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Globe: At radio deal's end, Sox may be in play

raccoonradio

raccoonradio

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2006/01/31/at_radio_deals_end_sox_may_be_in_play/

"WEEI's contract with the Red Sox expires at the end of this season -- and, with it, the right to broadcast Sox games. As the Sox weigh their options for next year, they could move their games to FM, or even buy a station of their own. Sox executives say they are in renegotiations with WEEI, but that other possibilities also are on the table.

"The station's program director, Jason Wolfe, said WEEI expects to reach agreement with the Sox, but declined to say how long it might take. ''We feel we're the best partner," he said. ''We have an outstanding relationship with the club. We're going to continue to talk." If the Sox go with an FM radio partner, they could incorporate more crowd noise into broadcasts, and may be able to improve sound quality. The New England Patriots made the switch to an FM station, WBCN, 11 seasons ago and haven't looked back."

Sox to FM? Hint to Entercom: (taking Power91's suggestion, a thought I've aklso had)--if the Sox are so concerned about being on
FM, tell them you can run the games on WEEI _and_ simulcast them on
WMKK or WAAF....
 
And speaking of Sox on FM: they're already on Gloucester's WBOQ 104.9, and
I believe WEEI-FM down in R.I. will run them this year...

There are various stations on the Red Sox network that are on FM, including
WXTK on the Cape

Affiliate list is at http://weei.com/affiliates.asp

By the way they do list WBOQ but they say "Beverly" (yes, that's where studios
are but tech. licensed to Gloucester and their antenna is in Gloucester too,
IIRC)

Sox have been on FM before--remember WPLM (was that the days of the Campbell
Soup--er, Sports Network? Also for a time I think WWEL 107.9 carried some games.<P ID="signature">______________
raccoonradio5ap.gif
</P>
 
http://www.boston.com/busines> s/articles/2006/01/31/at_radio_deals_end_sox_may_be_in_play/
>
>
> "WEEI's contract with the Red Sox expires at the end of this
> season -- and, with it, the right to broadcast Sox games. As
> the Sox weigh their options for next year, they could move
> their games to FM, or even buy a station of their own. Sox
> executives say they are in renegotiations with WEEI, but
> that other possibilities also are on the table.
>
> "The station's program director, Jason Wolfe, said WEEI
> expects to reach agreement with the Sox, but declined to say
> how long it might take. ''We feel we're the best partner,"
> he said. ''We have an outstanding relationship with the
> club. We're going to continue to talk." If the Sox go with
> an FM radio partner, they could incorporate more crowd noise
> into broadcasts, and may be able to improve sound quality.
> The New England Patriots made the switch to an FM station,
> WBCN, 11 seasons ago and haven't looked back."
>
> Sox to FM? Hint to Entercom: (taking Power91's suggestion, a
> thought I've aklso had)--if the Sox are so concerned about
> being on
> FM, tell them you can run the games on WEEI _and_ simulcast
> them on
> WMKK or WAAF....
>
Here's reality:

The sox have seen what Fm exposure has done for the patriots, true they've had consistently better seasons and records than the sox which helped but overall they've been seen as more current and youthful being on Fm as opposed to the old school, old guy listener perception of AM. Sox will be gunning for an FM exposure with the next contract, I dont think WAAF will do it given their historically bad signal. Infinity/CBS radio is also salivating over the possibility of snatching the red sox from Entercom, and with both the sox and the pats, an fm sports talker would be very profitable. Jason Wolfe HAS to say that they're going to be back on his air, without them they dont have much and considering how much they bitch on EEI about the way bcn covers the Pats, can you imagine what their programming would become if they lost the sox to someone else? it would just be a bitch fest about how no one is covering sports in town the right way.................also "right" as in slant as opposed to being correct!.lol
 
can you imagine what their programming
> would become if they lost the sox to someone else?

Yikes!

Who knows, 'EEI could wind up with them again but picture the Sox flagship
as being...

WBCN 104.1, CBS: The Boston Red Sox Rock Radio Network
WZLX 100.7, CBS: Classic rock, classic Sox

WMKK 93.7, Entercom: Mike knows Coco, Curt, and Theo.
WAAF 107.3, Entercom...who knows?
WODS 103.3, CBS...who knows? (naah, they wouldn't want to dump oldies for games, but...)

