Cumulus is making some changes in Mobile/Pensacola

[Mario500]

I became aware of the stations switching formats by 12:01 a.m. today rather than by 12:00 p.m. after it was mentioned on the WDLT-FM Twitter page on Wednesday. At first I thought it was an error until I found the time mentioned on WABD-FM's Twitter page after it was posted there on Thursday. Later I received confirmation from Cumulus Media of Mobile about WLVM-FM, WABD-FM, and WDLT-FM changing frequencies by 12:01 a.m. on Sunday.

The correct address for WABD-FM's main site is http://97wabd.com, by the way (the "w" was left out in a previous post), but no content related to the station is there yet.

 

[Tibbs4]

Makes sense. Nashville's Classic Hits 97.1 WRQQ unceremoniously flipped to K- Love at 12:01 A as well. I sadly think we got the short end of the stick here, although Crumuluss never had much success with any of the 300 formats on this frequency. Guess none of that, or ratings will matter now. How's 97.5 sounding so far?

 

[trock]

So are they really going to have two urban ac's in p'cola? What are they going to do about magic 106?

 

[Kent]

So are they really going to have two urban ac's in p'cola? What are they going to do about magic 106?

I think they will. As I mentioned before, just because 104.1 puts a good signal into Pensacola doesn't mean people will listen to it. Some of the Mobile stations share towers with Pensacola stations, but people in Pensacola don't listen to Mobile stations and vice versa.

 

[Groove1670]

So are they really going to have two urban ac's in p'cola? What are they going to do about magic 106?

If DLT cuts into ratings and revenue, so long. I'm still saying COA goes to 106.1 to allow coverage of Rush & Hannity (solves the Mobile overlap). Also opens up another format for 100.7.

I think they will. As I mentioned before, just because 104.1 puts a good signal into Pensacola doesn't mean people will listen to it.

Too much duplication on both stations (Tom Joyner, Baisden, Keith Sweat) you will see some changes. Duplication of programming (Syndicated) is about 85 percent.

 

[Poledo]

I don't know why, but I was hoping Cumulus had done some horse trading and was going to have use of the WABB-FM call letters by the time they moved back to 97.5.

Also, with all this business EMF is doing with Cumulus, why didn't EMF contract with Cumulus to run the local stations in Mobile and Nashville... co-locate the station/equipment with the Cumulus' stations.... get the same engineer to keep an eye on it and have an intern make sure the satellite link is still alive a couple times a day. No more "remote" facilities waivers.

And anyone that thinks there's any reason to leave Magic 106.1 alone now that it's big brother WDLT has moved into the Pensacola neighborhood is crazy! Too much duplication of national content and they play the same music.
I'm liking the easy idea of putting WCOA-AM on 106.1 and simulcasting WGOK on 1370.... but maybe Cumulus can pull another surprise out of their asses. The only reason Magic 106.1 existed until today was becasue WDLT had a piss poor signal in Pensacola and people here wanted to listen to WDLT bad enough to rig up two or three coat hangers on their radios.

Now Cumulus surely knows that WRNE is planning a translator at 106.9... maybe Cumulus thwarts those plans by putting a new station with a similar format on 106.1... essentially putting Hill out of business before he can get his translator running..

 

[passtheword]

I don't know why, but I was hoping Cumulus had done some horse trading and was going to have use of the WABB-FM call letters by the time they moved back to 97.5.

I was wondering that myself. That may be the next (and final) piece to this "jigsaw puzzle". It's entirely possible Cumulus could pry the WABB calls away from the Dittmans. All that would really be needed is a simple swap of calls...the WABB calls go to 97.5, and the WABD calls move to 1480.

 

[Groove1670]

Also, with all this business EMF is doing with Cumulus, why didn't EMF contract with Cumulus to run the local stations in Mobile and Nashville... co-locate the station/equipment with the Cumulus' stations.... get the same engineer to keep an eye on it and have an intern make sure the satellite link is still alive a couple times a day. No more "remote" facilities waivers.

A contract engineer is probably in use. With the stability of electronics today, and I'm sure, backup equipment, there is no need to have anything else away from the transmitter site. Why paid the extra money.

