Could WIND Go All-Sports?

[radio-blogger]

Fox Sports Radio network just cleared the Mike North Sunday night show on Salem's WIND. Here is a quote from North - "I'm happy to be associated with WIND and its great heritage. All I can say is now it's drizzling, but soon there will be a storm."

OK, hate to read into this... but could he mean WIND may go all sports?

WIND barely registers in the ratings with its current conservative talk format and could make much more money doing sports in Chicago. Fox Sports Radio does need an affiliate in the 3rd rated market. Finally, Salem does own and operate a handful of sports outlets?

Possible????

 

[KeithE4]

Fox Sports Radio network just cleared the Mike North Sunday night show on Salem's WIND. Here is a quote from North - "I'm happy to be associated with WIND and its great heritage. All I can say is now it's drizzling, but soon there will be a storm."

OK, hate to read into this... but could he mean WIND may go all sports?

WIND barely registers in the ratings with its current conservative talk format and could make much more money doing sports in Chicago. Fox Sports Radio does need an affiliate in the 3rd rated market. Finally, Salem does own and operate a handful of sports outlets?

Possible????

Would they want Jim Rome as well? I would think they'd be required to take him if WIND signed up with FSR. I know he's technically not a part of the Fox (sic) Sports Radio network, but FSR and Premiere are both Clear Channel.

Or is CC buying or LMA'ing WIND from Salem?

 

[[email protected]]

Do you really think there is enough room for another Sports station in Chicago ? I just see it as Salem brokering time to whatever make them money during these tough times.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Smaller markets than Chicago currently have three all-sports outlets. Seems crazy that WIND would go all-sports under Salem's ownership, but strange things happen. If WIND does go all-sports, it probably would be all syndicated programming.

WIND would be at a competitive disadvantage if and when WSCR and WMVP migrate to or simulcast on FM.

 

[sjs1959]

Smaller markets than Chicago currently have three all-sports outlets. Seems crazy that WIND would go all-sports under Salem's ownership, but strange things happen. If WIND does go all-sports, it probably would be all syndicated programming.

WIND would be at a competitive disadvantage if and when WSCR and WMVP migrate to or simulcast on FM.

Market #49 MEMPHIS has 3 all-sports stations, so Chicago shouldn't have a problem, especially on a stick like WIND.

 

[musicman3355]

This is pretty useless since Fresh 105.9 is on life-support for a year and might turn to The Score if they don't improve.

 

[radioaircheck]

I use to work for Salem. I would say it is not likely they would go all Sports, but anything is possible. In a big market like Chicago, I can't imagine that Salem would give up on the talk format unless the revenue is not there. Ratings have never been important ot Salem. I can't see another Sports in the market unless it was on FM. I thought at one time that WKQX or WLUP was thinking about all Sports. WKQX would make more sense than any of them.

 

[[email protected]]

WIND's Sales Manager is a huge sports fan so I suspect he is using that interest to help generate some revenue. I too believe that Salem would not abandon it's News Talk format in Chicago. In spite of their dismal ratings they're determined to advance the Conservative Republican views.

 

[BRNout]

While it is true that nothing is impossible, I don't see Salem going all sports on WIND; I just don't. They probably got an offer too good to refuse for Sunday nights and that's what you're seeing the result of here. Brokered programming to make a few Benjamins and not much more.

Also, many markets do have three all-sports formatted stations - but, how many markets have three successful all-sports formatted stations? Pretty few. So the payoff for Salem isn't all that big to pick up syndicated fare from Fox Sports all week. I can't think of many Fox Sports Radio stations that are burnin' up the ratings without providing predominantly local programming. And that's even more expensive to Salem than what they have now - much of which is from an in-house syndicator. Again, all sports on WIND doesn't seem likely.

As for the comment on 105.9 - yes, it could end up simulcasting The Score.......but I think it will end up as WBBM-FM (after a call swap with 96.3, of course). All news on FM has become even more attractive than all sports and if I had to put money on what will eventually happen to 105.9, I'd put it on an eventual simulcast of 780.

 

[charlestondxman]

I can go one further. Charleston, the 84th market, has four all-sports stations, all with local shows. None of them are rated in 12+ above a .7.

WIND would make sense as a third sports station. You could have Illinois sports, conflicts from all the local teams, perhaps a Big Ten game of the week, the Wolves, and a lot of other events.

 

[radioguy39nj]

This is a bit off-track, but it bears mentioning. New York should be able to easily support two sports stations, but it supports only one, WFAN with its 50 kW blaster AM signal. 'FAN usually pulls around a 3 rating. WEPN (1050 ESPN), its nearest competitor, doesn't even get a 1 rating, due to its directional signal.

In 2002, New York had three sports stations, the long-established WFAN, WEPN and WSNR (Sporting News Radio). WSNR now does brokered programming.

WEPN's problem is its directional signal, which must protect 1050 in Toronto and 1060 in Philadelphia. Until it gets on FM, WEPN cannot effectively compete with WFAN.

 

[audioguy]

I think it would be a great idea for them to pick up some sports programming. But why would they have to go full-time with it? I grew up in the era of "full service" radio. I'd like to see the return of varied, interesting programming. The closest thing we have to that today in Chicago is WSBC.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Not under Salem, it won't.

I don't believe that Salem has any sports stations left. They sold WKNR here to Good Karma, and their former sports station in Jacksonville is doing something else and owned by someone else now.

