ESPN Radio returning to Pittsburgh

[theradiokid]

Radioinsight.com is reporting that Clear Channel has registered 970espn.com, and that Clear Channel will replace "Fox Sports Radio" with "ESPN Radio" when the service becomes available on WBGG (970.)

Why would Clear Channel do this, when it is cheaper to air their own in-house network? I don't get it. Discuss.

--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].

 

[Talk_Dude]

Radioinsight.com is reporting that Clear Channel has registered 970espn.com, and that Clear Channel will replace "Fox Sports Radio" with "ESPN Radio" when the service becomes available on WBGG (970.)

Why would Clear Channel do this, when it is cheaper to air their own in-house network? I don't get it. Discuss.

--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].

Is Clear Channel planning to continue their own in-house network?

That's not a comment. I really don't know if Clear Channel might be dropping their own in-house network or not. That's why I'm asking.

 

[dB]

The goal is profit, not minimum cost.

Profit = Revenue minus expenses

Apparently, CC feels that the increased revenue from airing ESPN-Radio will more than offset the increased cost. Whether that will be true or not remains to be seen, of course.

An alternate explanation could be that this is primarily a strategic move, to preempt the possibility of some other station picking up ESPN-Radio and competing with 970. (Entirely hypothetical, but could you imagine an ESPN-1020?)

 

[Parttimer]

Is Clear Channel planning to continue their own in-house network?

That's not a comment. I really don't know if Clear Channel might be dropping their own in-house network or not. That's why I'm asking.

Fox Sports Radio is Clear Channel.

 

[Parttimer]

An alternate explanation could be that this is primarily a strategic move, to preempt the possibility of some other station picking up ESPN-Radio and competing with 970. (Entirely hypothetical, but could you imagine an ESPN-1020?)

1020, no. 1320, yes.

It's just better programming in some time slots, particularly AM drive and at night.

If I had to guess, Linelli and Bendel will no longer do their local shows, and the lineup would be Mike & Mike, Dan Patrick, Jim Rome, then ESPN the rest of the day (they might also carry Patrick or Rome on delay in PM drive and take Cowherd or Van Pelt from ESPN during the day), with the crossover shows from the Steelers, and odd play-by-play like Altoona Curve.

 

[Talk_Dude]

Is Clear Channel planning to continue their own in-house network?

That's not a comment. I really don't know if Clear Channel might be dropping their own in-house network or not. That's why I'm asking.

Fox Sports Radio is Clear Channel.

Is it any good? No station in Atlanta carries it, and I have never had a reason to seek out hearing it on the internet.

 

[listner1]

Just having the ESPN Brand is worth something. Even if they only carry one or two of the shows, being able to use that very notable name is worth it.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Is Clear Channel planning to continue their own in-house network?

That's not a comment. I really don't know if Clear Channel might be dropping their own in-house network or not. That's why I'm asking.

Fox Sports Radio is Clear Channel.

Is it any good? No station in Atlanta carries it, and I have never had a reason to seek out hearing it on the internet.

Fox Sports Radio is a glorified superstation version of KLAC/Los Angeles. And LA isn't even a decent sports town by ANY means. Which says a lot about their terrible programming, sans Dan Patrick, Tony Bruno and Ben Maller.

 

[Boss Radio]

Just having the ESPN Brand is worth something. Even if they only carry one or two of the shows, being able to use that very notable name is worth it.

Didn't do 1250 much good. If 970 cuts the overhead down to nothing, it's better, but sales will still be hard to generate.

 

[Parttimer]

Is Clear Channel planning to continue their own in-house network?

That's not a comment. I really don't know if Clear Channel might be dropping their own in-house network or not. That's why I'm asking.

Fox Sports Radio is Clear Channel.

Is it any good? No station in Atlanta carries it, and I have never had a reason to seek out hearing it on the internet.

Fox Sports Radio is a glorified superstation version of KLAC/Los Angeles. And LA isn't even a decent sports town by ANY means. Which says a lot about their terrible programming, sans Dan Patrick, Tony Bruno and Ben Maller.

It's pretty bad in a couple of dayparts. Stephen A Smith is the morning show, which is why Linelli has been doing mornings locally. Technically Dan Patrick and Jim Rome are syndicated by Premiere (also owned by CC, same syndicator as Limbaugh and Beck). Patrick is also part of the FSR lineup, while Rome is a separate deal. The afternoon show is a very local west coast bunch, and Bruno is wasted in late nights. Even some of their update people are bad.

