Coyotes to Bonneville

[asugeorge1]

Here's a little more detail:

Coyotes Hockey Returns To ‘98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station.’

The Arizona Coyotes return to Bonneville Phoenix with games airing on “98.7 Arizona’s Sports Station” KMVP. If scheduling conflicts arise, games will be carried on sports sister “ESPN 620 AM,”

www.insideradio.com

Doesn't sound much different from what they had 3 years ago. Schedule conflicts go to 620AM with HD2 backup.

No, but it does sound like they won’t get kicked down to KTAR 92.3 FM anymore or the now sold off Gospel 860 like they did in the past with Bonneville (it was weird hearing Gospel music before and after a Coyotes game). The HD-2 simulcast for ESPN 620 is HUGE because now people who only have FM radios in their cars can still listen to the Coyotes on 98.7 HD-2. Also, for what it is worth, I feel like IHeart always under delivers on their sports coverage and broadcasts. They promised the moon two years ago to the Coyotes with the exclusivity and digital streaming rights, but in practice, their local coverage of the team was subpar since most of their on-air lineup is national or a car dealership commercial. Also, the 910 signal was mediocre at best and unlistenable at night in parts of the East Valley when the majority of the Coyotes games are aired. I-Heart really screwed the pooch on becoming the prominent name in local sports when they didn’t put sports on an FM signal or even a translator with valley wide coverage like 93.7 FM.

On the other hand, Bonneville and Arizona Sports 98.7 FM can guarantee live and local coverage all day on a monster signal with preemptions regulating them to the strongest nighttime AM station in the valley on 620 AM. Finally, it makes sense for the Coyotes to be back with Bonneville since that is the home of Luke Lapinski. It was weird hearing him do a show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and then run over to the stadium to do the Coyotes pregame and postgame coverage on Fox Sports 910. With all the local teams back with Bonneville, I wonder if any of the AM sports parking lots will decide to throw in the towel and flips to sports betting radio now that it is legal in Arizona?

 

[KeithE4]

They can't guarantee Coyotes coverage in the event of a three-way conflict, say, Suns/Coyotes/ASU men's basketball, unless they include 92.3 and bump Ramsey, or separate 98.7-HD2 from 620 when the need arises. From what it looks like, the 'Yotes are yet again 5th-banana in a 4-team setup.

 

[EricStein]

No, but it does sound like they won’t get kicked down to KTAR 92.3 FM anymore or the now sold off Gospel 860 like they did in the past with Bonneville (it was weird hearing Gospel music before and after a Coyotes game). The HD-2 simulcast for ESPN 620 is HUGE because now people who only have FM radios in their cars can still listen to the Coyotes on 98.7 HD-2. Also, for what it is worth, I feel like IHeart always under delivers on their sports coverage and broadcasts. They promised the moon two years ago to the Coyotes with the exclusivity and digital streaming rights, but in practice, their local coverage of the team was subpar since most of their on-air lineup is national or a car dealership commercial. Also, the 910 signal was mediocre at best and unlistenable at night in parts of the East Valley when the majority of the Coyotes games are aired. I-Heart really screwed the pooch on becoming the prominent name in local sports when they didn’t put sports on an FM signal or even a translator with valley wide coverage like 93.7 FM.

On the other hand, Bonneville and Arizona Sports 98.7 FM can guarantee live and local coverage all day on a monster signal with preemptions regulating them to the strongest nighttime AM station in the valley on 620 AM. Finally, it makes sense for the Coyotes to be back with Bonneville since that is the home of Luke Lapinski. It was weird hearing him do a show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and then run over to the stadium to do the Coyotes pregame and postgame coverage on Fox Sports 910. With all the local teams back with Bonneville, I wonder if any of the AM sports parking lots will decide to throw in the towel and flips to sports betting radio now that it is legal in Arizona?

