CUMULUS DIVESTITURE PLAN

[ericjbard]

We see that Cumulus must divest two stations in both Harrisburg and Nashville but I am curious about why they didn't have to divest anything in Toledo.

Toledo they own SIX (6) FM radio stations and then add in Monroe and that number jumps to SEVEN (7). Sure, there are a few that are rimshots of the city, but by far they have way over the limit in T-Town.

What could happen there?

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I don't know the numbers, but I guess Citadel's Detroit cluster is far enough away not to trigger any divestitures.

And that's despite the powerhouse signal of WJR...

Something similar happened to CBS in Northern California. They bought the CBS-TV affiliate in Sacramento, KOVR/13, from Sinclair...but to pull it off, they had to sell KFRC/610 in San Francisco! It booms into Sacramento.

CBS sold 610 to Family Radio, which uses it as its nominal flagship (give or take the need to use now KEAR-FM in the Sacramento market to hold up all those translators). Family swapped 106.9 in SF to CBS, which uses it now to rebroadcast all-news KCBS/740.

 

[Kent]

The FCC dropped using the contour overlap method to determine markets in '03 and replaced it with Arbitron market definitions. I believe the Monroe station, the former WTWR, is considered part of the Detroit market from Arbitron's viewpoint. It seems like it was reclassified two or three years ago.

 

[SonoSational18]

Cumeless can own up to 6 FM's in Toledo. 98.3 is licensed to Luna Pier, MI which is in the Detroit metro where Citadel owns ony 2 FM's, 1 AM, and no TV stations so they are way under the limit. I don't beleive that the Stockton TV acquisition had anything to do with the CBS' divestiture of 610, but rather it was a swap which allowed CBS to acquire the additional FM signal it wanted and allowed Family Stations to have a signal in San Francisco. Generally, commonly accepted market definitions (Arbitron Metro or Nielsen DMA) are benchmarks for station limits and not signal overlaps.

 

[Rusty Muck]

The FCC dropped using the contour overlap method to determine markets in '03 and replaced it with Arbitron market definitions. I believe the Monroe station, the former WTWR, is considered part of the Detroit market from Arbitron's viewpoint. It seems like it was reclassified two or three years ago.

WMIM (the former WTWR; callsign changed last October) did exactly that. Funny thing is, not only are their studios still at the Cumulus Toledo complex, but WMIM's primary coverage area still covers much of Toledo!

It will be interesting to see if WMIM will move up north to the Fisher Building to join the actual Cit-*** Detroit cluster (WJR/760, WDRQ/92.9, WDVD/96.3). I highly doubt it; the Detroit designation should be enough of a formality.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I always get confused with the signal overlap vs. market definition thing, because as noted, it's changed at least once.

I do know that when CBS bought its Sacramento affiliate, there WAS a signal overlap issue at the time, so stated by a CBS spokeswoman (I'll have to find the quote). The eventuality was still something CBS wanted - the full market 106.9 signal in SF - but the overlap with KOVR/13 Stockton and KFRC/610 SF was an issue as well - CBS has full radio clusters in both markets.

ETA: Ben Fong-Torres in the San Francisco Chronicle at the time:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-04-...ation-ownership-commercial-radio-merv-griffin

Infinity, which owned KFRC, had purchased KOVR-TV in Sacramento late last year, and needed to divest another of its properties to stay within FCC limits on station ownership.

Yeah, WMIM's stick is still where it was when Cumulus moved the once-Monroe-licensed 98.3 south and tried programming it as a Toledo station. (The stick is actually JUST on the Ohio side of the border.)

In other words, they're in the wrong place for a radio station that screams "MONROE!!" and is actively trying to serve their former COL, but the market definitions carry the day...

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

MediaWeek's San Francisco market summary for 2006 mentions the KFRC/KOVR situation as well:

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002275812

In other action, in April 2005, CBS Radio (then Infinity Broadcasting) sold Oldies KFRC-AM to Family Stations for $35 million. Infinity divested the station to satisfy a Federal Communications Commission requirement that would let the company purchase KOVR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Sacramento, Calif. KFRC-AM's signal spills into the state capital. In September, CBS also flipped Oldies KFRC-FM to '70s and '80s hits.

Later in '05, Family Stations sold CBS its Christian station, KEAR-FM for $95 million.

The problem with CBS/Infinity hanging onto 610, if KOVR didn't come into play, was that Family Radio needed a home in the Bay Area if it sold 106.9, and 610 is the only CBS signal that fit their needs (and that CBS was willing to part with ).

 

[VODood]

WMIM, formerly WTWR, now occupies the former WTOD-AM air studio. WTOD spun off a year ago or so. (I programmed WTOD...also imaged WTWR and four other stations in the cluster). I believe Cumulus still has a sales office in Monroe.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

On the "My 98.3" website:

http://www.my983.com/contact.php

Physical Address and Hours of Operation:

Address: 14 S. Monroe St. Monroe, MI 48161

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30AM - 5:30PM

But advertisers and job seekers are directed to Toledo addresses and numbers, oddly enough. I wonder what's in Monroe?

 

[xmusicmatt]

On the "My 98.3" website:

http://www.my983.com/contact.php

Physical Address and Hours of Operation:

Address: 14 S. Monroe St. Monroe, MI 48161

Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30AM - 5:30PM

But advertisers and job seekers are directed to Toledo addresses and numbers, oddly enough. I wonder what's in Monroe?

I thought at one point before Tower went 'bye bye' that they talked about having a studio presence back in Monroe again.. Wonder if this is the case? or not.