FM News and Talk

[Bear]

I am out of town now so not sure, is there a news-talk station on FM in Chicago? If not, do you think it would help an AM to simulcast such, what station is most logical to try it?

 

[radiotower40]

Bear, at the moment the only FM talk station would be 91.5 WBEZ(NPR). As for a
commercial talker, no there is not.

The last one we had was 105.9 WCKG, they flipped about 2 years ago to Fresh 105.9.

The AC Fresh format has not really caught on here, and the numbers are not good.

There are rumors circulating that CBS might flip 105.9 or 104.3 to a simulcast of 670 The Score,
or Newsradio 780 WBBM, nothing is known for sure now.

Neither one are a straight talk station though, and those two are really the only stations being
discussed as going to FM. The Score looks like the more likely candidate.

I don't know how long you've been gone for, so in case you didn't know WSCR which used
to be on 1160 and 820, now occupies the 670 frequency which used to be WMAQ.

 

[davideduardo]

The AC Fresh format has not really caught on here, and the numbers are not good.

There are rumors circulating that CBS might flip 105.9 or 104.3 to a simulcast of 670 The Score,
or Newsradio 780 WBBM, nothing is known for sure now.

CBS just recently broungt in Jim Ryan, considered by many to have been the long term architect of Lite in New York to program Fresh; he has just in the last fortnight announced a significant hire for afternoons. This hardly supports CBS simultaneously considering a change for Fresh... it looks more like they are putting money and attention on the brand.

 

[radioguy39nj]

WGN probably could benefit from a move to FM, but Tribune doesn't own and can't own an FM station in Chicago.

 

[wprt949]

clear channel could allways do rush radio 95.5

 

[BRNout]

WCPT-FM (99.9, 92.5 and 92.7)

Thanks radiovet, I forgot about them.

Don't feel bad, everyone else does too.

clear channel could allways do rush radio 95.5

That is actually not a bad idea. They would absolutely increase listenership and revenue from their present mess with such a format. However, they'd have to pry Rush, Hannity and Levin from WLS which could take a while to do.

 

[radiotower40]

"Don't feel bad, everyone else has too," LOL Thanks BRNout! I had a long day,
I needed that! ;D

 

[secondchoice]

WCPT-FM (99.9, 92.5 and 92.7)

Thanks radiovet, I forgot about them.

Don't feel bad, everyone else does too.

clear channel could allways do rush radio 95.5

That is actually not a bad idea. They would absolutely increase listenership and revenue from their present mess with such a format. However, they'd have to pry Rush, Hannity and Levin from WLS which could take a while to do.

Chicago is blessed with 4.75 50 KW AMs powerhouses. 1000 AM has a heck of a signal even if directional and IMHO should be at least mentioned as major AM thus .75. I use to listen to Supper CFL at my Grandmother’s farm in WV at night. It often came in better 890 because of 880 at night. And the rating success of your AM’s ( I Know there are demo issues with most AM’s but you can not be a top 5 station without doing well in some money demos). I do not think the loss of revenue from flipping one the big Class B FM’s with younger demos could be made up. Also consider the Big AM’s cover almost if not more area the Chicago FMs. In the Atlanta market the dominate AM news talker WSB is also on 95.5 FM. I live 60 miles north of Atlanta and none of the Atlanta AMs comes in great. We have near to the worst ground conductivity in the US. My question is: will WSB be able to increase revenue enough to make up what they are losing by killing “The Beat”. The AM band in Chicago is completive and completion tends to make stations better. Because AM has been good in Chicago the band has not totally lost every one under 60. Citadel has Rush on WABC to so if CC jerks Rush in Chicago they might have to come up with an FM talker in NYC. That could be a loss of $$ in the long run.

 

[radioguy39nj]

WCPT-FM (99.9, 92.5 and 92.7)

Thanks radiovet, I forgot about them.

Don't feel bad, everyone else does too.

clear channel could allways do rush radio 95.5

That is actually not a bad idea. They would absolutely increase listenership and revenue from their present mess with such a format. However, they'd have to pry Rush, Hannity and Levin from WLS which could take a while to do.

