FORMAT CHANGES?

[caj012885]

We need to liven up this board a bit!! Anybody have any inside news of upcoming format changes or radio station sales? It has been a long time!!!

 

[bossjock 56]

With Cumulus aquiring Citadel, there could be quite a bit of activity in this area come fall. I don't see alot of change on the already established Cumulus stations, but WWKL (HOT 92) and WCAT (RED 102.3) are being put on the block to sell. If those stations are sold, I doubt RED will be spared. HOT 92 could be moved to 106.7, where it could pose a real threat to both KISS and WLAN. For some reason, I don't see Channel 106-7 surviving in the long term. WIOV and THE X should be fine. Then again, Cumulus could decide to do a complete shuffle and decide to take one of their York sticks Country....and aim their sights on WGTY. That could cause a major shake up in the York book.

 

[SteelRocker]

If there's any format changes, my hope would be a FM talk station. Boy do I miss WPGB-FM in Pittsburgh. Thankfully they are on iheartradio. I think WARM or The Rose would be a good candidate. And, yes, FM talk would thrive.

 

[mcradiofree]

I think you're wrong about an FM talk thriving. You're forgetting how much money these groups spend in market research. If there was a hole, someone would fill it if it was feasible. The larger markets with PPMs are doing it to keep up with Arbitron's system. The signal limitations of Red and Hot for that matter would definitely limit it's ability from the gate. I don't believe there will be a whole lot of changes otherwise. Channel 106 would be the likely candidate, and then only to gnaw away at WLAN, to protect WIOV. Since WIOV only does well in Lancaster County, it wouldn't be out of the question for Cumulus to un-load it.

 

[epmark]

Agree on FM talk not working in this area - if WHP580 were to move to FM - maybe (they have no reason to do this - not many top 100 markets have an AM at #1 anymore). Talk is expensive, and even FM Polka would be cheaper to automate.

 

[grandoleopry]

The one variable that could contribute to an increase in the number of FM talkers is the possiblity of an additional performance royalty. This issue has been thrown around in Congress for the last several years. Should it become a reality you can bet there will be more FM talk. Group owners especially will do whatever they have to curtail expense. If a performance royalty similar
to what radio currently pays BMI , ASCAP, SESAC would be passed in congress it will take its toll
on music radio.

 

[TODDMAYOR]

sad to see that the royalty prices go up$$$ i love sirius xm but love going back to listen to the am and fm heritage stations in central pa. when i get bored with the satellite.

 

[vetguy]

Don't leave out the streaming internet costs to SoundExchange, calculated from the per listener per song formula. You haveto certify each month the exact number of players locked on to every song you stream 24/7.

 

[bl40modulimiter2]

98.9 in Millersburg seems to have moved in a CHR direction from their A/C sound---still sounds like it's a bird. Kind of an odd move with Kiss and Hot slugging it out in Hbg and the almighty 94KX up over the mountain in Sunbury on the other side of their coverage area.

 

[bossjock 56]

It's a Hot AC format from Dial-Global's local division, the former Wiatt network. They do more of a "custom" job for local stations....but it is indeed a bird.

 

[bl40modulimiter2]

Oh, well that makes much more sense--let's take a rimshot signal and throw it up against WINK. : Waitt was the source of the doo-woppin oldies format on WHYL---that was a miserable damn automaton system they used, and the music was questionable to WTF at times.