Entercom buys WBEB

[Gunsmoke]

OGL HD2 70's is back, I was wondering if TDY HD2 would work on the main signal, live alternative tunes, plus the regular cuts. Just revamp and update it somewhat.

 

[TheBigA]

OGL HD2 70's is back, I was wondering if TDY HD2 would work on the main signal, live alternative tunes, plus the regular cuts. Just revamp and update it somewhat.

As others have said, WRFF has that format handled. There's not enough money to split over two stations. The country format could accommodate it better. Several radio stations I know have tried live cuts, and listeners prefer the versions they know.

 

[Gunsmoke]

Doesn't LA and a few large metros have more than one Alternative, and some have more counting rimshots, which the Philly market has no Alternative rimshots, 104.5 has the audience all to themselves. Wasn't there a time when Y-100 and DRE co-existed together.

 

[TheBigA]

Doesn't LA and a few large metros have more than one Alternative

Sure, and in LA, Entercom with heritage KROQ is being beaten by iHeart's KYSR. Not sure that Entercom wants to get beaten twice.

Tom Taylor in his newsletter suggests that Entercom's CEO David Field has a personal affinity for the alternative format. But the issue still is money, and AC will make more than alternative. My sense is that they will do in Philly what they're doing with WNEW in NYC.

 

[davideduardo]

Sure, and in LA, Entercom with heritage KROQ is being beaten by iHeart's KYSR. Not sure that Entercom wants to get beaten twice.

Tom Taylor in his newsletter suggests that Entercom's CEO David Field has a personal affinity for the alternative format. But the issue still is money, and AC will make more than alternative.

And the LA lesson is that KROQ is a true heritage station, and it took KYSR over 20 years from its original "female-targeted Alternative" in the 90's to finally be a major challenger.

KROQ seems to be reasserting itself in June, beating KYSR in key demos. Local market chatter seems to indicate that the uncertainties of the sale are now in the past and the station is well focused now.

 

[davideduardo]

Doesn't LA and a few large metros have more than one Alternative, and some have more counting rimshots, which the Philly market has no Alternative rimshots, 104.5 has the audience all to themselves. Wasn't there a time when Y-100 and DRE co-existed together.

Again, WRFF, with years of good numbers is still the lowest billing full FM signal in the market. Split that in half, and the billing will be unsustainable.

 

[davideduardo]

If you want to reach listeners under 55, you gotta be where they hang out...and that aint Ancient Modulation. Kudos to Hubbard for trying all digital on their Frederick, MD station, but pretty much everyone who advertisers want has abandoned the ship.

The issue today, beyond the band, is the viability of the format itself among younger-than-50 listeners.

...and add KCBS to that list with their simulcast on 106~nine. It's a 50kw on 7~Forty, but they knew they had to be on FM.

And, again, they were forced to add FM due to the huge success of KQED in a format that time buyers would compare to KCBS, even if they could not buy conventional spots on it!

 

[TheBigA]

And, again, they were forced to add FM due to the huge success of KQED in a format that time buyers would compare to KCBS, even if they could not buy conventional spots on it

Which brings to mind why is WHYY underperforming in Philadelphia. My thought is too much talk, too little news. Perhaps replace some of the talk shows and add more real news.

 

[pjc1961]

I always forget the ownership cap numbers. Entercom will have 94.1, 96.5, 98.1, 101.1, 1060, and 1210. So maybe for $$. Why not drop 96.5 if they were required to get rid of an FM?

Why is Entercom selling XTU? With More, they would be at 5 FMs. Perhaps for the cash?

Exactly. The goal, according to the release, was to make the transaction "leverage neutral." That's why they sold a station. And they had a willing buyer for XTU.

Revisiting this from 7/19 (the original announcement), as BigA mentioned, the "phrase that pays" is in a summarizing story on InsideRadio.com:

Entercom could have hung onto WXTU and still remained within the FCC’s current local ownership caps. But with revenue giants like sports WIP-FM, news KYW and WOGL in its hometown cluster, keeping all five FMs could have put it over the Department Of Justice’s 40% revenue threshold.

Getting $38 million for WXTU means Entercom will have only shelled out $19 million when both deals close to get its hands on the market’s crown jewel. That may look more appealing on Wall Street, which showed displeasure over Entercom’s first quarter financial results and may not want to see it taking on more debt so soon after acquiring CBS Radio.

Full article: http://www.insideradio.com/entercom...cle_7973b566-8bea-11e8-aaac-ef663f46b7a9.html

 

[AMRocks]

I really think they should put KYW on FM.

Now, we'll need to make the jingle work the "96 - 5"

 

[Miguelito]

I really think they should put KYW on FM.

Now, we'll need to make the jingle work the "96 - 5"

It's funny that you mention the jingle. I've thought about this a lot. (And thinking about it any more than just a little is probably too much.) I imagine they'll just take the "ten-sixteeeeeeee" out of the jingle. The "bum-bum-bum" will sound awfully newsy, after all. "K-Y-double-you, Newsradio [bum-Bum-BUMMMMM]..."

 

[Gunsmoke]

Dance/EDM and rhythmic pop are much bigger across continental Europe than the US. From Moscow and Riga to Madrid, Zagreb and Tirana, there is much more rhythmic material played, not just along the Mediterranean coast.

But isn't death/heavy metal the music of choice for Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ukraine and some other bordering countries, I heard its very popular there bands like Kreator, Rammstein and many others, so why not a metal format for the apple, the old Z-Rock was just a placeholder joke at 1480.

 

[cyber]

An interview with Jerry Lee

http://www.insideradio.com/free/ins...cle_53c1cad8-8bea-11e8-a0c3-0f3bf9980b55.html

 

[Radiolover971]

From Inside Radio. Shelly Easton, VP of Music Programming for Entercom in Philadelphia, will remain with the company after it sells WXTU (92.5) to Beasley Media Group, rather than follow the station back to Beasley. Easton has programmed the heritage country station since December 2009 under three different owners – Beasley, CBS Radio and Entercom.

 

[TheBigA]

From Inside Radio. Shelly Easton, VP of Music Programming for Entercom in Philadelphia, will remain with the company

That's the third time that's been posted here.

Of course this doesn't mean she'll stay in Philadelphia. They might transfer her to some other market that needs her skills.

 

[Radiolover971]

There are speculation they'll launch country on 96.5!

 

[Radiolover971]

That's the third time that's been posted here.


Of course this doesn't mean she'll stay in Philadelphia. They might transfer her to some other market that needs her skills.

No she's staying in Philadelphia

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

There are speculation they'll launch country on 96.5!

There “is” speculation, but is it from any reputable or knowledgeable source? Is it based on any actual fact or pure fiction?

Didn’t she have responsibilities beyond WXTU? Maybe she and/or Entercom felt it was a better fit to have her continue with those (or similar) duties.

 

[Radiolover971]

There “is” speculation, but is it from any reputable or knowledgeable source? Is it based on any actual fact or pure fiction?

Didn’t she have responsibilities beyond WXTU? Maybe she and/or Entercom felt it was a better fit to have her continue with those (or similar) duties.

She's an expert in Country Programming. So yeah

 

[TheBigA]

Didn’t she have responsibilities beyond WXTU? Maybe she and/or Entercom felt it was a better fit to have her continue with those (or similar) duties.

Her title was VP of Music Programming for the cluster.