Well, now that the sale of the CBS cluster to Regent is a week old, let the speculation begin...
Regent spent a boatload of money to buy into Buffalo. It looks like they'll have some serious debt to service, so, one might speculate that there might be some cost cutting once they take the reins in the Rand Building.
Let's play bean counter. If you look at big salaries and cost/benefit ratios, who jumps out a likely target?
Jack runs pretty cheap. WYRK is the Big Daddy, bringing in big dollars. WBLK is already syndicated in their most expensive daypart (mornings). WECK is a wreck, but an inexpensive wreck. Which brings us to WJYE.
If WJYE has already re-upped Delilah for two more years, nights are set. Mike McQueen got bumped from PM drive as "too expensive". Bob Galli apparently isn't overpaid. So, where do we go from here?
Does a music-intensive "background" station need a live body in mid-days, when there's no traffic to report? What about mornings? Joe Chille has been at WJYE a long time, and wears a lot of hats. Rumor has it that he also pulls down a healthy salary - perhaps too healthy. Is Joe a morning mainstay in Buffalo, or "just another voice" that could be replaced for a lot less money?
What about other options? Could the Rand Building be too upscale in a city where cheap office space is easy to find? How long would it take for cheaper rent - or even a building purchase - to offset moving costs? What other corners can be cut to help out the balance sheet?
Regent spent a boatload of money to buy into Buffalo. It looks like they'll have some serious debt to service, so, one might speculate that there might be some cost cutting once they take the reins in the Rand Building.
Let's play bean counter. If you look at big salaries and cost/benefit ratios, who jumps out a likely target?
Jack runs pretty cheap. WYRK is the Big Daddy, bringing in big dollars. WBLK is already syndicated in their most expensive daypart (mornings). WECK is a wreck, but an inexpensive wreck. Which brings us to WJYE.
If WJYE has already re-upped Delilah for two more years, nights are set. Mike McQueen got bumped from PM drive as "too expensive". Bob Galli apparently isn't overpaid. So, where do we go from here?
Does a music-intensive "background" station need a live body in mid-days, when there's no traffic to report? What about mornings? Joe Chille has been at WJYE a long time, and wears a lot of hats. Rumor has it that he also pulls down a healthy salary - perhaps too healthy. Is Joe a morning mainstay in Buffalo, or "just another voice" that could be replaced for a lot less money?
What about other options? Could the Rand Building be too upscale in a city where cheap office space is easy to find? How long would it take for cheaper rent - or even a building purchase - to offset moving costs? What other corners can be cut to help out the balance sheet?