Cumulus buys WFME 94.7

[ansky212]

I really like Kicks 105.5/106.3, as it has live DJ's, and plays a good mix of current and older country songs.
But I do not think it would make sense to simulcast it on 94.7, as the station is programmed for the Danbury CT and Westchester County areas, not NJ or NYC.
If WFME goes country, it should have its own programming, probably focusing on NJ.

Or perhaps 94.7 becomes the main station and 105.5/106.3 simulcast 94.7. I don't know that it makes sense for Cumulus to operate 2 separate country stations in the same market, even with 105.5/106.3 being on the fringe of WFME's coverage area.

 

[HHH]

If WBAI is also sold, I would like to see 94.7 go alternative and 99.5 go country.

Pacifica would NEVER sell WBAI without an exchange for another signal. Never.

Not impossible that Cumulus would (as mentioned) swap 94.7 with 99.5 for some much needed cash to Pacifica, possibly with Pacifica also getting a 99.5 HD2 channel in the deal.

But, who knows? The Pacifica crew have turned down truckloads of money for that frequency in the past.

Although, the past is the past. They are in (reportedly) worse financial shape than ever, PLUS will they still get big bucks for 99.5 in the future?

A sale/lease makes the most sense, but they are liberals, and, well...

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

They aren't "liberals". They are anarchists, iconoclasts and gadflies!

 

[Markd]

Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

My guess will be Rock. In fact I think the best guess is 94.7 will take the intellectual WRXP unit and move it to 94.7 from CBS. I think CBS will lilkley offer this format to Cumulus. Whether Cumulus accepts? Unknown. But that is my top guess - logic - 94.7 is semi suburban. Their signal is still excellent in Manhattan and still good to trhe east - just not quite as far as the rest to the east. Their signal to the west is a bit better though. One station that would be hurt possibly - Heritage Rock station WDHA - Still I feel there is room for both and I do not think that a WDHA listener will leave that station all that quick. At very least 94.7 will be the second favorite station for rock fans. 94.7 will take some listeners from WDHA but also from Q 104. WDHA buys the Morris COunty book twice a year and with a rock format 94.7 will fare well.

Another guess is Country. The fact 94.7's signal drifts slightly west could make them a better fit for that than other FM stations. Country will guarantee them an upper 2 to low 3 share in new York but for New Jersey markets like Somerset and Morris - they will skyrocket to at least the top 5 overall. Plus Country will be an excellent sell for New Jersey based businesses and could make up for what they may not take from Manhatan.

True Oldies Channel might be another option - hey their Chicago station on 94.7 coincidentally has this format overnights and a local oldies format during the day. That could work if CBS FM 2.0 was not doing so well. That also could be an option - CBS sells Cumulus CBS FM's intelelctual unit. It moves to 94.7 fine tuned slightly and for overnights True Oldies Channel. That move is unlikely. CBS FM the Sequel is doing far too well at this point. I also see maybe just the automated True Oldies channel on 94.7 with no staff. Would hurt CBS FM - Overall though I give this maybe a 5 % chance. I doubt Cumulus will go after a successful product on 101.1. Plus demos are too old.

Sports I think is least likely - The national CBS Sports Network would go to WFAN 660 likely and the local version to one of CBS's FM stations - probably 101.9.

News is unlikely after its fiasco on 101.9

Another hole is Urban AC but Cumulus is not known for such a format. I also hear rumors that Spanish Broadcasting System is considering an English speaking Urban AC format for WPAT FM 93.1. The Spanish AC there is failing miserably so SBS may well consider that station for english programming again.

Talk from WABC is unlikely as well.

 

[XCountry285]

Re: Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

Alternative or Rock Most likely I think will occur considering the success of RXP 2.0
Hopefully with 94.7 as alternative, whoever buys 99.5 can flip it to country and 103.5 can go dance.
ANY format can work in NYC IF programmed CORRECTLY! Don't say NYC isn't a rock market or a country or a dance market. If done right it can work. There is no format hole for Urban A/C 107.5 has that covered fine. Plus Hot 97 covers a bit of it.

 

[badjef]

Why not just a directional antenna on the ESB with a null to the east and NE...?
Or they can move it to 4TS or the new WTC when it's done...with a directional antenna.

It doesn't have to be at the very top of the building (master antenna)
it can be rooftop level, about 200-300 feet below the other signals...

I know there's little or no room for a DA at the ESB but theres plenty of room at 4TS for this kinda thing, no?

The antenna can not come down to "rooftop" on Empire. The "rooftop" is the 80th floor observation deck. They have to be very careful where they put antennas on an already crowded mooring mast. The radiation protocols will not allow an antenna to just be put on the mast anymore.

Remember, if one gets fIned, they all get fined. Empire is the exception to just about every rule in the book as a result of its pioneering grandfathering, etc. But it is not impervious.

(It was also the first location for television.)

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[mjb1124]

Re: Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

True Oldies Channel might be another option - hey their Chicago station on 94.7 coincidentally has this format overnights and a local oldies format during the day. That could work if CBS FM 2.0 was not doing so well. That also could be an option - CBS sells Cumulus CBS FM's intelelctual unit. It moves to 94.7 fine tuned slightly and for overnights True Oldies Channel. That move is unlikely. CBS FM the Sequel is doing far too well at this point. I also see maybe just the automated True Oldies channel on 94.7 with no staff. Would hurt CBS FM - Overall though I give this maybe a 5 % chance. I doubt Cumulus will go after a successful product on 101.1. Plus demos are too old.