WTKK 96.9, Greater Media: 96.9, FM Sox. (Sorry Mr. Severin, you're
pre-empted again...something that's gonna happen this year in Philadelphia
anyway, as his affiliate WPHT also carries Phillies...and btw the Severin
deal is just for one year, for now. Who knows if he'll still be on 96.9
come 2007)

...and who else?
WSOX, er WKLB (?!?) 102.5, Greater Media. Country all day, Sox all night?
 
Re: Sox On Radio

I suspect that unless the Red Sox buy a radio station, they'll probably stay on WEEI-850.

WEEI needs the Sox more than the Sox need WEEI. Without the Sox, WEEI would probably slide to the bottom of the Boston radio ratings. That's how critical Ye Olde Towne Team is to that station's fortunes.

I could see WAAF-107.3 simulcast Red Sox games with WEEI if the latter keeps the Sox in 2007 (and perhaps even this coming season if WEEI re-ups with the Sox over the next few weeks), which would certainly help "fill in the gaps" between Framingham and Worcester, where WEEI's signal is weak due to it's being beamed towards the east, away from Metrowest and Central Massachusetts.

Yes, WBZ-1030 could become a contendor for Red Sox broadcast rights, but I don't think they'll make a serious bid for these reasons:

(1) With 'BZ as the flagship, most of the Sox regional radio network (except for stations in far northern and far western New England) would become redundant.

(2) CBS reportdely has declined to renew local radio rights deal for some major pro teams in various cities that the company feels they can't make money on. I don't know if they would even allow 'BZ to bid on the Sox. Even if CBS allows 'BZ to bid on the Sox, they may impose a ceiling on the amount WBZ would bid, and if the bidding exceeds that amount, 'BZ would drop out.

(3) During the final weeks of baseball's regular-season, conflicts with Bruins' hockey pre-season games would come into play (and should the Sox go into the post-season, there would be several conflicts with early-season Bruins' games). And come Spring, there could be (depending on whether the Bruins make the playoffs, and if so, how long they stay in the postseason) numerous conflicts between early-season Sox games and Bruins' playoff games. This could result in one of CBS radio's other Boston-area stations broadcasting either most Bruins' playoff games (with the Sox staying on WBZ) or a substantial number of Red Sox games during the early weeks of the baseball season (with the Bruins staying on WBZ), or maybe a combination of the two.

(4) Were there to be a lengthy post-game show, Paul Sullivan's weeknight talk show (8:05 P.M.-12 Midnight) could be all but off-the-air from April into October.

Of course, there is one major FM station up for sale----WKLB-99.5, which Greater Media will spin-off (barring a change of FCC regulations) to purchase WCRB-102.5.

But were the Sox to buy WKLB, they would also need to buy a station well to the south of Boston to simulcast 99.5's programming in the southern suburbs, since WKLB's transmitter is well north of Boston, and as a result, it's signal doesn't penetrate as far south of the city as most other Boston FM stations do.

Ironically, if the Sox buy 99.5, they probably would want to buy WPLM-99.1, for it's signal is strong in areas well to the south of Boston where WKLB's signal isn't. The irony is that WPLM was once the Sox' radio flagship.

They could also brand the simulcast as "Sox Radio 99: 99.5 in Boston and points north; 99.1 in Boston and points south".

If the Sox do buy their own station(s), I suspect it/they would be flipped to all-sports, and I think the Sox may even go as far as to try to hire away at least some of WEEI's local sports-talk talent.
 
Re: Sox On Radio

> I could see WAAF-107.3 simulcast Red Sox games with WEEI if
> the latter keeps the Sox in 2007 (and perhaps even this
> coming season if WEEI re-ups with the Sox over the next few
> weeks), which would certainly help "fill in the gaps"
> between Framingham and Worcester, where WEEI's signal is
> weak due to it's being beamed towards the east, away from
> Metrowest and Central Massachusetts.

Though couldn't Entercom get the Sox on 1440 WVEI? That would seem to alleviate the issue right there.

(though moving the entire WEEI Boston franchise to one of Entercom's two hopeless FMs would seem a wise move as well.)

> (1) With 'BZ as the flagship, most of the Sox regional radio
> network (except for stations in far northern and far western
> New England) would become redundant.

