Connect Bloomberg's radio Boston presence with Michael Bloomberg's Boston roots

[DanStrassberg]

Michael Bloomberg was born in Boston and lived here until he graduated from college. Can we attribute Bloomberg Radio's presence in Boston to the chief honcho's Boston roots? Or was it simply that Clear Channel gave him a good deal on leasing a signal that Bloomberg thought would be good enough for his purposes? IMO, many other markets are potentially at least as appropriate as Boston for Bloomberg Radio's financial news format.

 

[fybush]

I think that's a stretch, and then some. From all accounts, the mayor's been very hands-off at Bloomberg LP since taking political office.

"He did not, however, put his 72 percent ownership interest of Bloomberg L.P. in a blind trust. The city’s Conflict of Interest Board ruled that Bloomberg had to recuse himself from daily decision-making at the company but that he could continue to participate in any talks about selling it."

(http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/14573/index6.html)

I'd be vaguely surprised if Mike Bloomberg even knew that Bloomberg Radio was going on the air in Boston before it happened. And for a guy who's as unsentimental as it comes when money's on the table, I highly doubt that it matters to him that "his" network is on the air in his hometown.

 

[TSBench]

I'd be vaguely surprised if Mike Bloomberg even knew that Bloomberg Radio was going on the air in Boston before it happened.

There is a great clip (probably on youtube by now) of Bloomberg's news conference after the court shot down his supersized soft-drink ban.

A reporter asked him a question..

Bloomberg bemusedly responded..."Who are you? Would you please identify yourself before asking a question"

"Sure, replied the reporter, Mike Somebody, Bloomberg News".

Regards,
TSB

 

[vmorrison]

Michael Bllomberg' moved to Medford when he was a young boy and graduated from Medford High School. In his autobiography, he said it was a nice place to grow up but always a place you know you would want to leave. He recalls that when his parents had enough money to move out of Mattapan they found a house to buy in Medford but had to use their Irish lawyer as a straw to buy the house because the owners wouldn't sell the house to a Jewish family.

Bloombergs mother Charlotte passed away in her late nineties about two years ago and continued to live in that house in Medford until her death. She also continued to walk down to Medford Sqaure each week to have her hair done into her nineties and stayed active at Medford's Temple Shalom.

Bolomberg recently gave a 50k to the Medford School System but hasn't had a presence in Medford or Boston for that matter since he left for John Hopkins in the late 50's.

I think the only reason Bloomberg Radio wanted to be on in Boston is that it is a top 10 market and the fact that Bloomberg spent his formative years here had nothng to do with the decision.

 

[DToTheJ]

@TSBench: Hoisted by his own radio petard... classic!

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

This is likely the first phase of a plan for Bloomberg Radio to buy or lease through LMA's stations in all of the ten top radio markets.

I suspect the next four targets for Bloomberg Radio to acquire of LMA stations on a 24/'7 basis will be Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeels.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I suspect the next four targets for Bloomberg Radio to acquire of LMA stations on a 24/'7 basis will be Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeels.

Well, KTRB in San Francisco appears to have been rescued by whomever is leasing it to run programs in SS. However, if Bloomberg wanted to outbid the outfit that is doing the LMA, KTRB would seem to be the logical choice for Bloomberg in SF. WFED in DC (the former WTOP (AM)), is another perfect candidate for Bloomberg--except that WFED is probably now turning a profit for--who is it?--Hubbard?