Cumulus & Citadel

[charles123]

Would you keep 2 country stations? I don't think so.

When this deal closes, Cumulus will own 4 of the top 7 (or eight, depending on my sources) billing stations in the market.

I think they're perfectly happy with keeping WBAP (#1) Ticket and Wolf (3rd and 5th if my sources are correct) and KSCS (7th or 8th, again if my sources are correct) and won't care that 2 are both spoken word and 2 are both country. They'll just care about how much each one bills individually.

If 2 country stations added to my bottom line, I'd certainly keep them. And if adding a third country station added to my bottom line, I'd think about adding a third. These are corporations that are in this to make money. They don't car ethat they own 2 country stations, they care about how much money they're making.

Then they need to tweak one them, know what I mean?

 

[amisdead]

Would you keep 2 country stations? I don't think so.

Certainly you must be kidding. Did you even bother to read my post? Clueless. Yes! Yes! Yes! If I owned both KSCS and The Wolf with their current positions and billings, I would keep them both country.

I would also tweak them to be as complimentary as possible. Things like adjusting the program clocks so they are never both at commercial breaks at the same time.

 

[little1]

Or tweak them so they are both in the breaks at the same time. Sync the clocks up, and if Wolf goes to break, and you flip to KSCS, and they're in a break, you're likely to flip black.

I guess that's a discussion for another day. If you were going to tweak clocks, would you rather give listeners an alternative, or close off the alternative to protect both stations current audience from being able to flip to another viable station...

 

[amisdead]

That's a fair enough question, but I see little benefit in lining up the breaks.

Listeners who punch when the commercials come on will find something else to listen to or they will just keep scanning or switch to a CD/iPod. There is no reason to risk those listeners finding an alternative when you can provide that alternative. KSCS and The Wolf already share a massive cume. The listeners know about both stations even if they have a preference. When the transaction closes, Cumulus has little to fear sending Wolf listeners to KSCS at the break, because they'll just punch back to The Wolf at the next KSCS break.

 

[OHTBGH]

1700 will no doubt be sold to meet FCC market caps.

I would break the 820/96.7 simulcast. Since 1310 only provides decent Dallas coverage, I would make it be the 96.7 simulcast --- so make WBAP on 96.7/1310 and give KTCK a full signal on 820.

820 is one of, IIRC, 5 clear-channel (not to be confused with Clear Channel) frequencies in the nation. Full-time blowtorches. And WBAP has a radio history and legacy stretching back almost to the very birth of radio. If anyone in the new combined Cumulus/Citadel company understands history at all, WBAP will not change.

Let alone travel agencies! ;D

And one of them already has one in house. :

-BGH

It's 2011, not 1981...the history is the WBAP brand not the frequency. Heritage AMs on clear channel signals have been migrating to FM all over the country in order to preserve the stations by exposing them to a broader audience. The reality is many people under 40 never go to the AM dial.

The owners of WTOP Washington DC dumped its 60 year heritage on 50 kw 1500 in favor of a move to FM. KIRO, WWL, KSL, KCBS, KOMO are other 50 kw clear channels who have moved completely to FM or now have FM simulcasts.

Aside form KPMZ being a failure, WBAP on FM was a move to get its audience younger than nursing home residents. My assumption, if that is working, WBAP will stay on FM. KTCK is the rare exception of not having problems 25-54 even though it is relegated to AM -- certainly a better AM facility could only bolster that since Tarrant Co coverage is not great anytime and nighttime coverage is terrible.

I agree, though, that the 820/96.7 simulcast needs to be broken. If you're going to simulcast WBAP, do it on something like 93.3.

And if Citadel/Cumulus keeps KLIF, buy or swap the 570 frequency for the 1190 frequency, and put those calls back where they belong. Make it the "Mighty 1190" again, and program something that gives people a reason to listen to AM radio.

Cumulus is not going to get rid of the better 570 facility for a far inferior 1190 one. It's engineering is interesting to radio geeks like us, but it is no longer the 1960s. The growth of the market into a spread-out large geographic area has rendered that a lesser facility. Turning it into a station playing music that is 50-60 years old just makes it a competitor to KAAM, which has a better signal and it's not likely there is enough advertiser demand for two stations aimed at 65+ audiences.

 

[little1]

I agree, though, that the 820/96.7 simulcast needs to be broken. If you're going to simulcast WBAP, do it on something like 93.3.

Have you seen 93.3's ratings lately? I stumbled across them the other day and was suprised. They're up to around 15th overall (in the past few months they've beat both KRLD's, ESPN, Jack, The Eagle, KESS, Kera, and a host of other stations) and if you break out their audience, they're doing pretty well. They're probably 3rd in women 18-34, and I'd bet they're no lower than 5th or 6th in women 25-54, and there's a ton of money to be made in that demographic.

