Here comes Audacy Atlas...

[AceBiscuits]

Just an honest observation:
WTSS & WKSE have been the radio formula of how to pretend to be local while doing the opposite. Sue o'neil and Rob Lucas names you know, Janet & the pickle - people you love ( and cleverly ) mask that 4 hours are local on 98.5 / and maybe 8 hours a day on WTSS.

in other words ,
WTSS and WKSE being prepped for major changes that listeners won't notice or care about

This has been the case for maybe the last 3 or 4 years (maybe more), nothing new there.

 

[Kent]

I’m just thinking out loud but what if cumulus buys 102.5 and the WKSE KISS brand and move it to 102.5. I mean all they would be buying is the name. But at least they would be getting the heritage calls and name. And I don’t know how Janet and Nick would fit into it but Cumulus would at least add local jocks back to that lifelsss station plus give it a huge coverage area. So would that be a good move or no

Unless this has changed recently, Star bills more and makes more money. If Audacy and Cumulus are talking swap, Cumulus is giving a strong property elsewhere up and wants the cash cow.

 

[AceBiscuits]

Star bills more and makes more money. If Audacy and Cumulus are talking swap, Cumulus is giving a strong property elsewhere up and wants the cash cow.

That is the only way the transaction would happen unless Cumulus is giving Audacy money for the station, which based on Cumulus' financials, I doubt strongly.

 

[Majic rockstar]

No. There is a better chance that K Love radio will buy 102.5. Star can move to 107.7, maybe?
It's one way to get back all that crazy money that (then) Entercom paid to protect WKSE, preventing anyone from launching a hit music station on 107.7 FM.

Why do they care they will end up leaving the market all together so what would they be protecting now. They are basicly selling one station that sounds like the other. I’m my view top 40 done right with the heritage calls and name would be a huge cash cow for Cumulis plus they get into the coveted female market which they don’t really have much of right now. K love won’t be in on this Cuase it will be a swap. Good help us if they do of course it’s not like anyone really cares anymore.

 

[Radio-Bored-Op]

k Love buying WTSS ?

 

[AceBiscuits]

k Love buying WTSS ?

Lance's post remarked that Audacy's financial maneuvers may lead to EMF entering a market it has not entered yet. The rumors seem to point to said market being Dallas.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

I'm already lost. Just an honest observation: WTSS & WKSE have been the radio formula of how to pretend to be local while doing the opposite. Sue o'neil and Rob Lucas names you know, Janet & the pickle - people you love ( and cleverly ) mask that 4 hours are local on 98.5 / and maybe 8 hours a day on WTSS. in other words, WTSS and WKSE being prepped for major changes that listeners won't notice or care about

Anything is possible, considering the sad shape Audacy is in ... but Star and Kiss are two well-established brands in Buffalo. There may be some blurring between Hot AC as it is these days, and what now passes for CHR, but it's doubtful a new owner would blow them up ... unless ETF buys Star; then it likely becomes CHR ... Contemporary Heavenly Radio, which BTW, puts up some very respectable numbers in many markets. There's also likely to be non-compete language in any transaction, for example, format covenants, intellectual property and other such protections.

K-Love ("EMF" ... Educational Media Foundation) in Buffalo is on 89.9 WBKV, which is a 3 kW signal that looks like this. The 102.5 signal is far more expansive and penetrating.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Lance's post remarked that Audacy's financial maneuvers may lead to EMF entering a market it has not entered yet. The rumors seem to point to said market being Dallas.

EMF is already in DFW, but only with Air1. Their K-Love format has been kept out of that market due to Audacy’s Classic Hits KLUV, which has used the branding for over 40 years.

The speculation is that EMF will purchase the DFW rights to the K-Love brand from Audacy. KLUV will then rebrand and change it’s call letters while maintaining essentially the same format. EMF buys another DFW station and launches its own K-Love format on that signal.

The national K-Love format is also missing from Houston, but EMF might be staying away out of deference to similarly formatted non-comm KSBJ, which is long established and very successful. Air1 is present in Houston, however.

 

[Radio-Bored-Op]

How much for
"Entercomm Buffalo "

If a wealthy individual(s) wanted to acquire the cluster [ or FM only ] what about would be the sticker price ?
Cluster: 22.5 million
2 FMs 16 - 18 million


thoughts ??