WLS-FM Chicago is no longer running the True Oldies Channel - it's a completely local Classic Hits format now. So that makes it seem less likely that they would go True Oldies in New York. And from all I've gathered, while CBS-FM does great in the "beauty contest" ratings, it may not bill well enough to justify a direct competitor. Remember that CBS hasn't really been able to take a bite out of Z100 or Lite FM with their competitors to those stations, so would a CBS-FM competitor really be able to gain traction? With that said, 101.1 CBS-FM is also too valuable of a brand for CBS to sell or move to a different frequency.

CBS Sports Radio and a WABC simulcast both sound like possibilities, but Alternative or Country would be the best way to go as far as I'm concerned. Of course I'm more partial to Alternative, but I do respect that Country is a big format hole that would definitely attract an audience.

 

[MCNDRWS]

I'm Betting FM talk ... Cumulus Just Signed Michael Savage and Needs Somewhere to Put Him.

 

[badjef]

I'm Betting FM talk ... Cumulus Just Signed Michael Savage and Needs Somewhere to Put Him.

I suspect he will follow Levin - a fellow Cumulus-er.
(is that a word?)

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[ansky212]

One thing I don't think anyone has mentioned yet...marketing of the new station. Whatever the format ends up being, Cumulus is going to have to be very aggressive getting people tuned to 94.7. This is a frequency that most people don't have any familiarity with given the current format. It's not like 94.7 is already set in most car presets. Most people have probably never tuned to WFME in their lives.

 

[Marckd]

Not unless you liked John McGill, George Beverly Shea, Mahalia Jackson, Brooklyn Tabernackle Choir, and The Pilgrim Jubilee. But no most people while maybe they are aware of some religious station on 94,7 they have no idea of what they are like or what they play. so yes they will have to be made aware of them. Country would immediatly give the station listeners as would rock if it happens the day we lose WRXP. Rock or Country are the 2 best bets for this frequency.

 

[JerseyDude]

Re: Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

Another hole is Urban AC but Cumulus is not known for such a format.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Cumulus Urban and Urban AC stations:

KMEZ-FM-Old School 106.7-New Orleans......Urban AC
KKND-FM-Power 102.9-New Orleans
KQXL-Q106.5-Baton Rouge....Urban AC
WEMX-Max 94.1-Baton Rouge
KVMA-FM-Magic 102.9-Shreveport...Urban AC
KMJJ-FM..Shreveport
WHBX-FM-96.1 Jamz-Tallahassee..Urban AC
WWLD-FM...Blazin 102.3..Tallahasee
WLXC-FM--Kiss 103.1..Columbia,SC
WDAI-FM-98.5 Kiss FM-Myrtle Beach,SC
WYNN-FM--WYNN 106.3...Florence,SC

 

[luperm]

Wy would Cumulus pay for the intellectual property of RXP? Does it have any value whatsoever?

 

[WNTIRadio]

Nope. They barely saw "WRXP" on the station now.

 

[ansky212]

Re: Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

Another hole is Urban AC but Cumulus is not known for such a format.

I don't see how Urban AC is a hole anyway since WBLS already has the format covered. If there was room for 2 Urban AC stations then WRKS would have kept that format.

 

[Radaioman]

County doesn't seem likely with PLJ already competing for that demographic of white suburban moms. WFME's signal is also in a heavily ethnic section of NJ so with the demize of WRKS could we see a new urban player?

When did Country become a White Suburban mom format in NYC? Certainly men would listen if they were Country fans. Not convinced it would work here but mostly everything else is here or was and failed

WABC-FM also seems possible although with it's limited signal I'm not sure it would reach as much of it's conservative demographic as the am signal does.
Who knows really.....will be interesting to see.

 

[badjef]

Re: Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

Another hole is Urban AC but Cumulus is not known for such a format.

I don't see how Urban AC is a hole anyway since WBLS already has the format covered. If there was room for 2 Urban AC stations then WRKS would have kept that format.

Not true.

The demise of "98.7 Kiss" had nothing to do with having no room for 2 Urban stations. It had EVERYTHING to do with Disney wanting an FM stick for ESPN and not owning it. Emmis keeps the frequency and ESPN programs it for 10 years.

It just may be the business model of the future.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Bongwater]

They aren't "liberals". They are anarchists, iconoclasts and gadflies!

MY kinda people! LOL!

But seriously, I kinda think Pacifica COULD make a trade for 94.7. If the deal included LOTS of cash, promotion for WBAI and engineering work over a five year period, similar to a deal with Vancouver, BC's recent frequency swap between CKPK/CFRO radio:

http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?m-1347245492/

 

[ansky212]

Re: Ideas of new fromats for 94.7

Another hole is Urban AC but Cumulus is not known for such a format.

I don't see how Urban AC is a hole anyway since WBLS already has the format covered. If there was room for 2 Urban AC stations then WRKS would have kept that format.

Not true.

The demise of "98.7 Kiss" had nothing to do with having no room for 2 Urban stations. It had EVERYTHING to do with Disney wanting an FM stick for ESPN and not owning it. Emmis keeps the frequency and ESPN programs it for 10 years.

It just may be the business model of the future.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

It was discussed at length how PPM was hurting Urban AC. If Kiss was as successful as say Lite or Z100, you can bet there is no chance Emmis would have killed that format to lease the station.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Just the savings on tower rent alone would help the station, as they can't seem to raise any money with their month long pledge drives.

Let's do the math here:

- CBS just bought 101.9 for $75 million
- Cumulus just paid $40 million for WFME
- If Pacifica got $35 million plus the 94.7 stick, that would leave them sitting pretty for just about ever.

 

[Ai4i]

They aren't "liberals". They are anarchists, iconoclasts and gadflies!

No wonder I want to hear them on 660, 770, or 880 sooo badly.
We love you, Amy :-*