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FMQB.com: First Four Affiliates For Jay Severin's National Show Announced

J

Joseph_Gallant

Guest
FMQB.com is reporting today (October 18th) that Infinity has announced the first four stations to carry the new nationally-syndciated talk-show hosted by Jay Severin, most recently with Boston's WTKK-96.9.

None of the four is in Boston. The stations are in Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington, and St. Louis.

Oddly enough, despite rumors that Infinity is about to flip a number of it's FM stations (a couple of which already are talk stations) to a "mainstream" talk format called "Free FM", Severin's Philadelphia affiliate is WPHT-1210 and not WYSP-94.1, the station rumored to be flipping to "Free FM" in that market.

Who knows? If WYSP goes talk as "Free FM", could Severin end up there and not on WPHT??
 
WPHT/Philly
WJFK/DC
KMOX/St. Louis
KRLD/Dallas

If it ain't broke, why fix it? KMOX has fallen a bit over the years, but is basically #1. And they are one of the few talkers left doing 21 hrs a day local. Why mess up a good thing?

KRLD completes its transition from a news station by deleting afternoon news with this move.

WJFK - Don and Mike gone? Or Severin on delay? Can't see WW1 giving up the duo's flagship without a fight. Hopefully, O'Reilly will exit in the process.

As to WPHT, apparently the alleged $400k stipend from ABC to clear Hannity live is no longer good. In a city with plenty of talent and a great demand for local talk, Philly is stuck with another syndicated afternoon show. Ugh. WNTP should step up and do something about it... oh, nevermind.

So much for FM talk stations in the top 10 markets.
 
Does Free FM have to mean talk?

The speculation around Free FM has been that it's going to be hot talk.

Does it have to be talk at all?

Why not just use Free FM as a brand to point out the stations that Stern used to be one ... that one can still listen to FOR FREE!

I can't see Infinity (soon to be CBS radio again) taking all these stations 100% talk ... or even all talk weekday daytime and music overnights and weekends. I think you'll see these stations stay with the jocks and formats they have, and just rebrand as "Free FM."

"Free FM" could even mean different things in different markets.
 
Mostly Talk, I'd Imagine...

> Why not just use Free FM as a brand to point out the
> stations that Stern used to be one ... that one can still
> listen to FOR FREE!

I don't listen to Stern's show, but from what I've read about his comments about the whole "Free FM" thing, that's the impression I get. "Free FM" means they're tweaking their soon-to-be departed morning star...the stations which carry him won't be charging you $13 a month after he leaves them. That's likely where the name comes from.

> I can't see Infinity (soon to be CBS radio again) taking all
> these stations 100% talk ... or even all talk weekday
> daytime and music overnights and weekends. I think you'll
> see these stations stay with the jocks and formats they
> have, and just rebrand as "Free FM."

The industry scuttlebutt I've heard (and not just what's been on these boards) is that they do intend on doing talk on the "Free FM" stations. What kind of talk? I don't know if they'll all be "hot talk"...for one, there's Jay Severin in the mix, who is more younger-skewing political talk.

The other thing is that many of the stations are talk already, and are not changing format (WJFK/DC, KLSX/LA, WCKG/Chicago), and others are ones that have already been rumored to change to talk (the Portland station, the San Diego station, etc.).

> "Free FM" could even mean different things in different
> markets.

I'll buy that, though I still think "hot talk" is the common denominator. And there's not much use to "Free FM" as a promotional name if the station is going to be just another alt-rock station after Stern leaves.

Will some of these stations have non-talk components? Sure, especially nights/weekends. But that's nothing new for the format.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: Mostly Talk, I'd Imagine...

> > Why not just use Free FM as a brand to point out the
> > stations that Stern used to be one ... that one can still
> > listen to FOR FREE!
>
> I don't listen to Stern's show, but from what I've read
> about his comments about the whole "Free FM" thing, that's
> the impression I get. "Free FM" means they're tweaking
> their soon-to-be departed morning star...the stations which
> carry him won't be charging you $13 a month after he leaves
> them. That's likely where the name comes from.
>
> > I can't see Infinity (soon to be CBS radio again) taking
> all
> > these stations 100% talk ... or even all talk weekday
> > daytime and music overnights and weekends. I think you'll
> > see these stations stay with the jocks and formats they
> > have, and just rebrand as "Free FM."
>
> The industry scuttlebutt I've heard (and not just what's
> been on these boards) is that they do intend on doing talk
> on the "Free FM" stations. What kind of talk? I don't know
> if they'll all be "hot talk"...for one, there's Jay Severin
> in the mix, who is more younger-skewing political talk.
>
> The other thing is that many of the stations are talk
> already, and are not changing format (WJFK/DC, KLSX/LA,
> WCKG/Chicago), and others are ones that have already been
> rumored to change to talk (the Portland station, the San
> Diego station, etc.).
>
> > "Free FM" could even mean different things in different
> > markets.
>
> I'll buy that, though I still think "hot talk" is the common
> denominator. And there's not much use to "Free FM" as a
> promotional name if the station is going to be just another
> alt-rock station after Stern leaves.
>
> Will some of these stations have non-talk components? Sure,
> especially nights/weekends. But that's nothing new for the
> format.


