Effect of Consolidation on AM Radio

[TheBigA]

If it was about "saving AM", then the Act should've only loosened ownership of AM's.

But IF you wanted to buy FMs, you also had to buy some AMs. You couldn't just buy the profitable FMs. Which is why the big companies are still stuck with so many boat anchors.

Recently broadcasters have sought to remove AMs from the ownership caps, but the FCC has refused to allow this.

 

[semoochie]

But IF you wanted to buy FMs, you also had to buy some AMs. You couldn't just buy the profitable FMs. Which is why the big companies are still stuck with so many boat anchors.

Recently broadcasters have sought to remove AMs from the ownership caps, but the FCC has refused to allow this.

I thought the idea was to allow eight stations in the largest markets, without respect to whether they're AM or FM. Nonetheless, I haven't heard any legislation being proposed yet.

 

[TheBigA]

I thought the idea was to allow eight stations in the largest markets, without respect to whether they're AM or FM.

Nope. The law is very specific to the number of AMs and FMs.

 

[davideduardo]

I thought the idea was to allow eight stations in the largest markets, without respect to whether they're AM or FM. Nonetheless, I haven't heard any legislation being proposed yet.

Eight is only the cap in the largest markets where the station count exceeds a certain level. Of those, up to five may be of the same service. So you could have 5 AMs and 3 FMs or 5 FMs and 3 AMs.... or a mix of 6 and 2 TV stations.


Before legislation, the FCC has to have a rulemaking procedure in which it is determined how this would be done.

At present, they seem more interested in changing and clarifying the foreign ownership rules.

 

[semoochie]

Nope. The law is very specific to the number of AMs and FMs.

I knew I worded that badly. I was responding to your last sentence. I know it isn't that way yet. IHeart seems to be the main company pushing the legislation. I also know that the cap varies with market size. I just used the largest markets as my reference point.

 

[TheBigA]

IHeart seems to be the main company pushing the legislation.

Actually the main company pushing legislation seems to be CBS. They own a bunch of heritage AMs in Top 10 markets, many doing all-news. I'm not aware that iHeart is looking to add to its debt load.

But the fact is that the FCC has not reviewed its ownership caps in over ten years, even though the 96 Act requires them to do so.

 

[semoochie]

Actually the main company pushing legislation seems to be CBS. They own a bunch of heritage AMs in Top 10 markets, many doing all-news. I'm not aware that iHeart is looking to add to its debt load.

But the fact is that the FCC has not reviewed its ownership caps in over ten years, even though the 96 Act requires them to do so.

Again, the market cap would be the same but if you were allowed a total of eight stations in a market, you could have eight FMs instead of five. It wouldn't be broken down by band.

 

[TheBigA]

Again, the market cap would be the same but if you were allowed a total of eight stations in a market, you could have eight FMs instead of five. It wouldn't be broken down by band.

That's what CBS wants, but it's unlikely it will happen. They're trying to force the big owners into keeping the AMs. Otherwise they'd be shut down or sold off to even more religious broadcasters. But at some point, those remaining AMs will cost more than they make, and they'll be gone.

 

[Ravens]

Many of the stations bought up in consolidation would be silent right now if they hadn't been bought up.

Like any other modern business, economy of scale applies to radio. I know there are many unemployed jocks who like to blame consolidation, but they need to understand that they's likely still be out of work if the small mom and pop hadn't sold the station to iHeart or CBS.

Radio is still relevant and still can be a good business to make money with. It's just harder to do so now. If you're not good, you won't be on the air.

 

[L Chanon Gade]

Many of the stations bought up in consolidation would be silent right now if they hadn't been bought up..

Given that many of these relics became repeaters for right-wing propaganda, it would have been better for our nation if they had gone dark.

The shows and their cynical programmers have helped create an utterly poisonous atmosphere in this country.

These stations and what is left of their audience are in the home stretch now, but it was a lousy way to make a buck.

LCG

 

[umfan]

What would be better for our nation would be to cut so called 'Public' radio off from the public money trough. At least they pay their own freight, unlike the brand of 'poisonous atmosphere' NPR and its affiliates push.

AM is still a useful part of radio. I'm not so sure that so many would've gone silent had they not been bought up. Trying to sell them to agencies from overworked, centralized sales forces isn't going to bring a lot of ad dollars to these stations. Neither does programming them solely off the bird. Local owners who needed to preserve their equity would likely have invested more effort into the stations at least in engaging local businesses to advertise.

 

[TheBigA]

What would be better for our nation would be to cut so called 'Public' radio off from the public money trough.

It's been threatened and discussed in Congress many times, and like most things they talk about, nothing gets done. They continue to approve the funding year after year.

 

[Ravens]

Given that many of these relics became repeaters for right-wing propaganda, it would have been better for our nation if they had gone dark.

The shows and their cynical programmers have helped create an utterly poisonous atmosphere in this country.

These stations and what is left of their audience are in the home stretch now, but it was a lousy way to make a buck.

LCG

None of those stations broadcast anything more hateful than what you post here on a regular basis. But you'd rather see people out of work than live with the fact that someone disagrees with you. Classy.

It's been threatened and discussed in Congress many times, and like most things they talk about, nothing gets done. They continue to approve the funding year after year.

It's not a hill worth dying on for most of Congress, unfortunately.

 

[TheBigA]

It's not a hill worth dying on for most of Congress, unfortunately.

What else is new.

 

[Ravens]

What else is new.

Oddly enough, the Dems would probably shut down the government over it if they had to.

 

[TheBigA]

Oddly enough, the Dems would probably shut down the government over it if they had to.

They're not in control, remember?

 

[L Chanon Gade]

None of those stations broadcast anything more hateful than what you post here on a regular basis. But you'd rather see people out of work than live with the fact that someone disagrees with you. Classy.

Since you are an obvious dittohead I'll keep it simple:

Expressing "conservative" views as long as they have at least some facts behind them is fine and makes for interesting discussion.

Cynically manipulating the fears and prejudices of a gullible segment of the populace is not fine....And that is what I find almost every time I tune in one of these dying bilge pumps.

They've done their damage. They won't be missed

LCG

 

[Ravens]

Since you are an obvious dittohead I'll keep it simple:

Expressing "conservative" views as long as they have at least some facts behind them is fine and makes for interesting discussion.

Cynically manipulating the fears and prejudices of a gullible segment of the populace is not fine....And that is what I find almost every time I tune in one of these dying bilge pumps.

They've done their damage. They won't be missed

LCG

You just confirmed that you don't want people you disagree with employed. We get it. You can't tolerate differences in opinion to the point where you want people fired. Double classy.

They're not in control, remember?

I don't think they got the memo.

 

[umfan]

What specific view has been espoused that has no facts behind it, and on what station?

I doubt this will be answered, and that will speak volumes.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't think they got the memo.

That's not how leadership works in Congress.