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CITADEL DIVESTING 3 LR MARKET STATIONS

Actually, if you read the FCC filing, it looks like the divestitures are anything but a done deal. The FCC filing states these stations will be put into a "stand-by" trust in the event the FCC determines that Citadel, post merger, is a different company, which means it would be required to follow the new market definitions as opposed to the ones it followed when it acquired the stations originally, due to the large amount of stock changing hands or that ABC and Citadel stations would be attributable to the same entity as a result of substantially common ownership.
 
> Actually, if you read the FCC filing, it looks like the
> divestitures are anything but a done deal. The FCC filing
> states these stations will be put into a "stand-by" trust in
> the event the FCC determines that Citadel, post merger, is a
> different company, which means it would be required to
> follow the new market definitions as opposed to the ones it
> followed when it acquired the stations originally, due to
> the large amount of stock changing hands or that ABC and
> Citadel stations would be attributable to the same entity as
> a result of substantially common ownership.
>

or...they're getting rid of junk that they've not been able to really do anything with or affect the LR market with (from my slightly tilted view).

they should put koky on 3 signals and just sell kvlo to someone who has a better idea.

but then again, i'm just a dumb dj. what do i know?

<P ID="signature">______________
*curmudgeon in training*</P>
 
> or...they're getting rid of junk that they've not been able
> to really do anything with or affect the LR market with
> (from my slightly tilted view).

Well, rule #1 when being forced to divest is that you unload your crap first! I suspect some of these divestitures will happen, but there are several that almost surely won't, such as KBZU in Albuquerque (where the 45 station count has already been established under the new rules by the Univision/HBC merger). Citadel seems to be playing things extra cautiously to try to make sure this merger happens as smoothly as possible.

> they should put koky on 3 signals and just sell kvlo to
> someone who has a better idea.

KVLO won't be much because it's too far out of Little Rock to do anything there. Praise FM may not be setting the world on fire, but it's not doing badly for what it is. However, it will be interesting to see what happens to Praise FM now that it has a new competitor in KHLR 94.9.
 
Actually, I'm sure the 3 stations that there talking about are:

KPZK-1250 AM - Little Rock
KPZK-102.5 FM - Cabot
KVLO-101.7 FM - Humnoke

I know that KARN-FM 102.9 is not going anywhere. That must be a missprint.
 
> Actually, I'm sure the 3 stations that there talking about
> are:
> KPZK-1250 AM - Little Rock
> KPZK-102.5 FM - Cabot
> KVLO-101.7 FM - Humnoke

Nope. It's KARN-FM according to the application. If you go to the FCC application search, search for applications under "KBZU." The application specifically states KARN-FM will be assigned to the trust if necessary. It's in at least three places in the application.

> I know that KARN-FM 102.9 is not going anywhere. That must
> be a missprint.

I have to think they want to hold onto it, but, if the FCC decides this is a new company, they're going to have to get rid of 3 FM's. Behind KPZK-FM and KVLO, which are no-brainers to get rid of, KARN-FM would be the logical choice. After all, KARN's ratings have been pretty consistent for quite some time, even going back 10+ years to before they had any FM simulcast. Actually, it might make a little more sense to get rid of 102.1 and move KOKY to 102.9, but KOKY is doing so well where it is, I can see why they wouldn't want to do that.
 
Thanks for clearing that up. I bet that having to give up 102.9 really gives Citadel heartburn. But, as you pointed out, the ratings have been fairly consistent for a longtime, and 920 AM could just as easily carry that on. The only thing though, is that the FM helped out at night in areas that the AM doesn't cover very well. I know for a fact that 920 AM is very weak in the Pine Bluff area at night, while the FM comes in fairly well. Vice-versa, the AM reaches quite a bit further to the north during the day, areas which the FM is completely static. Six of one, half a dozen of the other I guess.
 
