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Cox Exiting Greenville?

It is somewhat disappointing that Cox is leaving Greenville, as recently they are doing some interesting programming with their translators, such as Chuck FM and the soon speculated talk station. I wonder if those translators will remain? And in neighboring Charlotte, they own the top rated WSOC-TV Channel 9 television station, but they sold their country music station WSOC-FM 103 a number of years ago, to CBS Radio. I wonder if CBS would consider buying the Cox stations here?
 
Actually, Cox sold their Charlotte station to EZ Communications. It was a swap of WSOC to EZ for EZ's WHQT in Miami. CBS only entered the picture after American Radio Systems bought EZ only to turn around and sell to CBS a year or two later.
 
tylerSC said:
It is somewhat disappointing that Cox is leaving Greenville, as recently they are doing some interesting programming with their translators, such as Chuck FM and the soon speculated talk station. I wonder if those translators will remain? And in neighboring Charlotte, they own the top rated WSOC-TV Channel 9 television station, but they sold their country music station WSOC-FM 103 a number of years ago, to CBS Radio. I wonder if CBS would consider buying the Cox stations here?
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Seeing what they've put in to the translators, and that one already has a good following, I don't see why a potential buyer would get rid of them as long as they don't mind leasing them (not sure why Cox didn't just buy them). Everything's already set up. Chuck is probably generating some decent pocket change, they do nothing but add value to the two main signals. I have lower expectations in the long term, though, for the speculated talk station once Cox gets out of the picture.

I highly doubt CBS would be interested in Greenville. They've spent the last decade moving out of medium-sized markets and focusing on large ones.
 
whopper said:
Why did Cox announce this without buyers? That is very odd. Usually these deals are done very quietly with a big announcement when it's all done. Does this signal Cox struck out with big companies and are showing a willingness to parcel these signals out individually?
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That was my initial thought.
 
They haven't expanded in a long time, but I wonder if Saga would be interested in some of the properties. They have a few stations in Asheville.
 
CrazeeCarroll1 said:
Maybe Saga or Town Square would wanna give it a go... CC1
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Maybe Greater Media could expand somewhat. They could have a talk station (on 98.5) like whats on WBT.
I'm for either Greater Media or CC buying the Greenville stations. ;)
 
Well I was looking forward to Neal Boortz and Clark Howard on 98.5 if the predicted Cox talk translator comes to pass. And they would probably carry Sean Hannity as well. But from Greater Media, I like Bob and Sheri on 107.9 and Brad and Britt on 99.3 WBT.
 
A talk station could still carry Neal Boortz (who is retiring soon) or Clark Howard if they wanted to. Hannity is on WORD weeknights 8-11. I just have very low expectations for it once Cox gets out of the picture.

Personally, I wish Hot 98.1 would transition to at least a rhythmic leaning CHR instead of full Rhythmic CHR (that seems exceptionally rap heavy). Rhythmic CHR isn't a huge format right now anyway. It would be really nice to have an alternative to B93.7.
 
carolinaradio said:
Personally, I wish Hot 98.1 would transition to at least a rhythmic leaning CHR instead of full Rhythmic CHR (that seems exceptionally rap heavy). Rhythmic CHR isn't a huge format right now anyway. It would be really nice to have an alternative to B93.7.
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I wouldn't mind that just so that B93.7 may be a more rock-friendly CHR.
 
I'm sorry Boortz is retiring. I like his liberterian approach, as he is fiscally conservative but socially liberal. And he is very articulate and engaging, with his viewpoints backed by legal expertise. I wish they could talk him into cutting back to just 2 hours a day instead of leaving. I will be less likely to listen to his replacement Herman Cain.
 
Well,...well,...well...the GSP market finally gets shed of the weighted Arbitron mess that has headered the ratings, since the late eighties;
for now. The real pucker factor is betwixed(southern term) Entercom, and Clear Channel...because each of them are well aware of the fact that 107.3 is a Smoke Blowin' Cash Monster! So, how do we buy it when it is actually on the block? Heaven forbid some ouside, rich as chicken manure, independent...acquire ownership.
As for the departing of Cox from this market, one can read-in or out any slice of WHY, but still,...it can only be good for us here!
 
Since Jamz seems to be a mega cash cow and Hot could be like the little brother you have to take to the movies would Magic Johnson's group be interested. I have not been keeping up with the goings of them and ICCB in Columbia, but wonder would that be a possibility. Those stations seems to fit the mold of what Magic and his company seems to be buying and with JAMZ making the money it does this could be a win win situation... CC1
 
That's a good suggestion, Carroll. For now, Cox is wanting to sell everything together, so I don't know if Magic and co. would have the $$ or interest for all 6 clusters - but if they couldn't find a buyer for all and started selling a la carte, they may be interested in certain clusters if they are interested in expanding.

I agree about Boortz. I don't think Herman Cain will be nearly as successful as Neal has been. I notice that 1600 WFIS in Fountain Inn is still carrying Boortz and Clark Howard. Unless Cox somehow cancelled the contracts, I don't know how they could continue to carry those shows if 98.5 goes talk as 1600 is in the market.
 
I still don't understand why Cox moved forward -- or so it seems -- with planning a talk station on 98.5 if they knew (and surely they did) that they were planning to sell off stations in the market. I seriously don't see how an unproven talk station is really going to add value to the sale. Particularly when it's in a market with a high-rated talker to begin with.
 
awp69 said:
I still don't understand why Cox moved forward -- or so it seems -- with planning a talk station on 98.5 if they knew (and surely they did) that they were planning to sell off stations in the market. I seriously don't see how an unproven talk station is really going to add value to the sale. Particularly when it's in a market with a high-rated talker to begin with.
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It was mentioned somewhere in the 98.5 thread...the idea for the translators, in addition to adding value, is to keep other formats down in order to help make JAMZ look better. 97.7 to keep 98.9 (and 102.5 to some extent) down and if 98.5 goes talk, to keep 106.3 down. I don't see WORD as a threat to JAMZ though - #10 in 25-54 (only Chuck and Shine behind it) and not a massive 12+ showing. I'd target WROQ more than WORD, they are much stronger.

I don't see any potential talker, especially one run from a broom closet, impacting WORD, as terrible as it is. At all. Maybe they didn't know about the sale...who knows. I find that hard to believe. I don't think talk is the best choice, should that be the format.
 
I went to the talk985.com website and now notice that the countdown ends at 12pm in 12 days, not 6am. Not sure what that means, if anything, but thought it was worth pointing out.

If it's going to be a talk station, and Cox planned on carrying their own Neal Boortz as speculated, it doesn't seem like they'd launch in the middle of his show (doesn't it go off at 1pm?)...guessing they would carry it live. I wonder if this is a smokescreen for something else. Don't see how they could have enough shows to carry.
 
Well,...Marv, hand me my Hagglin' Hat, and the wooden gabel...so we can start the bidding on these creampuff properties. How much do you think 107.3 FM will go for? 98.1 FM?
 
As far as signal, 107.3 is worth a lot, I'd think. 98.1, not so much. Good C0 signal but it doesn't cover the market as well. Nothing has been sold here in a while, so there's nothing to really go by, but Entercom paid $45mil in 2005 (of course, properties were worth much more then) for 93.3 (C), 101.1 (C1), and 106.3 (C3).

I would think the programming on WJMZ HD2 (TBA) and WJMZ HD3 (Chuck FM) help add value to the 107.3 signal. The 94.1, 97.7, and 98.5 signals are leased so they aren't included in the deal.
 
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