respective syndicators will pay WGKA.

So who buys? Cox? Maxed out. CBS? Probably going after LFM (94.1 & 790). Cumulus? Doubtful as AN106.7 probably helped kill WGST and same as CBS. Salem? Deja vu by moving 920 programming to 640. If the price is right, possibly. Radio One? FMs are too successful.

Just my $.02....which is twice the current value of WGST. :D ;D
 
Here's my theory: Getting paid cash for something is always easier and better than selling something.

That could be the case here. WSB makes a cash offer to carry Rush. WSB needs help once Boortz goes away. Premiere is thrilled because Rush is still on the banned list by national advertisers. So they'll make more in this market with the cash than the clear would mean for their 1-800 number spots. Meanwhile, ESPN offers CC cash to carry Desportes. And guess what? That cash is more than they're making with the current format. Easy peasy.

Firebird said:
Maybe CC is going to sell the 640 frequency.
Click to expand...

I could be wrong, but I haven't noticed CC selling anything. They're more in "buy" mode than "sell" mode.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom