Could WSKO or WDDZ be for sale?

[JustinT]

Billboard Radio Monitor seemed to be suggesting (at <a target="_blank" href=http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/top_news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001918363>http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/top_news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001918363</a>) that the Radio Disney and ESPN station groups could potentially be included in the expected acquisition of ABC Radio by Citadel.

If this is the case, the combined company would need to sell one of its Providence stations. Presumably, the company would dump either 550 WDDZ or 790 WSKO. As Radio Disney would likely have a significant role with the new company, could we see the 790 signal go up for sale?

 

[kenwood]

> Billboard Radio Monitor seemed to be suggesting (at
http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/busi> ness/top_news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001918363)
> that the Radio Disney and ESPN station groups could
> potentially be included in the expected acquisition of ABC
> Radio by Citadel.
>
> If this is the case, the combined company would need to sell
> one of its Providence stations. Presumably, the company
> would dump either 550 WDDZ or 790 WSKO. As Radio Disney
> would likely have a significant role with the new company,
> could we see the 790 signal go up for sale?
>
>
>
I would like to see Entercom buy 550 or 790 if that is the case.Maybe another Talker in Providence. Bring back The Buzz and put John Depetro on in Providence.
Look at the impact WEEI has.WSKO is presently being beat by a station that's off the air. Sorry, but it is funny.

 

[webcastboy]

> I would like to see Entercom buy 550 or 790 if that is the
> case.Maybe another Talker in Providence. Bring back The Buzz
> and put John Depetro on in Providence.
> Look at the impact WEEI has.WSKO is presently being beat by
> a station that's off the air. Sorry, but it is funny.
>

Being the pubradio junkie I am...I'd like to see WRNI end up with 99.7fm. That'd solve a lot of their signal issues (esp. nighttime) and it'd be nice to hear stuff in clear(er) FM than staticky AM as I drive down I-95.

Of course, I don't imagine WBUR has the finances to pull off such a deal...maybe if they sold 1290AM but 99.7's Providence penetration is kinda iify, so that might be counterproductive. Maybe BU could bail 'em out now that they've "cleaned house" in upper mgmt (I use the term loosely)?

 

[fybush]

> Billboard Radio Monitor seemed to be suggesting (at
http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/busi> ness/top_news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001918363)
> that the Radio Disney and ESPN station groups could
> potentially be included in the expected acquisition of ABC
> Radio by Citadel.
>
> If this is the case, the combined company would need to sell
> one of its Providence stations. Presumably, the company
> would dump either 550 WDDZ or 790 WSKO. As Radio Disney
> would likely have a significant role with the new company,
> could we see the 790 signal go up for sale?

IF the Radio Disney group is included in the sale (unlikely, from what I'm hearing), Citadel should still be OK without selling anything.

Cross-ownership is defined by Arbitron market definitions, and there are enough stations in the Providence market to allow Citadel to own three AMs (550, 790, 920) and four FMs (92.3, 99.7, 105.1, 106.3). (You need at least 30 stations in the market to own seven stations, and even the most conservative count of the Providence market comes up with at least 31 stations.)

WBSM and WFHN don't count - they're in the separate New Bedford market.<P ID="signature">______________
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[primativeradgod]

> Cross-ownership is defined by Arbitron market definitions,
> and there are enough stations in the Providence market to
> allow Citadel to own three AMs (550, 790, 920)

I'd like to humbly correct Mr. Fybush - Citadel does not own 920 AM but rather 630 AM (WPRO)... 920 WHJJ is owned by Clear Channel...

In any case, Scott's got the entire northeast region to worry about with his website, (which I religiously read each and every Monday...) so I'll assume it was just a typo... )

Still the point of the amount of ownership in the Providence market is well taken. And I also must agree, Radio Disney (the network/program feed/etc) is not in the agreement - only physical radio stations, which translates into at least locally: Citadel assumes ownership and operation of WDDZ, however Disney/ABC retains rights to Radio Disney syndication and programming (if the deal happens.)

 

[fybush]

> > Cross-ownership is defined by Arbitron market definitions,
>
> > and there are enough stations in the Providence market to
> > allow Citadel to own three AMs (550, 790, 920)
>
> I'd like to humbly correct Mr. Fybush - Citadel does not own
> 920 AM but rather 630 AM (WPRO)... 920 WHJJ is owned by
> Clear Channel...
>
> In any case, Scott's got the entire northeast region to
> worry about with his website, (which I religiously read each
> and every Monday...) so I'll assume it was just a typo...
> )

PRG is correct - slip of the brain, though, not the finger! Mea culpa...

There's quite a bit of Disney intellectual property that apparently won't be included in whatever deal may or may not be worked out with Citadel - ESPN Radio, the Radio Disney programming, and ABC News Radio as well, from the reports I've been seeing.

Of course, ESPN Radio and Radio Disney are worth a lot less to Disney without the ABC-owned signals that make up most of their distribution network (Radio Disney more so than ABC), which is why the betting line says the Radio Disney signals will stay with the Mouse.

We shall see...<P ID="signature">______________
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