Feder: 105.9 To Flip To WBBM Simulcast

[DToTheJ]

Today, Robert Feder hints on his blog that WBBM-AM could beat a projected flip by Merlin Media to all-news on 101.1 to the punch, by simulcasting its signal on 105.9 FM, currently the home of the ratings-challenged "Fresh" format. The only thing standing in the way is approval from CBS corporate in New York.
http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-cult...-war-could-break-out-with-newsradio-simulcast

As previously mentioned, the PD of "Fresh 105.9" set a one-year "timetable" for the format, which has all but expired at this point.

 

[radioaircheck]

Muy question is..and it is just a question...will they move WBBM FM calls to 105.9 and get new calls for B96? They could keep The "B" part, jsut with new calls. Just wondering. It kind of does make sense.

 

[DToTheJ]

Funny you should mention that, because Atlanta has a similar "killer B problem": Long before the AM/FM simulcast of WSB-AM was executed there last year, Cox also has had AC station "B98.5" with the call letters WSB-FM. Which it remains to this day; the 95.5 signal now bears the WSBB calls - yet even this callsign warrants an "-FM" extension, since there is also a WSBB in NE Florida on the AM side. Why Cox simply doesn't put the WSBB calls on 98.5, especially since it still goes by the name "B98.5" is beyond me.

Now, perhaps CBS would get new calls for 105.9 similar to WBBM, with them being occupied by B-96. The WBBN callsign is taken, but it looks like WBMM is available.

 

[radioman148]

Muy question is..and it is just a question...will they move WBBM FM calls to 105.9 and get new calls for B96? They could keep The "B" part, jsut with new calls. Just wondering. It kind of does make sense.

I think they will not move the calls to 105.9. They are too well identified with 96.3 for a different kind of audience. JMO

 

[BRNout]

I think they will not move the calls to 105.9. They are too well identified with 96.3 for a different kind of audience. JMO

I am not so sure about that. The WBBM franchise is more strongly associated with the all-news format than it is with the CHR on 96.3. As hard as it is to let go of all that history, B-96 serves a younger audience who doesn't really appreciate it. Changing the calls to something that goes with "B" would be far better than having to fumble around with call letters over on the all news format. Much easier to have WBBM-AM and FM there. And, in a PPM world, changing calls on B 96.3 will likely have no effect.

It will be VERY interesting to see how CBS radio decides to handle this little conundrum.

Now, perhaps CBS would get new calls for 105.9 similar to WBBM, with them being occupied by B-96. The WBBN callsign is taken, but it looks like WBMM is available.

WBMM? Really, D? Think about it, those aren't attractive calls now are they? Remind me of 'doing business', but not the kind of business that WBBM features during their Wall Street reports. And, why not simply change 96.3 to one of those alternative call sets? The only difference over there is at the TOH. Whereas the all-news format is literally identified as "WBBM". So, because of radio geek issues, we'd have a TOH/BOH jingle singing: "NewsRadio 105.9 and 780....WBBM (and WBBN-FM)....Chicago." Not so good, is it?

 

[radioman148]

I think they will not move the calls to 105.9. They are too well identified with 96.3 for a different kind of audience. JMO

I am not so sure about that. The WBBM franchise is more strongly associated with the all-news format than it is with the CHR on 96.3. As hard as it is to let go of all that history, B-96 serves a younger audience who doesn't really appreciate it. Changing the calls to something that goes with "B" would be far better than having to fumble around with call letters over on the all news format. Much easier to have WBBM-AM and FM there. And, in a PPM world, changing calls on B 96.3 will likely have no effect.

It will be VERY interesting to see how CBS radio decides to handle this little conundrum.

We should know pretty soon.

 

[w9wi]

I am not so sure about that. The WBBM franchise is more strongly associated with the all-news format than it is with the CHR on 96.3. As hard as it is to let go of all that history, B-96 serves a younger audience who doesn't really appreciate it. Changing the calls to something that goes with "B" would be far better than having to fumble around with call letters over on the all news format. Much easier to have WBBM-AM and FM there. And, in a PPM world, changing calls on B 96.3 will likely have no effect.