If they're going to simulcast on an FM, I'd bet 93.3 stays exactly where they're at. I listen to them when my daughter is in the car, and they have a TON of agency spots on now. I think Dan bennet finally has a successful station on 93.3.

It's only taken them 15 years or so...

 

[317C50KW]

If they're going to simulcast on an FM, I'd bet 93.3 stays exactly where they're at. I listen to them when my daughter is in the car, and they have a TON of agency spots on now. I think Dan bennet finally has a successful station on 93.3.

It's only taken them 15 years or so...

Dan's been in the market since what, 1984 or so? If so 93.3 is his only successful station. He can't claim any credit for the Ticket!

 

[Triple Fake Jerry]

If they're going to simulcast on an FM, I'd bet 93.3 stays exactly where they're at. I listen to them when my daughter is in the car, and they have a TON of agency spots on now. I think Dan bennet finally has a successful station on 93.3.

It's only taken them 15 years or so...

Dan's been in the market since what, 1984 or so? If so 93.3 is his only successful station. He can't claim any credit for the Ticket!

This is true; Susquehanna was a latecomer.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

And, a much, much better company in general than either of the Fagreed or Dickey bunch.

 

[salemjedi54]

Any ideas on what is going on with the sale?

 

[charles123]

Any ideas on what is going on with the sale?

I heard it won't be finalized until the end of the year

 

[salemjedi54]

Any ideas on what is going on with the sale?

I heard it won't be finalized until the end of the year

So will Dan Bennett still be in charge? Are they going to combine all their operations at Victory? We already know that 1700 will be sold off, but will anything else happen.

 

[charles123]

Any ideas on what is going on with the sale?

I heard it won't be finalized until the end of the year

So will Dan Bennett still be in charge? Are they going to combine all their operations at Victory? We already know that 1700 will be sold off, but will anything else happen.

Far as I know he will be

 

[FlyOnWall]

Are they going to combine all their operations at Victory?
[/quote]

All work on the Cumulus move to Victory has been placed on indefinite hold, pending certain "things" surrounding the planned sale/merger. Construction began...then abruptly stopped. The way I heard it, people from Cumulus and Citadel were not even supposed to attend the same conferences and workshops at NAB...like not be in the same ROOM with one another. Management from both sides is scared to death the DOJ will find reason to kill this deal.

 

[TheRover]

Um, the Ticket is already on FM. It comes in great on 104.1 all over the north half of the Metroplex and I never listen to 1310 unless I have to drive out of the area.

I don't always listen to The Ticket, but when I do, I listen on KPLX 99.5 FM HD-2. 8)

 

[Kent]

Management from both sides is scared to death the DOJ will find reason to kill this deal.

I would think a far more rational fear would be that the shareholders and current lawsuits would kill the deal rather than the DOJ.

 

[longtimelistener]

Citadel management would much prefer that this deal doesn't go through.

 

[Triple Fake Jerry]

I hope the deal falls through as well. Corporate mergers, leveraging to the eyeballs and resulting layoffs have been the death of the medium.

 

[Lazy J]

I hope the deal falls through as well. Corporate mergers, leveraging to the eyeballs and resulting layoffs have been the death of the medium.

Disagree.

Cable... then Satellite... then Internet... then iPods... then Smart Phones. That is the death of radio. People can get their news and entertainment elsewhere. Corporate mergers are simply the result of a business trying to remain profitable in an ever increasingly competitive environment. Simply adding a bunch of local staff isn't going to convince people to abandon other media and come crawling back to radio.

Radio is going the way of the train. Still very useful, but no longer an absolute "must-have". You can't change that, you just have to adapt.

 

[Sgt. Hans G. Schultz]

I hope the deal falls through as well. Corporate mergers, leveraging to the eyeballs and resulting layoffs have been the death of the medium.

Disagree.

Cable... then Satellite... then Internet... then iPods... then Smart Phones. That is the death of radio. People can get their news and entertainment elsewhere. Corporate mergers are simply the result of a business trying to remain profitable in an ever increasingly competitive environment. Simply adding a bunch of local staff isn't going to convince people to abandon other media and come crawling back to radio.

Radio is going the way of the train. Still very useful, but no longer an absolute "must-have". You can't change that, you just have to adapt.



I never understood why radio stations were giving away ipods as prizes when they were new...

"HEY! Here's this great new gadget you can win just by listening to our station... and if you win one, then you can listen to your favorite music any time you want AND YOU WON'T NEED TO LISTEN TO OUR STATION ANYMORE!!!!" stooopid... stooopid... STOOOPID!!!