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Future of WIP-AM

J

jhguthlac

Guest
CBS in Detroit has been using a combo set-on sports radio WXYT AM & FM. Now it is splitting them, with FM remaining sports and regular talk going to AM. Some local stuff, but adding Glenn Beck mid-days. Could Glenn Beck be returning to Philly on 610 WIP?
 
WIP-AM is going to be a simulcast of WIP-FM. It will also be their overflow outlet whenever there is a sports conflict like the Flyers and Sixers whenever they play the same night. They also will have some national content on the AM channel like NFL on Westwood One and the NCAA tourney so there will be plenty of programming on the AM to make it a little more relevant than a glorified repeater.
 
WCAUTVNBC10 said:
WIP-AM is going to be a simulcast of WIP-FM. It will also be their overflow outlet whenever there is a sports conflict like the Flyers and Sixers whenever they play the same night. They also will have some national content on the AM channel like NFL on Westwood One and the NCAA tourney so there will be plenty of programming on the AM to make it a little more relevant than a glorified repeater.
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I think that 950/97.5 has rights to the Westwood one content like the NFL and NCAA basketball games.
 
Radio Wreck said:
So we are going to have FOUR sports stations in this town? How is that possible? Will Greater Media survive with 97.5 and 950?
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For all practical purposes, it's two stations. Listeners aren't going to get hung up on 610 and 94 or 950 and 95.7 being technically four stations. It's the Fanatic, or it's WIP. That there are two places to catch each one, and a place for some overflow now and then, is irrelevant. Likewise, from a cost perspective, it's two stations, not four.
 
Likewise, from a cost perspective, it's two stations, not four.

I don't see how it's cost effective to simulcast most of the time. Who is listening to the AM station during the simulcast? 10%? Probably not even that many. So why would advertisers buy time on the AM when almost all of the audience is listening to the FM. There is no way advertisers are paying DOUBLE the amount to be heard on both AM and FM.

Even if the content is sold as a package deal, I would think that more profit would be made with two entirely different formats in order to draw more people to the AM.

I guess AM is dead and station owners don't know what to do with their AM's except to allow their FM's to carry them. It can't last much longer.
 
Julius May said:
WCAUTVNBC10 said:
WIP-AM is going to be a simulcast of WIP-FM. It will also be their overflow outlet whenever there is a sports conflict like the Flyers and Sixers whenever they play the same night. They also will have some national content on the AM channel like NFL on Westwood One and the NCAA tourney so there will be plenty of programming on the AM to make it a little more relevant than a glorified repeater.
Click to expand...
I think that 950/97.5 has rights to the Westwood one content like the NFL and NCAA basketball games.
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They did but don't anymore. Trust me WIP wouldn't announce it if that wasn't the case.
 
Radio Wreck said:
Likewise, from a cost perspective, it's two stations, not four.

I don't see how it's cost effective to simulcast most of the time. Who is listening to the AM station during the simulcast? 10%? Probably not even that many. So why would advertisers buy time on the AM when almost all of the audience is listening to the FM. There is no way advertisers are paying DOUBLE the amount to be heard on both AM and FM.

Even if the content is sold as a package deal, I would think that more profit would be made with two entirely different formats in order to draw more people to the AM.

I guess AM is dead and station owners don't know what to do with their AM's except to allow their FM's to carry them. It can't last much longer.
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Of course it's sold as a single buy. They're not going to run different spots. But there's next to no additional cost involved. Run a completely separate station, and there will be some degree of incremental operational cost. Yes, one could go ultra cheap on that front, but the revenue could then be so minimal as to make the benefit questionable at best.

AM may not be dead, but like any number of industries, the days of old are long gone and not coming back. Time to adapt to the reality of 2011,not pine for the days of two or three decades ago.
 
WCAUTVNBC10 said:
They did but don't anymore. Trust me WIP wouldn't announce it if that wasn't the case.
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I didn't see anything official about WIP taking back the westwood one play by play.
 
RUMOR!!!! WMGK will go all sports in October... Turns out 4 sports talk stations (English anyway) are NOT enough in Philly!
... Okay, I started the rumor...
 
Pab Sungenis said:
No, another AM talker in Philly would take away from WPHT. They wouldn't put talk on 610.
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Unless they program 610 as an all-syndicated talker, and make WPHT all-local (some exceptions possibly being Rush remaining on 1210, or taking the internally syndicated "America Overnight").