 

[AceBiscuits]

EMF is already in DFW, but only with Air1. Their K-Love format has been kept out of that market due to Audacy’s Classic Hits KLUV, which has used the branding for over 40 years.

The speculation is that EMF will purchase the DFW rights to the K-Love brand from Audacy. KLUV will then rebrand and change it’s call letters while maintaining essentially the same format. EMF buys another DFW station and launches its own K-Love format on that signal.

The national K-Love format is also missing from Houston, but EMF might be staying away out of deference to similarly formatted non-comm KSBJ, which is long established and very successful. Air1 is present in Houston, however.

Yes - that's what I meant to say. Thanks, my apologies.

 

[ckg279]

k Love buying WTSS ?

My question: WHY? As Rusty noted, EMF already owns WBKV/89.9; granted, the signal is only really listenable in the Southtowns. Honestly, I don't think Star winds up with EMF. MAYBE someone else. I think sooner or later, the other shoe is going to drop.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

My question: WHY? As Rusty noted, EMF already owns WBKV/89.9; granted, the signal is only really listenable in the Southtowns. Honestly, I don't think Star winds up with EMF. MAYBE someone else. I think sooner or later, the other shoe is going to drop.

Because Toronto only has AM 1250 and it's not even serving Toronto. It is an Oakville Ontario radio station.
What do Hamilton and St. Catharines have? Add to that the American side that K love already has and suddenly 102.5 looks far more lucrative for K love, "with more power...serving more people..." lol

 

[tbolt909]

That was the point I was trying to make by saying you can't compare small market radio with major markets. You need a digital strategy if you want to compete in places like Seattle and San Francisco. Owning a streaming service is expensive, but necessary. The new CEO has come into Saga knowing the challenges he faces because he is so late to the party.

Buffalo seems to fall in the Medium Market category. It's interesting that Iheart has no presence in Buffalo, but they do in Rochester. I haven't seen anyone mention Iheart as a possible buyer of the Audacy Buffalo cluster. They may no longer have the wherewithal to make such a move...

 

[AceBiscuits]

I haven't seen anyone mention Iheart as a possible buyer of the Audacy Buffalo cluster. They may no longer have the wherewithal to make such a move...

They may not see strategic reason to do so, and may not be wanting to spend cash to acquire it outright. The current hypothesis of a deal with Cumulus makes the most sense.

 

[TV Junkie 12]

Cumulus makes sense for some acquisitions based on the rumblings going on throughout the market. But never count Buddy out in acquiring some of the eventual cast offs from Audacy. He's maintained a positive and increasing cash flow throughout his ownership of WECK which is certainly something that Audacy can't say. There's been speculation that Star is somehow a cash cow for Audacy but based on the publically available stock info there's no way they could be. Buddy's station in Key West is doing well from all appearances and there are other properties there he is rumored to be looking at there as well. Don't look past the fact that he may have the financial backing to get any of the stations he decides will fit his portfolio either in Buffalo or Key West or both.

 

[DarrenVision]

One other possibility? Can iHeartMedia enter the Kansas City and/or Buffalo market? They're the 2 biggest markets that iHeart doesn't serve. Possibly reenter Richmond probably?

 

[SirRoxalot]

iHeart expansion is likely to be online, not OTA. I don't see them entering any market that doesn't have massive growth potential, especially if cash is involved. A Cumulus swap makes the most financial sense as the current Audacy management tries to rearrange the deck chairs on their sinking ship and try to show that they're addressing their financial issues. I think it's more likely that Buddy gets a shot at 107.7 than 102.5.

 

[DarrenVision]

iHeart expansion is likely to be online, not OTA. I don't see them entering any market that doesn't have massive growth potential, especially if cash is involved. A Cumulus swap makes the most financial sense as the current Audacy management tries to rearrange the deck chairs on their sinking ship and try to show that they're addressing their financial issues. I think it's more likely that Buddy gets a shot at 107.7 than 102.5.

So how come iHeart bought stations for Black Information Network?

 

[gr8oldies]

They may not see strategic reason to do so, and may not be wanting to spend cash to acquire it outright. The current hypothesis of a deal with Cumulus makes the most sense.

iHeart isn't buying medium markets anymore. They'll swap for something in a major.

 

[AceBiscuits]

So how come iHeart bought stations for Black Information Network?

Market clearance.