http://radioinsight.com/blog/headli...ning-all-news-in-la-atlanta-minneapolis-more/
KGO is basically the canary in the Radio mine. or lab mice.
KGO is basically the canary in the Radio mine. or lab mice.
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Cumulus plans to spread all-news to other markets.
- Thread starter recto101
- Start date
recto101 said:
Carefully reading the article reveals that the only fact in it is that someone "anonymously registered domain names using (Cumulus') usual registrar." Everything else is the author trying to connect dots that may or may not exist. Got a few bucks? Look up Cumulus' registrar and use them to register "deathmetal955.com". You'll have created something with the same factual weight as is in that article, but I doubt that they'll run with the story that Cumulus is flipping KLOS to death metal.
Would Cumulus dare to blow up WPLJ for All News 95.5? Think of this. 'PLJ isn't strong in the overall NY market ratings, but does extremely well in Middlesex-Somerset-Union NJ. If Cumulus flips KLOS 95.5 in LA to all-news, they'll effectively shut Merlin out of the market before they even get in.
A flip of WPLJ to All News 95.5 could be a final body blow to Merlin in NY. Cumulus would then have All News 95.5 in NY and LA. Lew Dickey has probably thought about that. 'PLJ is currently the 3rd AC station behind CBS' Fresh and CC's Lite, so perhaps a flip isn't so far fetched.
A flip of WPLJ to All News 95.5 could be a final body blow to Merlin in NY. Cumulus would then have All News 95.5 in NY and LA. Lew Dickey has probably thought about that. 'PLJ is currently the 3rd AC station behind CBS' Fresh and CC's Lite, so perhaps a flip isn't so far fetched.
No doubt, Cumulus would like PLJ to be doing better in the ratings, but it still has 2.5-million listeners a week, and has been reported to do well in the revenue area because of the "quality" of its soccer mom audience. It is also the only FM that Cumulus owns in the market.
Also, no doubt that Cumulus has been looking at the same marketing and demographic projections that Merlin was looking at a year ago, and sees the same pot of gold at the end of that All News rainbow. It will be interesting to see how well it does in other markets where it is testing the all news waters.
One possibility, surprisingly not discussed here, is Cumulus being one of the bidders for WFME. It is the only really big national radio owner not maxed out in New York. It would be interesting, but not likely, if Cumulus bought that stick and switched it to all news to try to claim that ground in NY, meanwhile you have Merlin, and CBS would have to respond by simulcasting one of its all newers on FM just to protect its future target audience. Until they knocked each other off, you could have three all newers on FM and two on AM. That's why I don't think Cumulus will try this in NY now.
There may be some national major market all news chess game starting with three players, Merlin trying to start up in as many big markets as it can afford, Cumulus trying to capture what ground it can in places where it already has under performing stations, and CBS trying to protect its local all news dynasties in places where it suddenly has FM challengers.
No doubt, Cumulus has been watching Merlin's lack of success, but still seems interested in pursuing the same path, given all the other formats choices it has for FM stations. Those marketing projections these folks are all looking at must be pretty impressive.
Nothing like pure speculation. Merlin is the prime example of... If you build it, THEY WON'T COME!!! Why would Cumulost want to follow that parachute? Or even CBS for that matter? 101.9 should actually go back to the format that was the most successful on that frequency. (I'll let you guess...)
radioguy39nj said:Would Cumulus dare to blow up WPLJ for All News 95.5? Think of this. 'PLJ isn't strong in the overall NY market ratings, but does extremely well in Middlesex-Somerset-Union NJ. If Cumulus flips KLOS 95.5 in LA to all-news, they'll effectively shut Merlin out of the market before they even get in.
A flip of WPLJ to All News 95.5 could be a final body blow to Merlin in NY. Cumulus would then have All News 95.5 in NY and LA. Lew Dickey has probably thought about that. 'PLJ is currently the 3rd AC station behind CBS' Fresh and CC's Lite, so perhaps a flip isn't so far fetched.
In San Francisco CBS and Cumulus blocked Merlin from entering the market by having KCBS on 106.9 and KGO removing talk hosts on the weekdays except for Ronn Owens. I know Gil Gross and the other KGO hosts have to go on the same station as Rush on 910 AM. But then in San Francisco Cumulus runs 2 Sports stations in the market KNBR 680/1050 and they are very successful. I think Cumulus is preparing a post Rush era. But then In San Francisco Cumulus managed to Run 2 Rock stations AAA KFOG and Alternative/Classic Rock KSAN very well. This same company manages to run 2 Talk Stations KSFO and KGO. Look in SFO CC runs 2 talk stations KKSF and KNEW and 2 Oldies stations KISQ and KOSF. I know at one time CC ran 2 rap stations in the SF market KMEL and KYLD.
But wait woudn't all the cumulus stations that are planning to flip to all-news have to use the same brand like KGO and KLIF "News and Information Station"
recto101 said:
KGO added back talk noon-2pm and 10pm-mid. So they're news from 4-9am, 2-10pm. On weekends it's all talk, except news on Saturday from 5-10am.
KLIF in Dallas is news 6-10am, 4-6pm Mon-Fri only, the rest is talk.
So Cumulus isn't doing all-news in either of these markets. And I can't see them doing it anywhere, it's too expensive. The news departments were already in place in SF and Dallas. In Dallas, they have two news-talk stations, KLIF and WBAP, and it appears neither is running the Huckabee or Geraldo talk shows, either.
jh said:
I know Karel, Brian Copeland, Tim Montemayor has the weekend Talk. I know KSFO is Cumulus other talk station in the SFO market. I know KGO tends to carry more features segments like profiles of Bay Area Community leaders and innovators and more Weekend Festivals segments in its news cycles than KCBS. KCBS is more focused on headlines and hard news in the market. I know KCBS only does talk or Public affairs on Sunday's called "KCBS In Depth" and CBS 60 Minutes and Face the Nation. I do hear KCBS does features on the Weekend with Narcy David's cooking mainly on the Midday hours on that station.
I listen to PLJ for the DJ's ... Scott and Todd first, Rocky Allen when he was on.. I like actual shows to listen too, not short intermissions that last a minute and then more of the same old music and commercials. If they flipped to all news, I bet they'd loose half their audience...as if we don't have enough news on TV as it is, from 4-8AM, 12PM, then 4-6PM. Lazy programing...
Merlin is not likely to want to sell 101.9 anytime soon, they are still in major market "acquisition" mode. They just took over an FM station in Philly. You never know, Cumulus could make an offer to buy all of Merlin at some point down the road, but that is probably several years away, and would depend on circumstances nobody can predict.
If Merlin puts Rush on 101.9, it will mean it has given up on the idea of doing all news aimed at a younger audience, and someone else may try all news on FM. It is not a matter of "if" it is only a matter of "when."
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