WBOQ is redundant as it is, but it's there.

> (2) CBS reportdely has declined to renew local radio rights
> deal for some major pro teams in various cities that the
> company feels they can't make money on. I don't know if they
> would even allow 'BZ to bid on the Sox. Even if CBS allows
> 'BZ to bid on the Sox, they may impose a ceiling on the
> amount WBZ would bid, and if the bidding exceeds that
> amount, 'BZ would drop out.

I believe they just got the rights for the Chicago Bulls for FM talker WCKG.

In any case, there's no reason for CBS to put the Sox on WBZ, especially when they would prefer an FM signal. How about putting them on 104.1 to attract the younger audience, or on 100.7 to attract an established audience? I won't comment on the potential of a Free FM tied with sports, but if Infinity had Sox rights with a weekday sports show, the station could easily make a hole in WEEI.

> Of course, there is one major FM station up for
> sale----WKLB-99.5, which Greater Media will spin-off
> (barring a change of FCC regulations) to purchase
> WCRB-102.5.

I won't call you crazy as everyone else is; it's a fact that 99.5 is for sale. And the Sox were considering bidding on 102.5. But this just wouldn't work.

Not only would it probably cost more than 102.5 would after adding 99.1, but 99.1's owner has stated that the property is not for sale. So the Sox would be stuck with a powerful-but-rimshot signal running one of the most successful sports franchises out there. The Sox weren't working on 99.1, so another rimshot wouldn't seem to be a great setup.
 
Re: Sox On Radio

> " Without the Sox, WEEI would probably slide to the bottom of the Boston radio ratings."
<font color=green> They would be alright without the Sox:though not nearly as good. Esp. if the Sox went into the FM talk biz, as well as delivering their games to a new high bidder.Soxwill be on WEEI FM this season: <a target="_blank" href=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/08/weeis_pact_with_sox_squashes_radio_rumors/>http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/08/weeis_pact_with_sox_squashes_radio_rumors/</a>. 103.7 should be lifted to a strong #2 in Providence, if not #1.[/b] BCN would really become a powerhouse with both the Pats/Bosox. EEI would be forced to talk all day, about another station's properties.</font>
 
Re: Sox On Radio

What would that do in terms of imaging? Does anyone think CBS Radio (the former Infiniti, which used to be CBS Radio before that) would conceivably morph the Rock Of Boston into the Jock of Boston?


> > " Without the Sox, WEEI would probably slide to the bottom
> of the Boston radio ratings."
> They would be alright without the Sox:though not nearly
> as good. Esp. if the Sox went into the FM talk biz, as well
> as delivering their games to a new high bidder. They will be
> on WEEI FM this season:
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/art> icles/2005/05/08/weeis_pact_with_sox_squashes_radio_rumors/.
> 103.7 should be lifted to a strong #2 in Providence, if not
> #1. BCN would really become a powerhouse with both the
> Pats/Bosox. EEI would be forced to talk all day, about
> someone else's properties.
>
 
> can you imagine what their programming
> > would become if they lost the sox to someone else?
>
> Yikes!
>
> Who knows, 'EEI could wind up with them again but picture
> the Sox flagship
> as being...
>
> WBCN 104.1, CBS: The Boston Red Sox Rock Radio Network
> WZLX 100.7, CBS: Classic rock, classic Sox
>
> WMKK 93.7, Entercom: Mike knows Coco, Curt, and Theo.
> WAAF 107.3, Entercom...who knows?
> WODS 103.3, CBS...who knows? (naah, they wouldn't want to
> dump oldies for games, but...)
>
> WTKK 96.9, Greater Media: 96.9, FM Sox. (Sorry Mr. Severin,
> you're
> pre-empted again...something that's gonna happen this year
> in Philadelphia
> anyway, as his affiliate WPHT also carries Phillies...and
> btw the Severin
> deal is just for one year, for now. Who knows if he'll still
> be on 96.9
> come 2007)
>
> ...and who else?
> WSOX, er WKLB (?!?) 102.5, Greater Media. Country all day,
> Sox all night?
>
WJMN 94.5 ( Blazin Hip Hop & R&B and YO Red Sox Baseball ) <P ID="signature">______________
LAPD tell the truth ! Who did that to B.I.G.</P>
 
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