Cincinnati Reds Buying a Station?

[xianbroadcaster]

Various MLB teams around the nation are buying their own radio properties and programming them year round...the Cardinals are one example.

Wondering if anybody thinks this is a move the Reds could make as their current ownership and management are taking more control of their product image and marketing. Also, The Reds and CC are in negotiations over the sale of commercials and affiliate relations for the Reds Radio Network to go back to the Reds.

Any thoughts?

 

[major]

I would prefer they buy a tv station, say ch 64, and make it a superstation, a la WGN, WTBS, WWOR, KTLA....

I think that would serve them better. Besides, what station would Clear Channel sell them, since they own everything (almost).

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

A number of years ago, I thought the Reds should have worked with Channel 19 to not only have their games telecast there, but also to turn it into a "super station". As that station is a Fox affiliate now, it would be better to seek another outlet, like Channel 64 as noted in another post here. Cincinnati was always big in "firsts" in radio and television, like WLW Radio's 500,000 watts in the 1930's or having local programs televisied in color on WLW-T in the 1950's. Sadly, Cincinnati was not in the forefront when it came to developing a "super station" for cable TV.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

I would prefer they buy a tv station, say ch 64, and make it a superstation, a la WGN, WTBS, WWOR, KTLA....

You can't make superstations anymore.

 

[major]

I would prefer they buy a tv station, say ch 64, and make it a superstation, a la WGN, WTBS, WWOR, KTLA....

You can't make superstations anymore.

Why not?

A number of years ago, I thought the Reds should have worked with Channel 19 to not only have their games telecast there, but also to turn it into a "super station". As that station is a Fox affiliate now, it would be better to seek another outlet, like Channel 64 as noted in another post here. Cincinnati was always big in "firsts" in radio and television, like WLW Radio's 500,000 watts in the 1930's or having local programs televisied in color on WLW-T in the 1950's. Sadly, Cincinnati was not in the forefront when it came to developing a "super station" for cable TV.

I asked John Long, GM of WXIX, this question in March of 2006. The response was something along the lines that WXIX already pre-empts the maximum amount of Fox programming allowable for Bearcats Basketball.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

Why not?

The FCC put a stop to them. Besides, cable has such great penetration these days that one could just launch a cable channel instead.

 

[Toddy-0]

Why not? Syndication exclusivities. Gone are the heydays days of WGN and WTBS.

Not even AVCO in ITS heyday would make a superstation. A mini network, yes.

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

WGN we see on our cable is nothing like the WGN channel 9 in chicago and just at the beginning of october TBS Superstation is no longer on WTBS now WPCH Channel 17 in atlanta. and i believe its the same way with WPIX, WWOR, KWGN and KTLA those channels all once simulcasted its over the air channel to the world now its just a regular cable channel

 

[oaktree]

Cable "carriage" rules will not allow superstation status anymore due to syndication contracts and local news "competition." Blackout rules require only in-market coverage of local news against superstations (for instance, KTLA is blocked on Charter during local "news hours" here in Central California. Same with "network" carriage requirements, with local net carriers getting the "exclusive" to such programming on local cable. Syndication contracts provide for carriage on local signals with blackouts for out-of-market stations carrying identical, hence, the unavailability of "original run" syndication outside the local stations. KTLA and WGN can, for instance, show "Springer" and "Maury" ... but if a local station picked them up, it would be goodbye WGN & KTLA during those hours. Because there is so much "duplicated" syndicated programming, it's not worth cable carriers to add outside "over the air" channels, but, rather, focus on the "tier" programming.

Further, MLB has specific rules, as does other pro-leagues regarding "franchise" carriage out-of-market on "superstation" status signals. With satellite (Direct & Dish) and profitable exclusives to league season packages, out-of-market pro-sports programming is a no-no as well, except for those grandfathered stations.

The Cardinals are still feeling the wrath of fans for the purchase of half of KTRS, due to signal and directional pattern difficulties. KMOX still rules St. Louis even without the Cardinals ... and KTRS did well in "baseball demos" but still came in 4th - 12+.

I'd be curious to see just what the value is to the Cardinals for the 50 percent ownership in $$$$.

 

[tonyincincy]

If the Reds bought a radio station, where would they find a radio sales staff?

 

[xianbroadcaster]

If the Reds bought a radio station, where would they find a radio sales staff?

Well, the Reds are already negotiating to take back selling the commercial time for the Reds games and being in charge of the affiliates.

They have a few people in their front office who are VERY MEDIA SAVVY who would be more than capable of filling a roster for a sales team. I don't think finding a sales staff is an overwhelming obstacle.

 

[nmoore6676]

Also if a local TV station has syndication rights to any program they can invoke the black out on local cable systems even if the showing won't overlap. There are so many cable networks and even with the expansion of digital channels it is very difficult to get clearance on systems in large enough numbers to make it work. For sports events local teams can keep out games as well so it gets very problematic. What happens (I know from experience) is that the cable company gets a flood of calls complaining about the blackout even though the slide being shown explains the reason. People don't love their cable company anyway so why give them more to hate?

As to the REDS owning a radio station, the only one that would make sense is WLW which probably won't happen. Here in SOCAL, the Angels' owner also owns KLAA in Orange and the games next year will be on his own station. The problem will be his directional coverage when even the daytime 50KW signal fails to cover the area with a clear signal, then at night it will be worse at 20KW. Fans are beefing loudly now long before the season begins.

