Headline: CBS plans to divest 50 stations in mid-size markets. Do you think CBS would be wise to stay in Orlando, get out of Orlando, or maybe get out just a little? Is Orlando actually on the list?
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Do you think CBS has Orlando in mind?
- Thread starter Radio-Listener
- Start date
R-L,
I think CBS is referring to stations that are mid-market (Rank 100-150), most likely focusing on their affiliates in the Midwest or wherever the medium markets for CBS would be. If anything, the downsizing with those stations would end up benefiting the Orlando market and the rest of the Top 50.
I think CBS is referring to stations that are mid-market (Rank 100-150), most likely focusing on their affiliates in the Midwest or wherever the medium markets for CBS would be. If anything, the downsizing with those stations would end up benefiting the Orlando market and the rest of the Top 50.
Well, allllllllrighty then. I stand corrected... AGAIN! LOL Boy, I'm battin' a thousand on these boards!
Seems to be a shame, though, when they JUST signed Sunny on the air this year... hired a bunch of full-timers... and now, "Here's yer pink slip!" (thinks quietly, "I wonder if McDonald's is in need of a fry specialist.") :-\
Seems to be a shame, though, when they JUST signed Sunny on the air this year... hired a bunch of full-timers... and now, "Here's yer pink slip!" (thinks quietly, "I wonder if McDonald's is in need of a fry specialist.") :-\
TrafficMan71 said:
Well, the station being bought doesn't NECESSARILY mean fired... but... well....
I guess the other question is, who would buy? There don't seem to be many large media companies that are hot to buy mid-market stations, and with the insane cost of purchasing just ONE of those stations - it would be difficult for independent investors to recoup their investment within a reasonable amount of time.
Hey now.
Y
youreallcrazy
Guest
HankKingsley said:
(cough) tribune (cough)
It would be crazy to sell a station in a growth market.
V
vadar
Guest
What's so crazy about it? Just because this market is in "growth" mode doesn't mean there aren't still underperforming stations/clusters. CBS radio is part of a HUGE corporation of which most folks in radio have no idea how a corporation functions. From the top down, there are financial analysts, strategic thinkers and other "suits" who will propose recommendations in the interest of the bottom line, period.
Never say never and never under estimate the power and sheer greed these companies possess. Whether they are being driven by their own greed, to save shareholder value, or just heed the pressures of Wall Street, CBS and any other prudent radio broadcasting company will do what they think is best, and no matter what they say, they don't care about you and me, joe listener.
Welcome to corporate America, ain't it great?!!
Never say never and never under estimate the power and sheer greed these companies possess. Whether they are being driven by their own greed, to save shareholder value, or just heed the pressures of Wall Street, CBS and any other prudent radio broadcasting company will do what they think is best, and no matter what they say, they don't care about you and me, joe listener.
Welcome to corporate America, ain't it great?!!
D
DIZ Guy
Guest
Corporate America is great, and so is baked ziti. A list of things that are not great: 1. Russ Rollins 2. Dirty Jim 3. Drunky The Bear 4. Daniel Dennis 5. Tiffany.
Those five things are some of the worst crap that I have ever heard in my life.....and I own the Pat Boone metal cd!!!!!!!
Those five things are some of the worst crap that I have ever heard in my life.....and I own the Pat Boone metal cd!!!!!!!
DIZ Guy said:
You somehow figure out a way to reference how much you hate the monsters in EVERY thread you post in regardless of it's relation to WTKS, morning radio, or any other shred of relevance to the topic at hand. Seriously man.... you have a WEIRD problem with that show. Just listen to something else for god sakes.
Y
youreallcrazy
Guest
HankKingsley said:
used to be JRR...we should take bets on what he bashes next! 20 bucks on Rumba, any takers!? haha
F
Froggy
Guest
All eyes are on TAMPA...if CBS unloads TAMPA...they'll unload ORLANDO for sure.
Just a hunch.
JOHN
Just a hunch.
JOHN
to be honest, i wouldn't be surprised if cbs sells stations here in orlando. i haven't listened to the radio in months, but i imagine it is all still the same.
well whatever, we will see how it goes.
it could be interesting. i doubt they would get rid of sunny or any of the formats on the cbs stations here but then again, i have known to be wrong before.
well whatever, we will see how it goes.
it could be interesting. i doubt they would get rid of sunny or any of the formats on the cbs stations here but then again, i have known to be wrong before.
Lincoln Financial just announced that they too want to sell off their radio portfolio... entirely.
IMHO, it would be smart of CBS to buy LF's 3 station group in Miami... while holding on to West Palm Beach, Tampa and Orlando.
Orlando is market size 34 but bills like a top 20 market. Tampa IS a top 20 market, and WPB is one of the richest markets in the country! Also, WPB would extend the reach of the Miami stations CBS could conceivably buy... converting the south florida region into a top 6 market (population-wise)! Now that would be a shrewed business move.
Hey Dan Mason... I'm available as a consultant... for a nice-sized fee of course!
IMHO, it would be smart of CBS to buy LF's 3 station group in Miami... while holding on to West Palm Beach, Tampa and Orlando.
Orlando is market size 34 but bills like a top 20 market. Tampa IS a top 20 market, and WPB is one of the richest markets in the country! Also, WPB would extend the reach of the Miami stations CBS could conceivably buy... converting the south florida region into a top 6 market (population-wise)! Now that would be a shrewed business move.
Hey Dan Mason... I'm available as a consultant... for a nice-sized fee of course!
Chris_Rose said:
They subsequently removed the ones they had not sold from the market since they did not have acceptable offers.
It's a moot point and question, since LF is not selling anything.