 

[Kent]

I don't know why, but I was hoping Cumulus had done some horse trading and was going to have use of the WABB-FM call letters by the time they moved back to 97.5.

According to their post on Facebook, Cumulus can't put the WABB-FM calls on 97.5 again until 1480 is sold. That leads me to believe the Dittmans don't want Cumulus using those calls.

Also, with all this business EMF is doing with Cumulus, why didn't EMF contract with Cumulus to run the local stations in Mobile and Nashville... co-locate the station/equipment with the Cumulus' stations.... get the same engineer to keep an eye on it and have an intern make sure the satellite link is still alive a couple times a day. No more "remote" facilities waivers.

Because they'd have to pay for it! Cumulus wouldn't likely let EMF co-locate with them for free. Right now, however, WRQQ's main studio is still in the Cumulus building. The main studio waiver can't happen until EMF gets possession of the license. It's really not an issue because Cumulus is still responsible for "managing" the station, and the existing management qualifies nicely!

And anyone that thinks there's any reason to leave Magic 106.1 alone now that it's big brother WDLT has moved into the Pensacola neighborhood is crazy! Too much duplication of national content and they play the same music.

You're thinking like a programmer, not a broadcaster. In a sense, I appreciate that. I can't think of a single self-respecting programmer who would want to be in this situation. The problem is this is a business. Sales drives programming decisions. Cumulus would have to shift Magic 106.1 advertisers to 'DLT and make up the difference in the lost money from advertisers who didn't want to pay the higher Mobile rates with whatever format they'd end up running on 106.1. That's a daunting task, especially considering Magic is a top-3 performer in Pensacola!

I will say, however, that I agree with musiconradio that Cumulus will have little choice but to pull the plug on one of them, almost certainly Magic, if 'DLT cuts too much into Magic's revenue. I don't think that's too likely to happen, though.

Something else that could force a change is FCC rule 73.3556, which prohibits same band simulcasts among commonly owned stations if their primary signal contours (70 dBu) overlap 50% or more. That definitely looks like it applies here. Cumulus has, I believe, 10 days to file a waiver or split off the duplicate programming. I believe getting a waiver would be pretty easy in this case since the two stations clearly cover separate Arbitron markets, but I don't see that they've applied for one yet. I believe they could also get around the problem by having one station drop in its own music around the talk bits on Keith Sweat, Tom Joyner and/or Baisden. I don't listen enough to any of them to know if they're locally enabled, or if stations normally just drop in local avails.

The only reason Magic 106.1 existed until today was becasue WDLT had a piss poor signal in Pensacola and people here wanted to listen to WDLT bad enough to rig up two or three coat hangers on their radios.

Again, you're thinking like a programmer, not a broadcaster! Magic 106.1 exists because advertisers trying to reach Pensacola listeners feel it's a good value for their money. You're assuming people in Pensacola would want to listen to WDLT if they could just pick it up. Looking over more than 20 years of ratings history for the two markets simply doesn't support that conclusion.

 

[Rob]

So much for me listening to WABD - their signal is clobbered and going to delete it from my presets.

-Rob

 

[Rob]

I really think 106.1 will become WCOA-FM which will let 100.7 to become a music station again. The flips are NOT done yet. With WABD's signal being slammed by.. 97X? (Why, I don't know..) it will make me think that we were not meant to hear WABD anymore and really do enjoy their personalities. For years, their signal BOOMED here (was thinking this was a station from Crestview until realized ABB stood for Alabama's Best Broadcasters) until about 3 months ago. Not sure what's going on. It's total crap and it sucks. Until this is fixed, WABD has lost a listener. Despite I have an indoor antenna, I'm able to pull in stations from across the state, etc.. I'll get a real antenna with a rotor and aim it at PCB and betcha any money if it's aimed at mobile, the clobbering will still exist.

-Rob

 

[J Alex Bowab]

If any of you have contact with any decision-maker at EMF: a suggestion from someone who owned 98.3 WDLT from 1986-1992 and obtained the CP for its current facility.

