Clear Channel selling LaGrange/Newnan rumors?

[kingcreole]

I hope these synidicated programs on 720 AM are just a temporary fix until an all new budget and line up comes out. The change in programming could be a sign of things to come. With Pedicino gone and the nearest GM an hour or so away, could the Newnan/Lagrange stations be put on the market? I read on the Georgia board, Clear Channel sold a few non major market CC stations in North Ga were sold off.

Here's the orginal post:

Whitfield Communications picks up 5 north Georgia radio stations from Clear Channel. Dalton's 1230 WBLJ (N/T), 1430 WDAL (S) and 104.5 WYUU(AC) along with 98.9 WQMT (country) were sold for $ 3.85 million. Ringgold licensed 101.9 WTUN (clsc Country) was sold for 2.15 million to Whitfield as well.

It was announced that CC would be looking at selling non-core market radio stations so this does not represent a major sale-off.


I know the frequancies in the Newnan/Lagrange cluster are not strong enough to affect the arbitron ratings in Atlanta or Columbus. Yeah, I do know 720 gets to Atlanta, Columbus, and close to Birmingham; however, its not going to affect the ratings. CC really can't do much with the stations except compete with Tarkington and Gradick and both aren;t really big enough to worry about in the grand scheme of things...in the business world.

Since these stations are non-core..that raises the question of a sell off of the stations. CC might be more concerned with Columbus and Atlanta than the hole-in the-wall stations in Newnan...in corporate's eye. If CC sells the stations, it raises alot of questions. Could Pedicino try and buy them back? If not Pedicino, could Chuck Tarkington or Steve Gradick by the cluster (or Gradick take one or two while Tarkington takes the other(s))? Or could the stations be sold indivdually? What's in the deck for the stations?

 

[radionut987]

> I hope these synidicated programs on 720 AM are just a
> temporary fix until an all new budget and line up comes out.
> The change in programming could be a sign of things to come.
> With Pedicino gone and the nearest GM an hour or so away,
> could the Newnan/Lagrange stations be put on the market? I
> read on the Georgia board, Clear Channel sold a few non
> major market CC stations in North Ga were sold off.
>
> Here's the original post:
>
> Whitfield Communications picks up 5 north Georgia radio
> stations from Clear Channel. Dalton's 1230 WBLJ (N/T), 1430
> WDAL (S) and 104.5 WYUU(AC) along with 98.9 WQMT (country)
> were sold for $ 3.85 million. Ringgold licensed 101.9 WTUN
> (clsc Country) was sold for 2.15 million to Whitfield as
> well.
>
> It was announced that CC would be looking at selling
> non-core market radio stations so this does not represent a
> major sale-off.
>
>
> I know the frequancies in the Newnan/Lagrange cluster are
> not strong enough to affect the arbitron ratings in Atlanta
> or Columbus. Yeah, I do know 720 gets to Atlanta, Columbus,
> and close to Birmingham; however, its not going to affect
> the ratings. CC really can't do much with the stations
> except compete with Tarkington and Gradick and both aren;t
> really big enough to worry about in the grand scheme of
> things...in the business world.
>
> Since these stations are non-core..that raises the question
> of a sell off of the stations. CC might be more concerned
> with Columbus and Atlanta than the hole-in the-wall stations
> in Newnan...in corporate's eye. If CC sells the stations, it
> raises alot of questions. Could Pedicino try and buy them
> back? If not Pedicino, could Chuck Tarkington or Steve
> Gradick by the cluster (or Gradick take one or two while
> Tarkington takes the other(s))? Or could the stations be
> sold indivdually? What's in the deck for the stations?

I hope CC sells those stations in the La Grange/Newnan area. Maybe the Mays clan can find some good, solid local ownership.

 

[jsradio]

>
> I hope CC sells those stations in the La Grange/Newnan area.
> Maybe the Mays clan can find some good, solid local
> ownership.
>

Is there such a thing in that area? The main trouble with those stations is their advertisers. Anyone with money to spend is always going to go with Columbus or Atlanta stations. That leaves the smaller mom and pop organizations who don't have enough money to spend to support the station's overhead sufficiently.

You also, of course, have the high turnover rate common to small market stations.

And to answer kingcreole's regarding the syndicated programming on 720, get used to it. It ain't going anywhere. Magic doesn't make enough money to support an airstaff on the Voice anymore, and new GM Jim Martin is not interested in putting anything local besides traffic and weather (and maybe news) on that station.

 

[ssnake]

> Is there such a thing in that area? The main trouble with
> those stations is their advertisers. Anyone with money to
> spend is always going to go with Columbus or Atlanta
> stations. That leaves the smaller mom and pop organizations
> who don't have enough money to spend to support the
> station's overhead sufficiently.

Did you say... overhead? The only staff you really need are sales people; pay them on commission. Run the stations fully automated, and maybe hire some kids willing to work for $6.50/hour. Instant profitability! Leases, power bills, equipment, PRO licenses, &c. aren't all that much.

The problem in my opinion is that the station license itself is probably overvalued in relation to the rest of the capital involved.

If 98.1 went on eBay for, say, $300,000, there would be no shortage of bidders.

A UGA grad student is running an LPFM in Athens himself, and it appears to be very successful. I'm sure he'd probably be making money if LPFMs weren't noncomms.

 

[MCMagicCracker]

Clear Channel's reasoning behind combining the Newnan cluster with Columbus is that both 720 and 98.1 broadcast into the same region as 106.1 and 102.9. With a combined sales staff, the stations' potential profitability is increased. Those two are probably safe from sale for the time being.

> I hope these synidicated programs on 720 AM are just a
> temporary fix until an all new budget and line up comes out.
> The change in programming could be a sign of things to come.
> With Pedicino gone and the nearest GM an hour or so away,
> could the Newnan/Lagrange stations be put on the market? I
> read on the Georgia board, Clear Channel sold a few non
> major market CC stations in North Ga were sold off.
>
> Here's the orginal post:
>
> Whitfield Communications picks up 5 north Georgia radio
> stations from Clear Channel. Dalton's 1230 WBLJ (N/T), 1430
> WDAL (S) and 104.5 WYUU(AC) along with 98.9 WQMT (country)
> were sold for $ 3.85 million. Ringgold licensed 101.9 WTUN
> (clsc Country) was sold for 2.15 million to Whitfield as
> well.
>
> It was announced that CC would be looking at selling
> non-core market radio stations so this does not represent a
> major sale-off.
>
>
> I know the frequancies in the Newnan/Lagrange cluster are
> not strong enough to affect the arbitron ratings in Atlanta
> or Columbus. Yeah, I do know 720 gets to Atlanta, Columbus,
> and close to Birmingham; however, its not going to affect
> the ratings. CC really can't do much with the stations
> except compete with Tarkington and Gradick and both aren;t
> really big enough to worry about in the grand scheme of
> things...in the business world.
>
> Since these stations are non-core..that raises the question
> of a sell off of the stations. CC might be more concerned
> with Columbus and Atlanta than the hole-in the-wall stations
> in Newnan...in corporate's eye. If CC sells the stations, it
> raises alot of questions. Could Pedicino try and buy them
> back? If not Pedicino, could Chuck Tarkington or Steve
> Gradick by the cluster (or Gradick take one or two while
> Tarkington takes the other(s))? Or could the stations be
> sold indivdually? What's in the deck for the stations?
>