KQFN is already airing three hours of sports betting-themed shows a day (2-3 pm and 6-8pm). The irony is that their sales staff/national rep can't get a big sports betting book to advertise on the station (that should keep the station's lights on alone, which is needed for financially-ailing CRC Broadcasting). The bigger question is whether it would be more cost efficient to shut down/neuter 910 rather than make it a sports betting/brokered sports talk station. That four-tower directional night pattern can't be cheap to maintain. If Jody Oehler wants to stay in Phoenix, he should talk to Hubbard. They can afford to pay him and place him as 1060's afternoon guy. Better than running "SportsMap."

 

[EricStein]

They can't guarantee Coyotes coverage in the event of a three-way conflict, say, Suns/Coyotes/ASU men's basketball, unless they include 92.3 and bump Ramsey, or separate 98.7-HD2 from 620 when the need arises. From what it looks like, the 'Yotes are yet again 5th-banana in a 4-team setup.

Is five hours of Dave Ramsey & Associates a day worth it? I'd rather hear the 'Yotes, win or lose.

 

[CTListener]

The bigger question is whether it would be more cost efficient to shut down/neuter 910 rather than make it a sports betting/brokered sports talk station. That four-tower directional night pattern can't be cheap to maintain.

I recall David and other pros insisting that power costs are not the major factor in station viability that radio fans, armchair PDs, etc. imagine them to be -- and that taking a station dark or, as is so often suggested, turning in the license, is the very last of last resorts. Correct?

 

[EricStein]

I recall David and other pros insisting that power costs are not the major factor in station viability that radio fans, armchair PDs, etc. imagine them to be -- and that taking a station dark or, as is so often suggested, turning in the license, is the very last of last resorts. Correct?

It's not the 5,000 watts of power more than it is 910's four-tower directional array. The younger engineers aren't as knowledgeable about those as the previous generations. And, given that it's iHeart's only directional AM in Phoenix and in an area which is prime for redevelopment (Vertical Bridge could easily sell that land), who knows what could happen to the station.

 

[asugeorge1]

They can't guarantee Coyotes coverage in the event of a three-way conflict, say, Suns/Coyotes/ASU men's basketball, unless they include 92.3 and bump Ramsey, or separate 98.7-HD2 from 620 when the need arises. From what it looks like, the 'Yotes are yet again 5th-banana in a 4-team setup.

While I don’t doubt that may in fact be the case again, there is no indication in the press release or from anything else I have read that the games will be heard on any other station besides 98.7 FM, 98.7 HD-2 and 620 AM. Maybe they got an agreement to be moved up on the pecking order and won’t be less than the third priority team (behind the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns). Just speculating, but there is no mention of games being regulated to 92.3 KTAR FM.

Also, if there is a 4 or 5 way team conflict, where will the fourth or fifth game go? Bonneville doesn’t own 860 AM anymore like in the past.

 

[EricStein]

While I don’t doubt that may in fact be the case again, there is no indication in the press release or from anything else I have read that the games will be heard on any other station besides 98.7 FM, 98.7 HD-2 and 620 AM. Maybe they got an agreement to be moved up on the pecking order and won’t be less than the third priority team (behind the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns). Just speculating, but there is no mention of games being regulated to 92.3 KTAR FM.

Also, if there is a 4 or 5 way team conflict, where will the fourth or fifth game go? Bonneville doesn’t own 860 AM anymore like in the past.

I'm not seeing many (if any) four or five-way conflicts this year since the D-Backs' season is over. But, had they been a good team that went far into October, ASU has KDUS as a backup for football or men's basketball conflicts, since the Hubbard AMs carry ASU baseball and women's basketball. In the past, they also bought time on KKNT for men's basketball.

As for Coyotes, maybe they'll use 92.3 as a spot when the Suns are on 98.7 and ASU on 620/98.7 HD2. Or, they could make some games streaming only like they do with the Phoenix Rising and Mercury.

 

[bulwnkl]

I hope they have an FM spot (HD-sub is fine) all year. I won't turn on a stream and almost no AMs make it into my house.