I upgraded it from Class A to C2 by moving Quitman Miss from 98.3 to 98.9. This cleared space for WDLT to be allocated C2 in NW Mobile County, around Wilmer. From this site, we would have reached Mobile so-so, and covered a lot of jackrabbits and pine trees. To reach Pensacola as a secondary market was out of the question, but I was willing to settle for south Baldwin County and Jackson County Miss. as add-ons. So I got the CP to shortspace Andalusia 98.1 (to the NE) and WYLD 98.5 New Orleans (to the SW), putting in a DA system with nulls toward the two stations, from a location SW of Mobile. The NE null goes thru a lot of populated area of Mobile, and the SW null slightly hurts signal to the Miss. coast... but it made for better coverage of the more heavily populated part of Baldwin, and still has a better signal to Pascagoula than any other Mobile station has. Indeed, in the 19 years since the CP was built, WDLT has been one of the top rated stations in Mobile, and typically pulled better numbers in the Biloxi-Gulfport Arbitron than the more powerful Mobile stations on Baldwin County towers.

Since then, 98.1 has changed its COL and moved its tower elsewhere; and New Orleans 98.5 went from a C to a C0. I believe 98.3 can now go non-DA. If I still owned the station, I would make that change. It would be a real improvement.

 

[Dr voicetrack]

I'm wondering if 97X or whatever it is, is operating over legal limits? Ever since WABB went off, maybe they thought there'd be far less people who would notice on the east side of the area and powered up? Something to maybe look into since this was never an issue until EMF came in the picture.

 

[Dr voicetrack]

Just looked at coverage maps. WYYX does cover Ft. Walton in distant coverage. WABD on 97.5 really does not. Cumulus moving WABD to 97.5 means the stick moved from Wilcox Rd. to Spanish Fort. That will make a big difference in listening ability to the far east of the area. For Cumulus, this means their properties in Destin/Ft. Walton are better protected and separated from the Mobile/Pensacola signal intended for WABD. So basically, if you're in Ft. Walton and want to listen to WABD clearly, you have to move west or get used to Z96.5.

 

[Dr voicetrack]

Looking again, FT. Walton kind of falls into both. It's a signal battleground area for 97.5 and 97.7. So perhaps it's a combo of what I said above.

 

[Poledo]

The distortion of 97.5's signal in FWB right now is typical summer tropospheric conditions. Happens every year.

Now 98.3 going non-directional... interesting. I wonder why Cumulus didn't think about it? I know they had to allow Hale to short space 93.3 in Niceville to WBLX 92.9, but they bought 93.3 the next day. I would think they would have known every detail about the 98.1 move to Holt/FWB in advance and could/would have upgraded WDLT earlier if possible/practical.

106.1 in Pensacola doesn't have to carry an Urban format to get local Pensacola add money. I was a regular advertiser on Rock 106 but I pulled everything from Cumulus when they changed formats to Urban.. less than a week after getting me to sign on for quite a bit of advertising on a rock station.
106.1 is the best/only FM for local Pensacola advertisers. WCOA-AM moving to 106.1 would be perfect. Another music format would work too... like maybe Rock?
Some Magic advertisers may want to reach out to the 75 mile radius 104.1 covers... some may just quit advertising if 106.1 pulls a format change.. those that quit will be quickly replaced.


Cumulus has just swooped in on the Mobile/Pensacola/FWB television market, purchased all the radio stations, and now they run the show. Never saw that coming. I thought Cumulus and Clear Channel were content where they were.

 

[Rob]

Rock 106 was a great radio station. was sad when it switched.. weak as hell when we lived in ft walton.

Give it a few months - say early fall - for WCOA to move to 106.1 and 100.7 to either be a classic rock format as that's the only smart thing to do. DO we have any real classic rockers here? The closest ones is 95.3. Not sure where that broadcasts from and 96.1 the rocket

I have a feeling they will try a "Steve-FM we play everything" type format

We will be watching their next move.. if any Cumulus exec's are reading this - we could really use a classic rock station here.(hint, hint..) or a variety station - I really miss Journey 100 and listened to that a lot. Sad you pulled the plug on it..

and moving coast to coast off your stations was a BAD idea - at least I got to hear Kim Kommando today (smart move)

-Rob

 

[tomservo]

The Rocket is a classic rock station, it's just that classic rock has migrated to include 80s hair music that I hate. 95.3 does seem to stick to the 60s/70s classics late at night. It's a Biloxi market station.