I don't think it much matters, they could assign AM 780 "WAAB", FM 96.3 "WAAD", and FM 105.9 "WAAH"[0] but use those calls only in a buried hourly ID. They could call all three "WBBM" for the rest of the hour, and I think most of the audience would ignore the WAAB/WAAD/WAAH announcements.

Isn't AM 780 already on an FM HD2? Aren't they already doing a rather convoluted ID like "Newsradio 780 WBBM Chicago, WBBM-HD, and WCFS-HD2"?

Here in Nashville, "104.5 The Zone" (sports radio) is still using the WGFX calls they grabbed when they were classic rock "The Fox". That was something like ten years ago. The "WGFX Gallatin" ID doesn't seem to hurt them any. More recently, "106.7 The Fan" WNFN flipped to "i106" chr. Again, no attempt to change the calls to anything with "I" in it...

Quite simply (and probably especially with PPM) calls really don't matter anymore.

[0] the first three calls in sequence unassigned in W-land, unless they belong to ships...

 

[Tom Wells]

I think B-96 is gonna get new call letters.

WBBM is going to want to stay WBBM on the FM. They drill those letters out a LOT..and have for many years.

I'd think they feel such branding and momentum is important enough to wnt to transfer
seamlessly to the FM. A cloddy-clunky dual-hyphenated ID is just all wrong for them,
but adding "AM and FM" after the calls is sparse enough to work.

 

[radioman148]

I think B-96 is gonna get new call letters.

WBBM is going to want to stay WBBM on the FM. They drill those letters out a LOT..and have for many years.

I'd think they feel such branding and momentum is important enough to wnt to transfer
seamlessly to the FM. A cloddy-clunky dual-hyphenated ID is just all wrong for them,
but adding "AM and FM" after the calls is sparse enough to work.

This makes the most sense.

 

[BRNout]

I think B-96 is gonna get new call letters.

WBBM is going to want to stay WBBM on the FM. They drill those letters out a LOT..and have for many years.

I'd think they feel such branding and momentum is important enough to wnt to transfer
seamlessly to the FM. A cloddy-clunky dual-hyphenated ID is just all wrong for them,
but adding "AM and FM" after the calls is sparse enough to work.

Exactly. Thanks for being more succinct than I was able to be!

 

[FightingIrish]

CBS had the same issue in San Francisco with KCBS. Obviously, KCBS-FM is in L.A., and ain't going anywhere. When KCBS in S.F. went with an FM simulcast, the frequency kept the KFRC-FM call letters. To make things more confusing, there is a KFRC on AM, also owned by CBS, that plays oldies.

My guess is that in Chicago, they'll keep the current call letters in place.

 

[uncamark]

And remember that 105.9's city of license is Elmwood Park--The COL's been given as "Elmwood Park-Chicago" since Cox bought WXFM and changed the calls to WAGO (WXFM could also have done this in its last years). Even if they changed the FM calls, it would still be "WBBM AM and HD Chicago, WBBM FM and HD-1, Elmwood Park-Chicago."

As for the jingles, how about replacing "780" with "Chicago?"

 

[davideduardo]

CBS had the same issue in San Francisco with KCBS. Obviously, KCBS-FM is in L.A., and ain't going anywhere. When KCBS in S.F. went with an FM simulcast, the frequency kept the KFRC-FM call letters. To make things more confusing, there is a KFRC on AM, also owned by CBS, that plays oldies.

My guess is that in Chicago, they'll keep the current call letters in place.

Since call letters have no significance for PPM ratings measurement, and the call letters of the non-primary station in a full simulcast usually are elected to be suppressed in the ratings book, calls are a lot less significant that in the diary world.

 

[radioguy39nj]

With WBBM likely adding FM, is WKQX sure it really wants to go all-news against the top rated and top billing station in Chicago?

As an aside, a WBBM FM simulcast would give the Bears a presence on FM, leaving only three NFL teams without an FM flag or co-flag, the NY Giants and Jets and the Denver Broncos. That is if there's football, but that's another issue for another board!

 

[radiolives]

Hopefully CBS will move the WBBM calls to 105.9 then giving 96.3 a new set of calls. Wouldn't want to see two different calls for the simulcast like CBS does in San Fransico with KCBS 740 and KFRC 106.9. Don't understand why CBS won't take the KCBS-FM calls out of LA.