That possibility: A) could bring back Beck and Hannity live clearances in Philly, in addition to poaching Dennis Miller from WNTP and C2C from WPHT, B) gives Shmerconish a live clearance for his syndicated show against Rush on WPHT - AND the opportunity to do a completely live show on WPHT afternoons as opposed to the current arrangement, and C) frees up more time for local hosts on 1210 (especially if the Phillies broadcasts move either outright or have a greater preference on 94WIP).

Not as far-fetched as one would think. CBS just announced that WXYT-AM in Detroit - for nearly four years, the silent simulcast partner to WXYT-FM "97.1 The Ticket" - is separating from the simulcast and reverting to it's old talk format and "Talkradio 1270" brand.

WLW in Cincinnati and KGO in San Francisco have remained all-local for decades, mostly because they have sister stations that run all-syndicated lineups (WKRC-AM and KSFO, respectively). And clearly, WPHT's programming moves earlier this year were done under the intention of becoming more local.

Such an arrangement would actually protect and bolster WPHT, instead of hurting it.
 
Has WPEN picked up Notre Dame football/basketball in the past? WIP has carried it before and might again. WFIL picked it up for a few seasons. It would be a good move, money wise, to pick it up at 610. IF ND finally has a good season.
 
Nathan Obral said:
Pab Sungenis said:
No, another AM talker in Philly would take away from WPHT. They wouldn't put talk on 610.
Click to expand...

Unless they program 610 as an all-syndicated talker, and make WPHT all-local (some exceptions possibly being Rush remaining on 1210, or taking the internally syndicated "America Overnight").

That possibility: A) could bring back Beck and Hannity live clearances in Philly, in addition to poaching Dennis Miller from WNTP and C2C from WPHT, B) gives Shmerconish a live clearance for his syndicated show against Rush on WPHT - AND the opportunity to do a completely live show on WPHT afternoons as opposed to the current arrangement, and C) frees up more time for local hosts on 1210 (especially if the Phillies broadcasts move either outright or have a greater preference on 94WIP).

Not as far-fetched as one would think. CBS just announced that WXYT-AM in Detroit - for nearly four years, the silent simulcast partner to WXYT-FM "97.1 The Ticket" - is separating from the simulcast and reverting to it's old talk format and "Talkradio 1270" brand.

WLW in Cincinnati and KGO in San Francisco have remained all-local for decades, mostly because they have sister stations that run all-syndicated lineups (WKRC-AM and KSFO, respectively). And clearly, WPHT's programming moves earlier this year were done under the intention of becoming more local.

Such an arrangement would actually protect and bolster WPHT, instead of hurting it.
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I like the idea of talk on 1210 and 610. Move Rush over to 610. Bring back Beck and Hannity. All local on 1210 with Phillies on 1210 and WIP-FM. All bets are off if CBS gets 106.9 and has to get rid of a station. Maybe WYSP moves to 106.9.
 
All this stuff about Detroit is hardly a valid comparison, as they're not competing with their own talk station there, as would be the case with this wild speculation about 610 here. Moreover, they waited four years to do it. Maybe years in the future, they'll feel they can do something else with 610, but not in the short term unless there's a logical opportunity to divest themselves of the station. And if such an opportunity....cough, 106.9....comes to pass, bringing back WYSP for its minimal ratings would be pointless. Now KYW on FM, too...that would be logical.
 
If and if KYW goes to 106.9, it stays at 1060 also, right? They wouldn't do KYW on just FM, would they? If CBS gets 106.9, they have to get rid of one station, don't they, 610 or 1060? Does overflow sports go onto one of the KYWs then?
 
WPHT still has some sentimental value to CBS, or it should have some value. Not only is it descended from the former WCAU-AM, but 1210 was one of the original cornerstones of CBS Radio itself (the Paley family advertised on 1210, saw it worked, then bought the network). Plus it's at a clear-channel frequency just like 1060.

As per: WXYT-AM, yes, it's not the best possible comparison. But at least CBS saw something to split that AM/FM simulcast after four years, especially since the FM was leading that train all along. And Citadel-Cumulus' WJR leads the talk pack, almost by default. With two of the top Detroit radio stations in their possession (all-news WWJ and sports WXYT-FM), CBS has nothing to lose whatsoever with talk on WXYT-AM.

No, 610 won't sprout a new format immediately... but there's nothing that says that, eventually, CBS wouldn't create a flanker station on 610 to protect WPHT.

I wouldn't understand putting WYSP on 106.9, either. The format has little to no staying power for CBS itself - even if WYSP went there, in 2-3 years, the frequency will be targeted to relay KYW anyway.
 
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