> Thanks for clearing that up. I bet that having to give up
> 102.9 really gives Citadel heartburn. But, as you pointed
> out, the ratings have been fairly consistent for a longtime,
> and 920 AM could just as easily carry that on. The only
> thing though, is that the FM helped out at night in areas
> that the AM doesn't cover very well. I know for a fact that
> 920 AM is very weak in the Pine Bluff area at night, while
> the FM comes in fairly well. Vice-versa, the AM reaches
> quite a bit further to the north during the day, areas which
> the FM is completely static. Six of one, half a dozen of
> the other I guess.

Well, keep in mind that nothing's going to be given up yet. I checked the Little Rock and Albuquerque markets, and I was able to find 45 stations in both assuming the rest of Citadel's count is good. KSWV 810 was not mentioned by Citadel for Albuquerque, but I believe it was used by HBC/Univision to justify Albuquerque as a 45 station market. I could also see four stations Citadel didn't count in Little Rock with KQUS and KVRE both showing up in the Little Rock ratings and KLAZ having a Little Rock request line. KQUS and KLAZ also citygrade between a third and half of the Little Rock market while KVRE citygrades more than half of Saline County. Also, KALR 91.5 citygrades part of the Little Rock market and has a translator in Little Rock. So, I could see those four stations used to justify Little Rock as a 45 station market. Depending on other issues, like exactly how the FCC defines being in the market, I could see almost 10 more stations being added to the Little Rock market. With 45 stations, Citadel could at least keep KARN-FM. Also, the FCC could decide Citadel is the same company it always has been, which would mean no changes would be required in Little Rock.

As for KARN 920/KARN-FM 102.9, you're absolutely right. KARN-FM 101.7 was launched to fill in that null to the east toward Pine Bluff as well as in much of Lonoke County. 101.7 never has done much in Little Rock proper. Of course, KARN also doesn't have much of an audience in Pine Bluff and Lonoke County.
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Kent on 03/07/06 02:34 AM.</FONT></P>
 
>
> As for KARN 920/KARN-FM 102.9, you're absolutely right.
> KARN-FM 101.7 was launched to fill in that null to the east
> toward Pine Bluff as well as in much of Lonoke County.
> 101.7 never has done much in Little Rock proper. Of course,
> KARN also doesn't have much of an audience in Pine Bluff and
> Lonoke County.
>

Kent,

I do have to disagree with that statement about Pine Bluff and Lonoke County. Remember, Cabot is in Lonoke county and its a white, conservative suburb of Little Rock. KARN's stable of right-wing talk (outside of Coast to Coast AM) should appeal to that audence. Pine Bluff local radio is a joke with only a single commerical FM (KTRN 104.5), the shards of MRS Ventrues stations (KOTN is off air, and KPBQ is back on with a distorted "dead carrier"), and a couple of urban gospel AM's. Little Rock stations get quite an audence up the road and even here in Star City (both 101.7 and 102.9 reach here, but drop off between here and Monticello)

Of course with programming being what it is, more are doing the XM/Sirius thing.
 
> I do have to disagree with that statement about Pine Bluff
> and Lonoke County. Remember, Cabot is in Lonoke county and
> its a white, conservative suburb of Little Rock.

I don't disagree with what you're saying about Cabot. However, I was speaking of the area of Lonoke County where KVLO is strongest, which is definitely not Cabot. I probably should have specified that. I actually thought it was a great idea to put KARN-FM on 102.5 when it was done, and I would go as far as to say it was probably better there than it is at 102.9 as 920 is fairly weak there, and 102.9 doesn't do great there. The 102.9 signal does do better than the contour maps indicate, but, at least before the flip to talk, it was obvious its tower was south of town.

> Little Rock stations get quite an
> audence up the road and even here in Star City (both 101.7
> and 102.9 reach here, but drop off between here and
> Monticello)

Most of the Little Rock stations, at least the class C's, have a pretty sizeable audience in Pine Bluff. As I recall, it's pretty much always been that way.
 
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