 

[SonoSational18]

As mentioned earlier, call letters really don't count much in the PPM world. You can brand the new simulcast as "WBBM" and the FM's call letters, whatever they are (along with the Elmwood Park COL), can be buried in a stopset somewhere near the top of the hour. It does appear that WBBM-FM images as "B-96" so a call letter swap might simplify matters. Same deal in LA where KBCS-FM is just known as "Jack." I'm thinking that the FM partner of KCBS San Fran. is keeping the KFRC call letters partially to keep them in the family in case they want to bring some kind of oldies/classic hits format back to the City By The Bay at some time.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Indeed. Disparate calls on AM/FM simulcasts are far more common than you think. Not just the aformentioned KCBS-AM simulcast on KFRC-FM, but there are several others that come to mind:

• WPRO/Providence's FM relay holds the WEAM-FM calls - calls that were originally on sister station WPRV-AM (why Citadel didn't swap those calls I have no earthly idea).
• WSB/Atlanta's FM relay, a rather powerful rimshot originally based out of Athens, holds the WSBB-FM calls.
• WBEN/Buffalo's FM relay retained the WLKK calls from it's prior AAA format. That was due to "WBEN-FM" being given up by Entercom five years earlier to Greater Media's Philadelphia cluster.

 

[avtosalon]

Isn't AM 780 already on an FM HD2? Aren't they already doing a rather convoluted ID like "Newsradio 780 WBBM Chicago, WBBM-HD, and WCFS-HD2"?

1) Yes it is.

2) No, I've never heard the HD2 station legally ID'ed on 780 or 105.9 HD2, however the simulcast is mentioned on station promos. I find this strange for two reasons: it's illegal, and other CBS-owned All News stations in different cities do ID H2 / HD3 simulcasts at the top of the hour.

Here is what they alternate: 'WBBM-AM and WBBM-AM-HD Chicago' or 'WBBM and WBBM-HD Chicago'. Using an '-AM' suffix is not legal, but I think the reason may have something to do with ratings, so someone doesn't confuse Newsradio 780 with B96.

Another thing, an '-FM' suffix must be used on WCFS-FM because there's another station on the same band with the same call letters (coincidentally in the same state at the same frequency): 105.9 WCFS-LP Du Quoin, Illinois.

So the correct top-of-the-hour ID is supposed to be: WBBM and WBBM-HD Chicago, WCFS-FM-HD2 Elmwood Park

And remember that 105.9's city of license is Elmwood Park--The COL's been given as "Elmwood Park-Chicago" since Cox bought WXFM and changed the calls to WAGO (WXFM could also have done this in its last years).

Yes, 'Elmwood Park-Chicago' was used in the 70's when the station was WXFM (during the 'Triad' era). IMO, Cox made a bonehead decision by dropping probably the best call letters in the entire country: WXFM

As mentioned earlier, call letters really don't count much in the PPM world. You can brand the new simulcast as "WBBM" and the FM's call letters, whatever they are (along with the Elmwood Park COL), can be buried in a stopset somewhere near the top of the hour.

WBBM has never buried their call letters in a stopset. The legal ID is always proudly mentioned just before the top-of-the-hour tone and the CBS national news.

 

[avtosalon]

Another thing, IMO it would be a waste to simucast WBBM on WCFS-FM's primary signal. WBBM is already one of Chicago's highest rated and top billing stations. The signal is a 50,000 watt blowtorch that everyone in the Chicago area can easily receive with an AM radio. I doubt that a combo would provide more additional revenue than what Fresh can generate on it's own, plus the $50 million value of the station needs to be considered.

Now another board is mentioning that 101.1 is not going to be an All News station. Instead, Merlin Media is planning a Talk format, so the new station is not even competing with WBBM! Instead the competitors are: WGN, WLS, WIND, and WCPT.

Maybe those stations are the ones that need to consider FM simulcasts--not WBBM (excluding WCPT which is already on AM and three suburban FM signals).

 

[romer979fm]

Here in Nashville, "104.5 The Zone" (sports radio) is still using the WGFX calls they grabbed when they were classic rock "The Fox". That was something like ten years ago. The "WGFX Gallatin" ID doesn't seem to hurt them any.

actually...104.5 picked up the WGFX calls in August of 1987 with the flip from WWKX (KX104) to "The Fox".
Now I feel old. Yikes...