Because AM has been good in Chicago the band has not totally lost every one under 60. Citadel has Rush on WABC to so if CC jerks Rush in Chicago they might have to come up with an FM talker in NYC. That could be a loss of $$ in the long run.

To have an FM talker in NYC, CC would have to blow up one of its 5 FMs, all of which are successful and aren't candidates to be flipped. I agree, CC would lose $$$ in the long run. No way CC risks losing $$$ with a class B NYC FM stick.

The Chicago situation is different. Although Rush and Sean are on Citadel blowtorch WLS, only Rush is live, while Hannity is tape-delayed to early evening. Beck is on 5 kW WIND. Unlike NYC, CC has an FM that could be ripe for a flip, 95.5. That could make it interesting!

 

[secondchoice]

WCPT-FM (99.9, 92.5 and 92.7)

Thanks radiovet, I forgot about them.

Don't feel bad, everyone else does too.

clear channel could allways do rush radio 95.5

That is actually not a bad idea. They would absolutely increase listenership and revenue from their present mess with such a format. However, they'd have to pry Rush, Hannity and Levin from WLS which could take a while to do.

Because AM has been good in Chicago the band has not totally lost every one under 60. Citadel has Rush on WABC to so if CC jerks Rush in Chicago they might have to come up with an FM talker in NYC. That could be a loss of $$ in the long run.

To have an FM talker in NYC, CC would have to blow up one of its 5 FMs, all of which are successful and aren't candidates to be flipped. I agree, CC would lose $$$ in the long run. No way CC risks losing $$$ with a class B NYC FM stick.

The Chicago situation is different. Although Rush and Sean are on Citadel blowtorch WLS, only Rush is live, while Hannity is tape-delayed to early evening. Beck is on 5 kW WIND. Unlike NYC, CC has an FM that could be ripe for a flip, 95.5. That could make it interesting!

I am not a fan of either CC or Citadel but, if I were Citadel and CC tried to take Rush in Chicago I would threaten taking Rush off of WABC. Replacing Rush in NYC would cost a lot more than what would be gained in Chicago.

 

[radioguy39nj]

WCPT-FM (99.9, 92.5 and 92.7)

Thanks radiovet, I forgot about them.

Don't feel bad, everyone else does too.

clear channel could allways do rush radio 95.5

That is actually not a bad idea. They would absolutely increase listenership and revenue from their present mess with such a format. However, they'd have to pry Rush, Hannity and Levin from WLS which could take a while to do.

Because AM has been good in Chicago the band has not totally lost every one under 60. Citadel has Rush on WABC to so if CC jerks Rush in Chicago they might have to come up with an FM talker in NYC. That could be a loss of $$ in the long run.

To have an FM talker in NYC, CC would have to blow up one of its 5 FMs, all of which are successful and aren't candidates to be flipped. I agree, CC would lose $$$ in the long run. No way CC risks losing $$$ with a class B NYC FM stick.

The Chicago situation is different. Although Rush and Sean are on Citadel blowtorch WLS, only Rush is live, while Hannity is tape-delayed to early evening. Beck is on 5 kW WIND. Unlike NYC, CC has an FM that could be ripe for a flip, 95.5. That could make it interesting!

I am not a fan of either CC or Citadel but, if I were Citadel and CC tried to take Rush in Chicago I would threaten taking Rush off of WABC. Replacing Rush in NYC would cost a lot more than what would be gained in Chicago.

That's probably why it won't happen in Chicago. CC has nowhere to put Rush in NYC, except WABC. CC can't purchase an FM in NYC since they currently own five. Speculation had CC purchasing WOR (710 AM) and flipping it to Rush Radio, but nothing's going on regarding that.

 

[davideduardo]

Chicago is blessed with 4.75 50 KW AMs powerhouses. 1000 AM has a heck of a signal even if directional and IMHO should be at least mentioned as major AM thus .75. I use to listen to Supper CFL at my Grandmother’s farm in WV at night. It often came in better 890 because of 880 at night. And the rating success of your AM’s ( I Know there are demo issues with most AM’s but you can not be a top 5 station without doing well in some money demos).