 

[FreddyE1977]

and presuming that CC is able to hang on to the Steelers PBP, they could build a pretty nice little
sports station around the ESPN programming. 1250 never had the advantage of a local PBP contract
at any time during their ESPN history. They might even be able to work out a deal to simulcast the
Penguins or Pirates on 970.

 

[Parttimer]

I think they would rather do things like Duquesne basketball in the winter on AM... it's a separate revenue stream,where simulcasting the games with the FM doesn't bring in any extra cash.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Good point. The PG is reporting that they are keeping Bendel and the Tunch and Wolf show (which
someone on this board mentioned was brokered?) Greg Linelli looks to be odd man out.

 

[Raymond]

from the Golden Cube's GM. Looks like Linnelli is staying...

As we transition 970 to ESPN on January 1, 2011...Greg Linnelli will continue to do his morning show through the end of the year.

Linnelli will continue to be part of the CC Pittsburgh Cluster as we move forward.

Greg will be working on a new project to be announced soon.



Thanks.



Dennis W. Lamme

President & Market Manager

Clear Channel Radio - Pittsburgh

 

[Parttimer]

from the Golden Cube's GM. Looks like Linnelli is staying...

As we transition 970 to ESPN on January 1, 2011...Greg Linnelli will continue to do his morning show through the end of the year.

Linnelli will continue to be part of the CC Pittsburgh Cluster as we move forward.

Greg will be working on a new project to be announced soon.



Thanks.



Dennis W. Lamme

President & Market Manager

Clear Channel Radio - Pittsburgh

Maybe the Pirates insisted on lead-in programming on 104.7 this year?

 

[Snafu]

The Pirates are going to point to this latest book as proof positive that CC is taking them for granted and are going to demand more or threaten to walk the second the deal expires.

CC isn't going to lose the Pens anytime soon and would almost have to work at screwing up the Steelers deal. But losing the Pirates would mean losing a revenue stream for a station that can't afford it.

 

[Boss Radio]

But losing the Pirates would mean losing a revenue stream for a station that can't afford it.

How so? The Pirates get the ad money from the game broadcasts.

 

[Parttimer]

The Pirates are going to point to this latest book as proof positive that CC is taking them for granted and are going to demand more or threaten to walk the second the deal expires.

CC isn't going to lose the Pens anytime soon and would almost have to work at screwing up the Steelers deal. But losing the Pirates would mean losing a revenue stream for a station that can't afford it.

I'd be interested to see if that's really what the losses were. Strangely enough, with the midterm elections looming, several conservative talk outlets like WABC, WFLA and WLS were flat or down in October.

 

[fromtheinsideout]

I guess my question is just how much pull does Radio Disney have? One would think that if ESPN wanted to stay in the market they wouldn't have to move from 1250 to 970 unless they are close to selling the 1250 signal. Otherwise it makes almost no sense to pay to be on 970 when they have a viable signal already in the market. And I have to assume they are paying, otherwise it makes little sense for 970 to dump Fox Sports, sure the branding is better, but the branding wasn't equating into sales on 1250 and the national programming, with its large devotion to the NBA talk, was losing listeners in this market, not gaining them, so unless 970 is getting some cash from this deal, it would appear to be just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The only way I see this as being a plus for 970 is if they are getting cash, which any cash that signal could generate would be be a plsu at this point.

 

[Parttimer]

I guess my question is just how much pull does Radio Disney have? One would think that if ESPN wanted to stay in the market they wouldn't have to move from 1250 to 970 unless they are close to selling the 1250 signal. Otherwise it makes almost no sense to pay to be on 970 when they have a viable signal already in the market. And I have to assume they are paying, otherwise it makes little sense for 970 to dump Fox Sports, sure the branding is better, but the branding wasn't equating into sales on 1250 and the national programming, with its large devotion to the NBA talk, was losing listeners in this market, not gaining them, so unless 970 is getting some cash from this deal, it would appear to be just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The only way I see this as being a plus for 970 is if they are getting cash, which any cash that signal could generate would be be a plsu at this point.

I highly doubt that they're paying to be on 970. I'm more inclined to think that 970 took ESPN so that they would not have to compete against it on WJAS or some other signal in the market.

It also gave them a better morning than either Stephen A Smith or Greg Linelli could offer.

ESPN experienced the difficulty of selling 1250 as a standalone. Clear Channel will bundle it with all of their various sports content throughout the market. and it wasn't that 1250 had NO billing, but they were paying Stan, Guy, Paulsen, Logan, Chris Mack, a PD and other support staff. 970's overhead is Joe Bendel and Greg MacAtee.

If they move from where they are now to between a 1.0 and 1.5 overall, they make some money with it.