Entercom takeover of CBS Rochester

[raymond_shaw]

This sale was announced back in the summer - close to 6 months ago.

Anyone heard when the final takeover will happen? And what will the Entercom roster of stations in Rochester be?

 

[ThePickleReport]

This was talked about awhile ago but nothing ever came of it. Entercom intends to sell WFKL (93.3), WZNE (94.1) and WRMM (101.3) to a third party. There's a link here:

http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/press_releases/2006/219409.htm

Maybe they haven't found a buyer yet?

 

[Bob1370]

I wonder if WRMM will be the full-B station that Entercom finally spins off. If you look at it in terms of revenue and ratings, current and potential, they might be better served by spinning off 98PXY...which would serve Uncle Sam's imperatives on market concentration just as well, and leave Entercom with a stronger overall cluster. The FCC will probably sign off on that transaction just as easily as it signs off on the initially proposed one. And it would make better business sense.

Now, who would buy that stand-alone B, and what would they do with it? I don't know how much cash they have to throw around, but if I were the Langston family I'd pick up the 97.9 facility and put WDKX's call letters, staff and programming on it (DKX's audience is more than half-suburban already, and this would just give an already strong station a chance for further growth)...and keep the 103.9 facility and turn it into the market's first fulltime Spanish station unless Entercom or someone else beats them to it.

 

[Radknowski]

Now, who would buy that stand-alone B, and what would they do with it? I don't know how much cash they have to throw around, but if I were the Langston family I'd pick up the 97.9 facility and put WDKX's call letters, staff and programming on it (DKX's audience is more than half-suburban already, and this would just give an already strong station a chance for further growth)...and keep the 103.9 facility and turn it into the market's first fulltime Spanish station unless Entercom or someone else beats them to it.

Bob, as you are an advocate of the Spanish format in Rochester and Buffalo (on WBBF), one might ask, tu hablas Espanol?

[/rad]

 

[Mark_Giardina]

Bob, as you are an advocate of the Spanish format in Rochester and Buffalo (on WBBF), one might ask, tu hablas Espanol?

It must be that autographed photo of Desi Arnaz that he has at his desk that endears him to keep promoting Spanish radio formats. Or maybe he just likes the song Cuban Pete?
It certainly isn't because Bob has become rather taciturn.

Pronunciation: 'ta-s&-"t&rn
Function: adjective
Etymology: French or Latin; French taciturne, from Middle French, from Latin taciturnus, from tacitus
: temperamentally disinclined to talk
synonym see SILENT

 

[Radknowski]

synonym see SILENT

Also, reticent.[/rad]

 

[Mark_Giardina]

I happen to also support the idea of a spanish station in Rochester. Why not? Over 30 years ago few people thought that Andrew Langston's FM would last. Man did he prove them wrong.

Most of the FM/AM stations play the same music and follow the same tired old formats anyways. Let's try something new for a change.

As for the Entercom situaton, I am still getting information from an inside source that WRMM is one of the stations that will be put up for sale.

 

[raymond_shaw]

highlights of http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/press_releases/2006/219409.htm
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2006

>>>The Department of Justice today announced that it has suspended its investigation of Entercom Communications Corporation's proposed acquisition of New York radio stations from CBS Corporation as long as the companies sell three Rochester radio stations as planned.

Entercom advised the Department that it planned to sell CBS's WRMM-FM and WZNE-FM and Entercom's WFKL-FM to a third party. The Department determined that this sale would reduce Entercom's post-transaction share of Rochester radio advertising revenues to about 40 percent.