Baseball and any other sport on TV and Radio is a symbiotic relationship, promotion for the teams and the station gets the boost for their overall ad rate. Trying to get capture the entire show and think you'll make more money is not going to work in the long run. I don't think this will be a national trend for teamowners also owning the broadcast outlets.

 

[xianbroadcaster]

Also if a local TV station has syndication rights to any program they can invoke the black out on local cable systems even if the showing won't overlap. There are so many cable networks and even with the expansion of digital channels it is very difficult to get clearance on systems in large enough numbers to make it work. For sports events local teams can keep out games as well so it gets very problematic. What happens (I know from experience) is that the cable company gets a flood of calls complaining about the blackout even though the slide being shown explains the reason. People don't love their cable company anyway so why give them more to hate?

As to the REDS owning a radio station, the only one that would make sense is WLW which probably won't happen. Here in SOCAL, the Angels' owner also owns KLAA in Orange and the games next year will be on his own station. The problem will be his directional coverage when even the daytime 50KW signal fails to cover the area with a clear signal, then at night it will be worse at 20KW. Fans are beefing loudly now long before the season begins.

Baseball and any other sport on TV and Radio is a symbiotic relationship, promotion for the teams and the station gets the boost for their overall ad rate. Trying to get capture the entire show and think you'll make more money is not going to work in the long run. I don't think this will be a national trend for teamowners also owning the broadcast outlets.

I think it is nothing but a plus for an organization own their own signal. Lets face it with the canned programming available coast to coast, putting a station on that can be deliver a core audience, serve as a flagship and local promotional vehicle as well as add revenues to the organizations bottom line is not a huge feet. A station doesn't need to be number one in their market to make money...which is one of the bigger reasons behind why I think the Reds should do something like this.

Ask around in various markets and find out what stations are billing more dollars compared to expense of operation...hands down those stations are Religious Talk radio stations...because there is no such thing as an unpaid minute of broadcast time.

Similarly look at sports talk or political talk stations...they don't deliver as much revenue but they do deliver a core audience that would be valuable to a franchise for promoting their product and the peripheral offerings.

I don't think the Reds are served well by WLW at all...even if they were to buy a frequency they do not need something like WLW an FM that covers Cincinnati would work just fine...in fact, I think if they would be moved to a signal that didn't cover so much ground it would actually help expand their already impressive radio network...which means more money and potentially more local and regional impact for the team.

I do believe that this is a trend for organizations and I think it is nothing short of brilliant.

 

[nmoore6676]

I do believe that this is a trend for organizations and I think it is nothing short of brilliant.

If they keep a network and not go exclusive like Arte Moreno is doing with KLAA and the Angels. Actually years ago the Reds and WLW were both owned by Powell Crosley. In my days in Ohio, the radio flagship was WKRC and TV was WLWT with the Crosley / Avco network.

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

I do believe that this is a trend for organizations and I think it is nothing short of brilliant.

If they keep a network and not go exclusive like Arte Moreno is doing with KLAA and the Angels. Actually years ago the Reds and WLW were both owned by Powell Crosley. In my days in Ohio, the radio flagship was WKRC and TV was WLWT with the Crosley / Avco network.

If the Reds buy a station it isnt going to be either WLW or WCKY because Clear channel wont be selling one of those 2 stations anytime. So the are gonna need a radio Network

 

[rzeis]

Maybe CC would sell WCKY to the Reds. They are not doing anything with it any way.

 

[microbob]

If the Reds are looking to buy a station, I could see them getting 95.7 once it moves to Sharonville,OH which should have a decent metro signal. They could then bulid a network of smaller stations to cover areas in Northern KY and SE Indiana. 99.3 WSCH used to carry the Reds in the mid 80's.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I think a team really needs a 50,000-watt station on its network, preferably as the flagship station. The Reds have had this since 1963. That was the last year the flagship station was WKRC-550 AM, but WHAS the 50,000-watt AM on 840 out of Louisville was on the network for all but a handful of their games that season. From 1964-1968, the flapship station was WCKY -1530-AM and beginning in 1969, WLW-700.

It might be noted that when the Reds games were on lower-powered WKRC, their network of stations was much larger. Around 1962 or so, the Reds had the largest number of network stations in the National League. Even in the later years of WCKY and then WLW, stations in Hamilton and Middletown, for example, picked up the games as members of the Reds Network. I think the feeling among area stations became, if the games are going to be on WLW with their powerful day and night signal, that is where most listeners will tune even in the locations served by those area stations and Reds Network stations decreased. It might be remembered that even after getting the Reds games in 1969, WLW would was airing the Bengals games and whenever the Reds and Bengals played at the same time, WLW carried the Bengals while the Reds games were carried on WKRC. That was true even with Bengals pre-season games. That made it difficult to hear the Reds in some areas of the area, particularly at night. That was the case until at least the mid-1970's.

 

[microbob]

The Reds could be thinking that a strong AM signal is no longer needed, due to the fact that the games are on both XM and mlb.com which could also eliminate the need for a large network of stations like they once had.

 

[xianbroadcaster]

I also think with the HD freq's opening up content of any sort is going to be at an even greater premium...plus I think the HD freq's will open up more local markets to work in over the next 5-10 years.

The point about XM carrying games eliminating the need for a network is interesting and over the next 10 years I could see that becoming more of a reality and especially as auto makers start to add Internet radio capabilities into their models...as that happens teams won't need terrestrial radio at all.