But at the time, they weren't granted permission from the FCC to do what they were doing, which is why I said "basically a pirate."
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ESPN 98.7 FM to be no more come August 31, 2024
- Thread starter NYAZSporty
- Start date
But at the time, they weren't granted permission from the FCC to do what they were doing, which is why I said "basically a pirate."
Or WABC.
Emmis has made clear that it intends to leave broadcasting. It doesn't want to keep the station. Plus, looking at what Disney/Good Karma have paid to lease the station, buying it outright would likely be more economical to any interested party. The current $50 million asking price might be high in today's economy, but, over the next 10 years, it would amount to less than half what Disney/Good Karma has been paying to lease the station.
If someone were willing to offer Emmis the right price to lease the station, it might be willing to revisit its intent to completely leave broadcasting, but I don't see that offer happening.
The other part of this discussion that hasn't been mentioned is that an owner is investing money in AM radio. Good Karma Brands is a private company, not a big corporate broadcaster dependent on stockholder money. They own all-sports AM stations in Chicago, LA, Cleveland, and more. He's quietly bought a dozen stations, most of them on AM. Even though they're on AM, they've still managed to get play-by-play rights for NFL, NBA, and MLB teams.
There people here talking about the lack of creativity or passion in radio, and Good Karma is an example of a company with both. They've put their own money where their mouths are, and stayed true to their vision. For that, I tip my hat to a company that will bring top quality sports back to 1050 AM, where it was for many years.
There people here talking about the lack of creativity or passion in radio, and Good Karma is an example of a company with both. They've put their own money where their mouths are, and stayed true to their vision. For that, I tip my hat to a company that will bring top quality sports back to 1050 AM, where it was for many years.
You know, it would be very ironic if Cats did buy 98.7 and turn it into a simulcast of his WABC/770, considering the competitive history of those two stations back in the day.
Almost as ironic as if he'd outbid EMF for 95.5 and reunited the two former sister stations.
I don't believe if it legally can be called WABC-FM, Cats has the rights to use the WABC calls on AM, I don't think he has rights to them on FM.
A couple of points: (a) This isn't some Joe Six-Pack scrimping to buy his dream radio station. The "Karma" in Good Karma is short for Karmazin, which is a name anyone who's been in media for more than a hot minute will recognize. (WNEW, Infinity Broadcasting, Westinghouse/CBS, Sirius/XM.) It may be Mel's son who's name is on the masthead of GKB, but I doubt Mel's money, experience and smarts aren't providing him some significant backstopping. (As it should be, BTW.)
And (b), 1050 was the original WFAN, but only for about a year before the format was transferred to 660 after GE divested themselves of radio and Emmis bought it. IIRC, 1050 went to the Forward Association to get rebranded as WEVD in a three-way transaction back in the late 80's, which included their 97.9 becoming WSKQ. 1050 only got back into sports when Disney/ESPN decided it wanted into NYC, and they largely lost interest once they got their mouse-paws on 98.7 a few years later. So yes, it has some history in sports, but not exactly an illustrious one.
I don't know whether that's the case or not. It would probably take a close reading of the agreement that Disney/ABC negotiated with Catsimaditis/Red Apple when they acquired WABC. Since a WABC-FM didn't exist at the time, it's possible that restriction was overlooked. (Though I have no doubt the use of the WPLJ calls is spelled out in the agreement with EMF.) It's possible WABC-FM could be used in a co-owned, co-branded situation. Or not. Or even that the "77 WABC" branding could exist on a 100% simulcast with a station whose calls are WEPN (or anything else) for the duration of the agreement, by which time it might no longer matter..
I know all that. Absolutely, he's a second generation broadcaster, just like Lew Dickey and David Field. They all have fathers who also owned radio stations. They were raised on radio. But the son is doing things his own way. Mel ran a public company with stockholders, and borrowed lots of money from investment companies. Craig is buying AM stations at bargain prices, and focusing his attention on the content. He doesn't want to get millions of dollars in debt like Dickey and Field.
Before that, WHN had been the longtime home of the NY Mets. In fact when Emmis bought the station in 1986, they inherited the Mets deal. They kept country in the daytime, with sports talk at night. They dropped country in July 1987 and built the entire station around the Mets and sports talk.
Red Apple bought WABC from Cumulus, not Disney. The Cumulus deal with the call letters conveyed from Citadel's original purchase of ABC Radio. You may be right about Cats relicensing the letters from Disney. He might have to do that if he wants to use them for an FM.
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The Big Town Sound .. WOR-FM New York
Not coming back unless the buyer is able to get iHeart to lend them the rights to use the WOR call letters which won't be happening.
WCBS-FM or of WHTZ should move to 98.7 and avoid the co-channel interference from Philadelphia
Yes, Just being a bit nostalgic.
Talk aimed at younger listeners. Oh, yes, it's called streaming, TikTokers and social media.
It will be Air 1. The WNYA callsign is available. The NYC political atmosphere is nothing like pre-9/11, even Staten Island isn't as conservative as it used to be, and Biden safely won in Nassau. Conservative talk on "WABC-FM" will be a PPM ratings failure.
It will be Air 1. The WNYA callsign is available. The NYC political atmosphere is nothing like pre-9/11, even Staten Island isn't as conservative as it used to be, and Biden safely won in Nassau. Conservative talk on "WABC-FM" will be a PPM ratings failure.
hey don't kill everyone on this board's hope so soonSounds like sarcasm, or what they use on Reddit, "/s"
Another reminder to everyone: It will be Air 1. Worship now, everybody! The next fundraiser is just a few weeks away and they will be really begging for 100 people at $500 a month for that $3K grocery card or Amazon gift card giveaway. They would love to get into NYC with Air 1. They already have K-LOVE.
The problem is, we can make awesome predictions, but it all comes down to the money. Who's going to buy? EMF, with their tens of millions in surplus, of course.
-.- You need a daily reminder that not every signal will be sold to EMF, There's still a couple of other companies around that would (possibly) love adding 98.7. UrbanOne, MediaCo, Uforia, SBS, hell maybe even the guys who failed with their world ending predictions over at Family Radio.
Didn't other people in this thread say that a return of WRKS would be unlikely? Nor a return to local FM sports to compete with WFAN? That's regarding Radio One. Do the other companies (Uforia, SBS, MediaCo) have $50,000,000 in surplus to launch a new NYC station? It all comes down to whoever comes first, honestly, and the trend has been EMF (i.e., buying out 97.1 Houston and several other stations in the past few months), but I guess anything's possible
That’s what is currently happening in Philly. KYW Newsradio is simulcasting on 103.9 FM. All of their branding is KYW or 103.9 FM. The FM call letters are WPHI-FM but the only time that is mentioned (quickly) is on the legal ID.
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