Yes, and the music is always active rock. Perhaps that won't be the case with these new stations. That San Francisco survey is interesting...Talk is on the list, but the other choices are classic rock, urban, country, and smooth jazz. Could they be planning to use the music time on these stations to fill format holes or ding the competition a bit?

And who do they have ready to go on these stations besides DLR, Carolla, Don and Mike(who are already on several of them), and Severin?



>
> -OA
>
 
The Infinity FM Talk Audition Sweepstakes

> And who do they have ready to go on these stations besides
> DLR, Carolla, Don and Mike(who are already on several of
> them), and Severin?

Well, aside from other Infinity/WW1 folks like Tom Leykis, who seems possible for the new San Francisco FM talker in some time slot (though they seem to be doing a lot of local stuff, from the scuttlebutt I've heard)...

If you're near an Infinity FM talk station and have tuned in weekends, you've heard a LOT of people auditioning. WJFK had on Colin Quinn (ex-SNL) with another guy I don't remember, though their audition was during the currently open night slot there. KLSX/LA has had a laundry list of potential hosts trying out in weekend/late night hours. Just recently, according to the Sun-Times' Robert Feder, talk WCKG/Chicago auditioned Joel Murphy, also known as former "Kiss FM Chicago" jock Java Joel. (And if I remember right, he's also a Radio-Info semi-regular...Hi, Joel!)

Who knows where these folks land.

* DLR, of course, is rumored to be hovering over Howard Stern's slot at WXRK/New York and other east coast Infinity Stern affiliates.

* Carolla is reportedly going to take over AM drive at KLSX, along with some west coast current Stern outlets. But keep in mind...doing a show from 6-10 AM PT, he could very well be carried back east at 9, or after DLR is done. (Just a guess on my part.)

Some of the other folks - if successful - could be at other Infinity FM talkers in Stern slots, or in other slots at new FM talk stations in the "Free FM" lineup, or whatever they end up calling it.

The auditioning has been there...you just had to look for it.

To answer your original question, about shows being "ready to go"...well, that's quite another matter.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: The Infinity FM Talk Audition Sweepstakes

> > And who do they have ready to go on these stations besides
>
> > DLR, Carolla, Don and Mike(who are already on several of
> > them), and Severin?
>
> Well, aside from other Infinity/WW1 folks like Tom Leykis,
> who seems possible for the new San Francisco FM talker in
> some time slot (though they seem to be doing a lot of local
> stuff, from the scuttlebutt I've heard)...
>
> If you're near an Infinity FM talk station and have tuned in
> weekends, you've heard a LOT of people auditioning.

Unfortunately, I'm not. I have to settle for WJFK's stream. Hopefully, Howard's replacements will allow their shows to be streamed with the rest of their stations' lineups.

WJFK
> had on Colin Quinn (ex-SNL) with another guy I don't
> remember, though their audition was during the currently
> open night slot there. KLSX/LA has had a laundry list of
> potential hosts trying out in weekend/late night hours.
> Just recently, according to the Sun-Times' Robert Feder,
> talk WCKG/Chicago auditioned Joel Murphy, also known as
> former "Kiss FM Chicago" jock Java Joel. (And if I remember
> right, he's also a Radio-Info semi-regular...Hi, Joel!)
>
> Who knows where these folks land.
>
> * DLR, of course, is rumored to be hovering over Howard
> Stern's slot at WXRK/New York and other east coast Infinity
> Stern affiliates.
>
> * Carolla is reportedly going to take over AM drive at KLSX,
> along with some west coast current Stern outlets. But keep
> in mind...doing a show from 6-10 AM PT, he could very well
> be carried back east at 9, or after DLR is done. (Just a
> guess on my part.)

I'm sure both shows will be national in one form or another, even if it's just a weekend Best Of. They have two hosts with considerable name recognition and (most likely) very different styles. There's no reason not to do something on a national level with both of them.