Close, but not quite. It's billing rank is 21, but because of the airline issues, the economy and the tourism based Orlando economy, the billing is very depressed.
Yet the market bills at almost parity with its population rank.
Even a full C from Miami has only marginal signal in Palm Beach County, with the usable signal extending only to Delray Beach. This is why the Miami FMs do well in Boca and Delray, but not in WPB itself.
There is no way WPB could be part of the Miami market as it can never meet the 55/15 rule. Further, an approval of subscribers would be needed, and since there are no signals that cover all 3 counties, everyone would be diluted with no gain. So nobody would vote in favor.
As reported in Inside Radio on Thursday, August 7, 2008:
Lincoln Financial still plans to sell radio. CEO Dennis Glass says LF isn't "throwing in the towel" on radio, but plans to seek buyers for the 14 stations in Atlanta, Miami, San Diego and Denver stations that remain in its portfolio.
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Keep in mind David... everything is always for sale... if the price is right. If CBS wants to pony up on price... they could get LF's Miami stations. It would be a smart move on the part of CBS as WLYF is one of the most profitable stations in Miami and WMXJ is a great compliment to the CBS Radio brand.
Additionally, what are you using as your source on market billing info... Miller Kaplan has Orlando ranked 19 in billing last time I checked. Also, commuter figures between WPB, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami continue to grow... making it very logical to "position" this as a one very big market... giving it a rank of about #6. I'm not saying the move needs to be officially sanctioned by Arbitron, that would dilute the purpose as it would place a cap on the number of stations one company could own, I'm saying both markets could be sold together as one very large metropolitan area in a many that manner advertisers would find very appealing. If done correctly the billing in WPB would grow commensurately. At least one major print publication sells it exactly this way, the South Florida Business Journal. Radio would be smart to follow suit.
Lastly, WLYF and WEDR (both MIAMI stations) do amazing numbers in West Palm Beach. Currently ranked#11 & #12 Persons 12+... these numbers only skyrocket when you break out the target demos of 25-54 and 18-34 respectively.
Lincoln Financial still plans to sell radio. CEO Dennis Glass says LF isn't "throwing in the towel" on radio, but plans to seek buyers for the 14 stations in Atlanta, Miami, San Diego and Denver stations that remain in its portfolio.
***
Keep in mind David... everything is always for sale... if the price is right. If CBS wants to pony up on price... they could get LF's Miami stations. It would be a smart move on the part of CBS as WLYF is one of the most profitable stations in Miami and WMXJ is a great compliment to the CBS Radio brand.
Additionally, what are you using as your source on market billing info... Miller Kaplan has Orlando ranked 19 in billing last time I checked. Also, commuter figures between WPB, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami continue to grow... making it very logical to "position" this as a one very big market... giving it a rank of about #6. I'm not saying the move needs to be officially sanctioned by Arbitron, that would dilute the purpose as it would place a cap on the number of stations one company could own, I'm saying both markets could be sold together as one very large metropolitan area in a many that manner advertisers would find very appealing. If done correctly the billing in WPB would grow commensurately. At least one major print publication sells it exactly this way, the South Florida Business Journal. Radio would be smart to follow suit.
Lastly, WLYF and WEDR (both MIAMI stations) do amazing numbers in West Palm Beach. Currently ranked#11 & #12 Persons 12+... these numbers only skyrocket when you break out the target demos of 25-54 and 18-34 respectively.
Chris_Rose said:
They already said this. And they got no satisfactory offers. Since then, the economy, interest rates, and radio sales have deteriorated, making satisfactory prices even less likely.
CBS has sent a message to investors that it is selling, much of which is likely to remove the company from being considered a significant radio play. Both Lite and Magic are flat in billings through last year, and well off this year. The only strength in Miami is among Spanish langauge stations. There is no way of projecting optimistic growth for either facitility.
BIA. The difference is in the estimates for non-reporting stations, which are not included in MK.
The commuter data can not change the laws of physics. The Miami metro FMs, almost without exception, are on the Gannet tower on the Dade / Broward line. The usable signal (64 dbu within which about 95% of listening occurs) of these FMs reaches only into a small southern section of PB County. While many WPB stations cover Broward, none has a useful signal in Dade, and most don't cover the southern part of Broward, either.
And, again, all this would achieve is the need for approval by all subscribers and that is very very unlikely... no AM would like the idea... it would kill most. Not a single Spanish language station would approve. And the FMs would only see shares diluted by more participants in the market.
It's easy to cart a bunch of magazines anywhere on the planet today. But you can not make the Miami FMs cover WPB no matter how much it would seem to you to make economic sense; when we voted in '81 to combine Dade and Broward in one book, the proposal made it by only one vote back when there was one vote per station and nobody had more than two stations.
You most certainly can receive the Miami FM stations in West Palm Beach. I lived there in 1980-1981 and they came in like locals both in the car and at home using nothing more than a twin lead dipole 4 feet off the floor.
Mike Sheridan said:
Yes, you can receive them... but the are not "listenable" in most of the county. It's been widely studied that FMs get about 80% of their AQH listening in the 70 dbu contour. That is the contour where nearly any radio will pick up a station with ease. No Miami FM has a 70 over Palm Beach County or anything except the sliver at the coast where Boca is.
95% of listening is in the 64 dbu contour, which extends into the county a few miles more... but not near WPB itself.
If you have to position an antena (most radios use the power cord today) it ain't gonna happen.
My point, though, is that no Palm Beach station covers Dace, and only 5 FMs put 64 dbu signals over all or part of Broward, while even the best Miami FMs only cover well a small porting of southern Palm Beach County, so were it to be suggested that the radio maket be extended, it would neither meet the 55/15 rule at Arbitron nor would any subscriber in either market vote for it.
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