WIND at 560 is nearly as good as a mid-band 50 kw station, and more than adequate to cover the MSA as well as any of the 50 kw guys.

 

[radioman148]

Chicago is blessed with 4.75 50 KW AMs powerhouses. 1000 AM has a heck of a signal even if directional and IMHO should be at least mentioned as major AM thus .75. I use to listen to Supper CFL at my Grandmother’s farm in WV at night. It often came in better 890 because of 880 at night. And the rating success of your AM’s ( I Know there are demo issues with most AM’s but you can not be a top 5 station without doing well in some money demos).

WIND at 560 is nearly as good as a mid-band 50 kw station, and more than adequate to cover the MSA as well as any of the 50 kw guys.

Most definitely. I live about 40 miles north of WIND's sticks and they have a stronger signal at my house than WLS.

 

[[email protected]]

WIND at 560 is nearly as good as a mid-band 50 kw station, and more than adequate to cover the MSA as well as any of the 50 kw guys.

Yep...it's a great signal for only 5KW...you'd think it would do better in the ratings. ???

 

[secondchoice]

WIND at 560 is nearly as good as a mid-band 50 kw station, and more than adequate to cover the MSA as well as any of the 50 kw guys.

Yep...it's a great signal for only 5KW...you'd think it would do better in the ratings. ???

You are correct I forgot about WIND. When I lived in Libertyville and Buffalo Grove or been able to listen to the Chicago stations on vacation I do not ever remember listening to WIND.

 

[Nsubuga]

Re: WIND's Coverage

WIND doesn't do nearly as well in the far western suburbs, however. I live in Oswego, and their signal here is nowhere near as strong as those of the 50 kw stations. And while driving, I experience more noise and fading than on the stronger stations.

 

[Prais]

WIND has a signal in Milwaukee and down I-65 almost to Indianapolis. Not so much into NE Indiana, because WOWO was once co-owned by Westinghouse. One upon a time, when Chicago had trolley buses on many streets (when I was a kid), their signal used to get swallowed by the above street electricity.

I'm the guy that put 2000 oldies on cart for PD Bob Moomy when they went oldies around 1970-ish.

 

[davideduardo]

WIND at 560 is nearly as good as a mid-band 50 kw station, and more than adequate to cover the MSA as well as any of the 50 kw guys.

Yep...it's a great signal for only 5KW...you'd think it would do better in the ratings. ???

When it was a Westinghouse station, it had very good and competitive ratings.

Of course, it does not have the added skywave signal that 670, 780 and 890 have because of cochannel stations as close as Duluth and Memphis, and adjacents even as close as St Louis and Youngstown. But that 5 kw day signal certainly proves that 1 kw on 550 is equal to 50 kw at 1600... the low frequency really helps despite the lower power.

 

[BRNout]

WIND at 560 is nearly as good as a mid-band 50 kw station, and more than adequate to cover the MSA as well as any of the 50 kw guys.

Yep...it's a great signal for only 5KW...you'd think it would do better in the ratings. ???

You are correct I forgot about WIND. When I lived in Libertyville and Buffalo Grove or been able to listen to the Chicago stations on vacation I do not ever remember listening to WIND.

It's signal is almost equal to that of WLS from where I live near Libertyville/Gurnee too. The s-meters on my G8 and PL-310 give WLS a slight edge in the signal to noise ratio. Same was true when I lived in Buffalo Grove. As far as the average listener is concerned, they're basically of equal strength for areas north and northwest of the city.

Unfortunately (for WIND) the big BUT here is that WLS is much stronger in the city itself and it does a much better job of penetrating buildings than WIND can muster with 5 kw.

 

[radioman148]

Re: WIND's Coverage

WIND doesn't do nearly as well in the far western suburbs, however. I live in Oswego, and their signal here is nowhere near as strong as those of the 50 kw stations. And while driving, I experience more noise and fading than on the stronger stations.

WIND is very directional. You can hear it in Milwaukee about as well as the 50KWs, but as you go west of Chicago towards De Kalb the signal drops off dramatically.