 

[Kent]

106.1 in Pensacola doesn't have to carry an Urban format to get local Pensacola add money.

The current format is a top-3 performer in a market that's 17% African-American. Is it possible Cumulus could make money running something else? Of course it is, but replacing the kind of money Magic generates wouldn't be easy.

I was a regular advertiser on Rock 106 but I pulled everything from Cumulus when they changed formats to Urban.. less than a week after getting me to sign on for quite a bit of advertising on a rock station.

I suspect the clientele you wanted was considerably different than what Cumulus decided would make them better money. If you advertise, I'm sure you know Rock 106 skewed male. The current format skews heavily female and slightly older than the typical rock station. The urban AC format on Magic also skews roughly 90% black while Rock 106 got an even greater percentage of whites. I would guess whatever product you were advertising had minimal female appeal and even less black female appeal. If that's the case, you did the right thing pulling your spots off 'RRX!

106.1 is the best/only FM for local Pensacola advertisers. WCOA-AM moving to 106.1 would be perfect.

106.1 is about the only commercial Pensacola FM that doesn't reach at least parts of Mobile, though WYCT, which gets a higher ratings share only citygrades about 1/3 of Mobile. The best Pensacola FM for advertisers, however, is the one that will deliver the best results for your business!

Some Magic advertisers may want to reach out to the 75 mile radius 104.1 covers...

Not going to happen. Spot radio has never been bought regionally. Those who have wanted to reach the urban AC target audience in both Mobile and Pensacola have had to advertise on two stations for years and will likely continue to have to advertise on both stations, even with the improved signal for WDLT. Trying to reach Pensacola listeners on a Mobile station isn't likely to be successful, even if the station citygrades both. As I've mentioned before, if 104.1 pulls high numbers in both Mobile and Pensacola, it will be the first station in more than 20 years to accomplish that. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it!

some may just quit advertising if 106.1 pulls a format change.. those that quit will be quickly replaced.

I don't see how you can easily or quickly replace advertisers on a station when it was in the top-3. Even if you can get the same number of advertisers, I don't see how you can charge the same or higher rates.

Cumulus has just swooped in on the Mobile/Pensacola/FWB television market, purchased all the radio stations, and now they run the show. Never saw that coming. I thought Cumulus and Clear Channel were content where they were.

I worked for a small cluster that was reasonably successful in '04 when Cumulus swooped in and bought us for almost $40 million. I actually found out by reading the trades online that morning before the team was even officially told! Everyone was literally told just minutes in advance to go to the conference room at 9 AM for an important announcement, and we were told we'd been sold. It was obvious something strange was happening, though, as I worked the weekend before the announcement, and there were lots of managers in and around the building. Coming in on Sunday night a little before 9, I saw one of our sales managers with two people I didn't recognize. Turns out, he was the one Cumulus appointed market manager while the other two were corporate people.

 

[Kent]

Give it a few months - say early fall - for WCOA to move to 106.1 and 100.7 to either be a classic rock format as that's the only smart thing to do. DO we have any real classic rockers here? The closest ones is 95.3. Not sure where that broadcasts from and 96.1 the rocket

If Cumulus thought the programming duplication on 104.1 and 106.1 was a bad thing, why didn't it switch at 12:01 with WABD and WDLT? They've known for at least two months that they were going to do this. The filings at the FCC prove it as they stated 97.5 would be operating as a commercial station on May 14. If a change is planned, it will be days, not months!

If Cumulus is planning to merge 'RRX with 'DLT, Magic should already be announcing these plans. Remember, they only get 10 days or so to file for a waiver from 73.3556. If they're not announcing it, they're either filing a waiver or tweaking the presentation while keeping the existing format.