>
> Some of the other folks - if successful - could be at other
> Infinity FM talkers in Stern slots, or in other slots at new
> FM talk stations in the "Free FM" lineup, or whatever they
> end up calling it.

I don't see why they would want to rebrand established stations like WJFK and KLSX that are successful as talkers beyond Stern. The SF station was the home of dollar-a-holler preaching before this, so it might as well be a new move-in from Micronesia. They'll have to do some hardcore promotion to get people to remember that there's even a station at 106.9.

>
> The auditioning has been there...you just had to look for
> it.
>
> To answer your original question, about shows being "ready
> to go"...well, that's quite another matter.
>
> -OA
>
 
Re: The Infinity FM Talk Audition Sweepstakes

> I'm sure both shows will be national in one form or another,
> even if it's just a weekend Best Of. They have two hosts
> with considerable name recognition and (most likely) very
> different styles. There's no reason not to do something on
> a national level with both of them.

I hope not. Stern is an international phenomenon; replacing him is impossible. Imagine having a big announcement with some guy at a podium, "This is the man who will replace Howard Stern". It's a lot easier to have regional shows that can offer some regional value, be it Rover in the Midwest, Carolla on the West Coast, DLR in the Northeast Corridor, etc. Before you say the regionalism is a waste, consider that east coast FM talk PDs dismiss Leykis as being "too west coast", and there is indeed a heavy emphasis placed on his west coast presence. To a lesser extent, Don and Mike enjoy much better clearances in the east.
 
Re: The Infinity FM Talk Audition Sweepstakes

> I hope not. Stern is an international phenomenon; replacing
> him is impossible. Imagine having a big announcement with
> some guy at a podium, "This is the man who will replace
> Howard Stern". It's a lot easier to have regional shows that
> can offer some regional value, be it Rover in the Midwest,
> Carolla on the West Coast, DLR in the Northeast Corridor,
> etc. Before you say the regionalism is a waste, consider
> that east coast FM talk PDs dismiss Leykis as being "too
> west coast", and there is indeed a heavy emphasis placed on
> his west coast presence. To a lesser extent, Don and Mike
> enjoy much better clearances in the east.

What I don't understand is why people seem to think this is "something new." This looks more and more like the rebranding of the Hot Talk format from the mid-1990s. The names bandied about are the same - the mook morning show (in the stylings of O&A, Stern, whatever), the mid-morning show which will probably be a lot about sports, the early afternoon "listen at the office/job site" show, the late afternoon antics of a Don and Mike, and then social commentary/party time Leykis style into the evening. It says, young/20-something (or like Leykis, nobody over 40 can call in) white guy.

It's talk without the political sword hanging over your head. It's the anti-NPR. :)
 
Re: The Infinity FM Talk Audition Sweepstakes

> What I don't understand is why people seem to think this is
> "something new." This looks more and more like the
> rebranding of the Hot Talk format from the mid-1990s.

Pretty much, at least from the laundry list of names being associated with it.

You can pretty much bet the former Van Halen frontman is not going to talk about world events, and that Adam Carolla will certainly mine familiar "guy talk" territory.

Maybe Infinity has something "different" this time? I don't know. I do know that they seemed to be *backing away* from the "hot talk" format fairly recently, when they blew up relatively new rock-to-talk WBUF/92.9 in Buffalo for...JACK FM. The format had been in place about 6 months, and the station adding Rochester's Brother Wease for middays and Tom Leykis at night was said to be "the final pieces of the puzzle" by management at the time (Stern was already on AM drive, and Don & Mike were by then incumbent in PM drive).

Those "pieces" got blown off the map for adult hits.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Why do you assume he will be syndicated from 3-7pm et? I think nights are more of a reality.

> WPHT/Philly
> WJFK/DC
> KMOX/St. Louis
> KRLD/Dallas
>
> If it ain't broke, why fix it? KMOX has fallen a bit over
> the years, but is basically #1. And they are one of the few
> talkers left doing 21 hrs a day local. Why mess up a good
> thing?
>
> KRLD completes its transition from a news station by
> deleting afternoon news with this move.
>
> WJFK - Don and Mike gone? Or Severin on delay? Can't see WW1
> giving up the duo's flagship without a fight. Hopefully,
> O'Reilly will exit in the process.
>
> As to WPHT, apparently the alleged $400k stipend from ABC to
> clear Hannity live is no longer good. In a city with plenty
> of talent and a great demand for local talk, Philly is stuck
> with another syndicated afternoon show. Ugh. WNTP should
> step up and do something about it... oh, nevermind.
>
> So much for FM talk stations in the top 10 markets.
>
<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by Slant on 10/20/05 11:36 PM.</FONT></P>
 
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