My gut tells me they'll just making some noise by picking up a market name.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

In the case of both WKNR and the Jacksonville station, Salem inherited the sports format from the previous owner.

As far as I know, the company has never flipped a station TO sports, and I don't see them changing that in Chicago.

 

[radiolives]

I can soon see Fresh 105.9 going 105.9 The Score as it isn't performing near as well as Fresh 102.7 NY. Also because CBS Radio has moved a couple of their AM sport stations to FM take a look at Detroit and Baltimore. Also they have been started new sports stations in Pittsburg and Boston both doing fairly well.

 

[DToTheJ]

Well, if they don't right the ship at 105.9, they're destined to make some kind of change - the PD himself has even said as much not too long ago.

While simulcasting The Score on 105.9 is an option, I'd suspect that CBS would lean more toward simulcasting all-news WBBM, in an attempt to retain their spot atop the Chicago PPM's. (Look at how successful the KCBS-AM/FM simulcast is in Market No. 4.) But that's a different topic for a different thread...

 

[DanStrassberg]

WEPN's problem is its directional signal, which must protect 1050 in Toronto and 1060 in Philadelphia. Until it gets on FM, WEPN cannot effectively compete with WFAN.

WEPN is co-channel with CHUM but does NOT protect CHUM. CHUM is, however, the major contributor to WEPN's NIF limitation, which is almost surely above 5 mV/m. The situation with WINS and CFRB is different; each of those two protects the other. I think the case is weak that WEPN, because of its directional signal, is unable to compete with WFAN. If you add the skywave from CHUM, maybe you have a case, though. Still, to fill the hole created by WEPN's protection of KYW (and the Mexican border), ESPN LMAs the first-adjacent 1040 signal in central NJ, which simulcasts WEPN. WEPN also simulcasts on FM in eastern Long Island. I think the major problem with WEPN's ratings is content--not signal. Especially in the super-partisan New York sports market, ESPN's rather bland, one-sports-talk-lineup-fits-the-entire-US (well, all English speakers in the entire US) programming can't cut it and never will cut it against smart, locally programmed competition. I think that would be almost equally true even if WEPN and WFAN were to exchange AM signals.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Well, if they don't right the ship at 105.9, they're destined to make some kind of change - the PD himself has even said as much not too long ago.

While simulcasting The Score on 105.9 is an option, I'd suspect that CBS would lean more toward simulcasting all-news WBBM, in an attempt to retain their spot atop the Chicago PPM's. (Look at how successful the KCBS-AM/FM simulcast is in Market No. 4.) But that's a different topic for a different thread...

Good point! A few issues with a Newsradio 780 simulcast on 105.9 FM would be call letters since there is a WBBM-FM (B-96.3), a successful CHR icon. Also, WBBM runs "When Radio Was" during overnight hours. Would they continue that? Does it really save so much $$$$? What about Bears' games? NFL teams only air once a week, so it's not that big an issue. Would the games simulcast on AM and FM or air on AM only while news coverage continues on FM?

If I'm not mistaken, WBBM Newsradio currently airs on 104.3 HD-2. 104.3 JACK-FM isn't doing well either.

 

[radioguy39nj]

WEPN's problem is its directional signal, which must protect 1050 in Toronto and 1060 in Philadelphia. Until it gets on FM, WEPN cannot effectively compete with WFAN.

WEPN is co-channel with CHUM but does NOT protect CHUM. CHUM is, however, the major contributor to WEPN's NIF limitation, which is almost surely above 5 mV/m. The situation with WINS and CFRB is different; each of those two protects the other. I think the case is weak that WEPN, because of its directional signal, is unable to compete with WFAN. If you add the skywave from CHUM, maybe you have a case, though. Still, to fill the hole created by WEPN's protection of KYW (and the Mexican border), ESPN LMAs the first-adjacent 1040 signal in central NJ, which simulcasts WEPN. WEPN also simulcasts on FM in eastern Long Island. I think the major problem with WEPN's ratings is content--not signal. Especially in the super-partisan New York sports market, ESPN's rather bland, one-sports-talk-lineup-fits-the-entire-US (well, all English speakers in the entire US) programming can't cut it and never will cut it against smart, locally programmed competition. I think that would be almost equally true even if WEPN and WFAN were to exchange AM signals.

WEPN has about 50% local programming. They have the rights to three NY sports franchises, the Jets, Knicks and Rangers. As I've noted elsewhere, half the NY area cannot receive the station clearly, especially at night. I'm in the NY area, so I'm aware of the various simulcasts on LI and NJ which only cover limited areas.

WFAN started on 1050 in 1987. Had they not been able to move to the blaster 660 signal, the all-sports format would've died. 'FAN has always had good programming, but if half the NY market couldn't hear it, it wouldn't have mattered.

 

[Tim L]

In the case of both WKNR and the Jacksonville station, Salem inherited the sports format from the previous owner.

As far as I know, the company has never flipped a station TO sports, and I don't see them changing that in Chicago.

Salem's WHKW-1220 (The former WKNR/WGAR) does carry St. Ignatius HS Football and Cleveland State Basketball..Thy'll also carry 40 of the AHL Lake Erie Monsters 80 games this season..They'll take sports if it adds to the bottom line, but they wont flip a station to Sports..